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Adhesive Properties of Wet Polyelectrolyte Multilayer Films and Electrophoretic Deposition of Polyelectrolyte Complexes

Li, Chao
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1465470898

Abstract Details

2016, Master of Science in Polymer Engineering, University of Akron, Polymer Engineering.
Weak polyelectrolyte multilayers prepared by using layer-by-layer (LbL) technique are known to become sticky upon contact with water and behave as a viscoelastic fluid, but the full extent of this wet adhesive property is not fully understood. In this study, the wet adhesive performance of polyelectrolyte multilayers consisting of branched poly(ethylene imine) and poly(acrylic acid) under controlled conditions was investigated by using a 90° peel test. The peel force is highest under neutral condition, and it decreases in acidic/basic environment. The addition of metal ions changes the peel force, either increasing it or decreasing it based on the nature of the metal ion. Addition of Cu2+ stiffens multilayers, preventing multilayers from acting as an effective wet adhesive. The films are also characterized with zeta potential and shear rheometry, and the adhesiveness can be recovered by rewetting for at least 5 times. This polyelectrolyte based wet adhesive can be adhered to soft, wet surfaces like biological tissues such as liver. These multilayer films in this work show wet adhesive properties, however, the layer by layer technique used to fabricate these films requires several steps and take a long time. Therefore, new methods are needed to make these thin films. Spin-assisted LbL assembly, spray-assisted LbL assembly and electric field-assisted LbL assembly are widely studied because they are simple and time-saving. Electric field-assisted LbL assembly has been gaining an increasing interest. One option for realizing this may be the electrophoretic deposition of weak polyelectrolyte complexes, made by mixing polyelectrolytes of opposite charge together, has not been studied yet. Therefore, electrodeposition of polyelectrolyte complexes under different conditions (i.e. pH, ratio of polycation and polyanion, concentration of polyelectrolyte complexes, concentration of salt and type of electric field) was investigated in this work. Polyelectrolyte complexes at moderate pH values and at the ratio of polycation and polyanion at 20 shows highest electrophoretic mobility. The thickness of polyelectrolyte complex film decreases with decreasing the concentration of polyelectrolyte complexes while the thickness increases when a proper amount of salt is added during preparing polyelectrolyte complexes. Under controlling pulse current at 10mA, a thicker film can be achieved but the surface is rougher compared with one prepared by using pulse potential at 10V. This work provides insight into both the wet adhesive properties of polyelectrolyte multilayers and electrophoretic deposition of polyelectrolyte complexes.
Nicole Zacharia (Advisor)
Mukerrem Cakmak (Committee Member)
Mark Soucek (Committee Member)
Polymers

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Citations

  • Li, C. (2016). Adhesive Properties of Wet Polyelectrolyte Multilayer Films and Electrophoretic Deposition of Polyelectrolyte Complexes [Master's thesis, University of Akron]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1465470898

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Li, Chao. Adhesive Properties of Wet Polyelectrolyte Multilayer Films and Electrophoretic Deposition of Polyelectrolyte Complexes. 2016. University of Akron, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1465470898.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Li, Chao. "Adhesive Properties of Wet Polyelectrolyte Multilayer Films and Electrophoretic Deposition of Polyelectrolyte Complexes." Master's thesis, University of Akron, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1465470898

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

akron1465470898
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This open access ETD is published by University of Akron and OhioLINK.