Nanoporous polymer thin films via polyelectrolyte templating

Blended polyelectrolyte multilayer films that include a hydrogen-bonding constituent have been used as templates for the preparation of nanoporous polymer thin films. By crosslinking the electrostatic components following layer-by-layer (LbL) deposition and removing the hydrogen-bonding component by pH elevation (see Figure), nanopores in the range 10 - 50 nm are formed.