Abstract

A nanoparticulate ferric oxide–copper tris(2,4-di-tert-amylphenoxy)-8-quinolinolylphthalocyanine hybrid ultrathin film was constructed from alternate layers by the Langmuir–Blodgett technique. The composition, morphology and structure of the film were studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, small-angle X-ray diffraction, visible spectroscopy and polarized UV-Vis spectroscopy. All the above analyses suggest that the thin film is a kind of one-dimensional superlattice, composed of organic and inorganic components. The XPS data reveal that the nanoparticulate ferric oxide exists as an α-Fe₂O₃ phase in the films. Gas-sensing measurements show that the hybrid LB film has very fast response-recovery characteristics towards 2 ppm C₂H₅OH vapor.