164(2-3) (2000), 237-245
The adsorption of polystyrene particles with different surface charges from aqueous dispersions onto the surfaces of cationic ultrathin polymer films was quantified using a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) technique. The polymer films were prepared by the alternate adsorption technique from poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS) in the presence or absence of NaCl onto the QCM substrate. Particle adsorption, as a result of electrostatic interaction, onto the outermost PAH surface was observed by QCM. The adsorption behavior of two differently charged particles was examined and revealed greater adsorption of particles with a relatively larger surface charge. The dependence of adsorption of all the particles against an outermost PAH thickness in a polymer precursor film was described by a sigmoid curve, indicating that a critical charge on/in the him is required for adsorption. SEM observations showed monolayer adsorption without three-dimensional aggregation. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
