Polyelectrolyte multilayer films of different charge density copolymers with synergistic nonelectrostatic interactions prepared by the layer-by-layer technique

Abstract

Random copolymers composed of diallyldimethylammonium chloride (DADMAC) and acrylamide with varying contents (8-100 mol%) of the cationic DADMAC component were alternated with polyanionic, fully charged poly(styrenesulfonate) to form multilayer thin films. UV-vis spectrophotometry, FTIR spectroscopy, and quartz-crystal microgravimetry (QCM) were employed to follow multilayer buildup. Atomic force microscopy was used to obtain structural information. Layer thicknesses have been determined with small-angle X-ray scattering and ellipsometry, in addition to values calculated from QCM. While in previous work, 1-6 a critical charge density limit could be observed, below which no layer growth is po..