Fabrication of photoactive self-assembled ultra-thin films from diazoresin and poly(4-vinylphenol) via H-bonding

Abstract

Using a self-assembly technique, a type of photoactive multilayer film was successfully fabricated from diazoresin (DR) and poly(4-vinylphenol) (PVPh) followed by UV irradiation. The driving force of the self-assembly was confirmed to be the H-bonding interaction between the diazonium group (–N₂⁺) of DR and the phenolic hydroxy group (–Ph–OH) of PVPh. A linkage conversion from an H-bond to a covalent bond takes place following the decomposition of the –N₂⁺ group when the multilayer film undergoes UV irradiation. As a result, the stability of the film towards etching by polar solvents increases dramatically.