The absolute orientations of the amphiphilic molecules α-hydroxy ω-bromo alcohols BrC_nH_2n OH, n= 21, 22, and the alkyl hydroxy esters C_mH_2m+1COO(CH₂)_nOH, m = 14, 15, n = 10, in crystalline monolayer forms on water have been determined, the former by grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXD) and the latter by sum frequency generation (SFG). The assignment was made for the alkyl hydroxy esters by establishing the polar angle between the terminal CH₃-C bond and the normal to the plane of the monolayer; for the bromo alcohols the assignment was made by a determination of the two-dimensional crystal structure via X-ray structure factor calculations. The SFG results are in agreement with reported GIXD and lattice energy analyses of the alkyl hydroxy esters m = 19, n = 9, 10. These studies have further revealed the absolute orientation of the alcohol C-OH bonds at the water surface, which in turn can be correlated with the ice-nucleating behavior of the monolayers on supercooled water drops in terms of the odd and even values of n.

The formation of Langmuir monolayers at the air water interface has long been believed to be limited to amphiphilic molecules containing a hydrophobic chain and a hydrophilic headgroup. Here we report the formation of crystalline mono- and multilayer self-assemblies of oligothiophenes, a class of aromatic nonamphiphilic molecules, self-aggregated at the air water interface. As model systems we have examined the de position of quaterthiophene (S₄), quinquethiophene (S₅), and sexithiophene (S₆) from chloroform solutions on tile water surface. The structures of the films were determined by surface pressure area isotherms, by scanning force microscopy (SFM after transfer of the films onto atomically smooth mica, by cryo-transmission electron microscopy (Cryo-TEM) on vitreous ice, and by grazing incidence synchrotron X-ray diffraction (GII) directly on the water surface. S₄ forms two polymorphic crystalline multilayers. In polymorph χ, of structure very similar to that of the three-dimensional solid, the molecules are aligned with their long molecular axis tilted by about 23 from the normal to the water surface. In polymorph β the long molecular axis is perpendicular to the water surface. S⁵ self-aggregates at tile water surface to form mixtures of monolayers and bilayers of the β polymorph: S₆, forms primarily crystalline monolayers of both χ and β forms. The crystalline assemblies preserve their integrity during transfer from the water surface onto solid supports. The relevance of the present results for the understanding of the early stages of crystal nucleation is presented.

Thin interdigitated films composed of a long-chain, water-insoluble chiral acid (p-pentadecylmandelic acid of absolute configuration R) and a water-soluble chiral base (phenylethylamine, R') were constructed at the air- solution interface. The (R, R') structure was characterized to near-atomic resolution by grazing-incidence x-ray diffraction (GIXD). The two diastereomeric systems, (R, R') and (R, S'), demonstrate similar surface pressure-molecular area isotherms, but their structures are completely different on the molecular level, as monitored by GIXD. Complementary data on these two architectures were provided by atomic force microscopy.