Elastic properties of unpolymerized and polymerized cadmium octadecyl/fumarate and cadmium octadecyl/maleate Langmuir-Blodgett films determined by Brillouin scattering

We have measured the elastic properties of saturated. ODF, and of unpolymerized and polymerized regular ODF, ODF/ODM, and ω-ODF Langmuir-Blodgett films by means of Brillouin spectroscopy. Whereas the ODF/ODM films show a slight increase in the elastic constants, the regular ODF and ω-ODF films exhibit elastic constants which are significantly softer in the polymerized films due to the formation of microcracks on polymerization. © 1989 American Institute of Physics.