Investigation of the influence of polyelectrolyte charge density on the growth of multilayer thin films prepared by the layer-by-layer technique

Abstract

We examine the influence of the charge density along a polyelectrolyte chain on the buildup of multilayer films formed by the sequential adsorption of alternating layers of polyanions and polycations (the layer-by-layer technique). Model random copolymers of diallyldimethylammonium chloride (DADMAC) and N-methyl-N-vinylacetamide (NMVA) having matched molecular weights and varying percentages (24-100%) of the cationic DADMAC component are alternated with polyanionic polystyrene sulfonate (PSS). Multilayer buildup is monitored by UV-vis and FTIR spectroscopies, and with a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and is correlated with structural information obtained using atomic force microscopy. Whe..