Capillary wave propagation on water covered with polyamic acid monolayer films

Externally generated capillary wave propagation has been studied on water covered with poly(amic acid) alkylammonium salts. In addition, fluorescence microscope observation was performed with a poly(amic acid) containing a fluorophore dye. The octadecylammonium salt of this polymer exhibits condensed liquid/gas coexistence films when the pressure is very low (pressure Π ≃ 0), where the liquid phase is highly viscoelastic. Such domain structures were not found in the hexadecylammonium salts of other polymers. However, all films used here can be compressed homogeneously and isotropically at higher pressures, independent of the chain length of alkyl amines. These observations suggest that the mechanical character in the highly condensed state is determined mainly by the flexibility of polymer chains, while the degree of condensation in the dilute state is more influenced by the alkyl amines.