FLUORESCENCE MICROSCOPY OBSERVATIONS OF DOMAIN-STRUCTURES IN LANGMUIRMONOLAYERS OF N-STEAROYLSERINE METHYL-ESTER AND N-STEAROYLVALINE AT INTERMEDIATE ENANTIOMERIC COMPOSITIONS

Langmuir monolayers of N-stearoylvaline and N-stearoylserine methyl es ter were studied at compositions intermediate between the racemic and the purely enantiomeric using surface pressure isotherm measurements a nd fluorescence microscopy observations. The transition pressure was f ound to vary smoothly with composition for both compounds. Curved dend ritic forms were observed at intermediate compositions, indicating an anisotropy in the line tension. A novel crossover from dendritic to cu rved domain morphology at slower domain growth rate is reported for th e films of enantiomeric N-stearoylserine methyl ester.