EXPRESS: Attenuated Total Reflection–Far-Ultraviolet Spectroscopy and Quantum Chemical Calculations of the Electronic Structure of the Top Surface and Bulk of Polyethylenes with Different Crystallinities

In this study, we explored the electronic structure of the surfaces of polyethylene samples having different crystallinities using attenuated total reflection (ATR)-far-ultraviolet (FUV) spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations. Specifically, the ATR-FUV spectra of five types of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), six types of linear low-density PE (LLDPE), and seven types of low-density PE (LDPE) were obtained. All the spectra contained an intense band near 156 nm and a broad band between 180 and 190 nm. Transmission spectra were obtained for the thin-film (30 μm) PE samples between 165 and 250 nm. In this region, the HDPE films show very low-intensity bands. In contrast, the transmission spectra of the LLDPE and LDPE samples yielded weak-to-medium and medium-intensity bands around 180–190 nm, respectively. In addition, to understand the differences in the absorption spectra among the PEs observed, we simulated the spectra of <i>n</i>-pentane as a PE crystal model using time-dependent density functional theory and found that the common intense band at 156 nm is due to the σ (C(2p)-H)→Rydberg 3s, 3p transition. The absorption bands near 180–190 nm may correspond to aggregates of numerous molecular chains in the amorphous parts of the LLDPE and LDPE samples.