Langmuir-Blodgett films containing carotenoid dye. I. Preparation and characterization of ethyl β-apo-8-carotenoate/cadmium stearate LB films

This article describes the preparation and characterization of ethyl β-apo-8-carotenoate dye/cadmium stearate mixed Langmuir-Blodgett films. The Wilhelmy plate method. FTIR spectroscopy, and contact angle measurements were the principal techniques utilized. Incorporation of cadmium stearate was observed to be critically important to the formation of ethyl β-apo-8-carotenoate/cadmium stearate mixed monolayers in the highly condensed and easily transferable states. Surface pressure (P)-area (A) isotherm measurements on the mixed monolayers with varying compositions, showed that highly condensed monolayers can be formed at the air/water interface from mixtures containing as much as 20 mol % of the carotenoid dye. The mixed monolayers were successfully transferred onto the solid substrates as "Y-type" film by the vertical lifting method.