Potential Profiles Between Polyelectrolyte Multilayers and Spherical Colloids Measured with TIRM

Abstract

We investigated the potential profile between colloidal probes floating above a polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM), built up by the layer by layer technique with Total Internal Reflection Microscopy (TIRM) .The interaction between a single poly(ethyleneimine) layer and an aminoterminated polystyrene latex sphere can be accurately described by the superposition of electrostatic repulsion and gravity. PEM with more than Send offprint requests to: P. Lang

Internal structure of polyelectrolyte multilayer assemblies

“…The potential profile can be measured by total internal reflection microscopy (TIRM). 16 The general idea is that during multilayer formation complexes are formed between oppositely charged polyelectrolytes leading to a release of small counterions. This would lead to a so-called ''intrinsic'' charge compensation connected with a very low counterion concentration within the film.…”