Electron diffraction study on monolayer LB films of liquid-crystalline polyacrylate containing para-nitro azobenzene

Abstract

Monolayers of liquid-crystalline polyacrylate containing para-nitro azobenzene (HP6) on the water subphase were characterized by the surface pressure (π)-area per monomer unit ( A) isotherm and were successfully transferred onto glass substrates by the vertical lifting method. The monolayer Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films transferred at different surface pressures were studied by electron diffraction. The thickness of the monolayer LB film was measured by the transmission electron microscopy folding method. The results of the electron diffraction of the monolayer LB films of HP6 showed that a two-dimensional arrangement exists in the transferred films. According to the results of the π− A isotherm, electron diffraction and the measured thickness of the monolayer LB film, a molecular arrangement model of HP6 on the water subphase was proposed. The ordered monolayer formation of HP6 showed it to be promising as a second-order non-linear optical material.