FORMATION OF POLYMER AND LOW-WEIGHT MOLECULAR FILMS VIA MAGNETOMECHANICAL EFFECT

ABSTRACT. A novel method of preparation of organic films is presented, which employs an alternating magnetic field to control film formation during casting from a solution. It is shown that morphology of the film cast under applied magnetic field is, as a rule, far different from that of the reference film prepared under ambient conditions. The effect is explained by a magnetomechanical action due to the interaction of the applied field and the induced diamagnetic moment of an organic molecule. The effect is demonstrated for a range of materials, such as polymers, organic dyes, charge-transfer complexes. A tentative recipe is given how to get an improved film morphology using the above method. It is proposed that the method can be used as a reasonable alternative to spin-coating for preparation of cast films with a high-quality morphology. Introduction. There are a number of techniques directed to preparation of organic films of high quality. Incomplete list of methods includes drop-casting and spin-coating, adsorption from a solution, self-assembly, Langmuir-Blodgett deposition, therma