Photolysis of Langmuir-Blodgett films containing lead, silver, and copper behenates

The kinetics of the UV photolysis of Langmuir-Blodgett films containing lea d, silver, and copper behenates was studied by IR spectroscopy and ellipsom etry. The kinetic curves of the topochemical reactions show a sigmoidal sha pe corresponding to a fast nucleation, with the rate constants of the photo lysis of Pb, Ag, and Cu behenates being 9.3 x 10(-6), 1.7 x 10(-6), and 6.6 x 10(-7) s(-2), respectively. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and spectro scopic ellipsometry show the formation of metallic lead and silver. Atomic absorption spectrometry was used to analyze the chemical composition of ini tial layers of lead and copper behenates. The ellipsometric data obtained s uggest that the clusters formed in the films exhibit a multilayer arrangeme nt.