Interfacial photochemical tautomerization in polyacryloylacetone monolayers

 The surface organization of the enol units of polyacryloylacetone (PAA) monolayer at the air–water interface is examined using surface pressure and surface potential measurements and theoretical calculations based on molecular models. The mechanism and kinetics of the photochemical enol–keto tautomerization is studied by measuring the increase of the surface area at constant surface pressure. The effect is due to the increase of the area per monomer units during the consecutive enol-to-keto photoconversion and slow interfacial reorganization of these forms to a more favorable state. Received: 9 March 1998 Accepted: 29 May 1998