TOF-SIMS imaging of polyester/melamine resin with bismuth cluster ions

In recent years, secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) with a time-of-flight (TOF) mass analyzer has been widely used for analyzing the structures of organic molecules. In particular, TOF-SIMS with a cluster ion beam (Au_n, Bi_n, C₆₀, Ar_n, etc.) has been drawing attention as the technique can be used without destroying the structures of organic molecules. In this study, we imaged polyester/melamine resin using TOF-SIMS with bismuth cluster ions. By secondary ion imaging, we confirmed that the melamine formaldehyde resin was concentrated on the surface of the paint film. By comparing the difference between C₅H₇N₆ ⁺ (m/z = 151) and the other ions, we estimated that the degree of condensation of the melamine formaldehyde resin increased with a catalyst.