Modulating the structure and properties of poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate)/poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) multilayers with concentrated salt solutions.

Poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS)/poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC) multilayers were treated with 1-5 M NaCl solutions, resulting in continuous changes in the physicochemical properties of the multilayers. Significant mass loss was observed when the salt concentration was higher than 2 M and reached as high as 72% in a 5 M NaCl solution. The disassembly occurred initially in the superficial layers and then developed in the bulk multilayers. For the multilayers with PDADMAC as the outmost layer, the molar ratio of PSS/PDADMAC was increased and the surface chemistry was changed from PDADMAC domination below 2 M NaCl to PSS domination above 3 M NaCl. Owing to the higher concentrations of uncompensated for polyelectrolytes at both lower and higher salt concentrations, the swelling ratio of the multilayers was decreased until reaching 3 M NaCl and then was increased significantly again. The salt-treated PSS/PDADMAC thin films are expected to show different behaviors in terms of the physical adsorption of various functional substances, cell adhesion and proliferation, and chemical reaction activity.