Computer-assisted video microscopy for the investigation of monolayers on liquid and solid substrates

Abstract

Fluorescence microscopy is a sensitive and nondestructive optical method to directly study the properties of monolayers at the gas/water interface and to control their transfer on solid substrates. The method requires only small amounts ( < 1 mol % ) of fluorescent probe molecules for optical detection. In this article, an integrated system for optical investigations on mono-and multilayer structures is described. The experimental equipment consists of a monolayer trough, a deposition unit to built-up ordered layers and a fluorescence microscopic attachment. The modular construction allows the use of any desired trough design for the monolayer investigations. The system comprises video-assisted microscopy to observe and analyze dynamic nucleation processes taking place during phase transitions on liquid and soEd substrates. Using the spatial two-dimensional digital image signal, kinetic studies can be performed.

On the degradation of conducting Langmuir-Blodgett films

“…By fitting Equation 3 to the experimental data of Thus it is also possible to follow this other kind of degradation through a.c. measurements. Furthermore, the values are in good agreement with those related to fluorescence investigations on LB films [26][27][28][29], which enable domains having sizes in the range of 10-100 gm to be seen.…”

Mixing of Saturated and Unsaturated Phosphatidylcholines and Phosphatidylglycerols in Monolayers at the Air/Water Interface

“…The fluorescence microscope was constructed from a commercially available microscope (Micromaster, Model E, Fisher Scientific) and is similar in design to those constructed previously (22)(23)(24)(25)(26). The monolayer mixture, which contained 1 mol% NBD-PC, was spread and allowed to equilibrate.…”

Microstructure and lateral diffusion in monolayers of polymerizable amphiphiles

“…In an extended study concerning the nature of the topochemical polymerisation of diacetylene monolayers, we investigated the spectroscopic properties in single domains at the air/water-interface of compounds3 [25,26]. It can be observed from these measurements, that the isothermal phase transition interval is accompanied by the formation of different types of crystalline domain morphologies.…”