MESOGENIC STRUCTURAL EFFECTS ON MONOLAYER BEHAVIORS OF THE LIQUID-CRYSTALLINE POLYSILOXANES AT THE AIR WATER INTERFACE/

The monolayer behavior of three newly synthesized side-chain liquid cr ystalline polysiloxanes and corresponding monomers have been investiga ted at the air/water interface. The surface pressure-area isotherms an d Brewster angle microscopy (BAM) were used to study the influence by different mesogenic units in the side chains. The results indicate tha t difference in mesogenic unit structure, such as linkage bond and mes ogen length, have marked effects on the liquid crystallinity and self- aggregation tendency of the molecular chains which determine the prope rties of the monolayers. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights res erved.