Molecular Recognition at Monolayers on the Water Surface

Chiral discrimination effects, however, have been demonstrated with amphi-philes containing relatively apolar methyl ester and hydroxy head groups. Comparisons of mixed monolayers and crystals consisting of long-chain 

Chiral discrimination effects within surface monolayers may also be employed for separating a racemic surface monolayer into domains of uniform chirality which occurs if the S S or R R interaction is more favourable than the S R interaction (homochiral discrimination). Such a two-dimensional resolution was triggered off by the sprinkling of pure enantiomer A -(a-/ -methylben-zyl)stearamide 5 crystals on to the corresponding racemic monolayer. A rapid decrease of surface pressure well below the equilibrium surface pressure of the racemate was observed . This result implies the deposition of / -configured molecules on the added crystals, leaving a partially resolved film which was composed predominantly of 5 -molecules. 

Convergent carboxylic acids of long-chain derivatives of Kemps s acid 7 are useful receptors for fitting nitrogen heterocycles, e.g. benzimidazole and is one of very few examples for the selective binding of electroneutral molecules in water. 

Selective binding between polymeric substrates and monolayered receptors has been accomplished more frequently. One of the most important recognition processes in nature is the pairing of nucleic acid bases, which can be mimicked with Langmuir films. Lipid monolayers with adenine head groups expand upon 

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