270149 VO Ultrathin films and their applications in materials chemistry, sensing and biology (2009S)

Essential properties of thin films are self organization, orientation and thus anisotropic behaviour. Potentially, depending on molecular shape, liquid crystalline phases, membranes and vesicles build up. These phases may be used especially as matrices for spectroscopy (IR, NMR, ESR), where well defined excitations will lead to detailed structural information. Equally, thin films serve well as reactive media, as material for sensors, for separation columns in chromatography, the most common service being in displays.