Self-assembled hyperbranched poly(para-phenylene vinylene) monolayers: Fabrication and characterization

Covalently-bound self-assembled monolayer of a kind of functional hyperbranched polymer, pyridine-capped hyperbranched poly(para-phenylene vinylene) (Py-HPV), was prepared on hydrophilic quartz or single-crystal silicon substrates using siloxane self-assembly techniques. The assembling procedure was characterized by contact angle measurement, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV-vis spectra and fluorescence spectroscopy. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was also used to investigate the surface morphology and microstructure of the resulting Py-HPV self-assembled monolayer.