Study on the adsorption of poly(o-ethoxyaniline) nanostructured films using atomic force microscopy

Nanostructured films of poly(o-ethoxyaniline) (POEA) were studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM), which indicated a globular morphology for films containing one or more layers of POEA. Consistent with the nucleation and growth model for the adsorption process, the mean roughness and fractal dimension were found to increase with the time of adsorption and with the number of POEA layers in the initial stages of adsorption, reached maximum values and then decreased after 10min of adsorption or after deposition of five POEA layers. Such behavior has been explained in terms of the decrease in the film irregularities, with voids being filled with polymeric material leading to smoother surfaces.