title: Growth Kinetics in Layer-by-Layer Assemblies of Organic Nanoparticles and Polyelectrolytes.
abstract: The growth rates of layer-by-layer (LbL) assemblies of polyelectrolytes (PEs) with oppositely charged polystyrene (PS) nanoparticles (NPs) as a function of molecular weight (MW) of the PEs, ionic strength of the media, and NP size and charge are systematically investigated. To optimize LbL growth, the effects of suspension concentration, pH of the media, and deposition time on the growth rate of multilayers are assessed. Both linear and exponential growth behaviors are observed and, under optimal conditions, films of up to around 1 μm thick can readily be assembled after 10 or so bilayers have been deposited. For many of the cases studied, an intermediate MW of PE leads to the fastest film buildup, for both cationic poly(ethyleneimine) deposited alternately with anionic PS NPs and for anionic poly(acrylic acid) deposited alternately with cationic PS NPs. The existence of an optimal MW suggests that growth rate is determined by a balance of thermodynamic factors, including density of polymer bridges between particles, and kinetic factors, specifically the diffusivity of polymer in the film. The optimal MW, however, is very sensitive to the materials used. Moreover, depending on the MW of the PE, increasing salinity could increase or decrease the growth kinetics. Finally, the surface morphology of the films is characterized with AFM and SEM to reveal that the roughness increases less than linearly with film thickness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
authors.forename: Maziar
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8515-7717
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mohammadi
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3242-8186
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Salehi
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
authors.forename: Ryan J
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6456-3468
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Branch
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
authors.forename: Lucas J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Cygan
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Kellogg Eye Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48105, USA.
authors.forename: Cagri G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Besirli
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.|Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
authors.forename: Ronald G
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7465-1963
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Larson
keywords: kinetics; nanoparticles; polymers; surface analysis; thin films