Aggregation properties of tetrachloroperylene-tetracarboxylic acid in binary Langmuir and Langmuir–Blodgett films

The Langmuir and Langmuir–Blodgett films formed of tetra-n-butyl-1,6,7,12-tetrachloroperylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylate and its binary mixtures with 4-octyl-4′-cyanobiphenyl and arachidic acid have been studied. The Langmuir films were characterized by surface pressure versus mean molecular area isotherms and the films morphology observations were made by means of a Brewster angle microscope. The miscibility of the compounds was determined. Subsequently, the Langmuir films were transferred onto hydrophilic quartz substrates forming the monolayer Langmuir–Blodgett films. The electronic absorption and fluorescence spectra reveal aggregation of the chromophores in ground state driven by π–π molecular orbitals interactions. Perylene-like dye aggregation depends upon the dye concentration in the dye/liquid crystal mixed films and is concentration-independent in dye/arachidic acid one.