Influence of the ionic strength on the structure of polyelectrolyte films at the solid/liquid interface

The structure of polyelectrolyte multilayers built up by alternate adsorption of polyanions and polycations is investigated by X-ray reflectivity at the solid/air and neutron reflectivity at the solid/liquid interface. The experiments provide detailed information about the density gradient of polyelectrolyte chains across the film and show the influence of the water content of the film on the internal structure. The polyelectrolyte density is determined by the adsorption conditions (e.g. amount of NaCl) and cannot be changed by addition of salt after adsorption. After drying the film thickness is reduced by 30%. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.