Dp. Parazak et al., FLUORESCENCE MICROSCOPY STUDY OF CHIRAL DISCRIMINATION IN LANGMUIR MONOLAYERS OF N-ACYLVALINE AND N-ACYLALANINE AMPHIPHILES, Langmuir, 10(10), 1994, pp. 3787-3793
Monolayers of L- and of racemic N-palmitoylvaline, N-stearoylvaline, a
nd N-palmitoylalanine have been investigated using fluorescence micros
copy and surface pressure isotherm measurements. The condensed phase d
omains formed from the racemic films of the valine derivatives exhibit
ed large arms curved clockwise or counterclockwise with equal probabil
ity. Very rapid compression resulted in the formation of globular doma
ins in the racemic films of the valine derivatives. In contrast, the c
ondensed phase domains formed from the racemic films of the alanine de
rivative were irregular and branched, indicating a sensitivity to the
head-group size. The monolayers of the pure L enantiomers of all these
compounds exhibited dendritic growth of the condensed phase.