Electron diffraction studies of the composition and structure of silver metal liquidlike films

We report electron diffraction studies of dried silver metal liquidlike films (MELLFs). These studies are used for fingerprinting the composition and structure of the films. They show the presence of silver in the films with the interplanar spacing characteristic of metallic FCC silver. In addition, they indicate the presence of the surfactant and the silver salt of the surfactant and that of anisic acid (which are needed to form and stabilize the silver MELLFs). The same was found for all the different samples that were investigated, regardless of the detailed composition. Even granular interfacial films behave similarly. A comparison with the results of Raman spectra previously taken from the silver MELLFs reveals differences that are consistent with the model of a condensed colloid and indicates the distribution of the various species within the film.