An Introduction to Ultrathin Organic Films

Book excerpt: The development of oriented organic monomolecular layers by the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) and self-assembly (SA) techniques has led researchers toward their goal of assembling individual molecules into highly ordered architectures. Thus the continually growing contribution of LB and SA systems to the chemistry and physics of thin organic films is widely recognized. Equally well-known is the difficulty in keeping up to date with the burgeoning multidisciplinary research in this area. Dr. Ulman provides a massive survey of the available literature. The book begins with a section on analytical tools to broaden the understanding of the structure and properties of monolayers and films. Following sections discuss LB films, the preparation and properties of SA monolayers and films, the modeling of LB and SA monolayers, and the application of LB and SA films.