Multilayers Of Poly Research Articles

Polyelectrolyte Multilayer-Assisted Immobilization of Zero-Valent Iron Nanoparticles onto Polymer Nanofibers for Potential Environmental Applications

We report a facile approach to synthesizing and immobilizing zero-valent iron nanoparticles (ZVI NPs) onto polyelectrolyte (PE) multilayer-assembled electrospun polymer nanofibers for potential environmental applications. In this approach, negatively charged cellulose acetate (CA) nanofibers fabricated by electrospinning were assembled with multilayers of poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC) and polyacrylic acid (PAA) through electrostatic layer-by-layer assembly. The formed PAA/PDADMAC multilayers onto CA nanofibers were then used as a nanoreactor to complex Fe(II) ions through the binding with the free carboxyl groups of PAA for subsequent reductive formation of ZVI NPs. Combined scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetry analysis studies demonstrate that the ZVI NPs are successfully synthesized and uniformly distributed into the PE multilayers assembled onto the CA nanofibers. The produced hybrid nanofibrous mats containing ZVI NPs were found to exhibit superior capability to decolorize acid fuchsin, an organic dye in dyeing wastewater. We show that the loading capacity of ZVI NPs can be tuned by changing the number of PE layers and the cycles of binding/reduction process. Increasing the number of the binding/reduction cycles leads to a slight bigger size of the ZVI NPs, which is not beneficial for improving the reactivity of ZVI NPs. The present approach to synthesizing and immobilizing ZVI NPs onto polymer nanofibers opens a new avenue to fabricating various fiber-based composite materials with a high surface area to volume ratio for environmental, catalytic, and sensing applications.

Morphologies and mechanical properties of organic-inorganic multilayered composites

Organic–inorganic composites have received increasing attention because such composites exhibit improved optical, electrical, thermal, and mechanical behaviors by combining properties of both organic polymers and inorganic compounds. However, tensile strength is enhanced generally at the cost of decreasing ductility, which is not suitable for biomedical applications where tissue-like elasticity is required. In this study, multilayered poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/silica composites were synthesized, which achieved a significant enhancement in tensile strength and ductility. The chemical structure, thermal stability, and fracture morphologies of multilayered films were investigated to analyze the reinforcement mechanism. The results showed that extensive plastic tearing took place in monolayered composites with low-silica contents and in all multilayered ones, whereas the monolayered composites with high-silica contents were dominated by brittle fracture. For layered composite with 30 wt% silica in the second layer, the elongation at break is 237.8%, which is 3.21 times that of monolayered 30% SiO2/PVA 74.0%. Also its tensile strength is 37.8 MPa, which is 1.52 times that of monolayered 30% SiO2/PVA 24.8 MPa. These improved mechanical properties broaden its potential application, especially the applications of PVA in medical materials, which are intensely discussed as biomaterials. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2009. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers

Postdiffusion of Oligo-Peptide within Exponential Growth Multilayer Films for Localized Peptide Delivery

The multilayers of poly(L-lysine) (PLL) and hyaluronic acid (HA) were constructed by alternating deposition of PLL at high pH and HA at low pH. The exponential growth of the multilayer was proved to be amplified by increasing the pH difference between the two deposition solutions. The exponential growth multilayers of PLL/HA assembled at different pH were utilized as reservoirs for loading a trans-activating transcriptional factor (TAT) peptide. The confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) results indicated that the FITC-labeled TAT could diffuse throughout the exponentially growing PLL/HA film. The amount of peptide embedded within multilayer could be adjusted by both multilayer assembly pH and the TAT loading pH. Compared with (PLL/HA 6.5/6.5)5 multilayer (PLL/HA a/b means that the multilayer film was constructed by using PLL at pH a and HA at pH b), the (PLL/HA 9.5/2.9)5 film can be loaded with more TAT peptide at the same loading pH 6.5. The excess of positively charged TAT peptide within (PLL/HA 9.5/2.9)5 film could not only be ascribed to its extraordinary thickness but also be attributed to its uncompensated negative charge density enhanced by the pH difference between film buildup and peptide loading process. Increasing of the TAT loading pH from 6.5 to 9.5, which increases the pH difference between multilayer assembly and peptide loading process, enhances the uncompensated charge density within (PLL/HA 9.5/2.9)5 film and elevates the peptide density from 13.8 to 25.0 microg/cm2. Compared with direct layer-by-layer assembly of TAT and HA, the postdiffusion of TAT into (PLL/HA 9.5/2.9)5 film was loaded much more peptide. The postdiffusion of peptide into a rapid growth multilayer can be more favorable to load and sustainedly release functional oligo-peptide. The cell culture results indicated that the TAT embedded within the film maintained the ability to traverse across the Hep G2 cell membrane. The functionalized (PLL/HA 9.5/2.9)5 TAT 9.5 film was more efficient than the equivalent amount of free TAT peptide in the TAT uptake test. The postdiffusion of oligo-peptide within an exponential growth multilayer can serve as an effective approach for localized and sustained peptide delivery.

Influence of polyelectrolyte capillary coating conditions on protein analysis in CE

CE of biomolecules is limited by analyte adsorption on the capillary wall. To prevent this, monolayer or successive multiple ionic-polymer layers (SMILs) of highly charged polyelectrolytes can be physically adsorbed on the inner capillary surface. Although these coatings have become commonly used in CE, no systematic investigation of their performance under different coating conditions has been carried out so far. In a previous study (Nehmé, R., Perrin, C., Cottet, H., Blanchin, M. D., Fabre, H., Electrophoresis 2008, 29, 3013-3023), we investigated the influence of different experimental parameters on coating stability, repeatability and peptide peak efficiency. Optimal coating conditions for monolayer and multilayer (SMILs) poly(diallyldimethylammonium) chloride/ poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) coated capillaries were determined. In this study, the influence of polyelectrolyte concentration and ionic strength of the coating solutions, and the number of coating layers on coating stability and performance in limiting protein adsorption was carried out. EOF magnitude and repeatability were used to monitor coating stability. Coating ability to limit protein adsorption was investigated by monitoring variations of migration times, time-corrected peak areas and separation efficiency of test proteins. The separation performance of polyelectrolyte coatings were compared with those obtained with bare silica capillaries.

Co-extrusion of multilayer poly(m-xylylene adipimide) nanocomposite films for high oxygen barrier packaging applications

Multilayer packaging films incorporating a montmorillonite layered silicate (MLS)/poly(m-xylylene adipimide) (MXD6) nanocomposite as the oxygen barrier layer and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) as the moisture resistant layer were produced through the co-extrusion process at the laboratory and pilot scale level. Extrusion screw speeds were varied from 30 to 130 rpm in order to produce samples with varying layer thicknesses. The multilayer film structure was scaled up from the laboratory scale to the pilot-level scale based on oxygen transmission data obtained from the laboratory-scale process parameters. Laboratory-scale film results indicated that the film which demonstrated an optimal oxygen transmission rate (OTR) of 0.3 cm 3/(m 2 day) at 60%RH and water vapor transmission rate (WvTR) of 1.4 g/(m 2 day) at 90%RH had a structure that contained a core barrier film layer of nanocomposite MXD6 that makes up roughly 34% of the total film thickness, with the remainder of the film material consisting of maleic anhydride grafted polyolefin tie layers and LDPE skin layers. The OTR of the films changed as the relative humidity of the test environment was varied from 0 to 90%. However, for the pilot-scale trial it was necessary to reduce the target thickness of the core nylon barrier layer to 22% due to layer-to-layer melt flow instabilities that occurred during processing. The barrier properties of the multi-layer co-extruded films were highly dependant on overall film thickness. The highest performing oxygen barrier pilot-scale film had an OTR of 0.3 cm 3/(m 2 day) (60%RH) and a WvTR of 2.4 g/(m 2 day) (90%RH) with a core nylon layer of 1.5 mil and a total thickness of 7.7 mil. Correlation of the layer thicknesses to the barrier and mechanical properties of the pilot-scale multilayer films indicated that an increased nanocomposite core layer thickness improved the oxygen barrier performance and decreased film elongation while improving the tear resistance of the films.

Refolding of β-galactosidase: microfluidic device for reagent metering and mixing and quantification of refolding yield

We have developed a device that uses microfluidic valves and pumps to meter reagents for subsequent mixing with application to refolding of the protein β-galactosidase. The microfluidic approach offers the potential advantages of automation, cost-effectiveness, compatibility with optical detection, and reduction in sample volumes as opposed to conventional techniques of hand-pipetting or using robotic systems. The device is a multi-layered poly(dimethylsiloxane) on glass device with automated controls for reagent aliquoting and mixing. Refolding experiments have been performed off-chip using existing protocols on the protein β-galactosidase and the refolding yield has been quantified on-chip using fluorescein di-β-d-galactopyranoside, a caged-fluorescent molecule. This work provides the potential to reduce the cost of drug discovery and realization of protein pharmaceuticals.

Layer-by-layer assembly of poly( p-xylyleneviologen)–DNA multilayers and their electrochemical properties

Multilayers of poly( p-xylyleneviologen) (PXV) and calf thymus DNA were constructed on the gold surface by layer-by-layer (LBL) method. The assembly process was examined by quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) measurements. According to the frequency change, the average mass increase was estimated to be about 97 and 110 ng/cm 2 for each assembly of PXV and DNA layer, respectively. Cyclic voltammograms of the multilayer modified gold electrodes showed a couple of redox peaks, the potentials of which were closely dependent on the layer numbers and nature of the outmost layer. The alternatively assembled DNA layers could hinder formation of π-complex dimer of viologen groups due to the strong interlayer electrostatic interaction. The charge transfer process was discussed by the chronocoulometry method. The assembled PXV–DNA multilayers showed high long-term stability at ambient conditions and in electrolyte solution.

Three-Dimensional Patterning of Poly(Ethylene Glycol) Hydrogels Through Surface-Initiated Photopolymerization

Photopolymerizable hydrogels have been investigated extensively for biomedical applications, specifically in the area of tissue engineering. While fabrication approaches have shown promise in designing hydrogel scaffolds that guide cell function, the ability to spatially control localization in three-dimensions has been limited. We have developed a method for generating two-dimensional and three-dimensional (3D) patterns within multilayered poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEG-DA) hydrogels. Covalently attached hydrogel layers are formed using precursor solutions with a 10:1 mole ratio of PEG-DA to PEG-aminoacrylate (Acr-PEG-NH2). Upon illumination of the precursor with visible light (wavelength = 514 nm), a hydrogel layer forms with pendant amine groups induced by the presence of Acr-PEG-NH2 macromer. Pendant amine groups are further functionalized with free carboxyl groups present on the visible light photoinitiator eosin, allowing for the formation of subsequent hydrogel layers. Using noncontact photolithography, the prepolymer solution is polymerized through a photomask, resulting in hydrogel structures with distinct pattern formation in each layer. Unreacted regions immobilized with eosin can be subsequently filled with a different PEG hydrogel. The technique presented shows a great potential for tissue engineering applications, for biosensors, and in the formation of cell and protein patterning for biotechnology.

An On-Chip Fluorogenic Enzyme Assay Using a Multilayer Microchip Interconnected With a Nanocapillary Array Membrane

Microfluidic devices allow manipulation of reagents and fluids in a semi-automated fashion, ideal for performing multiple measurements or conditioning various reagents. Here, an enzyme assay has been performed in a multilayer poly(methyl methacrylate)-based microfluidic device, where the layers are fluidically connected via a nanocapillary array membrane serving as an effective injector and valve. As a model system, beta-glucuronidase from Escherichia coli and fluorescein di(beta-D-glucuronide) are used for the assay; offline mixing and online incubation of substrate and enzyme allow determination of the initial hydrolysis rates of the substrate under catalysis by beta-glucuronidase. The Michaelis constant Km was determined to be ~4.0 muM for the enzyme of 83 units/mL at ambient temperature. The 50% inhibitory concentration IC50 of D-saccharic acid-1,4-lactone to 167 units/mL was estimated to be 3.0 muM. These results demonstrate added functionality for a poly(methyl methacrylate)-based nanocapillary array membrane-containing microfluidic device for following enzyme reaction kinetics.

Fluidic communication between multiple vertically segregated microfluidic channels connected by nanocapillary array membranes

Hybrid microfluidic/nanofluidic devices offer unique capabilities for manipulating and analyzing minute volumes of expensive or hard-to-obtain samples. Here, multilayer poly-(methyl methacrylate) microchips, with multiple spatially isolated microfluidic channels interconnected by nanocapillary array membranes (NCAMs), are fabricated using an adhesive contact printing process. The NCAMs, positioned between the microfluidic channel layers, add functionality to the inter-microchannel fluid transfer unit operation. They do so because the transport of specific analytes through the NCAM can be controlled by adjusting the ionic strength, the polarity of the applied bias, the surface charge density, and the pore size. A simplified, floating injection technique for NCAM-coupled nanofluidic devices is described and compared with conventional biased injection. In the floating injection approach, a voltage is applied across the injection channel and the slight electric field extension at the cross-section is used to transfer analytes through the nanopores to the separation channel. Floating injection excels in plug reproducibility, separation resolution, and operation simplicity, although it decreases assay throughput relative to biased injection. Floating injection can avoid the uneven distribution of analytes in the microfluidic channel that sometimes results from biased injection because of the volume mismatch between NCAM nanopore transport capacity and the supply of fluid. Moreover, the pressure-driven flow caused by the mismatch of the EOFs in the microfluidic channels connected by an NCAM must be considered when using NCAMs with pore diameters below 50 nm.

Preparation and properties of multilayer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) Langmuir–Blodgett film

Abstract Multilayer ultrathin film of poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene) (PEDOT) was fabricated using a modified Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) method. The chemical polymerization of PEDOT occurred in the multilayer nanometer space of an as-prepared LB film by exposing the film to 3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene vapor. UV–Vis–near infrared absorption spectrum and Fourier-transform infrared spectrum techniques were applied to confirm the formation of the PEDOT ultrathin film. The results of atomic force microscopy investigation for the PEDOT LB film showed that the film surface consisted of small clusters having diameters ranging from 50 to 200 nm. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and secondary-ion mass spectrometry were employed to analyze the atomic composition of the PEDOT LB film and the location of the formed PEDOT. It was found that the atomic composition of the composite film was almost consistent with the theoretical value, and the PEDOT clusters were well located in different planes of the multilayer structure. The PEDOT LB film exhibited higher conductivity than conventional films and better doping/dedoping characteristics of conductivity. The sensitivity of the PEDOT LB film to NH3 and HCl gases was also discussed.

Controlled degradation of multilayered poly(lactide‐co‐glycolide) films using electron beam irradiation

The ability to undergo predictable and controlled degradation allows biopolymers to release prescribed dosages of drugs locally over a sustained period. However, the bulk or homogeneous degradation of some of these polymers like poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) and poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) work against a better controlled release of the drugs. Inducing the polymers to undergo surface erosion or layer-by-layer degradation could provide a better process of controlled drug release from the polymers. This study has demonstrated that surface erosion degradation of PLGA is possible with the use of a multilayer film system, with PPdlLGA [plasticized poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PdlLGA)] as the surface layers and poly(L-lactide-co-glycolide) as the center layer. The use of the more hydrophilic PPdlLGA as the surface layer resulted in a faster degradation of the surface layers compared to the center layer, thus giving a surface erosion degradation effect. The rate of surface degradation could also be controlled with electron beam (e-beam) radiation, where e-beam irradiation was shown to alter the degradation time and onset of polymer mass loss. It was also shown that the more highly irradiated PPdlLGA surface layers had an earlier onset of mass loss, which resulted in a faster reduction in overall film thickness. The ability to control the rate of film thickness reduction with different radiation dose promises a better controlled release of drugs from this multilayer PLGA film system.

Conductivity Spectra of Polyphosphazene-Based Polyelectrolyte Multilayers

Polyelectrolyte multilayers are built up from ionically modified polyphosphazenes by layer-by-layer assembly of a cationic (poly[bis(3-amino-N,N,N-trimethyl-1-propanaminium iodide)phosphazene] (PAZ+) and an anionic poly[bis(lithium carboxylatophenoxy)phosphazene] (PAZ-). In comparison, multilayers of poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS) and poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) are investigated. Frequency-dependent conductivity spectra are taken in sandwich geometry at controlled relative humidity. Conductivity spectra of ion-conducting materials generally display a dc plateau at low frequencies and a dispersive regime at higher frequencies. In the present case, the dispersive regime shows a frequency dependence, which is deviating from the typical behavior found in most ion-conducting materials. Dc conductivity values, which can be attributed to long-range ionic transport, are on the order of sigmadc = 10-10-10-7 S.cm-1 and strongly depend on relative humidity. For PAZ+/PAZ- multilayers sigmadc is consistently larger by one decade as compared to PSS/PAH layers, while the humidity dependence is similar, pointing at general mechanisms. A general law of a linear dependence of log(sigmadc) on relative humidity is found over a wide range of humidity and holds for both multilayer systems. This very strong dependence was attributed to variations of the ion mobility with water content, since the water content itself is not drastically dependent on humidity.

Multilayer poly(vinyl alcohol)–zeolite 4A composite membranes for ethanol dehydration by means of pervaporation

Zeolites are known to have pronounced molecular sieving effect and selective adsorption capacity, the incorporation of zeolite particles into a selected polymer thus can be used to tailor the material intrinsic properties. In this work, zeolite 4A has been employed to prepare polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based composite membranes for ethanol–water pervaporation separation. These zeolite-embedded hybrid membranes are manufactured by using a casting machine with polyester nonwoven fabric as the supporting layer, polyacrylonitrile (PAN) as the porous backing layer and PVA as the active separating layer. The effect of feed composition, feed temperature and zeolite loading on the membrane separation performance are discussed in detail. Experimental results show the water–ethanol separation selectivity has been greatly improved after adding zeolite 4A and that reasonably high separation factor can be achieved for feed ethanol concentration above 80 wt.%, probably due to the superior molecular sieving effect of added zeolite 4A on the water–ethanol system. In the meantime, the Arrhenius activation energy approximated is found to significantly decrease for water but obviously increase for ethanol after the zeolite incorporation, indicating that water molecules require much less energy whereas ethanol molecules need much more energy to transport through the membrane because of the hydrophilic characteristics of zeolite 4A.

Pervaporation study of aqueous ethanol solution through zeolite-incorporated multilayer poly(vinyl alcohol) membranes: Effect of zeolites

In this study, a series of three-layer zeolite-embedded poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) composite membranes have been successfully fabricated with a casting machine. Zeolites, examined with a loading of 20 wt%, include 3A, 4A, 5A, NaX, NaY, silicalite and beta. These hydrophilic composite membranes have been evaluated in the dehydration of ethanol aqueous solution by means of pervaporation. The unfilled PVA membrane is observed to exhibit much higher separation factor than two commercial PERVAP 2210 and PERVAP 2510 membranes. After adding zeolites into the PVA matrix, higher separation factor and higher fluxes or higher selectivity and higher penetrant permeances are both achieved by these resultant zeolite-incorporated membranes, indicating that ethanol/water separation has been enhanced with the aid of incorporated zeolites. Through evaluating the pervaporation performance in terms of water permeance, ethanol permeance and selectivity, we have revealed that the separation performances of zeolite-filled membranes are strongly related to the zeolite pore dimension, its hydrophilic/hydrophobic nature as well as its crystal framework. The temperature dependence of the pervaporation behaviors like the penetrant fluxes and permeances has been discussed in detail in terms of Arrhenius activation energy. The evaluated results have revealed that the permeance and selectivity (i.e., the membrane intrinsic properties) are less dependent on the operating temperature than the flux and separation factor. Zeolite addition has led to decreased activation energies for water and ethanol, and more considerable drop of the water activation energy has subsequently resulted in the increased selectivity in ethanol dehydration.

Construction and enzymatic degradation of multilayered poly- l-lysine/DNA films

The layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly of poly- l-lysine (PLL) and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was used to construct the enzymatic biodegradable multilayered films. The LbL build up of DNA multilayers was monitored by UV–vis spectrometry, and atomic force microscopy (AFM). AFM, UV–vis spectrometry and fluorescence spectrometry measurements indicated that 90% of DNA within the films was released almost linearly under 5 U m L –1 α–chymotrypsin in PBS at 37 °C in 35 h. TEM and zeta potential experiments revealed that the released DNA molecules were condensed into the slight positive complexes with size from 20 to several hundred nanometers. The well-structured, easy processed enzymatic biodegradable multilayered film may have great potential for gene applications in tissue engineering, medical implants, etc.

Failure of navy coating systems 1: chemical depth profiling of artificially and naturally weathered high-solids aliphatic poly(ester-urethane) military coating systems

A variety of weathering protocols are in use in industry and research laboratories to both replicate and accelerate the effects of weathering on coating systems. This work focuses on the use of two artificial and one natural weathering protocol (QUV, GM9540P, Florida beach exposure) in combination with spatially resolved transmission-mode Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy for the purpose of chemically depth-profiling highly opaque high solids multi-layer poly(ester-urethane) coatings employed by the U.S. Department of Defense. Samples were prepared via subjection to 6/12-week GM9540P exposure, 7/13/25-week Florida beach exposure, or 6-/18-week QUV protocol. Thin (3 μm) cross-section samples were prepared via microtomy and depth-dependant trends in chemical evolutions were analyzed using transmission-mode micro-FT-IR. Scanning electron/energy-dispersive microscopy (SEM/EDS) was conducted on 10 μm cross-sections and spatial distribution/chemical makeup of inorganic constituents were analyzed. An apparent synergistic relationship between weathering protocols was found. It was theorized that a combination of chemistry and morphology of the inorganic fillers was primarily responsible for greater-than-expected photooxidative modification of the polymeric binder.

Multilayer poly(vinyl alcohol)-adsorbed coating on poly(dimethylsiloxane) microfluidic chips for biopolymer separation

A poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) microfluidic chip surface was modified by multilayer-adsorbed and heat-immobilized poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) after oxygen plasma treatment. The reflection absorption infrared spectrum (RAIRS) showed that 88% hydrolyzed PVA adsorbed more strongly than 100% hydrolyzed one on the oxygen plasma-pretreated PDMS surface, and they all had little adsorption on original PDMS surface. Repeating the coating procedure three times was found to produce the most robust and effective coating. PVA coating converted the original PDMS surface from a hydrophobic one into a hydrophilic surface, and suppressed electroosmotic flow (EOF) in the range of pH 3-11. More than 1,000,000 plates/m and baseline resolution were obtained for separation of fluorescently labeled basic proteins (lysozyme, ribonuclease B). Fluorescently labeled acidic proteins (bovine serum albumin, beta-lactoglobulin) and fragments of dsDNA phiX174 RF/HaeIII were also separated satisfactorily in the three-layer 88% PVA-coated PDMS microchip. Good separation of basic proteins was obtained for about 70 consecutive runs.

Opto-Electronic Properties of Poly (Fluorene) Co-Polymer Red Light-Emitting Devices on Flexible Plastic Substrate

In this paper, we report on the multilayer poly (fluorene) co-polymer red light-emitting devices (PLEDs) fabricated on flexible plastic substrates. An organic hole transport layer (HTL) is inserted between PEDOT:PSS hole injection (HIL) and light-emissive layers (LEL). Since the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) of the HTL is located between those of HIL and LEL, the insertion of HTL reduces the effective HOMO level offset between HIL and LEL, reducing the device operation voltage and producing comparable or better device efficiencies in comparison with the conventional PEDOT:PSS-only devices. Maximum emission efficiency, /spl sim/0.8 cd/A, power efficiency, /spl sim/0.7 lm/W, and external quantum efficiency, /spl sim/1.5%, have been obtained for multilayer red PLEDs.

Basic aspects of microindentation in multilayered poly(ethylene terephthalate)/polycarbonate films

The microhardness H of multilayered poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET)/polycarbonate (PC) films, produced by continuous layer multiplying coextrusion has been determined. These materials present rather uniform laminates up to thousands of layers in the micrometre and submicrometre range. The micromechanical properties have been investigated as a function of layer thickness of the single polymer components, the total number of layers, the film thickness and the influence of heat treatment. The microhardness of the microlayered structure has also been determined across the profile in the parallel direction to the packing of the layers. The hardness in the vicinity of the PET/PC phases has been examined. Results reveal that the influence of the interphase on the H values for the samples with a large number of layers is rather small. The most important parameter in determining the final hardness of the multilayered films is the ratio of the penetration depth to the thickness of the layer. Upon heating, a microhardness increase is observed as a consequence of a double contribution: the crystallization of the PET layers, on the one hand, and the physical ageing of the PC zones on the other.