Construction of Nanostructured Carbonaceous Films by the Layer-by-Layer Self-Assembly of Poly(diallyldimethylammonium) Chloride and Poly(amic acid) and Subsequent Pyrolysis

Poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride), PD, and poly(amic acid), PA, were layer-by-layer self-assembled onto quartz and mica substrates, S. Quantitative formation of the self-assembled films, S−( PD / PA ) n, were characterized by absorption spectroscopy, by quartz crystal microbalance measurements, and by scanning force microscopy (AFM). Pyrolysis of the S−( PD / PA ) n films by heating to 1000 °C proceeded via the formation of subsequent carbonization of a polyimide intermediate which ultimately produced a graphite-like carbonaceous film with conductivities in the 150−200 S cm - 1 range. AFM images indicated the assembly of laminar carbon nano islands with increasing n in S−( PD / PA ) n .