Langmuir floating layers of two phthalocyanine derivatives, ytterbium bisphthalocyanine and tetra-tert-butyl nickel phthalocyanine, were investigated by means of compression isotherms, surface potential kinetics and Brewster angle microscopy (BAM) in order to study the influence of peripheral substituents on the structure and stability of these films and on their suitability for a subsequent transfer onto solid substrates. Specific substitutions that may lead to amphiphilic molecular units seem to play a key role in the development of well organised thin films prepared with this technique.
