Self-assembly of the perfluoroalkyl-alkane F14H20 in ultrathin films.

Scanning force microscopy on monomolecular films of eicosylperfluorotetradecane, F(CF(2))(14)(CH(2))(20)H, on mica, silicon oxide, or water revealed spontaneous organization to well-defined nanoscopic ribbon and spiral or toroidal superstructures. Whether ribbons or nanospirals were formed depended on the solvent from which the molecular monofilm was cast. Ribbons were observed when a hydrocarbon or a perfluorocarbon solvent was used, e.

Disorder by random crosslinking in smectic elastomers.

We present a high-resolution x-ray study of the effects of disorder due to random crosslinking on the one-dimensional translational ordering in smectic elastomers. At a small crosslink density of about 5%, the elastomer network stabilizes the smectic structure against layer-displacement fluctuations, and the algebraically decaying layer ordering extends up to several micrometers. With increasing concentration of crosslinks, the finite size of these domains is strongly reduced, indicating that disordering takes over.