title: pH-amplified exponential growth multilayers: a facile method to develop hierarchical micro- and nanostructured surfaces.
abstract: We report a direct method to amplify the exponential growth of multilayers significantly by the alternating deposition of polyethylenimine (PEI) at high pH and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) at low pH. The alternating pH switches the degree of ionization of the polyelectrolytes in the multilayers, which enhances the diffusion of PEI into and out of the film and hence increases the deposited mass per cycle. The synergetic action of the pH-tunable charge density and diffusivity of the weak polyelectrolytes provides a new method for the enhanced growth of multilayers with hierarchal micro- and nanostructured surfaces.
authors.affiliation: Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Macromolecule Synthesis and Functionalization of Minster of Education, Zhejiang University, 310027 Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Jinhong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Liyan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kuller
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rosenhahn
authors.forename: Jiacong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grunze
mesh_terms: D000180:Acrylic Resins / Q000737:chemistry*; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000379:methods; D004573:Electrolytes / Q000737:chemistry; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D011094:Polyethyleneimine / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D000180:Acrylic Resins; D004573:Electrolytes; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; C006903:carbopol 940; D011094:Polyethyleneimine