Polymeric films from the alternating chemisorption of poly(vinylbenzylchloride) and a 4 '-hydroxystilbazole dye

A simple strategy was developed based on the alternating chemisorption of a reactive polymer and a dye bearing two different complementary reactive gr oups, to obtain stable thin dye-functionalized polymeric films. These films were grown on a precoating made by electrostatic self-assembly. Film growt h is linear according to UV-VIS spectroscopy and ellipsometry. Films assemb led from 10 deposition cycles show a thickness of 28 nm with a roughness of 4.5 nm (rms) as measured by small angle X-ray reflectivity, this means the y are molecularly thin. The chromophores seem to realign upon adding a new layer of polymer as probed with UV-VIS spectroscopy. (C) 2001 Elsevier Scie nce B.V. All rights reserved.