Langmuir-Blodgett technology

Langmuir-Blodgett Technology and Receptor Action in Stabilized Lipid Membranes... 

Films spread at liquid-liquid interfaces or on liquids other than water are discussed followed by the important effects of charged monolayers on water. Finally, the most technologically important application of Langmuir films, the Langmuir-Blodgett film deposited on a solid substrate, is reviewed. 

Diacetylenes like [30o] after being laboriously prepared, are not polymerized either by heat or ultraviolet irradiation (Iwamura, 1990). Control of molecular packing in crystals is now needed. Introduction of the technology of liquid crystals or Langmuir-Blodgett membranes (Hupfer et al., 1981 Koch and Ringsdorf, 1981) may be of help. 

R. M. Metzger and C. A. Panetta, Langmuir-Blodgett trims of potential organic rectifiers, in Molecular Electronics Science and Technology, A. Aviram and A. Bross, Eds., Engineering Foundation, New York 1989, pp. 293-300. 

In view of the potential technological importance of noncentrosymmetric organic crystals, several approaches have been evolved to artificially achieve noncentrosym-metry, which include electric field poling of polymers, self-assembly of molecular layers, Langmuir-Blodgett assembly of films and host-guest interaction in noncentrosymmetric hosts (Marder et al, 1994). Prediction and/or control of the three-dimensional structure of crystals, given only the information of molecular properties, however, remains difficult at present. 

Many new technologies rely on the unusual properties of interfaces— Langmuir-Blodgett and other films, micelles, vesicles, small liquid drops, and so on. Classical thermodynamics is often inadequate as a basis for treating such systems because of their smallness, and experimental probes of the interface are limited, especially for fluid systems. Computer simulation can play an important role here, both in understanding the role of intermolecular forces in obtaining desired properties and, in combination with experiment, in designing better materials and processes [6, 28]. 

Langmuir-Blodgett films may have value in many applied areas of traditional interest to the industrial chemist, such as adhesion, encapsulation, and catalysis. The permeability characteristics of monolayer assemblies may also find application as synthetic membranes for ultrafine filtration, gas separation, and reverse osmosis. For example, Albrecht et al. (44) proved the eflSciency of polymeric diacetylene monolayers on semipermeable supports in reducing the flow of CH4. One interesting possibility lies in using LB monolayers as lubricants in magnetic tape technology. Unpublished reports have indicated that frictional coeflScients can be reduced markedly when the tape is coated with a few monolayers. In applications such as those listed previously, difiSculties may well be encountered with the mechanical stability of the films. To date, relatively little research has been carried out in this area. 

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