Stable Langmuir-Blodgett film deposition of polyaniline and arachidic acid

An experimental study was carried out to examine the stable Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) film deposition of mixtures of polyaniline (PA) and arachidic acid (AA) at different concentration ratios, with the aim of developing a systematic methodology for the production of quality PA/AA film at the highest deposition speed. The quality of LB film was examined before, during and after the film deposition process. Images of the PA/AA composite materials at air-liquid interface, based on the Brewster angle microscopy, revealed that a 50/50 concentration ratio of PA/AA composite layer produced the best LB film structure. The feasibility of LB film deposition was determined from dynamic contact angles which were measured by a flow visualization technique. The quality of the deposited film was judged by the transfer ratio and the atomic force microscopy images. The effect of pH was also examined, and it was found that the LB film deposition for the PA/AA system could only be carried out in a narrow range of pH. It was found that the deposited LB film of the PA/AA system had a high transfer ratio and improved surface roughness at the deposition speed 30 mm/min. This deposition speed is much higher than those previously reported. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.