Two-dimensional folded chain crystals of a synthetic polymer in a Langmuir-Blodgett film.

Isotactic poly(methyl methacrylate) monolayers deposited from a water surface onto mica at different surface pressures were studied by atomic force microscopy, and their structure formation from single chains to two-dimensional folded chain crystals was clearly observed. Furthermore, gentle crystallization of the monolayer by slow compression on the water surface enabled the observation of crystals at a molecular level, thus visualizing the chain foldings and tie-chains for the first time. The resulting molecular level information will provide an important clue toward the understanding of polymer crystals not only in two dimensions but also in three dimensions.