Brewster angle microscopy is used to directly visualize the
influence of an applied extensional flow on
the domain structure and molecular orientation of a docosanoic acid
monolayer at the air−water interface.
At a surface pressure of 12 mN/m and a subphase temperature of 15
°C (L2 phase), extensional flow causes
domain elongation parallel to the extension axis. A frequency
domain analysis of the Brewster angle
images indicates that the domains undergo an affine deformation in
response to flow. AT 20 mN/m (L2‘
phase), the flow modifies not only the domain structure of the
monolayer but also the azimuthal orientation
of the fatty acid molecules. This flow-alignment process is
strain-rate dependent. Thus, flow can couple
to the monolayer order over a variety of length scales.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.