Surface properties of valine-gramicidin A at the air-water interface

Abstract Fluorescence microscopy, X-ray reflectivity and ellipsometry have been applied to the study of a monolayer of valine-gramicidin A (VGA) at the air-water interface to obtain insight into the conformation and orientation of VGA, and to clarify the shoulder observed in its π - A curve (12.5–16 mN m −1 , 240 – 175 A 2 molecule −1 ). At low molecular areas, the X-ray reflectivities are consistent with formation of a single layer of tubular-shaped dimers. Fluorescence microscopy yielded homogeneous pictures suggesting that on the macroscopic scale the shoulder cannot be attributed to domain formation. Thicknesses calculated from the ellipsometric isotherm are consistent with the X-ray da…

Ellipsometric studies of behenic acid at the air-water interface

The rich phase behaviour of monolayers of behenic acid (=docosanoic acid) has been analyzed by null ellipsometry in isothermic and isobaric measurements. By using structural data known from x-ray measurements the anisotropy and refractive indices in the vicinity of the S-CS phase transition have been calculated with a minimum of model assumptions. The calculated values are: nsx=1.47. ncsx=1.48. nsz=1.54. ncsz=1.55. and anisotropy γ=nx/nz ≈0.95. It is also shown that ellipsometry is a very sensitive and convenient method of detecting phase transitions. Its value for quantifying the roughness of the monolayer in the close vicinity of phase transitions due to thickness and density fluctuations…

Thermostability of polymeric langmuir-blodgett films