Preparation of conductive PDDA/(PEDOT:PSS) multilayer thin film: influence of polyelectrolyte solution composition.

Self-assembled multilayer films made of PEDOT:PSS poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) and PDDA poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) were prepared using layer-by-layer method. In order to modify the growth regime of the multilayer, to fabricate an electrical conductive film and to control its thickness, the effects of pH, type of electrolyte, ionic strength and polyelectrolyte concentration were investigated. Optical reflectometry measurements show that the pH of the solutions has no effect on the film growth while the adsorbed amount increases more rapidly when BaCl2 is used instead of NaCl as electrolyte. An increase in the ionic strength (with NaCl) induces a change in the growth regime from a linear to an exponential one at low polyelectrolyte concentration. As UV-vis measurements indicate, no decomplexation of PEDOT was recorded after film preparation. With polyelectrolyte concentration below 1 g L(-1), no conductive films were obtained even if 50 bilayers were deposited. A conductive film was prepared with a polyelectrolyte concentration of 1 g L(-1) and the measured conductivity was 0.3 S m(-1). A slight increase in conductivity was recorded when BaCl2 was used probably due to a modification of the film structure.

Electrodeposition of latex particles in the presence of surfactant: Investigation of deposit morphology.

The deposition of micrometric latex particles on a polarized nickel surface was investigated using a laminar flow cell equipped with a video assembly used to observe and record particle behavior near the electrode. The effects of the nature of the counterions and the concentrations of surfactants on the deposit structure were studied. Negative polystyrene latex particles were turned positive by adsorption of cetyltrimethylammonium in the form of different salts: bromide (CTAB), chloride (CTAC), and hydrogenosulfate (CTAHS). Image analysis was used to gain information on the mechanisms of particle deposition on the electrode. At CTAB concentration 5x10(-5)M, mostly single particles were deposited on the electrode and their adhesion was irreversible. The adsorption mechanism was shown to be dependent on the succession of electrophoretic migration and attractive particle-surface interactions. At a higher CTAB concentration (5x10(-4)M) a transient 3D aggregation was observed which was attributed to electroosmotic and electrohydrodynamic phenomena in the vicinity of the electrode. In the presence of CTAC, aggregates were formed on the electrode for both concentrations. In the case of CTAHS the deposition rate was very low in comparison with CTAB and CTAC. This result was explained by the lower zeta potential of the particles with respect to the other cases. The formation of the aggregates was reversible; furthermore, their morphologies were strongly dependent on the kind of counterion. The aggregates formed in CTAB solution were dense while more open structures were observed with CTAC.

Early steps in layer-by-layer construction of polyelectrolyte films: the transition from surface/polymer to polymer/polymer determining interactions.

The layer-by-layer deposition of two polyelectrolytes, quaternized poly(dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate chloride) (MADQUAT) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) on a silica substrate was investigated using optical reflectometry, as a function of pH (pH 4, 5.5 and 9), ionic strength (10(-3) to 10(-1) M) and type of salt. Attention was given to the successive deposited weights and to the corresponding deposited charge densities within the ten first deposited layers. Results show a change of growth regime between an early stage where the substrate had a dominating influence in the build-up and a second stage where the polymer uptake was ruled essentially by polymer-polymer interactions. The pH was seen to influence the growth via the charge densities of silica (first stage) and PAA (first and second stages). The increase of NaCl concentration induced an increase of the film weight between 10(-3) and 10(-2) M, but the trend was more sophisticated between 10(-2) and 10(-1) M where the polymer uptake increased in the first stage of the growth and decreased in subsequent layers. The film weight increased in accordance with the rank of ions in the Hofmeister series. AFM images revealed a heterogeneous film morphology with bumps and valleys, which was explained by a growth mechanism made of the successive formation and growth of polymer complexes.

Reflectometric study of the adsorption of poly(vinyl imidazole) on a gold electrode, effects of pH, and applied potential.

The adsorption-desorption behavior of poly(vinyl imidazole), a weak polybase (pH-dependent positive charge), on a gold electrode was investigated using optical fixed-angle reflectometry. Using an instrument comprising an impinging-jet system, the hydrodynamic conditions were well defined, making it possible to study the adsorption rate. Comparison between the actual adsorption rate and that of a purely diffusion-controlled process revealed the occurrence and the change of an electrostatic barrier in the adsorption process. The surface charge of the gold electrode was varied by means of an externally applied potential. The surface charge density was evaluated by separate electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The uptake and the adsorption rate were very sensitive to pH and electrode polarization. At pH 3, the adsorption of the fully charged polymer increased fairly regularly with cathodic polarization, whereas it remained at about 0.4 mg m(-2) in the anodic zone At pH 8, the adsorption of the uncharged polymer decreased with the negative charge of the electrode due to the more favorable adsorption of potassium ions on the charged electrode. Discrepancies in adsorption-desorption measurements taken while cycling the pH were due to an electrostatic adsorption barrier.

Mass and charge balance in self-assembled multilayer films on gold. Measurements with optical reflectometry and quartz crystal microbalance.

This work aimed to the determination of weight uptakes and charge balance in the course of successive deposition of polyelectrolytes, using the so-called self-assembled multilayer technique. Polyelectrolytes were the quaternized polydimethylaminoethyl methacrylate chloride, (MADQUAT) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA). Experiments were made at pH 5.5 in NaCl solutions between 10(-3) and 10(-1) M. Deposits (5 bilayers) on a gold substrate were monitored using a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and optical fixed-angle reflectometry. Analysis of data lead to the determination of the sensitivity factor of the reflectometric output. QCM allowed the direct measurement of weight uptakes in 10(-3) and 10(-2) M solutions, while the viscoelastic properties of the film did not look appropriate for the measurement in 10(-1) M solutions. The layer-by-layer uptakes and charge balances in 10(-3) and 10(-2) M solutions revealed a large contribution of the counterions in the neutralization of the electrical charge in the film, more so for the highly charged MADQUAT polymer. The difference between two successive polymer charge densities increased significantly with the layer number and the electrolyte concentration. The increase of NaCl concentration induced an increase of MADQUAT but reversely a decrease of PAA deposits. The results were consistent with the determining influence of the salt in polyelectrolyte adsorption, both with regards to the concentration and the type of ions that has been well demonstrated in the literature. This work also draws attention to the role of small ions in the structural and application properties of self-assembled multilayer films.

Interaction between poly(vinylimidazole) and sodium dodecyl sulfate: binding and adsorption properties at the silica/water interface.

The adsorption properties (adsorbed amount, kinetics, and reversibility) of poly(vinylimidazole) (PVI) and sodium dodecyl sulfate from PVI/SDS mixed solutions on negatively charged silica substrates were studied at pH 9 using reflectometry and compared to that measured on colloidal silica by the solution depletion method. In this paper, we will try to gain insight into the effect of PVI/SDS complex composition on the adsorption characteristics of the complex and particularly on the kinetics of the complex adsorption and its consequence on the adsorption reversibility. The properties of the complex in solution were characterized by means of potentiometric titration at a constant pH, binding isotherm, and surface tension measurements. On the basis of the experimental results the prevailing mechanism of the SDS/PVI interaction and the properties of the PVI/SDS complex were evaluated. Both the PVI/SDS complex uptake and the kinetics of the adsorption decreased with the amount of SDS bound to PVI. At low PVI/SDS binding ([SDS](0)CAC) the incoming complex experiences a blocking barrier of an electrostatic nature. This barrier has been confirmed by reversibility measurement, and the respective roles of the complex structure and charge were assessed.

Thin wetting films from aqueous electrolyte solutions on SiC/Si wafer.

The stability and rupture of thin wetting films from aqueous NaCl or Na2SO4 solutions of different concentrations on silicon carbide were investigated. The flat surface of SiC was obtained by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PE-CVD) on top of a silicon wafer. The microinterferometric method was used for measuring the film thickness with time. The light reflectance was calculated as a function of film thickness for the four-layer system: air/aqueous solution/SiC/Si wafer. The microinterferometric experiments showed that films from aqueous NaCl and Na2SO4 solutions with concentrations up to 0.01 M were stable independent of the pre-treatment of the substrate. The pre-treatment of the SiC surface was crucial for the wetting film stability at electrolyte concentrations greater than 0.01 M. The films were unstable and ruptured if SiC was washed with 5% hydrofluoric acid and concentrated sulfuric acid, while they were stable if washing was in sulfuric acid only, without immersing SiC in HF. The average equilibrium film thickness was determined as a function of electrolyte concentration. Measurements of the electrokinetic potential zeta were performed by electrophores of SiC powder in 0.001 M NaCl. It was shown that silicon carbide surface was negatively charged. The theory of heterocoagulation was used for the interpretation of the results. Besides the DLVO forces, the structural disjoining pressure (both positive and negative) has been included in the analysis.

Potentiality of reflectometry for the study of the adsorption on dielectric and metal substrates: application to the adsorption of polyvinylimidazole on silica and gold.

Optical fixed-angle reflectometry was examined as a technique to study the adsorption of organics (polymers, surfactants) on metallic substrates. Calculations were made to evaluate the sensitivity of the method with regard to the refractive index and the thickness of the metal and the incidence angle. Theoretical results show that Ti, Cr, V, Zr, and gold have an appropriate sensitivity for detecting the adsorption accurately. Parallel experiments using gold and silica substrates and polyvinylimidazole (PVI) as an organic material were carried out. Adsorption measurements as a function of polymer concentration, pH, and ionic strength were in accordance with expected trends.