Polyion Complexed Langmuir-Blodgeet (LB) Films for Optical Memory

Abstract

ABSTRACTA stable monolayer was formed by spreading a chloroform solution of a photosensitive ionic amphiphilic compound on an aqueous subphase containing an ionic polymer with opposite charge. In addition to the increase in stability, the cross sectional area of the amphiphilic molecule usually increased on polyion complexation from that of the same amphiphilic molecule in the absence of the ionic polymer. Deposition of the monolayer onto the solid substrate as a very homogeneous LB film was possible. The increase in molecular area allows various photochemical reactions, which otherwise do not occur due to the steric hindrance, to proceed in the resulting LB films. A rapid decrease in emission of the polyion complexed pyrene LB films was observed upon UV irradiation in air. Application of this very sensitive quenching procedure to optical memory will be also presented.