Potential driven deposition of poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) onto the surface of 3-mercaptopropionic acid monolayers assembled on gold.

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) measurements are used to examine the ability of applied potential to drive the ionic self-assembly of poly(diallyldimethylammonium) chloride (PDDA) onto a substrate modified with a monolayer of 3-mercaptopropionic acid (3-MPA). The potential of zero charge (PZC) of the gold electrode modified with a monolayer of 3-MPA was found by differential capacitance measurements to be -0.12 (+/-0.01) V versus Ag-AgCl. Changing the substrate potential to values positive (-0.01 V vs Ag-AgCl) of the PZC induces interfacial conditions that are favorable for the electrostatic deposition of cationic polymers onto the surface of 3-MPA monolayers. This result is also consistent with experimental observations obtained when the 3-MPA-modified substrate is exposed to 0.10 mol L (-1) NaOH solutions. When potentials equal or negative to the PZC are applied to the substrate, no significant accumulation of the PDDA is found by either QCM or EIS measurement. This result is consistent with results obtained when the 3-MPA modified substrate is exposed to 0.10 mol L (-1) HCl solutions where no PDDA adsorption is expected because the monolayer is neutral under these conditions. Changes in the impedance and quartz crystal frequency obtained after potential is applied to the substrate are interpreted in terms of the applied potential creating interfacial conditions that are favorable for the deprotonation of the terminal carboxylic acid groups and the subsequent electrostatic assembly of the polycation onto the negatively charged monolayer.