POLYMER LANGMUIR-BLODGETT-FILM OF ORGANIC-INORGANIC (FE2O3) COMPOSITEMICROGEL

Methylacrylic acid was used as a surfactant to prepare Fe2O3 organosol by the microemulsion method in a system of water-toluene. Then diviny lbehzene was added into the organosol as cross-linking agent together with azo-iso-butyl nitrile as the initiator. An organic-inorganic comp osite microgel was obtained after reacting under supersonic stirring. This composite microgel showed very good amphiphilic properties. It co uld be transferred onto Si, CaF2 and quartz substrates from a pure wat er interface using the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique. IR and UV-vis ible spectra of the composite microgel have shown the presence of some residual vinyl groups; this means that the microgel could be further polymerized. The stability of these polymer LB films can be improved b y further polymerization. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was u sed to detect the quality of the monolayer fabricated with this compos ite microgel. Using TEM together with the small-angle X-ray scattering method we obtained a particle size in the range 19-27 angstrom. The s tructure of the ferric oxide in the composite microgel was identified to be alpha-Fe2O3 from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and electron d iffraction data.