Layer-by-Layer Assembly of a pH-Responsive and Electrochromic Thin Film
Author(s)
Schmidt, Daniel J.; Pridgen, Eric M.; Hammond, Paula T.; Love, J. Christopher
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This article summarizes an experiment on thin-film fabrication with layer-by-layer assembly that is appropriate for undergraduate laboratory courses. The purpose of this experiment is to teach students about self-assembly in the context of thin films and to expose students to the concepts of functional polymeric coatings. Students dip coat microscope slides and conductive glass with films containing polyaniline (PANi), a conducting polymer, and sulfonated polystyrene. Assembly of the film is characterized by visual inspection, UV−vis spectroscopy, and conductance measurements with a hand-held multimeter. Green-colored films with measurable conductance are apparent after two PANi layers. Subsequently, the students observe the pH-dependent optical properties of the films and also determine the electrochromic performance of the films using spectroelectrochemistry. The feasibility of this experiment has been tested by inclusion into an undergraduate-level polymer science laboratory with third- and fourth-year students.
Date issued
2010-01Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Chemical EngineeringJournal
Journal of Chemical Education
Publisher
American Chemical Society
Citation
Schmidt, Daniel J. et al. “Layer-by-Layer Assembly of a pH-Responsive and Electrochromic Thin Film.” Journal of Chemical Education 87.2 (2010): 208–211. Web.
Version: Author's final manuscript
ISSN
0021-9584
1938-1328