TY  - JOUR
AU  - Paul, N.
AU  - Paul, A.
AU  - Mattauch, S.
AU  - Müller-Buschbaum, P.
AU  - Böni, P.
AU  - Lux-Steiner, M. Ch.
TI  - Interfacial smoothening of polymer multilayers with molecules: a new approach in growing supramolecular layer structures
JO  - Soft matter
VL  - 9
IS  - 42
SN  - 1744-6848
CY  - London
PB  - Royal Soc. of Chemistry
M1  - FZJ-2015-03379
SP  - 10117-10128
PY  - 2013
AB  - The development of polymer-based structures is hindered due to the difficulties in realizing well-defined modulated structures without interpenetration of charged polymers. Two types of polyelectrolyte multilayer structures, with and without embedded layers of the biomolecule, glutamic acid, are compared using infrared spectroscopy and X-ray and neutron scattering techniques. Structure characterization of polyelectrolyte multilayers focuses usually on the arrangement along the surface normal. Using specular and off-specular neutron scattering we get insight into the in- and out-of-plane arrangement of the structure. A formation of well-defined, smooth layers is observed in the structure containing the biomolecule. This reduced roughness is associated with a drastic decrease in chain mobility responsible for interpenetration. In contrast, the multilayer without the biomolecule forms an island-like structure. Thus biomolecules can interrupt the propagation of island-like structures at such interfaces which can be effectively used in achieving well-defined supramolecular layer structures out of charged polymers.
LB  - PUB:(DE-HGF)16
UR  - <Go to ISI:>//WOS:000325726100018
DO  - DOI:10.1039/c3sm51792f
UR  - https://juser.fz-juelich.de/record/201069
ER  -