Dopamine-Assisted Layer-by-Layer Deposition Providing Coatings with Controlled Thickness, Roughness, and Functional Properties.

In this study, dopamine-assisted deposition combined with layer-by-layer assembly was investigated as an efficient method for preparing coatings with tunable thickness, roughness, and functional properties. By this method, one can first benefit from the versatile chemistry of dopamine allowing the co-deposition of various functional materials, for example, polymers, ions, and nanoparticles, within the coating. Moreover, the layer-by-layer approach allows tuning the coating thickness and surface roughness, as well as varying the chemical composition of the coating in the vertical direction. Herein, we demonstrated the benefits of using this method in fabricating both single- and multi-component coatings.