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CPP: Fachverband Chemische Physik und Polymerphysik

CPP 32: Poster Session II

CPP 32.9: Poster

Donnerstag, 20. März 2025, 09:30–12:00, P3

Dynamic Wetting of Adaptive Polyelectrolyte Substrates: A multiscale approach — •Mona Meltschoch, Tünde Benedek, and Regine von Klitzing — Soft Matter at Interfaces, Institute for Condensed Matter Physics, TU Darmstadt, Hochschulstraße 8, D-64289 Darmstadt, Germany

Wetting phenomena are of great importance across various scientific disciplines and the wettability dynamics of adaptive substrates, such as polyelectrolyte (PE) multilayers (PEM), have gained significant attention. An interesting property of PE substrates is their propensity to swell in a liquid environment. However, complexities like the disparity between time and length scales make experimental investigations quite challenging. We prepared PE substrates by the layer-by-layer method, with a focus on their wettability at the nanoscale. We used atomic force microscopy (AFM) as the main characterisation technique. An optical contact angle (CA) tensiometry method is used for macroscopic measurements, layer thickness is determined by ellipsometry and X-ray reflectometry (XRR). Previous results show a decrease in water CA on silicon wafers coated with polystyrene sulfonate (PSS) as outermost layer in water-saturated atmosphere. To investigate the dependence on thickness, chain length and charge of the outer layer, different PEMs were fabricated and characterised. Here, the substrates were investigated with an AFM and showed to exhibit smooth surfaces while linearly increasing in thickness. The decrease in water CA is more pronounced with an increasing thickness and differs if PSS or PAH are outermost layer.

Keywords: Polyelectrolyte Multilayers; Wetting; Swelling behaviour