Air-water interface-induced smectic bilayer

Size, Shape, and Lateral Correlation of Highly Uniform, Mesoscopic, Self-Assembled Domains of Fluorocarbon-Hydrocarbon Diblocks at the Air/Water Interface: A GISAXS Study

The shape and size of self-assembled mesoscopic surface domains of fluorocarbon-hydrocarbon (FnHm) diblocks and the lateral correlation between these domains were quantitatively determined from grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS). The full calculation of structure and form factors unravels the influence of fluorocarbon and hydrocarbon block lengths on the diameter and height of the domains, and provides the inter-domain correlation length. The diameter of the domains, as determined from the form factor analysis, exhibits a monotonic increase in response to the systematic lengthening of each block, which can be attributed to the increase in van der Waals attraction between molecules. The pair correlation function in real space calculated from the structure factor implies that the inter-domain correlation can reach a distance that is over 25 times larger than the domain's size. The full calculation of the GISAXS signals introduced here opens a potential towards the hierarchical design of mesoscale domains of self-assembled small organic molecules, covering several orders of magnitude in space.

Self-assembled mesoscopic surface domains of fluorocarbon–hydrocarbon diblocks can form at zero surface pressure: tilting of solid-like hydrocarbon moieties compensates for cross-section mismatch with fluorocarbon moieties

Surface domains of C₈F₁₇C₁₆H₃₃ exist at zero surface pressure with solid-like alkyl chains stretched in an all-trans configuration, shown using IRRAS.

Evidence for interaction with the water subphase as the origin and stabilization of nano-domain in semi-fluorinated alkanes monolayer at the air/water interface

Multilayer films of semifluorinated alkanes (SFAs) at the air/water interface were studied in situ by grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS). The results provide evidence that the first layer in contact with the water subphase, buried below the overlayers, exhibits the same supramolecular hexagonal structure that is observed in the monolayer before the collapse, at non-zero surface pressure. We believe this result clearly demonstrates the major role of the interactions between the first layer of SFAs and the water subphase to the formation of the structure.

Large organized surface domains self-assembled from nonpolar amphiphiles

For years, researchers had presumed that Langmuir monolayers of small C(n)F(2n+1)C(m)H(2m+1) (FnHm) diblock molecules (such as F8H16) consisted of continuous, featureless films. Recently we have discovered that they instead form ordered arrays of unusually large (~30-60 nm), discrete self-assembled surface domains or hemimicelles both at the surface of water and on solid substrates. These surface micelles differ in several essential ways from all previously reported or predicted molecular surface aggregates. They self-assemble spontaneously, even at zero surface pressure, depending solely on a critical surface concentration. They are very large (~100 times the length of the diblock) and involve thousands of molecules (orders of magnitude more than classical micelles). At the same time, the surface micelles are highly monodisperse and self-organize in close-packed hexagonal patterns (two-dimensional crystals). Their size is essentially independent from pressure, and they do not coalesce and are unexpectedly sturdy for soft matter (persisting even beyond surface film collapse). We and other researchers have observed large surface micelles for numerous diblocks, using Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) transfer, spin-coating and dip-coating techniques, or expulsion from mixed monolayers, and on diverse supports, establishing that hemimicelle formation and ordering are intrinsic properties of (perfluoroalkyl)alkanes. Notably, they involve "incomplete" surfactants with limited amphiphilic character, which further illustrates the outstanding capacity for perfluoroalkyl chains to promote self-assembly and interfacial film structuring. Using X-ray reflectivity, we determined a perfluoroalkyl-chain-up orientation. Theoretical investigations assigned self-assembly and hemimicelle stability to electrostatic dipole-dipole interactions at the interface between Fn- and Hm-sublayers. Grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) data collected directly on the surface of water unambiguously demonstrated the presence of surface micelles in monolayers of diblocks prior to LB transfer for atomic force microscopy imaging. We characterized an almost perfect two-dimensional crystal, with 12 assignable diffraction peaks, which established that self-assembly and regular nanopatterning were not caused by transfer or induced by the solid support. These experiments also provide the first direct identification of surface micelles on water, and the first identification of such large-size domains using GISAXS. Revisiting Langmuir film compression behavior after we realized that it actually was a compression of nanometric objects led to further unanticipated observations. These films could be compressed far beyond the documented film "collapse", eventually leading to the buildup of two superimposed, less-organized bilayers of diblocks on top of the initially formed monolayer of hemimicelles. Remarkably, the latter withstood the final, irreversible collapse of the composite films. "Gemini" tetrablocks, di(FnHm), with two Fn-chains and two Hm-chains, provided two superposed layers of discrete micelles, apparently the first example of thin films made of stacked discrete self-assembled nanoobjects. Decoration of solid surfaces with domains of predetermined size of these small "nonpolar" molecules is straightforward. Initial examples of applications include deposition of metal dots and catalytic oxidation of CO, and nanopatterning of SiO(2) films.

Long-range nanometer-scale organization of semifluorinated alkane monolayers at the air/water interface

We have determined the structure formed at the air-water interface by semifluorinated alkanes (C(8)F(17)C(m)H(2m+1) diblocks, F8Hm for short) for different lengths of the molecule (m = 14, 16, 18, 20) by using surface pressure versus area per molecule isotherms, Brewster angle microscopy (BAM), and grazing incidence x-ray experiments (GISAXS and GIXD). The behavior of the monolayers of diblocks under compression is mainly characterized by a phase transition from a low-density phase to a condensed phase. The nonzero surface pressure phase is crystalline and exhibits two hexagonal lattices at two different scales: a long-range-order lattice of a few tens of nanometers lateral parameter and a molecular array of about 0.6 nm parameter. The extent of this organization is sufficiently large to impact larger scale behavior. Analysis of the various compressibilities evidences the presence of non organized molecules in the monolayer for all 2D pressures. At room temperature, the self-assembled structure appears generic for all the F8Hm investigated.

Experimental validation of the Helmoltz equation for the surface potential of Langmuir monolayers

We show in this paper that monolayers of the nonhydrophilic F8H18 semifluorinated n -alkane constitute when spread on the hydrophobic top of an alamethicin Langmuir monolayer, a very good experimental system in order to check the validity of Helmoltz equation. This system allows for a good agreement between measured and calculated surface potentials of unionized Langmuir monolayers. We show also that the relative dielectric constant of the F8H18 monolayer does not vary upon compression of the monolayer, the measured 2.9 value is in a very good agreement with literature data. We attribute this behavior to the self-aggregation of F8H18 molecules in nanosized circular domains whose size remains constant upon compression as shown by atomic force microscopy.

Semifluorinated alkanes--primitive surfactants of fascinating properties

Semifluorinated alkanes (SFAs) are diblock molecules, in which two mutually immiscible moieties, namely the hydrocarbon segment and the perfluorinated segment are bound covalently. The presence of two opposing segments within one molecule makes semifluorinated alkanes a very interesting class of compounds, which show a particular behavior both in bulk and at interfaces. Their highly asymmetric structure, arising from the incompatibility of the both constituent parts, results in surface activity of these molecules (so-called primitive surfactants) when dissolved in organic solvents, and allows for the Langmuir monolayer formation if spread at the air/water interface, despite of the absence of any polar group. Since 1984 (when SFAs have been characterized for the first time by Rabolt et al. [Rabolt JF, Russell TP, Twieg RJ. Macromolecules 1984;17:2786]), semifluorinated alkanes have been subjected to many studies. The present article reviews the results obtained so far and covers the aspects of their synthesis, properties in bulk (solutions and solid state) and applications. Special emphasis is put on the Langmuir monolayer properties and self-organization of SFAs on solid substrates.

Structural and electric properties of two semifluorinated alkane monolayers compressed on top of a controlled hydrophobic monolayer substrate

We investigate the dynamic behavior upon lateral compression of two mixed films made with one of the two semifluorinated alkanes F(CF2)8(CH2)18H and F(CF2)10(CH2)10H and the natural alpha-helix alamethicin peptide. Surface pressure, surface potential versus molecular area isotherms, and grazing-incidence x-ray diffraction were applied to characterize this system. We show that both mixed films demix vertically to form two asymmetric flat bilayers where the lower layer is made of alamethicin and the upper layer is made of semifluorinated molecules. The structure matching of the semifluorinated alkanes (where the hydrophilic group is missing) with a suitable organization of the underlying alamethicin monolayer allows for a continuous compression of the upper semifluorinated layers while the density of the lower alamethicin monolayer remains constant. Comparing data of the two studied mixed films enables us to evaluate the effect of chain length on the in-plane organization of the molecules and on the electric properties of the upper layers.

Experimental evidence for a surface concentration-dependent mechanism of formation of hemimicelles in Langmuir monolayers of semi-fluorinated alkanes

We show that formation of surface hemimicelles by a series of molecular semi-fluorinated alkanes CFCH (F8Hm diblocks; = 14, 16, 18, 20) in Langmuir-Blodgett monolayers is not promoted by surface pressure, but depends on the surface area available before transfer, hence on a critical surface concentration. Evidence is provided for the presence of isolated micelles at zero surface pressure (very large molecular area) for certain FnHm diblocks. It is the molecular structure of the diblock that essentially determines the morphology of the hemimicelles, independently of compression conditions.

Theory of surface micelles of semifluorinated alkanes

Surface structures of semifluorinated alkanes F(CF(2))(n)(CH(2))(m)H (referred to as FnHm) spread on the air/water interface are investigated theoretically. The study is focused on the disklike surface micelles that were recently identified by AFM and scattering techniques at sufficiently high surface concentrations. We show that (1) the micelles emerge as a result of liquid/liquid (rather than liquid/gas) phase separation in the Langmuir layer; (2) the micelles are islands of the higher-density phase with roughly vertical orientation of FnHm molecules (F-parts extend toward air, H-parts toward water) and the matrix is the lower density-phase where the FnHm diblocks are nearly parallel to the water surface; (3) the micelles and the hexagonal structure they form are stabilized by the electrostatic interactions which are mainly due to the vertical dipole moments of the CF(2)- CH(2) bonds in the vertical phase; and (4) the electrostatic repulsive interactions can serve to suppress the micelle size polydispersity.

Semifluorinated alcohols in Langmuir monolayers—A comparative study

A series of semifluorinated alcohols differing in the proportion of the perfluorinated to hydrogenated chains length was synthesized and investigated in Langmuir monolayers using surface pressure and surface potential measurements. All the investigated semifluorinated alcohols were found to be capable of stable floating monolayer formation. The stability of monolayers was found to be higher upon increasing the length of the perfluorinated segment. A lower stability of the monolayers from alcohols having shorter perfluorinated fragment was attributed to the aggregation process, which was visualized with Brewster angle microscopy (BAM). Most condensed monolayers were formed by compounds with longer perfluorinated moiety, whereas monolayers composed by molecules with an iso-branched perfluorinated segment were found to be more expanded. The change of electric surface potential was negative along the whole compression. The maximum absolute values of DeltaV varies, depending on the number of CF(2) groups, from ca. -400 mV for F6H10OH to ca. -700 mV for F10H10OH. The dipole moments of free molecules were calculated with Hyperchem, and the obtained values were approximately the same (within the experimental error), i.e., 2.8D for all the investigated molecules, independently on the perfluorinated fragment length. The dipole moment vector was found to be virtually aligned to the main molecular axis for the studied compounds. Therefore, the observed differences in the measured values of DeltaV can result from a different dielectric permittivity of a particular monolayer.

Structural Investigation of Langmuir and Langmuir−Blodgett Monolayers of Semifluorinated Alkanes

The behavior of a semi-fluorinated alkane (C(10)F(21)C(19)H(39)) has been studied at the air-water interface by using surface pressure and surface potential-area isotherms as well as infrared spectroscopy for the Langmuir-Blodgett films. In addition, based on the quantum chemical PM3 semiempirical approach, the dimer structure was investigated, and the double helix was found to be the most stable conformation of the dimer. The obtained results allow us to imply that the phase transition observed in the course of the surface pressure/area isotherm is due to a conformational change originating from the double helix to a vertical, single helix configuration.

Self-assembly of (perfluoroalkyl)alkanes on a substrate surface from solutions in supercritical carbon dioxide

Toroidal self-assembled structures of perfluorododecylnonadecane and perfluorotetradecyloctadecane have been deposited on mica and highly oriented pyrolytic graphite surfaces by exposure of the substrates to solutions of the (pefluoroalkyl)alkanes in supercritical carbon dioxide. Scanning force microscopy (SFM) images have displayed a high degree of regularity of these self-assembled nanoobjects regarding size, shape, and packing in a monolayer. Analysis of SFM images allowed us to estimate that each toroidal domain has an outer diameter of about 50 nm and consists of several thousands of molecules. We propose a simple model explaining the clustering of the molecules to objects with a finite size. The model based on the close-packing principles predicts formation of toroids, whose size is determined by the molecular geometry. Here, we consider the amphiphilic nature of the (perfluoroalkyl)alkane molecules in combination with incommensurable packing parameters of the alkyl- and the perfluoralkyl-segments to be a key factor for such a self-assembly.

Occurrence, Shape, and Dimensions of Large Surface Hemimicelles Made of Semifluorinated Alkanes. Elongated versus Circular Hemimicelles. Pit- and Tip-Centered Hemimicelles

The formation of large (approximately 20-35 nm) surface hemimicelles in monolayers of semifluorinated alkanes, C(n)F(2)(n)(+1)C(m)H(2)(m)(+1) (FnHm), observed after transfer onto silicon wafers, is a general phenomenon. F6H16 and F8H14 exclusively form highly monodisperse circular hemimicelles, organized in a hexagonal array. The other FnHm investigated form both circular and elongated hemimicelles. The longer FnHm is, the larger the area fraction of elongated micelles; both the hydrocarbon block (H-block) and the fluorocarbon block (F-block) affect this area fraction. The length of the elongated micelles increases with the total length of the diblocks. The diameter of the circular micelles increases with the length of the H-block but, unexpectedly, not with that of the F-block. Model calculations account for these observations. Close examination of the circular micelles showed that they generally present a pit or a tip at their center. The width of the elongated micelles is comparable to the radius of the circular micelles, suggesting that the latter arise from a partition of elongated micelles, followed by coalescence of the edges of the resulting fragments. The elongated micelles become shorter and fewer when surface pressure increases, further suggesting a conversion of elongated into circular micelles. This conversion is reversible. The surface pressure-molecular area isotherms do not present any feature that forebears the existence of hemimicelles. The obtaining of stable surface patterns from simple, "nonpolar" molecular fluorocarbon/hydrocarbon diblocks opens a new approach for producing featured nanostructures from organic templates.

Assembling and compressing a semifluorinated alkane monolayer on a hydrophobic surface: structural and dielectric properties

We investigate the dynamic behavior upon lateral compression of a semifluorinated alkane F (CF2)8(CH2)18H (denoted F8H18), spread on the hydrophobic top of a suitable amphiphilic monolayer: namely, a natural alpha-helix alamethicin peptide (alam). We show, in particular, the formation of an asymmetric flat bilayer by compressing at the air-water interface a mixed Langmuir film made of F8H18 and alam. The particular chemical structure of F8H18 , the suitable structure of the underlying alam monolayer and its collapse properties, allow for a continuous compression of the upper F8H18 monolayer while the density of the lower alam monolayer remains constant. Combining grazing incidence x-ray reflectivity, surface potential, and atomic force microscopy data allow for the determination of the orientation and dielectric constant of the upper F8H18 monolayer.

Semifluorinated chains in 2D-(perfluorododecyl)-alkanes at the air/water interface

Langmuir monolayers of a homologous series of perfluorododecyl-n-alkanes (general formula F(CF2)12(CH2)nH, abbreviated as F12Hn, where n = 6-20) are investigated through isotherms of surface pressure (pi) and electric surface potential (DeltaV) versus area (A) and quantitative Brewster angle microscopy. The investigated monolayers are found to be liquid in nature. The negative sign of the measured surface potential evidences the orientation of all the investigated molecules with their perfluorinated parts directed toward the air regardless of the length of the hydrogenated unit. Analysis of the direction of the molecular dipole moment with respect to the main axis indicates that the minimum effective dipole moment is achieved for a molecule oriented at an angle of about 35 degrees to the surface normal. The film thickness was evaluated from the relative intensity measurements. The results suggest that the F12Hn molecules are tilted to the interface in the vicinity of collapse, which is in accordance with the liquid character of their monolayers.

Lateral and vertical nanophase separation in Langmuir-Blodgett films of phospholipids and semifluorinated alkanes

It has recently been found that monodisperse surface micelles (hemimicelles) were formed in Langmuir monolayers of the semifluorinated alkane C8F17C16H33 (F8H16) after transfer onto silicon wafers. Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction studies have demonstrated that compression of mixed Langmuir monolayers made from combinations of dipalmitoyl phosphatidylethanolamine (DPPE) and diblock F8H16 in various molar ratios resulted in the complete expulsion of the diblock molecule at high surface pressure. F8H16 then formed a second layer on top of a DPPE-only monolayer, demonstrating a novel type of reversible, pressure-induced, vertical phase separation. Using atomic force microscopy and X-ray reflectivity, we show now that mixed DPPE/F8H16 (1:1.3) Langmuir-Blodgett films transferred onto silicon wafers below 10 mN m(-1) are laterally phase separated and consist of domains of F8H16 surface micelles in coexistence with a monolayer of DPPE. The density of the network of F8H16 surface micelles increases when the surface pressure of transfer increases. Around 10 mN m(-1), the F8H16 surface micelles start to glide on the DPPE monolayer, progressively overlying it, until total coverage is achieved.

Experimental evidence for an original two-dimensional phase structure: an antiparallel semifluorinated monolayer at the air-water interface

We show the spontaneous formation of an antiparallel monolayer of diblock semifluorinated n-alkane molecules spread at the air-water interface. We used simultaneous measurements of surface pressure and surface potential versus molecular area and performed grazing x-ray reflectivity experiments to characterize the studied monolayer, which is obtained at almost zero surface pressure and precedes the formation of a bilayer at higher surface pressure. Its thickness, equal to 2.7 nm, was found to be independent of the molecular area. This behavior may be explained by van der Waals and electrostatic interactions.