Layer-by-layer assembly of nanoblended thin films: Poly(allylamine hydrochloride) and a binary mixture of a synthetic and natural polyelectrolyte

Abstract

Nanoblended multilayer thin films were formed by the layer-by-layer assembly of poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and a binary mixture of single-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and poly(sodium styrenesulfonate) (PSS). UV-vis spectrophotometry was used as a facile means to determine the proportion of DNA and PSS in the films. Films assembled from solutions containing sodium chloride (NaCl) were found to contain predominantly PSS, while the presence of ethanol in the adsorption solution favored the incorporation of DNA into the film. The thickness of the films was determined by using surface plasmon resonance, which revealed increasing film thickness with a larger proportion of DNA in ..