Cationic polyelectrolyte induced formation of CaCO3/polymer composite thin films via a biomimetic process

Abstract In biomineralization process, soluble polyelectrolytes play an essential role in the formation of hierarchical organic/inorganic composite materials. Previous research mainly focused on the use of anionic polyelectrolytes. The function of cationic polyelectrolytes still needs to be explored. In this research, the existence of a cationic polyelectrolyte, poly (allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH), leads to the formation of vaterite crystal thin films. Results from this research show that PAH with different concentrations has a significant effect on the morphology of the resultant CaCO3 crystal thin films. This research may shed new light on the design of 2-dimensional novel composite materials using cationic polymers via a biomimetic process.