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Optical Anisotropy of Thin and Ultrathin Porphyrin Layers

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Applications of Porphyrinoids

Part of the book series: Topics in Heterocyclic Chemistry ((TOPICS,volume 34))

Abstract

The use of porphyrins as the sensing elements in technical applications (e.g. electronic nose and electronic tongue) has anticipated the real comprehension of the mechanisms determining at the microscopic level the interaction between the analyte molecules and the layer itself. A huge bulk of phenomenological data has been accumulated, showing the high efficiency of these organic materials versus specific gaseous particles. It has been also reported that the sensitivity to gas is higher for highly disordered layers, probably due to the enhanced surface area of the resulting assembly. A better comprehension of the microscopic behavior would definitely allow a deeper exploitation of the properties of the layer in view of the most efficient electronic devices . Consequently, recently there has been an effort to gain a higher level of accuracy in characterizing the electronic properties and the morphology of the thin (sometimes ultrathin) layers deposited.

In this chapter, I will present and discuss the most significant results obtained by studying the optical anisotropy of thin and ultrathin porphyrin films. In particular, I will mostly limit to data obtained by using a powerful optical technique (originally developed in traditional surface science), namely, reflectance anisotropy spectroscopy (RAS). I will show how the measured spectral features in RAS spectra have their origin in the structure of the layer and can be connected to the interaction existing between molecules in the layer. I will briefly describe the technique, giving some details about the experimental setup and explaining how experimental data can be interpreted. A review of results will follow, from the very early applications on Langmuir–Blodgett and Langmuir–Schaefer films to the more recent study of ultrathin layers evaporated in ultrahigh vacuum.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    To extend the investigated photon energy range, a different choice of the light source is sometimes necessary: in UV, for example, a deuterium lamp, or a photoemission beamline to couple with the RAS apparatus.

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Acknowledgments

After the overview of about 15 years of investigations on the optical anisotropy of thin and ultrathin layers of porphyrins, since the very early tests on samples taken from the laboratory of R. Paolesse, I wish to acknowledge the collaboration with several colleagues and students, with whom I have shared ideas, discussions, experiments, enthusiasm, and – sometimes – delusion. A special thanks to M. Drago, G. Bussetti, A. Violante, R. Paolesse, C. Di Natale, P. Chiaradia, and A. Sassella. Finally, my sincere gratitude to G. Chiarotti, from whom I learned how to be an honest and (hopefully) decent experimentalist.

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  1. Department of Physics, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133, Rome, Italy

    Claudio Goletti

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  1. Claudio Goletti
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  1. Dept. of Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy

    Roberto Paolesse

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Goletti, C. (2014). Optical Anisotropy of Thin and Ultrathin Porphyrin Layers. In: Paolesse, R. (eds) Applications of Porphyrinoids. Topics in Heterocyclic Chemistry, vol 34. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/7081_2014_135

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