Ion transport through polyelectrolyte multilayers under steady-state conditions

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2004

Authors

Garcia Morales, V (Author) Other; Silva, TH (Author) FCUP; C. Moura (Author) FCUP; Manzanares, JA (Author) Other; Silva, F (Author) FCUP

Journal

Title: Journal Of Electroanalytical Chemistry

Vol. 569

Pages: 111-119

ISSN: 1572-6657

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 12 Citations

Scopus - 12 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-000-9EX

DOI: 10.1016/j.jelechem.2004.02.018

Abstract (EN): The permeability of a self-assembled polyelectrolyte multilayer to small ions under the influence of an applied potential difference is studied as a function of the number of layers and the nature of the supporting electrolyte. The multilayer is described as a series of homogeneously charged membranes with alternating sign of their fixed charge. Ion transport is described on the basis of the diffusion equation and the assumption of (Donnan) electrochemical equilibrium at the boundaries between layers. The calculated steady-state current-voltage curves are found to be in good agreement with experimental linear sweep voltammograms (at low sweep rate). The permeability of polystyrenesulfonate/polyallylamine multilayers to ferro/ferricyanide ions is found to decrease monotonically with increasing number of layers when sodium perchlorate is used as the supporting electrolyte. However, an interesting non-monotonic dependence on the number of layers is observed when the supporting electrolyte is barium perchlorate. Both types of behaviour are accounted for satisfactorily by the theoretical model.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 9