Characterization of Responsive Polymer Brushes at Solid/Liquid Interfaces by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy

O. AZZARONI; C. GERVASI

Polymer Thin Films: Assembly, Functionalization and Characterization

VCH-Wiley

Lugar: Weinheim; Año: 2011; p. 809 - 830

Characterization of thin and ultrathin polymer films has always attracted great and widespread interest, both for fundamental intellectual and technological challenges, to chemists, materials scientists, physicists, and engineers. This interest stems from their usefulness to a wide range of technological applications that include photolithography, liquid-crystal displays, sensors, or antireflection coatings, among others. Furthermore, as very thin films are incorporated into device applications, it is also necessary to have a better understanding of their physicochemical properties. A more detailed knowledge of the characteristics of polymers deposited on solid substrates is critical for understanding and improving the performance of polymers in numerous applications and is also necessary for further work directed toward the molecular design of soft surfaces. As is well known in the science and technology of surfaces, unraveling and quantifying the physicochemical details of processes occurring within a thin polymer layer is often a challenge. In this regard, impedance spectroscopy is increasingly recognized as a very powerful technique for studying and characterizing thin polymer films deposited on solid supports. Herein, we review some of the basic aspects of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) as well as a critical examination of key examples from the literature illustrating its use to investigate polymer brushes.