Interaction between anionic (and cationic) colloidal particles of silica having the particles diameters 12 and 22 nm with synthetic cationic (and anionic) polyelectrolytes of various nature and structure was studied by potentiometric, conductimetric spectroturbidimetric and viscometric methods in aqueous solution. It was shown that the complexation of silica nanoparticles with linear polyelectr...

Fucoidan is a sulfated polysaccharide that is extracted primarily from seaweed. The polymer contains a natural variation in chemistry based upon the species of seaweed from which it is extracted. We have used two different fucoidans from two different seaweed species (Fucus vesiculosus - FV; and Undaria pinnatifida - UP) as polyanions for the formation of polysaccharide-based polyelectrolyte mu...

We report an approach to the rapid release of DNA based on the application of electrochemical potentials to surfaces coated with polyelectrolyte-based thin films. We fabricated multilayered polyelectrolyte films (or "polyelectrolyte multilayers", PEMs) using plasmid DNA and a model hydrolytically degradable cationic poly(β-amino ester) (polymer 1) on stainless steel substrates using a layer-by-...

Hydrophobic self-assembled octadecyltrichlorosilane (ODTS), ultrathin films of polypropylene, and ODTS modified with cationic dioctadecyldimethylammonium bromide are employed as substrates for deposition of multilayers of poly(allylamine hydrochloride) and poly(acrylic acid) from aqueous solution. The assembly of highly dissipative polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) is demonstrated by quartz cr...

A hydrophilic wood surface was transformed to become superhydrophobic by layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly of polyelectrolyte/titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles multilayers and subsequent hydrophobic modification with 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluoroalkyltriethoxysilane (POTS). The chemical composition of the wood samples before and after treatment was characterized by energy dispersive X-ray analysis (...

Functional organic thin films often demand precise control over the nanometer-level structure. Interlayer diffusion of materials may destroy this precise structure; therefore, a better understanding of when interlayer diffusion occurs and how to control it is needed. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy paired with C60(+) cluster ion sputtering enables high-resolution analysis of the atomic composi...

Fundamental Studies of Polyelectrolyte Multilayer Films: Optical, Mechanical, and Lithographic Property Control by Adam John Nolte Submitted to the Department of Materials Science and Engineering on November 21, 2006 in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Science and Engineering ABSTRACT Polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) are a versatile t...

Direct metal laser sintering is a technology that allows the fabrication of titanium (Ti) implants with a functional gradation of porosity and surface roughness according to three-dimensional (3D) computer data. The surface roughness of direct metal laser sintered titanium (DMLS-Ti) implants may provide abundant binding sites for bacteria. Bacterial colonization and subsequent biofilm formation...

Polyelectrolyte spin assembly (PSA) of multilayers is a sequential process featuring adsorption of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes from dilute solutions undergoing spin-coating flow. Here, we report on the dependence of PSA multilayer buildup of poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) and poly(allylamine hydrochloride) on solution ionic strength and spin speed. We observed that at a given spin spee...

We report the development of a photoreversible cell culture substrate. We demonstrate the capacity to modify the adhesivity of the substrate using light, altering its capacity to support cell growth. Polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) were used to produce tunable substrates of different thickness and matrix stiffness, which have different intrinsic capacities to support cell adhesion and surviv...