Strategies for Covalent Multilayer Growth. 2. Interlayer Linking Chemistry

We report a strategy for the covalent assembly of polymer multilayers at interfaces, where growth is accomplished one layer at a time. The individual layer constituents are maleimide−vinyl ether alternating copolymers with side groups that possess reactive functionalities. The identity of the polymer layer side groups determines the chemistry we employ in interlayer linkage formation. We report on the selective creation of amide, ester, ether, urea, and urethane interlayer linkages. We achieve controlled multilayer growth using each of these covalent bonding schemes. The resulting multilayer structures show linear growth in terms of thickness, measured ellipsometrically, and total mass loading, measured by UV−visible and FTIR spectroscopies.