Photoemission study of pristine and photodegraded poly(methyl methacrylate)

A study was conducted to examine the degradation of poly(methyl methacrylate) thin films using vacuum ultraviolet monochromatic synchroton radiation. The valence band structure was simulated for the nondegraded thin films while photoelectron spectra was determined by a plane grating monochromator beamline. Results indicated that degradation products supported a rich conjugation of unsaturated bonds.