Improving material properties by a simple gas-treatment procedure.

A simple, easy-to-use, room-temperature gas-treatment procedure improves the surface and bulk physical, chemical, and electrical properties of materials in a number of applications. Water wettability and a number of dielectric properties of various polymers, thin metal films, and porous carbon-based cathodes can be markedly changed by exposure for a few minutes to this gas treatment. This inexpensive technique can be used to chemically modify surface, and even bulk, electrical and physical properties of materials. These changes can then improve device performance. The technique can be easily inserted into ordinary manufacturing procedures.