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a) b - École Polytechnique de Montréal

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Following this, the <strong>de</strong>sorption or <strong>de</strong>tachment of some layers is expected in an oppositely charged<br />

PANI solution when mobile chains diffuse out. As soon as they reach the surface, an additional<br />

reaction occurs between them and the oppositely charged chains available in the solution and an<br />

extra layer is formed. In this fashion, a diffuse network structure throughout the <strong>de</strong>posited<br />

thickness is observed in contrast to the formation of discrete polyelectrolyte layers in classic<br />

layer-by-layer <strong>de</strong>position where strong polyelectrolytes are used.<br />

Based on the above discussion, a schematic representation of film growth has been ma<strong>de</strong> to show<br />

the progressive formation of multilayers (Figure 5-8). This schematic contrasts with the classic<br />

formation of well-separated hierarchical alternating multilayers observed in most work using the<br />

LbL approach. In the current work, the oscillating <strong>de</strong>position indicates that PSS and PANI<br />

polyelectrolytes diffuse into the previously <strong>de</strong>posited layers. Like chains make contact with other<br />

like chains and consequently, an inter-diffused network of PANI and PSS is generated. In a<br />

following section, it will be shown that an increase in the conductivity is observed as a function<br />

of the number of PSS and PANI layers and it further confirms the formation of a continuous<br />

network of PANI interdiffused with PSS. The <strong>de</strong>gree of interconnection of this network becomes<br />

more pronounced as the number of <strong>de</strong>posited layers increases. As well, an increase in the number<br />

of <strong>de</strong>posited layers results in a rougher surface, leading to a further diffusion of free chains.<br />

Figure 5-8. Schematic of exponential growth of PSS/PANI multilayer thickness on the internal<br />

surface of the substrate.<br />

5.4.6 The Effect of Salt on the Mass Deposition Growth of PSS/PANI<br />

Salt is generally ad<strong>de</strong>d in procedures involving LbL <strong>de</strong>position. In the absence of salt, charged<br />

PSS and PANI in the solution adopt a more expan<strong>de</strong>d rigid, rod-like configuration due to<br />

coulomb repulsion(Ha & Thirumalai, 1995). The role of salt is to gradually screen the monomermonomer<br />

repulsive interactions between PSS charges with counter-ions and also bring them<br />

162

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