Fundamental Studies of Polyelectrolyte Multilayer Films

Download or read book Fundamental Studies of Polyelectrolyte Multilayer Films written by Adam John Nolte and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) are a versatile type of thin film that is created via layer-by-layer assembly of positively and negatively charged polymers from aqueous solutions. Precise control of the PEM thickness, chemical functionality, and molecular architecture is made possible by changing the polyelectrolytes and assembly conditions during film growth, allowing films to be designed with properties suitable for a given application. This thesis elucidates the intra-film structure and interactions of PEMs through the use of optical, mechanical, and chemical techniques. PEM rugate filters, wherein the refractive index varies through the depth of the film in a continuous, periodic fashion, were constructed by confining silver nanoparticle growth to layers of nanometer-scale thickness. The ability to construct such structures is shown to be dependent on the ability to precisely control the concentration of metal-binding carboxylic acid groups throughout the depth of the film. Software to enable the computation design and optical simulation of these and similar structures was developed.