SURFACE PRESSURE-INDUCED LAYER GROWTH OF A MONOLAYER AT THE AIR-WATER-INTERFACE

Spread monolayers containing a nematic liquid crystal and stearic acid were characterized at various mole fractions by determination of surf ace pressure-area isotherms at the air-water interface. The surface-co mposition phase diagrams indicate that compression induces a new phase transition in the films, which changes from a mixed monolayer to a su permonomolecular system. X-ray diffraction and optical absorption spec tra demonstrate that the supermolecular array consists of an island li quid crystal monolayer and a uniform stearic acid monolayer.