Synthesis of novel hybrid films of a layered silicate and alkylammonium cations on rough polymeric surfaces by Langmuir-Blodgett method.

Hybrid films of a layered silicate and an amphiphilic alkylammonium (hexadecyltrimethylammonium) cation have been prepared by Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) method and transferred onto a polyamide surface by dip coating. This is the first time that stable LB hybrid monolayer and multilayer films have been formed on rough polymeric surfaces. The films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and water contact angle measurements. XRD and FTIR showed that the hybrid multilayer was well-organized and the thickness of one layer was calculated to be 1.6nm. Furthermore, the layered silicate was determined to be on the substrate side and the amphiphilic molecule layer was exposed to the air side. This provides a novel methodology for the surface modification of polymers.