A morphological analysis is presented for Langmuir films of the diazo dyes Sudan 4 (S4), Sudan 3 (S3), and Sudan red (SR), using Brewster angle microscopy. Stable nonmonomolecular structures are formed at the air-mater interface denoted as a plateau in the pressure-area isotherms. Monolayer domains are evident by the contrastless image even before the pressure onset, which grow in size until it reached a condensed monolayer. This behavior resembles that of Langmuir films from simple aromatic fatty acids. Films from all the azo dyes display similar features, according to the surface potential isotherms and in situ polarized UV/vis spectroscopy except for the larger area per molecule occupied by S4 and SR. This is attributed to the presence of CH3 groups that cause steric hindrance modifying the organization of diazo dye molecules at the air-water interface. UV/vis polarized absorption spectroscopy showed preferential orientation of S4 and S3 on the water surface, while SR molecules lie isotropically. For these three diazo dyes, film absorption was negligible at very large areas per molecule, becoming nonzero only at a critical area coinciding with the onset of surface potential. The critical area is ascribed to the formation of a H-bonded network between water molecules and diazo dye headgroups. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.