A novel self-assembly technique for the growth of insoluble and intrac
table thin organic films is presently reported. Bifunctional 8,8'-dihy
droxy-5,5'-biquinoline (bisquinoline) is reactively self-assembled wit
h diethyl zinc to form a linear coordination polymer. FTIR, UV/VIS spe
ctroscopy, profilometry, and photoluminescence measurements were used
to characterize these new multilayer films. The growth of these films
on glass substrates was monitored by increasing absorbance at 396.6 nm
using UV/VIS spectroscopy and by profilometry. FTIR spectroscopy indi
cated that the self-assembled films are polymeric in nature. The reduc
tion of end-group hydroxyls and a significant red-shift of the photolu
minescence emission spectrum with respect to zinc bisquinoline powder
was attributed to an increase in conjugation length.