Multilayering of a pseudo polyelectrolyte (PVPh) with a strong polyelectrolyte (PDMAC) from aqueous media

The introduction of pseudo polyelectrolytes (pPE) into the field of multilayer thin films has recently been achieved with the successful combination of poly(4-vinylphenol) (PVPh) with the weak polyelectrolyte (WPE), polyallylamine hydrochloride (PAH). This paper examines the stretching of this limit by exploring the extremes of using the pPE with the strong polyelectrolyte (SPE), poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDMAC). UV–Vis absorbance and atomic force microscopy (AFM) topography data reveal a linear growth trend in film thickness that depends critically upon the assembly pH. At an assembly pH of 11.0 the multilayer was five times thicker compared to that assembled at pH 12.0. AFM topography images also show that the surface roughness of the films increases as the assembly pH decreases.