Surfactant micellar induced aggregation control of an anionic fluorescent dye in Langmuir-Blodgett film

Abstract This work reports the formation of stable Langmuir monolayer of an anionic water soluble fluorescent dye 5(6)-carboxyfluorescein (abbreviated as CFS) by electrostatic interaction with a cationic monolayer. Formation of non-fluorescent H-dimeric sites of CFS molecules in Langmuir monolayer and Langmuir Blodgett films has been controlled by using cationic surfactant micelles of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). Thus the film can act as efficient fluorescence marker. Langmuir monolayer has been investigated by Surface Pressure versus Area per molecule ( π -A) isotherm and in situ Brewster Angle Microscope (BAM) studies. Mono and multilayered Langmuir Blodgett films were characterized by using UV–vis absorption and steady state fluorescence spectroscopy.