Morphological Transition from Nanosheet to Nanosphere of Ternary Comb Copolymers with Carbazole Rings Induced by an Increase in Surface Pressure

Abstract

Fax: +81-48-858-3503, e-mail: fujimori@fms.saitama-u.ac.jp Transition behavior from a monolayer on the water surface to a single particle layer of a ternary comb copolymer containing carbazole rings have been investigated by surface pressure-area isotherm, atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction. This polymer monolayer is able to form the “polymer nanosheet” with amorphous layers and strong interaction between main-chains prepared by the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique. Further, the single particle layer is able to form the multi-particle layered organization of “polymer nanosphere” by the LB technique. This ternary comb copolymers were synthesized by radical copolymerization with hydrogenated and fluorinated long-chain vinyl compounds. Poly(N-vinylcarbazole) homopolymer formed a single particle layer on the water surface immediately after spreading. Spontaneous “particulation” behavior is accelerated by incorporation of carbazole units in ternary copolymer films. Organized molecular film of these copolymers formed a monolayer on the water surface below 10 m Nm