Langmuir-Blodgett mono- and multilayers of preformed poly(octadecyl methacrylate)s, 2. Structural studies by IR spectroscopy and small-angle X-ray scattering

Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) mono- and multilayers of preformed atactic and isotactic poly(octadecyl methacrylate)s were studied on gold surfaces and silicon wafers. The average orientation of the carbonyl bond of the ester group was found to be about 50° with respect to the normal to the substrate, and the side chains were concluded to be oriented perpendicular to the substrate. Furthermore, the degree of side chain orientation increased on going from a single monolayer to a multilayer. This is explained by an interdigitation of the side chains during or after the transfer process. A peculiar transfer behavior of the atactic samples is discussed in terms of the effect of disorder of the first layer on the transfer process. On heating multilayers of the polymers, melting of the crystalline domains formed by the side chains was observed at temperatures of about 35 °C to 40 °C. However, the layer structure appeared to be stable up to 100 °C. The oriented structure was completely recovered after cooling down to room temperature.