Controlling the Structural and Electrical Properties of Diacid Oligo(Phenylene Ethynylene) Langmuir–Blodgett Films

The preparation, characterization and electrical properties of Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) films composed of a symmetrically substituted oligomeric phenylene ethynylene derivative, namely, 4,4′‐[1,4‐phenylenebis(ethyne‐2,1‐diyl)]dibenzoic acid (OPE2A), are described. Analysis of the surface pressure versus area per molecule isotherms and Brewster angle microscopy reveal that good‐quality Langmuir (L) films can be formed both on pure water and a basic subphase. Monolayer L films were transferred onto solid substrates with a transfer ratio of unity to obtain LB films. Both L and LB films prepared on or from a pure water subphase show a red shift in the UV/Vis spectrum of about 14 nm, in contrast to L and LB films prepared from a basic subphase, which show a hypsochromic shift of 15 nm. This result, together with X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopic and quartz crystal microbalance experiments, conclusively demonstrate formation of one‐layer LB films in which OPE2A molecules are chemisorbed onto gold substrates and consequently ? COO? Au junctions are formed. In LB films prepared on a basic subphase the other terminal acid group is also deprotonated and associates with an Na⁺ counterion. In contrast, LB films prepared from a pure water subphase preserve the protonated acid group, and lateral H‐bonds with neighbouring molecules give rise to a supramolecular structure. STM‐based conductance studies revealed that films prepared from a basic subphase are more conductive than the analogous films prepared from pure water, and the electrical conductance of the deprotonated films also coincides more closely with single‐molecule conductance measurements. This result was interpreted not only in terms of better electron transmission in ? COO? Au molecular junctions, but also in terms of the presence of lateral H‐bonds in the films formed from pure water, which lead to reduced conductance of the molecular junctions.     

花生酸-钌有机螯合物Ru(phen)_3~(2+)的单分子膜和LB膜中分子聚集行为的研究

以功能性的钌有机螯合物Ru(phen)_3~(2+)作为亚相离子,花生酸在亚相表面 上形成稳定的单分子膜。π-A等温线和动态弹性测量表明,此膜因花生酸与钌螯离 子发生了静电相互作用而有更大的可压缩性,并在固态区发生了分子聚集。用垂直 法成功地制备了嵌有Ru(phen)_3~(2+)离子的超薄有序Y-型LB膜。光谱实验表明, 所得LB膜是稳定、均匀的层状三明治结构,在层面内Ru(phen)_3~(2+)与花生酸结 合成相对稳定的分子基团形成了J-聚体。     

Preparation, luminescence and photoelectric properties of Langmuir-Blodgett films of alkynylplatinum(II)-zinc(II) porphyrinate/heteropolyoxometalate hybrid composites

A new class of organometallic/inorganic hybrid Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films, consisting of rigid-rod alkynylplatinum(II)-zinc(II) porphyrinate complex (OMA) as the π-conjugated donor-acceptor-type molecule and tungsto(molybdo)phosphoric heteropolyacids (HPA) (HPA = H₃PMo₁₂O₄₀ and H₃PW₁₂O₄₀, abbreviated as HPMo₁₂ and HPW₁₂, respectively) of the Keggin structure as the inorganic component, were prepared and characterized by π-A isotherms, UV-vis absorption and luminescence spectra, low-angle X-ray diffraction, scanning tunneling microscopy and surface photovoltage spectroscopy. Our experimental results indicate that stable, well-defined and well-organized Langmuir and LB films have been formed in pure water and heteropolyacid subphase. They typically have a highly organized lamellar structure in which a monolayer of HPA is most likely embedded inside the OMA molecular space formed by long chains of PBu₃. Luminescence spectra of these hybrid LB films show that HPMo₁₂ and HPW₁₂ can enhance the emission of OMA to some extent. These LB composites show good photovoltage responses and a photovoltage of 79 μV can be obtained for the OMA/HPMo₁₂ system when it is excited by light. The monolayer LB films on ITO wafer can also display interesting electrical conductivity.     

Molecular organization and electrochemical reduction of a Ni(II)Porphyrin complex in LB films

In this work, mixed films of a tetra-cationic porphyrin, Ni(II)TMPyP, and an anionic phospholipid, DMPA, in molar ratio of 1:4, were formed at the air–water interface and transferred onto glass and optically transparent indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes. Transmission spectroscopy (on glass and ITO) and cyclic voltammetry (on ITO) were used to infer the molecular organization and the electrochemical reduction of these LB films. Likewise, we compare the electrochemical reduction of the Ni(II)TMPyP in water solution with that in LB films. The porphyrin molecules in water solution show three two-electron reduction waves, which are related to the two-electron reduction of the central ring of the porphyrin and to the one-electron reductions of the four methyl–pyridyl groups of the molecule, respectively, while only two reversible one-electron reduction waves are observed in LB films corresponding to the reduction of the central ring of the porphyrin and to the Ni(II) to Ni(I) reduction, respectively.     

Synthesis and supramolecular self-assembly study of a novel porphyrin molecule in Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodgett films

The self-assembly and supramolecular engineering of porphyrins into ordered arrays have recently attracted much interest because of their promising application potential in molecular and electronic devices, spintronics, energy harvesting and storage, catalysis, and sensor development. We herein report the synthesis and supramolecular self-assembly study of a novel porphyrin molecule, 2Por-TAZ, in Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodgett films. The 2Por-TAZ molecule contains two porphyrin macrocycles attached to a triaminotriazine headgroup. Triaminotriazines are known to form a highly ordered linear supramolecular self-assembly through complementary hydrogen bonding with barbituric acid molecules at the air-water interface. Surface pressure-area isotherm measurements and polarized UV-vis absorption spectroscopic studies indicate that the 2Por-TAZ molecules adopted an edge-on orientation at the air-water interface. Polarized UV-vis absorption study also revealed that the 2Por-TAZ molecules formed linear supramolecular networks on pure water and barbituric acid subphase with porphyrin flat planes facing toward the compression direction. The binding of barbituric acid with 2Por-TAZ molecules was observed from the expansion of the Langmuir monolayer film. Compared to the transferred LB film from pure water subphase, both the UV-vis absorbance and fluorescence emission intensity of the LB film transferred from barbituric acid subphase increased significantly.     

Langmuir-Blodgett films of octadecanethiol--properties and potential applications

Octadecanethiol (ODT) is known to form self-assembled monolayer on noble metal surfaces which has potential technological applications. Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique is another useful method of obtaining highly ordered assembly of molecules. It is of interest to find whether ODT molecules can also form a stable Langmuir monolayer which facilitates the preparation of LB films. In literature, it has been reported that ODT molecules form an unstable Langmuir monolayer. We have studied the stability of the monolayer of the ODT molecules at air-water interface using surface manometry and microscopy techniques. We find the monolayer to be stable on ultrapure water of resistivity greater than 18MOmega cm. However, the behavior changes in the presence of even small amount of additives like NaOH or CdCl2 in the subphase. Our AFM studies on the LB films of ODT deposited from ion-free ultrapure water showed streak-like bilayer domains. The LB films of ODT deposited from CdCl2 containing aqueous subphase yield dendritic domains of the complexed unit grown over ODT monolayer. These nanostructures on surfaces may have potential applications in molecular electronics.     

Metal ion-induced H-aggregation of a water-soluble anionic dye Congo red (CR) in Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) film

Present communication reports the preparation of Langmuir monolayer of water-soluble anionic dye Congo red (CR) by allowing it to adsorb from the aqueous subphase onto the preformed Langmuir monolayer of anionic stearic acid using divalent metal cations Mg²⁺ as mediator. Isotherm and compressibility studies of SA-Mg-CR hybrid monolayer gave valuable information about the molecular organisation in the Langmuir monolayer. Absorption spectroscopic studies revealed the formation of H-aggregates in the hybrid Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) films fabricated at lower salt concentration in the subphase. Atomic Force Microscopic image gave visual evidence of distinct nanocrystalline domains in the LB monolayer film.     

Characterization of Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodgett films of a thiomacrocyclic ionophore by surface pressure and AFM

The new synthesized thiomacrocyclic ionophore 4-phenyl-4-sulfide-11-(1-oxodecyl)-1,7-dithia-11-aza-4-phosphacyclotetradecane has proven to form Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films. This ionophore shows a large affinity for copper(II) ions. Thus, the influence of the subphase composition on the surface pressure-area isotherms has been studied. The LB films have been observed by AFM and the effect of the subphase composition and the deposition surface pressure on the LB films is discussed. AFM image morphology has been correlated to the ionophore molecular structure. Surface pressure-area isotherms and AFM images show that the presence of copper(II) ions has an important role in the film structure.     

Adsorption of Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), and Zn(II) on hexagonal templated zirconia obtained thorough a sol-gel process: the effects of nanostructure on adsorption features

Using zirconium tetrabutoxide, diaminedecane, and diamineoctane as precursors, a templated hexagonal zirconia matrix is synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffractometry and scanning electron microscopy. The adsorption capacity of such a matrix toward Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), and Zn(II) from aqueous solutions is studied. The adsorption affinity of the synthesized hexagonal templated zirconia toward the cations is Cu(II)>Zn(II) >Ni(II)>Co(II). It is also verified that the adsorption of the cations follows a Langmuir and not a Freundlich isotherm. All obtained isotherms are of type I, according to the IUPAC classification. The observed adsorption affinity sequence can be explained by taking into account the velocity constant for the substitution of water molecules into the cation coordination spheres, as well as the Irving-Williams series.     

Langmuir-Blodgett films of a cationic zinc porphyrin-imidazole-functionalized fullerene dyad: formation and photoelectrochemical studies

Electron donor-acceptor dyad ensembles of a water-soluble cationic zinc porphyrin (viz., zinc tetrakis(N-methylpyridinium)porphyrin tetrachloride, Zn(TMPyP)) and a C60 derivative that bears an imidazole ligand (viz., 2-(phenylimidazolyl)fulleropyrrolidine, C60im) were assembled during the formation of Langmuir and then Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films. Surface pressure versus surface area isotherms and surface pressure time profiles, as well as Brewster angle microscopic images documented that the Langmuir films formed were remarkably stable. Subsequently, these Langmuir films were transferred onto different solid substrates, by using the LB technique, for spectroscopic and photoelectrochemical characterization. The UV-vis spectroscopic investigations confirmed that the water-soluble Zn(TMPyP) was, indeed, transferred together with C60im in the LB films. Upon visible light illumination of these LB films, deposited on the ITO transparent conductive supports, a photocurrent generated in the C60im-Zn(TMPyP) system is ascribed to an efficient photoinduced electron transfer from the electron donor, porphyrin singlet excited-state to the electron acceptor, C60. Overall, internal photon-to-current efficiency, IPCE, of the photoanodic current generation (with ascorbate as a sacrificial electron donor) in the ITO/C60im-Zn(TMPyP)/ascorbate/Pt construct is over 5x larger than that of the photocathodic system (with methyl viologen, MV2+, as a sacrificial electron acceptor) in the ITO/Zn(TMPyP)-C60im/MV2+/Pt construct. Highly ordered film stacking favors vectorial electron transfer within the dyad, giving rise to the highest IPCE values of 2.5% determined for a photoanode that was composed of around 20 monolayer films.     

Langmuir-Blodgett films of a Mo-blue nanoring [Mo(142)O(429)H(10)(H(2)O)(49)(CH(3)CO(2))(5)(CH(3)CH(2)CO(2))](30)(-) (Mo(142)) by the semiamphiphilic method

Langmuir monolayers and LB films of the ring-shaped mixed-valence polyoxomolybdate [Mo142O429H10(H2O)49(CH3CO2)5(CH3CH2CO2)](30-) (Mo142) dissolved in the aqueous subphase have been successfully fabricated by using the adsorption properties of a DODA monolayer. Infrared and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy of the LB films indicates that Mo142 and DODA molecules are incorporated within these LB films. X-ray reflectivity experiments indicate that the LB films exhibit a well-defined lamellar structure formed by bilayers of DODA molecules alternating with monolayers of Mo142. Using behenic acid-modified hydrophobic quartz substrate is critical for the formation of the well-defined lamellar structure. From the values of the periodicity obtained by these experiments it is clear that the Mo142 clusters lie flat along the charged organic layers. AFM images also showed the flat and homogeneous films on the quartz substrates treated with behenic acid. Cyclic voltammograms of Mo142-LB films deposited on ITO substrates showed quasi-reversible oxidation/reduction waves with positive shift of the potential compared to the case of solution.     

Formation of langmuir-blodgett films containing two-dimensional monoatomic arrays of rare-earth cations

The work is focused on the preparation and characterisation of rare-earth containing stearic acid Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films. Stearic acid monolayer behavior on the rare-earth containing aqueous subphase have been analyzed by thermodynamic measurements. The compression isotherm shape changed substantially under varying the anion type at the constant rare-earth cation content in aqueous subphase. The structure of formed multilayer rare-earth containing LB films was studied using small angle X-rays diffraction. The considerable structural defects in multilayer films were found when rare-earth chloride solution was exploited as aqueous subphase, caused presumably by electrostatic interactions at the monolayer surface under high binding of rare-earth cations. The use of monodentate complexones like acetic acid was proposed to form bulk phase quasi-neutral rare-earth complexes. The electroneutral ligand exchange reactions of such complexes with stearic acid monolayer allowed to neutralise monolayer surface under rare-earth cations binding and to form condenced monolayer below the triple-point temperature. The compression of such monolayer to the state of minimal compressibility and subsequent monolayer deposition resulted in the formation of high ordered LB films with high content of adsorbed multivalent rare-earth cations arranged in two-dimensional monoatomic arrays.     

Equilibrium structure and dynamics of (2R, 3R)-(+)-bis(decyloxy)succinic acid at the air-water interface

A twin-tailed, twin-chiral fatty acid, (2R,3R)-(+)-bis(decyloxy)succinic acid was synthesized and its two dimensional behavior at the air-water interface was examined. The pH of the subphase had a profound effect on the monolayer formation. On acidic subphase, stable monolayers with increased area per molecule due to hydrogen bonding and bilayers at collapse pressures were observed. Highly compressible films were formed at 40 degrees C, while stable monolayers with increased area were observed at sub-room temperatures. Langmuir monolayers formed on subphases containing 1 mM ZnCl2 and CaCl2 revealed two dimensional metal complex formation with Zn2+ forming a chelate-type complex, while Ca2+ formed an ionic-type complex. Monolayers transferred from the condensed phase onto hydrophilic Si(100) and quartz substrates revealed the formation of bilayers through transfer-induced monolayer buckling. Compression induced crystallites in 2D from monolayers and vesicle-like supramolecular structures from multilayers were the noted LB film characteristics, adopting optical imaging and electron microscopy. The interfacial monolayer structure studied through molecular dynamics simulation revealed the order and packing at a molecular level; monolayers adsorbed at various simulated specific areas of the molecule corroborated the (pi-A) isotherm and the formation of a hexagonal lattice at the air-water interface.     

2-烷基-苯并咪唑在硝酸银亚相上的Langmuir膜及LB膜

对不同链长的2-烷基-苯并咪唑衍生物（BzCn,烷基链长从C5到C15）在硝酸银亚相上的成膜行为及形成的LB膜的结构进行了研究.表面压－面积曲线的结果表明，短链(C5～C9)的2-烷基-苯并咪唑可在银离子亚相上形成稳定的单分子膜，而长链(C13和C15)衍生物则形成多层膜.利用LB技术可将上述Langmuir膜转移到固体基板上形成LB膜，其吸收光谱的结果说明了苯并咪唑和银离子配位.利用AFM、XRD及FT-IR等技术研究了烷基链长对LB膜结构的影响.实验结果表明,除了BzC15，其余的衍生物都可形成规整的层状结构.短链衍生物的单层LB膜具有均一、平整的形貌；而对于BzC15，观察到多层结构.     

Fabrication, structural characterization, and applications of langmuir and langmuir-blodgett films of a poly(azo)urethane

The synthesis of a poly(azo)urethane by fixing CO(2) in bis-epoxide followed by a polymerization reaction with an azodiamine is presented. Since isocyanate is not used in the process, it is termed "clean method" and the polymers obtained are named "NIPUs" (non-isocyanate polyurethanes). Langmuir films were formed at the air-water interface and were characterized by surface pressure vs mean molecular area per mer unit (Pi-A) isotherms. The Langmuir monolayers were further studied by running stability tests and cycles of compression/expansion (possible hysteresis) and by varying the compression speed of the monolayer formation, the subphase temperature, and the solvents used to prepare the spreading polymer solutions. The Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique was used to fabricate ultrathin films of a particular polymer (PAzoU). It is possible to grow homogeneous LB films of up to 15 layers as monitored using UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. Higher number of layers can be deposited when PAzoU is mixed with stearic acid, producing mixed LB films. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) absorption spectroscopy and Raman scattering showed that the materials do not interact chemically in the mixed LB films. The atomic force microscopy (AFM) and micro-Raman technique (optical microscopy coupled to Raman spectrograph) revealed that mixed LB films present a phase separation distinguishable at micrometer or nanometer scale. Finally, mixed and neat LB films were successfully characterized using impedance spectroscopy at different temperatures, a property that may lead to future application as temperature sensors. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to correlate the data.     

The Influence of Temperature on the Adsorption of Cadmium(II) and Cobalt(II) on Goethite

The adsorption of Cd(II) and Co(II) onto goethite was measured at five temperatures between 10 and 70 degrees C. For both cations the amount adsorbed at any given pH increased as the temperature was increased. Cd(II) adsorbed at a slightly lower pH at each temperature than Co(II). Adsorption isotherms at pH 7.00 for Cd(II) could be fitted closely by a simple Langmuir model, but a two-site Langmuir model was needed for Co(II). Potentiometric titrations of goethite suspensions in the presence and absence of added cation could be modeled closely by a constant-capacitance surface complexation model that assumed the adsorption reactions M2+ + SOH ⇋ SOM+ + H+ and M2+ + SOH + H2O ⇋ SOMOH + 2H+, where M represents Cd or Co. This model also fitted the experimental data from the adsorption edge and adsorption isotherm experiments. Thermodynamic parameters estimated from both Langmuir and surface complexation models showed that the adsorption of both metals was endothermic. Values obtained for the adsorption enthalpies from both modeling schemes were similar for both cations. Estimates of the adsorption entropies were model-dependent: Langmuir parameters yielded positive entropies, while some of the surface complexation parameters generated negative adsorption entropies. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.     

金属卟啉及其与咪唑络合物的电喷雾质谱研究

利用电喷雾电离质谱（ESI－MS）研究了3种金属卟啉化合物（MTPP＝MnTPP,TeTPP和CoTPP）,探讨了在这些化合物中苯取代基与卟啉环间的键合能力以及金属卟啉与咪唑的配位情况。研究结果表明,金属卟啉的外围取代基苯基与卟啉环的键合能力按Mn、Fe和Co的次序变弱。金属卟啉与咪唑形成的络合物的离子丰度随配体浓度的增加而增强;在相同的配体浓度下,络合物的离子丰度按Mn、Fe和Co顺序依次增加,其中,CoTPP络合物的稳定性最强。     

Studies of Langmuir-Blodgett films of an ion pair metal complex containing Eu(III)-Ru(II) dual chromophores

A surfactant ion-pair complex, [Ru(bpy)(2)L][Eu(NTA)(4)](2) (in which L = 1-docosyl-2-(2- pyridyl)benzimidazole, bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine, and NTA = 4,4,4-trifluoro-1-(2-naphthyl)-1,3-butanedionato) has been synthesized. The surface pressure-area isotherm measurements show that the complex forms a stable Langmuir film at the air-water interface without adding any electrolytes into the subphase. The monolayers formed at the surface pressures of 5 mN m(-1) and 20 mN m(-1), have been successfully transferred onto glass and quartz substrates with the transfer ratios close to unity. The Langmuir-Blodgett films were studied by UV-visible, infrared, and emission spectroscopies, atomic force microscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. The optical, redox, and morphology properties of the LB films were found to be significantly affected by the target surface pressures used for the film depositions.     

Zn(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), and Fe(III) complexes of potentially bimetalating tris(pyridine- and imidazole-appended) picket-fence naphthylporphyrins with benzyl ether spacers: implications for cytochrome c oxidase active-site modeling

Two new unsymmetrical picket-fence naphthylporphyrin ligands, 1 and 2, and several of their metalated porphyrinato complexes have been synthesized as precursor model compounds for the binuclear (Fe/Cu) cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) active site. 1 and 2 have a naphthylporphyrin superstructure that has been specifically incorporated to confer long-term configurational stability to the atropisomeric products. The two picket-fence porphyrin ligands also bear covalently linked, axially offset tris(heterocycle) coordination sites for a copper ion, much like that found in the native enzyme. Monometallic porphyrin complexes [M = Zn(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), and Fe(III)] of the pyridine-appended ligand 1 have been prepared and spectroscopically and magnetically characterized. An unusual monomeric iron(III) hydroxo porphyrin complex was isolated upon workup of the compound formed under ferrous sulfate/acetic acid reflux conditions. There is general difficulty in forming binuclear complexes of 1, which is attributed to the conformational flexibility of the benzyl ether type picket spacers. The potential of ligands such as 1 and 2 for future CcO active-site modeling studies is considered.     

2-line ferrihydrite: synthesis, characterization and its adsorption behaviour for removal of Pb(II), Cd(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) from aqueous solutions

Nano-structured 2-line ferrihydrite was synthesized by a pH-controlled precipitation technique at 90 °C. Chemical, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman analyses confirmed the sample to be 2-line ferrihydrite. The nano nature of the prepared sample was studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The surface area obtained by the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) method was 175.8 m(2) g(-1). The nanopowder so obtained was used to study its behaviour for the removal of Pb(II), Cd(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) from aqueous solutions. The relative importance of experimental parameters such as solution pH, contact time and concentration of adsorbate on the uptake of various cations was evaluated. By increasing the pH from 2.0 to 5.5, adsorption of the four cations increased. The kinetics parameters were compared by fitting the contact time data to both linear as well as non-linear forms of pseudo-second-order models. Linear forms of both Langmuir and Freundlich models fitted the equilibrium data of all the cations except for Pb(II) which was also fitted to the non-linear forms of both the models as it gave a low R(2) value of 0.85 for the Langmuir model. High Langmuir monolayer capacities of 366, 250, 62.5 and 500 mg g(-1) were obtained for Pb(II), Cd(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II), respectively. Presence of chloride or sulfate had an adverse effect on cation adsorption. The interactive effects on adsorption from solutions containing two, three or four cations were studied. Surprisingly no Cd(II) adsorption was observed in Pb(II)-Cd(II), Pb(II)-Cd(II)-Zn(II) and Pb(II)-Cd(II)-Cu(II)-Zn(II) systems under the studied concentration range. The overall loading capacity of the adsorbent decreased in mixed cation systems. Metal ion loaded adsorbents were characterized by XRD, FTIR and Raman techniques. The high adsorption capability of the 2-lines ferrihydrite makes it a potentially attractive adsorbent for the removal of cations from aqueous solutions.