STRUCTURAL AND OPTICAL-PROPERTIES OF LANGMUIR-BLODGETT-FILMS OF A SCHIFF-BASE COORDINATION POLYMER - A MATERIAL FOR HYDROCARBON VAPOR SENSING

The behavior of 5,5'-methylenebis(N-hexadecylsalicylideneamine) at the air/water interface has been investigated using Brewster angle micros copy and surface pressure versus area measurements. Langmuir- blodgett (LB) films have been built up on a variety of substrates. The additio n of copper acetate to the subphase causes a change in both the physic al and optical properties of the LB layers. Film thickness data sugges t that a true monolayer (thickness similar to 2 nm) is formed only und er these conditions. The multilayer films have been studied using X-ra y diffraction, UV/visible spectroscopy, ellipsometry and surface plasm on resonance. films have also been exposed to low benzene concentratio ns (300 vapor parts per million) and changes in their optical properti es recorded using surface plasmon resonance.