We report on a novel technique of surface texturing of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) foil in the presence of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). This approach provides a variable surface morphology of PET evenly decorated with AgNPs. Surface texturing occurred in silver nanoparticle colloids of different concentrations under the action of pulse excimer laser. Surface morphology of PET immobilized with AgNPs was observed by AFM and FEGSEM. Atomic concentration of silver was determined by XPS. A presented concentration-controlled procedure of surface texturing of PET in the presence of silver colloids leads to a highly nanoparticle-enriched polymer surface with a variable morphology and uniform nanoparticle distribution.
Keywords: laser; polymer; silver nanoparticles; surface morphology; surface texturing.