J. Majewski et al., ELECTRON-DIFFRACTION AND IMAGING OF UNCOMPRESSED MONOLAYERS OF AMPHIPHILIC MOLECULES ON VITREOUS AND HEXAGONAL ICE, Science, 261(5123), 1993, pp. 899-902
A new approach is described for probing domains of ordered self-assemb
lies of amphiphilic monolayers at the aqueous solution interface. The
method has potential importance for the study of membrane structure, L
angmuir-Blodgett films, and nucleation processes of two- and three-dim
ensional crystals. Electron diffraction (ED) patterns indicative of tw
o-dimensional crystalline self-assembly were obtained from samples, wh
ich were examined by cryo-electron microscopy, of monolayers of water-
insoluble amphiphiles on vitrified aqueous substrates. The apparent he
xagonal symmetry of an ED pattern from a C16H33OH monolayer was interp
reted in terms of multiple twinning. Monolayers of the C31H63OH and ca
dmium salt of C19H39CO2H that were studied by dark-field techniques di
splayed faceted two-dimensional crystallites with a maximal size of 1
to 2 micrometers. Epitaxial nucleation of hexagonal ice by the C31H63O
H monolayer has also been demonstrated by ED.