MOLECULAR-ORIENTATION IN SELF-ASSEMBLED FILMS OF COPPER PHTHALOCYANINE TETRASULFONATE AND A CATIONIC SURFACTANT

Ordered catalytic films containing copper phthalocyanine tetrasulfonat e (CuPCTS) and didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB) were studied b y linear dichroism (LD) and reflectance-absorbance infrared spectrosco py (RAIR). Molecular orientations obtained by LD and RAIR showed good agreement. Specific orientations of phthalocyanine and hydrocarbon tai ls differ depending on whether the films are cast from a solution of C uPCTS(DDA)(4) salt, or an aqueous dispersion of DDAB vesicles and (CuP CTS)Na-4. The vesicles give lamellar liquid crystal films featuring st acked bilayers of the double-chain surfactant. The salt films are not liquid crystalline and do not have surfactant molecules organized into bilayers. Molecular organization of CuPCTS(DDA)(4) salt films appears guite different from the vesicle films. Supramolecular structures of the films influence their performance. For example, in electrochemical catalytic dehalogenation, liquid crystal films transported charge mor e efficiently than the salt films.