SELF-ORGANIZATION OF DISCRETE MULTILAYERS FROM HEXACYCLOLINEAR POLYSILOXANES WITH METHYL SIDE SUBSTITUENTS

The behavior of monomolecular films of a series of mesomorphous hexacy clolinear polysiloxanes with methyl side substituents was investigated by measuring the dependence of surface pressure on the reduced area p er monomer unit of polymer. The effect of molecular mass, temperature, various rate regimes of film deformation, and chain flexibility on th e pattern of surface pressure isotherms was studied. All the polymers studied were shown to be capable of forming monomolecular films, Firms of cyclolinear siloxanes differ from those of polydimethylsiloxane ma inly by the multistep pattern of the surface pressure isotherms. Each step corresponds to the formation of new discrete self-organized monol ayer lying on the preceding layer, Up to seven layers stacked onto eac h other were obtained, The mechanism of the examined phenomenon was di scussed.