Metal Ion-Enriched Polyelectrolyte Complexes and Their Utilization in Multilayer Assembly and Catalytic Nanocomposite Films

Abstract

The mixing of Ag ion-doped poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) produced Ag ion-doped polyelectrolyte complex particles (PECs) in solution. Positively charged Ag ion-doped PECs (Ag ion PECs) with a spherical shape were deposited alternatively with PAA to form a multilayer assembly. The multilayered film containing Ag ion PECs was reduced to generate a composite nanostructure. Metal nanoparticle (NP)-enriched nanocomposite films were formed by an additional process of the postadsorption of precursors on PECs within the nanocomposite films, which resulted in the enhancement of the catalytic and electrical properties of the composite films. Because the films contain PECs that are responsive to changes in pH and most of the NPs are embedded in the PECs, interesting catalytic properties, which are unexpected in a particle-type catalyst, were observed upon pH changes. As a result of the reversible structural changes of the films and the immobilization of the NPs within the films, the film-type catalysts showed enhanced performance and stability during catalytic reactions under various pH conditions, compared to particle-type catalysts.

Metallo-polyelectrolytes as a class of ionic macromolecules for functional materials

“…One approach is to install catalytic sites in PEMs by using precursor-containing polyelectrolytes. Rahim et al used a polyelectrolyte complex of silver ion-doped polyethyleneimine (PEI) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) to fabricate PEMs 73 . After in-situ reduction of Ag + to Ag nanoparticle, it was found that the hybrid films exhibited an enhanced catalytic activity on the reduction of 4-nitrophenol.…”

Enhanced Fouling Resistance and Antimicrobial Property of Ultrafiltration Membranes Via Polyelectrolyte-Assisted Silver Phosphate Nanoparticle Immobilization

“…Among various membrane modification techniques, producing polyelectrolyte (PE) multilayers through layer-by-layer (LbL) molecular-level adsorption of polymers is a well-established methodology that results in conformal thin-film coatings with precisely tuned physical and chemical functionalities [ 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ]. A sequential deposition of materials during the LbL technique facilitates intermolecular interactions including electrostatic interactions [ 26 , 27 ], hydrogen bondings [ 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 ], and metal complexation [ 32 , 33 , 34 ]. The LbL technique is often chosen because of its ability to generate chemically stable ultra-thin films and flexibility with respect to the coating thickness and surface charge [ 35 , 36 ].…”

Novel approach to recover copper ions using poly(ethylene imine) based layer‐by‐layer coatings on icosane particles

“…At the same time, as the LbL technique is versatile and can be used on a large variety of core materials, choosing the right core material can introduce additional benefits to such kind of materials. A very interesting idea on the other hand would be the direct use of the loaded coatings as catalytic materials 25 …”