Raman and IR studies on adsorption behavior of adhesive monomers in a metal primer for Au, Ag, Cu, and Cr surfaces

6-[N-(4-vinylbenzyl)propylamino]-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-dithione (VBATDT) and 10-methacryloyloxydecyl dihydrogen phosphate (M10P) are functional monomers used for the surface treatment of dental alloys. The aim of our study was to clarify the role of a commercial metal primer containing both the monomers in adhesion between resin and various dental metals on a molecular level. We used surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and infrared reflection absorption (IRA) spectroscopy. An SERS measurement was performed with a 647 nm laser line for a mixture of aqueous Au colloid and the primer. IRA spectra were taken for cast films of the primer on Au, Ag, Cu, and Cr surfaces as a function of rinse time, and for self-assembled monolayer (SAM) films from dilute mixed solution of VBATDT and M10P. These spectra indicate that VBATDT in the primer is mainly chemisorbed on Au, Ag, and Cu surfaces with respect to thickness, whereas only M10P is adsorbed on Cr. We also examined the tensile bond strengths between resin and Au, Ag, Cu, and Cr plates treated by VBATDT, with and without M10P, and found that VBATDT effectively promotes the bond strength between resin and the metals except for Cr, whereas M10P is effective only for Cr. These adhesion characteristics are consistent with the chemisorbed species on each metal surface as shown in the spectroscopic evidence.