SCANNING FORCE MICROSCOPY INVESTIGATION OF AMPHIPHILIC CYCLODEXTRIN LANGMUIR-BLODGETT-FILMS

The structures of alpha, beta and gamma per-azido cyclodextrin Langmui r-Blodgett films were compared using scanning force microscopy. At the micrometre scale, the crystalline nature of the beta derivative films is clearly observed, whereas alpha and gamma derivative films are mor e continuous. At the molecular scale, the hexagonal arrangement of the beta derivative films is easily imaged, whereas alpha derivative film s are imaged with difficulty, and the images obtained with gamma deriv ative films have poor quality. At an intermediate scale, hexagonal sup erstructures can be observed with the beta derivative.