Langmuir-Blodgett film

A Langmuir-Blodgett film contains one or more monolayers of an organic material, deposited from the surface of a liquid onto a solid by immersing (or emersing) the solid substrate into (or from) the liquid. A monolayer is added with each immersion or emersion step, thus films with very accurate thickness can be formed. The monolayers are usually composed of polar molecules (see Chemical polarity) with a hydrophilic head and a hydrophobic tail (example: fatty acids).

Additional recommended knowledge

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Langmuir-Blodgett films are named after Irving Langmuir and Katharine B. Blodgett, who invented this technique. An alternative technique of creating single monolayers on surfaces is that of self-assembled monolayers.

See also

• Wilhelmy plate

References

• A. Ulman, An Introduction to Ultrathin Organic Films From Langmuir-Blodgett to Self-Assembly, Academic Press, Inc.: San Diego (1991).
• I.R. Peterson , "Langmuir Blodgett Films ", J. Phys. D 23, 4, (1990) 379-95.
• I.R. Peterson, "Langmuir Monolayers", in T.H. Richardson, Ed., Functional Organic and Polymeric Materials Wiley: NY (2000).
• L.S. Miller, D.E. Hookes, P.J. Travers and A.P. Murphy, "A New Type of Langmuir-Blodgett Trough", J. Phys. E 21 (1988) 163-167.
• I.R.Peterson, J.D.Earls. I.R.Girling and G.J.Russell, "Disclinations and Annealing in Fatty-Acid Monolayers", Mol. Cryst. Liq. Cryst. 147 (1987) 141-147.
• A.M.Bibo, C.M.Knobler and I.R.Peterson, "A Monolayer Phase Miscibility Comparison of the Long Chain Fatty Acids and Their Ethyl Esters", J. Phys. Chem. 95 (1991) 5591-5599.