Free-Standing Langmuir-Blodgett Films of Maleic Acid-Vinyl Ether Copolymers across 1 μm Pores

A coverage of about 1 μm-sized pores of a membrane filter by four monolayers of maleic acids copolymers and poly(allylamine) (PAA) was attained by Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique through a covalent cross-linking followed a polyion complexation at the air-water interface. The copolymers were prepared to have side chains of hydrocarbon tail, carboxyl, and/or oligoether in the repeat unit. The surface pressure-area isotherms showed that the monolayers on an aqueous PAA have more expanded area than on pure water. The monolayers were transferable on a calcium fluoride substrate and a fluorocarbon membrane filter as Y deposition type, and the resulting LB films were characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. A polymer network produced through interchain amide formation was confirmed in as-deposited films. The films were heat-treated in order to complete the cross-linking. SEM observation of the heat-treated film on a porous membrane filter showed that the four layer film was sufficiently stable to cover the filter pore of about 1 μm. Immersion of the film in water or in chloroform did not cause any change in its appearance on SEM and in FT-IR spectra.