ToF-SIMS spectra of polypropylene, polystyrene, and polyethylene terephthalate in positive polarity

Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) is widely used for surface-sensitive identification of polymeric materials. Yet, the interpretation of ToF-SIMS spectra acquired on polymers can be hindered by secondary ion fragmentation and the lack of reference spectra acquired under comparable conditions. Here, we report the ToF-SIMS reference spectra in positive mode for three common, additive-free homopolymer films: polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The specimens were commercially available, biaxially oriented films and stored dry prior to analysis; immediately before loading the sample, each surface was freshly scraped to expose a pristine region. Data collection was performed on an IONTOF M6 using a 30 keV Bi+ liquid metal ion gun in pulsed, bunched mode under static SIMS conditions (1 × 1012 ions/cm2). Data were acquired from 100 × 100 μm2 areas (256 × 256 pixels) at 300 K under high vacuum with electron flood charge compensation. The resulting spectra provide diagnostic polymer fingerprints, including hydrocarbon allylic fragment series for PP, aromatic and styrenic fragments for PS, and oxygenated aromatic/terephthalate fragments and repeat-unit oligomer ions for PET. These spectra are intended to serve as baseline library entries to support polymer identification, method development, and routine quality control in ToF-SIMS surface analysis.