Langmuir Films of Poly-ʟ-lactic Acid – Their Nucleation and Growth
Keywords:
poly-ʟ-lactic acid, Langmuir films, nucleation, crystallization, monolayer collapseAbstract
In the first part of this paper, theoretical foundations of the Langmuir film balance measurement are described, with a focus on poly-ʟ-lactic acid monolayer (PLLA). Special attention is paid on the processes of nucleation and growth connected with the collapse of metastable monolayer. The second part deals with the use of crystallization theories for bulk polymeric materials, as an analogy of the description of processes of nucleation and growth in PLLA Langmuir film. The Vollhardt model for the theoretical prediction of growth and nucleation in Langmuir film is also discussed.