Methods of making decomposable thin films of polyelectrolytes and uses thereof

1. A decomposable film comprising a plurality of polyelectrolyte layers of alternating first and second charge, wherein decomposition of the film is characterized by sequential removal of at least a portion of the polyelectrolyte layers by alternating delamination of polyelectrolyte layers having the first charge and degradation of polyelectrolyte layers having the second charge.

2. The decomposable film of claim 1 , wherein:

the film comprises alternating polycationic and polyanionic layers, and

decomposition of the film is characterized by hydrolytic degradation of a member of the polycationic layers, the polyanionic layers, and both.

3. The decomposable film of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the polyelectrolyte layers comprises a member of a synthetic polyelectrolyte, a natural polyelectrolyte, and both.

4. The decomposable film of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the polyelectrolyte layers comprises a polymer selected from polyesters, polyanhydrides, polyorthoesters, polyphosphazenes, polyphosphoesters, and any combination thereof.

5. The decomposable film of claim 4 , wherein the polyesters are selected from poly(β-amino ester)s, poly(L-lactide-co-L-lysine), poly(serine ester), poly(4-hydroxy-L-proline ester), poly[α-(4-aminobutyl)-L-glycolic acid], and any combination thereof.

6. The decomposable film of claim 5 , wherein the poly(β-amino ester) is

7. The decomposable film of claim 1 , wherein the degradation is characterized by at least one of hydrolytic, thermal, enzymatic, and photolytic.

8. The decomposable film of claim 1 , wherein the degradation rate of the layers varies such that the decomposition rate of the film is not a constant.

9. The decomposable film of claim 1 , further comprising a layer of cells deposited on the surface of the film.

10. The decomposable film of claim 9 , wherein the cells are selected from connective tissue cells, organ cells, muscle cells, nerve cells, stem cells, cancer cells, and any combination thereof.

11. The decomposable film of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the layers comprise an entity selected from a biomolecule, a small molecule, a bioactive agent, and any combination thereof.

12. The decomposable film of claim 11 , wherein a second portion of the layers comprise a second entity selected from a biomolecule, a small molecule, a bioactive agent, and any combination thereof.

13. The decomposable film of claim 11 , wherein the concentration of the entity in the film varies with depth.

14. The decomposable film of claim 11 , wherein the small molecule is a drug.

15. The decomposable film of claim 11 , wherein the entity is associated with a polyelectrolyte in a layer of the film.

16. The decomposable film of claim 15 , wherein the entity is associated via an interaction selected from covalent bond, a hydrogen bond, an electrostatic interaction, a van der Waals interaction, a hydrophobic interaction, a magnetic interaction and any combination of the above.

17. The decomposable film of claim 1 , further comprising a member of a cell adhesion sequence, a targeting sequence, and both disposed in a top layer of the film.

18. The decomposable film of claim 1 , wherein the film is deposited on a non-planar substrate.

19. The decomposable film of claim 18 , wherein the film is deposited on a substrate having a shape selected from particles, tube, sphere, strand, coiled strand, and capillary network.

20. The decomposable film of claim 18 , wherein degradation of the film enables dissolution of the substrate material.

21. The decomposable film of claim 18 , wherein the substrate material diffuses through the film when the film-substrate combination is placed in a pre-selected medium.

22. The decomposable film of claim 18 , wherein the substrate comprises a drug.

23. The decomposable film of claim 1 , wherein the film is adapted and constructed as a hollow shell.

24. The decomposable film of claim 1 , wherein the film is disposed on a substrate, wherein the surface properties of the substrate vary across a surface of the substrate.

25. The decomposable film of claim 1 , wherein the film is disposed on a substrate comprising a material selected from metals, metal oxides, plastics, ceramics, silicon, glasses, mica, graphite, hydrogels, polymers, and any combination thereof.

26. The decomposable film of claim 25 , wherein a primer layer is interposed between the film and the substrate, wherein the primer layer comprises a polyelectrolyte bilayer.

27. The decomposable film of claim 26 , wherein the polyelectrolyte bilayer comprises a polymer selected from poly(styrene sulfonate) and poly(acrylic acid) and a polymer selected from linear poly(ethylene imine), poly(diallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride), and poly(allylamine hydrochloride).