A zirconium oxide film self-assembled at the air-water interface

A self-assembled zirconia-based film, produced at the air-water interface using sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) as the template, has been characterised by energy-dispersive X-ray reflectometry, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray fluorescence analysis. Long-range order due to the lamellar liquid crystalline arrangement of the surfactant micelles was significant enough to produce Bragg diffraction. X-ray fluorescence from the specimens in the electron microscope indicates that the principal component of the film contains zirconium, oxygen and sulphate, -suggesting that the film contains zirconium polyoxo ions and surfactant. Raman spectroscopy indicates the presence of a zirconium hydroxide.