Structure of Relaxed Monolayers of Arachidic Acid Studied by X-ray Reflectometry and Atomic Force Microscopy

Abstract

Following the constant pressure relaxation on different subphases and the deposition on solid substrates, the structure and morphology of arachidic acid monolayers were studied by X-ray reflectometry and atomic force microscopy. The growth of three-dimensional (3D) phase nuclei was observed from the first minutes of the relaxation process in a monolayer relaxed on a subphase of low pH ≤ 3 with or without metal ions. With an increase in the relaxation time, the granule-like nuclei were transformed into platelike multilayer islands. The structure of 3D islands was commensurate with the B and C forms of bulk arachidic acid, with the B phase being prevalent after a long period of relaxation. During the storage of the samples in air, the granule-like islands were unstable and, after 2 months, transformed into the more stable platelike islands. The relaxation process was much slower in the case of binding the monolayer to cadmium or lead cations in a subphase of pH 5.3. After about 1 h of relaxation, only low folds arrayed with a hexagonal symmetry were observed on the monolayer of cadmium arachidate. On monolayers of lead arachidate, 1-2 bilayer islands emerged with hexagonal boundaries after a relaxation of some 3 h.