Ion tracks in polymers

Electronic excitations produced by ions in polymers results in the formation of free radicals making them highly sensitive to chemical agents. Besides the widely developed application to the etching of membranes with controlled pore sizes and densities, the grafting of molecules selected for their chemical properties inside the tracks of swift ions offers interesting potentialities such as the fabrication of intelligent membranes, detectors and captors. Carbon, silicon or metal clusters which are formed in the heavily damaged core of tracks, especially within partially inorganic polymers, are also of high interest for their optical or magnetic properties.