TEMPERATURE-INDEPENDENT CONDUCTIVITY OF LANGMUIR-BLODGETT-FILMS OF A HELICAL POLYMER AND ITS SALT COMPLEX

A helical polyether-lithium perfluorophenate complex bearing alkyl sid e-chains has been shown to form well-organised Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) assemblies. Y-type deposited LB films of the preformed complex (1:1) e xhibit a conductivity (normal to the plane) similar to 2 orders of mag nitude higher than that of the bulk at 20 degrees C and similar to 9 o rders of magnitude greater than the pure uncomplexed polymer LB film. Infrared spectroscopy has confirmed the presence of the salt in these deposited films. These results demonstrate that this preformed polymer complex does not lose its salt component to the aqueous subphase as a Langmuir film. The ionic conductivity of the polymer complex LB film is temperature independent over the region 20-90 degrees C, above whic h partial disruption to the film occurs with a lowering of the conduct ivity. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.