Photoelectrical properties of Langmuir–Blodgett films of poly(methyl phenylsilane)s

Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) films were prepared from poly(methylphenylsilane) bearing electron acceptor π-conjugated substituents. The small limiting area (0.078 nm²) per one repeating unit of polysilane (PSi) in monomolecular film and the large thickness of the film (6 nm) suggest that the polymer chains are not fully spread on water surface. The electrical and photoelectrical properties of Al/LB film/Au sandwich cells containing various numbers of the polysilane layers were studied. Holes were transported from the Al electrode through the LB film to the Au electrode when the light was absorbed by the polysilane. The highest photovoltaic effect occurred in the first monolayer of polysilane at the Al contact. The cell resistivity and the photovoltage were decreased by parallel conductance of defects in the films consisting of small numbers of PSi layers.     

Synthesis and characterization of the air-water interfacial TiO2/ZrO2 binary oxide film

TiO(2)/ZrO(2) binary oxide film was self-assembled using anionic surfactant (sodium dodecyl sulfonate (SDS)) as template and obtained at the air-water interface. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to characterize the obtained film. The film was composed of many lamellar nanorods with a d spacing of 3.2 nm, and the lamellas were perpendicular to the lengthwise position of the rods. The energy-dispersive spectrum (EDS) was used for determining the titanium/zirconium atomic ratio. After being calcined, the sample decomposed to a mixture of anatase titania and tetragonal zirconia, and all the lamellar structure was broken.     

Supramolecular Assembly Formation in Monolayers of tert-Butyl Substituted Copper Phthalocyanine and Tetrabenzotriazaporphin

The effect is studied of the layer formation conditions on the molecular arrangement of copper tetra- tert-butyl phthalocyanine (CuPctBu₄) and copper tetra- tert-butyl tetrabenzotriazaporphin (CuThptBu₄) at the air–water interface. The decrease in initial surface concentration of these compounds is shown to affect the molecular orientation, as indicated by the increase in the area per molecule. The data are interpreted in terms of formation of CuPctBu₄ and CuThptBu₄ monolayers with a face-on molecular arrangement when the initial surface concentration is sufficiently small (N less than 1.6 × 10^–7 mole/m² for CuPctBu₄ and N less than 4 × 10^–7 mole/m² for CuThptBu₄) and changes in the molecular orientation to edge-on when the N values are higher. It is emphasized that the edge-on orientation on the water surface is not only a molecular but a collective property of the azaporphyrine supramolecular assembly.     

Compression of Self‐Assembled Nano‐Objects: 2D/3D Transitions in Films of (Perfluoroalkyl)Alkanes—Persistence of an Organized Array of Surface Micelles

Understanding and controlling the molecular organization of amphiphilic molecules at interfaces is essential for materials and biological sciences. When spread on water, the model amphiphiles constituted by C_nF_2n+1C_mH_2m+1 (FnHm) diblocks spontaneously self‐assemble into surface hemimicelles. Therefore, compression of monolayers of FnHm diblocks is actually a compression of nanometric objects. Langmuir films of F8H16, F8H18, F8H20, and F10H16 can actually be compressed far beyond the “collapse” of their monolayers at ～30 Ų. For molecular areas A between 30 and 10 Ų, a partially reversible, 2D/3D transition occurs between a monolayer of surface micelles and a multilayer that coexist on a large plateau. For A<10 Ų, surface pressure increases again, reaching up to ～48 mN m^?1 before the film eventually collapses. Brewster angle microscopy and AFM indicate a several‐fold increase in film thickness when scanning through the 2D/3D coexistence plateau. Compression beyond the plateau leads to a further increase in film thickness and, eventually, to film disruption. Reversibility was assessed by using compression–expansion cycles. AFM of F8H20 films shows that the initial monolayer of micelles is progressively covered by one (and eventually two) bilayers, which leads to a hitherto unknown organized composite arrangement. Compression of films of the more rigid F10H16 results in crystalline‐like inflorescences. For both diblocks, a hexagonal array of surface micelles is consistently seen, even when the 3D structures eventually disrupt, which means that this monolayer persists throughout the compression experiments. Two examples of pressure‐driven transformations of films of self‐assembled objects are thus provided. These observations further illustrate the powerful self‐assembling capacity of perfluoroalkyl chains.     

Luminescent Amphiphilic 2,6‐Bis(1‐alkylpyrazol‐3‐yl)pyridyl Platinum(II) Complexes: Synthesis,Characterization, Electrochemical,Photophysical, and Langmuir–Blodgett Film Formation Studies

Two series of novel platinum(II) 2,6‐bis(1‐alkylpyrazol‐3‐yl)pyridyl (N5Cn) complexes, [Pt(N5Cn)Cl][X] ( 1 – 9 ) and [Pt(N5Cn)(C?CR)][X] ( 10 – 13 ) (X=trifluoromethanesulfonate (OTf) or PF₆; R=C₆H₅, C₆H₄‐p‐CF₃ and C₆H₄‐p‐N(C₆H₅)₂), with various chain lengths of the alkyl groups on the nitrogen atom of the pyrazolyl units have been successfully synthesized and characterized. Their electrochemical and photophysical properties have been studied. Some of their molecular structures have also been determined by X‐ray crystallography. Two amphiphilic platinum(II) 2,6‐bis(1‐tetradecylpyrazol‐3‐yl)pyridyl (N5C14) complexes, [Pt(N5C14)Cl]PF₆ ( 7 ) and [Pt(N5C14)(C?CC₆H₅)]PF₆ ( 13 ), were found to form stable and reproducible Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) films at the air–water interface. The characterization of such LB films has been investigated by the study of their surface pressure–area (π–A) isotherms, UV/Vis spectroscopy, XRD, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), FTIR, and polarized IR spectroscopy. The luminescence property of 13 in LB films has also been studied.     

Exploring the Effect of Ligand Structural Isomerism in Langmuir–Blodgett Films of Chiral Luminescent EuIII Self‐Assemblies

Here we have investigated the influence of the antenna group position on both the formation of chiral amphiphilic Eu^III‐based self‐assemblies in CH₃CN solution and, on the ability to form monolayers on the surface of quartz substrates using the Langmuir–Blodgett technique, by changing from the 1‐naphthyl ( 2(R) , 2(S) ) to the 2‐naphthyl ( 1(R) , 1(S) ) position. The evaluation of binding constants of the self‐ assemblies in CH₃CN solution was achieved using conventional techniques such as UV/Visible and luminescence spectroscopies along with more specific circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. The binding constants obtained for EuL , EuL₂ and EuL₃ species in the case of 2‐naphthyl derivatives were comparable to those obtained for 1‐naphthyl derivatives. The analysis of the changes in the CD spectra of 1(R) and 1(S) upon addition of Eu^III not only allowed us to evaluate the values of the binding constants but the resulting recalculated spectra may also be used as fingerprints for assignment of the chiral self‐assembly species formed in solution. The obtained monolayers were predominantly formed from EuL₃ (≈85 %) with the minor species present in ≈15 % EuL₂ .     

Towards the Fabrication of the Top‐Contact Electrode in Molecular Junctions by Photoreduction of a Metal Precursor

Langmuir films of 4‐{[4‐({4‐[(trimethylsilyl)ethynyl]phenyl}ethynyl)phenyl]ethynyl} benzenaminium chloride ([ 1 H ]Cl) undergo anion metathesis when assembled on an aqueous auric acid (HAuCl₄) subphase. Subsequent transfer to solid supports gives well‐formed Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) monolayers of [ 1 H ]AuCl₄ in which the trimethylsilyl group serves as the surface contacting group. Photoreduction of the aurate on these monolayers leads to the formation of metallic gold nanoislands, which were distributed over the surface of the film. Electrical properties of these nascent devices were determined by recording current–voltage (I–V) curves with conductive atomic force microscopy (c‐AFM) using the PeakForce tunneling AFM (PF‐TUNA) mode. This gives consistent sigmoidal I–V curves that are indicative of well‐behaved junctions free of metallic filaments and short circuits. The photoreduction of a metal precursor incorporated onto monomolecular films is therefore proposed as an effective method for the fabrication of molecular junctions.     

Optical Response Sensitive to the Assembly in a Molecular Material: Ultrathin Film with a Vanishing Electronic Absorption

The characteristic electronic absorption of a zwitterionic molecule arising from an intramolecular charge‐transfer transition observed in the solution and the bulk solid states vanishes completely when the molecules are assembled into mono‐ and multilayer Langmuir–Blodgett films (see figure). Microscopy and spectroscopy investigations and computational modeling provide insight into this remarkable phenomenon.

     

Three‐Component Langmuir–Blodgett Films Consisting of Surfactant,Clay Mineral,and Lysozyme: Construction and Characterization

The Langmuir–Blodgett (L–B) technique has been employed for the construction of hybrid films consisting of three components: surfactant, clay, and lysozyme (Lys). The surfactants are octadecylammonium chloride (ODAH) and octadecyl ester of rhodamine B (RhB18). The clays include saponite and laponite. Surface pressure versus area isotherms indicate that lysozyme is adsorbed by the surfactant–clay L–B film at the air–water interface without phase transition. The UV‐visible spectra of the hybrid film ODAH–saponite–Lys show that the amount of immobilized lysozyme in the hybrid film is (1.3±0.2) ng mm^?2. The average surface area (Ω) per molecule of lysozyme is approximately 18.2 nm² in the saponite layer. For the multilayer film (ODAH–saponite–Lys)_n, the average amount of lysozyme per layer is (1.0±0.1) ng mm^?2. The amount of lysozyme found in the hybrid films of ODAH–laponite–Lys is at the detection limit of about 0.4 ng mm^?2. Attenuated total reflectance (ATR) FTIR spectra give evidence for clay layers, ODAH, lysozyme, and water in the hybrid film. The octadecylammonium cations are partially oxidized to the corresponding carbamate. A weak 1620 cm^?1 band of lysozyme in the hybrid films is reminiscent of the presence of lysozyme aggregates. AFM reveals evidence of randomly oriented saponite layers of various sizes and shapes. Individual lysozyme molecules are not resolved, but aggregates of about 20 nm in diameter are clearly seen. Some aggregates are in contact with the clay mineral layers, others are not. These aggregates are aligned in films deposited at a surface pressure of 20 mN m^?1.     

Correlation of Molecular Assembly and Interactions in Crystals and Langmuir–Blodgett Films of N‐(2,4‐dinitrophenyl)‐n‐octadecylamine

Correlation of molecular organization in crystals and in ultrathin films is of fundamental interest in the design of molecular materials based on thin films. We have chosen as a test case, N‐(2,4‐dinitrophenyl)‐n‐octadecylamine (DNPOA), a potential candidate for the fabrication of Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) films for quadratic nonlinear optical applications. Like several other 4‐nitroaniline derivatives, DNPOA does not form stable monolayers at the air–water interface. This has precluded investigations of their organization in LB films. We have stabilized composite Langmuir films of DNPOA with the phospholipid molecule DSPC and fabricated their LB films. Successful growth of single crystals of DNPOA allowed structure determination and detailed analysis of molecular associations in the solid state. Electronic absorption spectra of DNPOA in solution, in the solid state and in the LB film are investigated. Modeling of the various spectral signatures by semiempirical computations on molecular clusters extracted from the crystal lattice provides insight into the correlation between the molecular organization in crystals and in LB films.     

Luminescent Amphiphilic 2,6‐Bis(1,2,3‐triazol‐4‐yl)pyridine?Platinum(II) Complexes: Synthesis,Characterization, Electrochemical,Photophysical, and Langmuir–Blodgett Film‐Formation Studies

A new series of platinum(II) complexes with tridentate ligands 2,6‐bis(1‐alkyl‐1,2,3‐triazol‐4‐yl)pyridine and 2,6‐bis(1‐aryl‐1,2,3‐triazol‐4‐yl)pyridine (N7R), [Pt(N7R)Cl]X ( 1 – 7 ) and [Pt(N7R)(C?CR′)]X ( 8 – 17 ; R=n‐C₄H₉, n‐C₈H₁₇, n‐C₁₂H₂₅, n‐C₁₄H₂₉, n‐C₁₈H₃₇, C₆H₅, and CH₂‐C₆H₅; R′=C₆H₅, C₆H₄‐CH₃‐p_, C₆H₄‐CF₃‐p, C₆H₄‐N(CH₃)₂‐p, and cholesteryl 2‐propyn‐1‐yl carbonate; X=OTf^?, PF₆^?, and Cl^?), has been synthesized and characterized. Their electrochemical and photophysical properties have also been studied. Two amphiphilic platinum(II)? 2,6‐bis(1‐dodecyl‐1,2,3‐triazol‐4‐yl)pyridine complexes ( 3‐Cl and 8 ) were found to form stable and reproducible Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) films at the air/water interface. These LB films were characterized by the study of their surface‐pressure–molecular‐area (π–A) isotherms, XRD, and IR and polarized‐IR spectroscopy.     

Dicyanopyrazine-linked porphyrin Langmuir-Blodgett films

We investigated the influence of arachidic acid/cadmium dication (AA/Cd(2+)) as a transfer promoter for the deposition of dicyanopyrazine-linked porphyrin (2-DCPP) Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films on both hydrophobic and hydrophilic substrates. In the case of LB deposition on a hydrophilic substrate, the presence of AA/Cd(2+) does not improve 2-DCPP LB deposition. The poor transfer in the case of the hydrophilic surface is believed to be due to 2-DCPP not wetting the surface during the down-stroke deposition, and this is not improved by the transfer agent. However, on a hydrophobic substrate, deposition of 2-DCPP is significantly improved by the presence of AA/Cd(2+). Comparison of the UV-visible spectrum of a 2-DCPP LB film with that of 2-DCCP dissolved in chloroform reveals that the Soret and Q bands for the 2-DCPP LB film are broadened and red-shifted due to aggregation of porphyrin rings in the LB film. UV-visible spectral changes and ellipsometry as a function of the number of deposition layers suggest continuous transfer of 2-DCPP/AA onto the hydrophobic substrate and reproducibility in the deposition process. The Soret and Q bands of the 2-DCPP LB film upon acid vapor exposure have also been investigated, and these measurements may have chemical sensor applications.     

Vesicle Formation from an Amphiphilic Porphyrin Derivative at the Air–Water Interface

A tetraphenyl porphyrin derivative with two C₁₆ alkyl chains covalently bound to each of the four peripheral phenyl rings through ether linkages formed multilayer clusters or vesicles at the air–water surface. More interestingly, spherical vesicles were also formed when deposited on appropriate solid surfaces, and these vesicles were stable even in dry conditions. Various microscopic images of the cast film deposited on a mica surface confirmed closed‐ended nanotube/nanorod‐type formation with necking and bulging. These narrow tubes are proposed to be intermediates for the formation of vesicles by fission at either side of the bulge. Such vesicular formation is not common when either cast or Langmuir–Blodgett films were deposited on a solid surface.     

Incorporation of Thiol-Stabilized CdTe Nanoclusters into Langmuir-Blodgett Films

The methods of incorporating thiol-stabilized CdTe nanoclusters into mono- and multilayer films produced by the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique on the basis of anionic (behenic acid) and cationic (octadecyltrinonylammonium (ODTNA) iodide) surfactants were investigated. Pressure-area isotherms, quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), FTIR, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and UV/Vis spectroscopy give evidence on the incorporation of the nanoclusters in LB films. The limiting surface area of the behenic acid monolayer increases with a simultaneous decrease of the film strength. The optical absorption of the films obtained through the incorporation of the clusters acquires the features of CdTe nanocrystals. The noticeable difference in the deposition process was observed for the two types of stabilizing ligands (thioglycerol and mercaptoethanol) used for the CdTe clusters. The bonding of the CdTe clusters with the carboxylic group of behenic acid monolayer is established for the thioglycerol-stabilized clusters.     

Synthesis of an Open‐Cage Structure POSS Containing Various Functional Groups and Their Effect on the Formation and Properties of Langmuir Monolayers

Recently, silsesquioxanes have been recognized as a new group of film‐forming materials. This study has been aimed at determining the effect of the kind of functional groups present in two different open‐cage structure POSS molecules on the possibility of the formation of Langmuir monolayers and their properties. To achieve this goal, two new POSS derivatives (of open‐cage structures) containing polyether and fluoroalkyl functional groups have been synthesized on the basis of a hydrosilylation process. An optimization of the process was performed, which makes it possible to obtain the above‐mentioned derivatives with high yields. In the next step, the Langmuir technique was applied to measurements of the surface pressure (π) ? the mean molecular area (A) isotherms during the compression of monolayers formed by molecules of the two POSS derivatives considered. Subsequently, the monolayers were transferred onto quartz plates according to the Langmuir–Blodgett technique. Both derivatives are able to form insoluble Langmuir films at the air–water interface, which can be transferred onto a solid substrate and effectively change its wetting properties.     

Interfacial Self‐Assembly of Closely Packed Nanoparticle Arrays of Silica@Multiporphyrin Hybrids as Light‐Sensitizers for Dye Degradation and Viologen Photochromism

Light‐sensitizer functionalized organic–inorganic hybrid materials have attracted much attention owing to their potential applications in the fields of optoelectronics, heterogeneous catalysis, sensors, and nanotechnology. Here, an interfacial self‐assembly of zero‐dimensional (0D) silica@multiporphyrin array nanohybrids and their 3D Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) films is reported. Photoactive tetrapyridylporphyrin (TPyP) was first assembled on the silica nanoparticles’ surfaces via silane, substitution, and coordination reactions to produce nanoSiO₂@(Pd‐TPyP)_n hybrids. Then, the Cd²⁺‐nanoSiO₂@(Pd‐TPyP)_n monolayers and LB films were constructed on the CdCl₂ subphase surface. These monolayers and LB films displayed stronger stability, as well as more uniform and closely packed nanoparticle arrays compared with those prepared on the pure water surface, owing to the formation of strong network‐like Pd‐ and Cd‐TPyP coordination units, which significantly enhanced the nanoparticles’ interaction. Further, compared with that of the 0D nanoSiO₂@(Pd‐TPyP)_n hybrids, the degradation efficiency was nearly 20 times higher when the hybrids’ LB films were used as light‐sensitizers for the photocatalytic degradation of RhB. Finally, flexible photochromic devices were constructed by using the LB films sandwiched between two electrodes, which displayed a reversible photoinduced redox reaction of viologen together with a color change process. Because TPyP was strongly immobilized on the nanoparticles’ surfaces and the particles were connected through the Py‐Pd²⁺‐Py and Py‐Cd²⁺‐Py coordination units with the 3D network‐like architecture, the present nanohybrids and LB films had good stability and reusability.     

Supramolecular self-assembly study of a flexible perylenetetracarboxylic diimide dimer in Langmuir and Langmuir–Blodgett films

A novel perylenetetracarboxylic diimide molecule (2PDI-TAZ), which contains two perylenetetracarboxylic diimide (PDI) attached to a melamine headgroup, was designed and synthesized. Supramolecular self-assemblies were studied in Langmuir and Langmuir–Blodgett films. Surface pressure–area isotherm measurements and the spectroscopic studies indicate that the 2PDI-TAZ molecules adopted a face-to-face configuration and edge-on orientation in Langmuir or the multilayer LB films. The presence of the barbituric acid in subphase change the hydrophilicity of 2PDI-TAZ due to the hydrogen bonding between melamine and barbituric acid, which has been revealed by the π–A isotherms and the FT-IR spectra. Transmission electron microscopy images of the LB films deposited from the barbituric acid solution revealed uniform nanowire morphology while the X-ray diffraction studies indicate that the molecules in the solid film packed with high order. The strong excimer emission of 2PDI-TAZ in LB films suggests enforced face-to-face configuration for the PDI unites in LB films in relative to that in solution.     

Nonequilibrium Microstructures in Reactive Monolayers as Soft Matter Systems

Chemical systems provide classical examples of nonequilibrium pattern formation. Reactions in weak aqueous solutions, such as the extensively investigated Belousov–Zhabotinsky reaction, demonstrate a rich variety of patterns, ranging from travelling fronts to rotating spiral waves and chemical turbulence. Pattern formation in such systems is based on interplay between the reactions and diffusion. Intrinsically, this puts a restriction on the minimum length scale of the developing structures, which cannot be shorter than the diffusion length of the reactants. However, much smaller nonequilibrium structures, with characteristic lengths reaching down to nanoscales, are also possible. They are found in reactive soft matter, where energetic interactions between molecules are present as well. In these systems, chemical reactions and diffusion interfere with phase transitions, yielding active, stationary or dynamic microstructures. Nonequilibrium soft‐matter microstructures are of fundamental importance for biological cells and may have interesting engineering applications. In this Minireview, we focus on the microstructures found in reactive soft‐matter monolayers at solid surfaces or liquid–air interfaces.