SELF-ASSEMBLY AT THE AIR-WATER-INTERFACE - IN-SITU PREPARATION OF THIN-FILMS OF METAL-ION GRID ARCHITECTURES

Oriented crystalline films, similar to 11 -20 Angstrom, thick, of meta l ion complexes of the grid type [Co4L4](8+).8PF(6)(-) and [Ag9L6](9+) .9CF(3)SO(3)(-), based on various ligands L, were prepared in-situ at the air-aqueous solution interface by the interaction of the free liga nd molecules spread onto aqueous solutions containing Co2+ or Ag+ ions . The structure of the complex architectures composed of a 2 x 2 Co2grid coordinated to four ligand molecules and a 3 x 3 Ag+ grid coordin ated to six ligand molecules as well as their molecular organization i n thin films were characterized by grazing incidence synchrotron X-ray diffraction (GIXD) and specular X-ray reflectivity (XR) measurements performed at the air-aqueous solution interface and by UV, X-ray photo electron spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning force microscopy (SFM) after film transfer onto various solid supports. The results open perspecti ves toward an implementation of the air-water interface for the self-a ssembly and subsequent deposition of organized arrays of complex inorg anic architectures onto solid support.