A comprehensive study is reported of Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films (spread at the air/water interface using the Langmuir balance technique) composed of surface active, nonionic, and OH-free amphiphilic siloxane phosphonate ester macromolecules. Analysis is made on three molecular structures in the form of linear polymer poly(diethylphosphono-benzyl-alphabeta-ethyl methylsiloxane) (PPEMS), cyclic oligomer methylphosphonobenzyl-alphabeta-ethyl cyclosiloxane (MPECS), and copolymer poly(PEMS-co-DMS). The surface pressure-surface area (pi -A) isotherms of homopolymer at 3-40 degrees C show a clear temperature-induced phase transition (plateaus at pit approximately 17-19 mN/m) below 10 degrees C. The magnitude of the transition substantially increases upon lowering the temperature (partial differential DeltaAt/ partial differential T approximately -0.1 nm2 unit(-1) deg(-1) and partial differential pi t / partial differential T approximately -0.25 mN m(-1) deg(-1)). The positive entropy and enthalpy gain infers that strong coupling with the subphase and excess hydration attributed to hydrogen bonding between the P=O bond and the subphase prevails at low temperatures. The cyclic oligomer MPECS forms a condensed monolayer at the air/water interface that does not display a similar transition in the experimental temperature range. The temperature sensitivity of MPECS film is observed only in the collapsed region. The nature of the interaction with the subphase is similar for MPECS and PPEMS, indicating that the size and thermal mobility are the controlling factors in these processes. The elasticity plot reveals two distinct states (above and below transition). This observation is supported by BAM images that show irregular spiral structures below 10 degrees C. The transition occurring in the copolymer at 20 degrees C is due to relaxation of the PDMS component. The two maxima shown in the elasticity plot indicate additive fractions of PPEMS and PDMS. The surface areas of these macromolecules in the relaxed (1.48 nm2/unit) and packed (0.45 nm2/unit) forms obtained by PM3 modeling agree well with the experimental data and seem to indicate that the siloxane chain is being lifted off the subphase by the hydrophobic phenylic part of the molecule.

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