Anisotropic structure and transport in self-assembled layered polymer-clay nanocomposites. Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • Using the layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly technique, we create a polymer-clay structure from a unique combination of LbL materials: poly(ethylene imine), Laponite clay, and poly(ethylene oxide). This trilayer LbL structure is assembled using a combination of hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions. The films were characterized using ellipsometry, profilometry, X-ray photon spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, wide-angle X-ray diffraction, grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). We observe a layered, anisotropic structure, which resulted in in-plane ion transport 100 times faster than cross-plane at 0% relative humidity. This study represents a first application of EIS in determining anisotropic ion transport in LbL assemblies and its correlation to structural anisotropy.

published proceedings

  • Langmuir

altmetric score

  • 3

author list (cited authors)

  • Lutkenhaus, J. L., Olivetti, E. A., Verploegen, E. A., Cord, B. M., Sadoway, D. R., & Hammond, P. T.

citation count

  • 67

complete list of authors

  • Lutkenhaus, Jodie L||Olivetti, Elsa A||Verploegen, Eric A||Cord, Bryan M||Sadoway, Donald R||Hammond, Paula T

publication date

  • July 2007