Electrostatic Pressure and Line Tension in a Langmuir Monolayer
Abstract
We present a Brewster angle microscopy study of the domains of liquid condensed phase (L2) in the liquid expanded phase (L1) in a Langmuir monolayer of a long-chain fatty acid. A strong deformation of the domains is observed when they are close to each other, indicating the presence of long-range repulsive dipolar interactions between them. The line tension of the L1/L2 interface is deduced from the balance between the line tension and the electrostatic forces. The latter were deduced from surface potential measurements.