Hydrogen bonded layer-by-layer assembly of poly(2-vinylpyridine) and poly(acrylic acid): Influence of molecular weight on the formation of microporous film by post-base treatment

This article describes the buildup of hydrogen bonded multilayer film of poly(2-vinylpyridine) (P2VP) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), and the influence of polymer molecular weight on the formation of microporous film by post-base treatment. The formation of a microporous film involved a two-step mechanism: the release of PAA from P2VP/PAA multilayer, and the reorganization of the remaining P2VP on the substrate. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) indicated that the release of PAA from hydrogen bonded multilayer was a rapid process, which was almost independent of the molecular weight of PAA. Furthermore, the molecular weight of P2VP had a great effect on micropore formation by immersing the P2VP/PAA multilayer in basic solution. The rate of micropore formation increased with increasing molecular weight. We anticipate that a comparative study on P2VP/PAA films containing high or low molecular weight polymer provides a way to control the surface morphology, and will be helpful and constructive for the forthcoming discussion about the formation of the microporous film.