Dewetting Process of Polyelectrolyte Multilayer Films in Hot Water

We analyzed quantitatively the effects of temperature on the morphologic evolution of the desorption process in hot water measured ex situ by atomic force microscopy. The morphology of the hole that forms with immersion of the polyelectrolyte film in hot water has characteristics similar to those from polymer dewetting processes near the glass transition temperature. The hole diameter immediately reaches a maximum in the desorption process while the number of holes increases linearly with time.