Implications of the structure for the luminescence properties of NBR–PF blend devices nanostructured as Langmuir–Blodgett films

Properties of polymers in blends can be enhanced if molecular control is achieved. In this paper, we spread nitrile rubber (NBR) and polyfluorene (PF) on the air–water interface to form stable monolayers, as observed with surface pressure–area isotherms and polarization modulation infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS). Mixed monolayers showed that the isotherms were shifted to lower areas in relation to the areas predicted for an ideal mixture, which indicates attractive interactions between the polymeric constituents. Also, the transfer of the polymeric films to solid supports was possible using the Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) technique and the optical properties of the films were evaluated with infrared, UV–vis and fluorescence spectroscopies. Molecular-level interactions between the components lead to marked changes in the properties of the films, which exhibited optical (photoluminescence) properties that could be controlled at the molecular level.