Highly anisotropic thermal expansion in molecular films of dicarboxylic fatty acids

Angstrom-resolution x-ray measurements reveal the existence of two-dimensional (2D) crystalline order in molecularly thin films of surface-parallel-oriented fatty diacid molecules supported on a liquid mercury surface. The thermal expansion coefficients along the two unit cell vectors are found to differ 17-fold. The high anisotropy of the 2D thermal expansion and the crystalline coherence length are traced to the different bonding in the two directions: van der Waals normal to, and covalent plus hydrogen bonding along the molecular backbone axis. Similarities with, and differences from, negative thermal expansion materials are discussed.