Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol.110, No.5, 2660-2663, 1999
Coupling of phase transitions in Langmuir monolayers
A Ginzburg-Landau theory is presented to study coupled first-order gas-liquid phase transition and second-order orientational phase transition in Langmuir monolayers. We show that the coupling between the two phase transitions has a strong influence on the orientational phase transition, making the polar order phase separated from the isotropic one. Such a phase separation will substantially suppress the onset of the transition and the growth of the polar order parameter, which accords with the existing experiments.
Keywords:LIQUID-AIR INTERFACE;MAXWELL DISPLACEMENT CURRENT;WATER-INTERFACE;FLUORESCENCE MICROSCOPY;2ND-HARMONIC GENERATION;MOLECULES;DIFFRACTION;ORIENTATION;SURFACE;ORDER