The surface and interface of poly (2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate) (PHEMA) and anodic aluminium oxide (AAO) membranes were comprehensively investigated using Near Edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy. It was found that 1s ->pi* (C=O) and 1s ->sigma* (C-O) transitions were dominant on the surface of both bulk PHEMA polymer and PHEMA-surface coated AAO (AAO-PHEMA) composite. Findings from NEXAFS, Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) analyses suggest the possibility of chemical interaction between carbon from the ester group of polymer and AAO membrane. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.