• Importance of polymer surface structure; Differences between polymer and other material surfaces; Theoretical models. Thermodynamics of polymer surfaces; Surface energy and methods of determination.
• Methods of characterization of polymer surfaces
• Liquid contact angle, reflectivity methods (neutron, x-ray, visible-SPO, XPS, forward recoil elastic scattering, (FRES), secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), TOF-FRES, TOF-SIMS, Rutherford backscattering, ATR-IR, AFM, STM and inteterference microscopies, surface-force apparatus.
• Methods of polymer surface modification – plasma, ion etch, chemical etching, organic transformations, surface restructuring, vapour deposition (chemical and physical), photochemical transformations, super critical carbon dioxide processing and entrapment functionalization.
• Applications – Adhesion/printing, growth of organisms on surfaces, wetting, friction, lubrication, corrosion prevention, interfacial mechanical properties, low surface energy coatings for anti-vandalism, flocculation, polymer composities and bio-compatibility

References:

1. Physics of Polymer Surfaces and Interfaces, Ed. Isaac C.Sanchez, Wiley, New York, 1992.
2. Surface and Interfacial Aspects of Biomedical Polymers, Vol. 1 & 2, Ed. J.P. Andrade, Plenum Press, New York 1985.
3. Journal articles from current literature.