Disclinations and Annealing in Fatty-Acid Monolayers

Abstract When Langmuir-Blodgett films of 22-tricosenoic acid are annealed on a water surface, two distinct phenomena are observed. Initially, stress associated with short range orientational disorder is relieved, giving films with a ‘cleaner’ appearance when viewed between crossed polars and with electron diffraction patterns containing more sharply defined spots. Longer treatments, near the highest practicable temperatures, cause a significant reduction in the density of disclination defects. This observation is consistent with the identification of conducting defects with disclinations.