Polymerizabilities of amphiphilic monomers with controlled arrangements in Langmuir-Blodgett films

Polymerization of amphiphilic monomer Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films, such as long-chain derivatives of -amino acids and diynoic, trienoic and acrylic acids, was studied. Multilayers of these monomers were prepared on CaF₂ or quartz plates by the LB method under various conditions, and polymerization processes were followed by IR and UV spectroscopy. The polycondensation of dioctadecyl-- glutamate proceeded easily in LB films at ordinary temperatures below the melting point without any initiation. All-trans- and 9-cis-9,11,13-octadecatrienoic acids polymerized very rapidly in LB films on UV irradiation. Photopolymerization in LB films of 10,12-tricosadiynoic acid was influenced by the deposition modes and annealing, and that of octadecyl acrylate was accelerated by the addition of the long- chain vinyl ether. In any case, polymerization reactions are markedly enhanced by a well-controlled arrangement of the monomer molecules in the LB films.