Issue 6, 2014

Mineral–organic hybrid nanotubes as highly sensitive solid state optical chemical sensors

Abstract

Hybrid materials represent one of the strategies of materials science for accomplishing complex functionalities hardly encompassed by single-component systems. The critical step in this approach is the mixing and/or bonding between the two different components, which must preserve the original characteristics of the materials or give rise to new functionalities originating from a proper and controlled interaction between the two components. Here, we demonstrate the use of the ionic self-assembly approach for fabricating functional nanomaterials comprising an inorganic matrix constituted by synthetic geomimetic chrysotile nanotubes and an organic superficial layer of a free-base porphyrin. The resulting hybrid nanomaterial can be processed as colloidal solution and as thin solid film. In both phases, the hybrid shows a bright red fluorescence under UV-blue excitation at ca. 400 nm. This fluorescence exhibits decreasing intensity with decreasing pH, as a result of the porphyrin J-type aggregation strongly catalyzed by the mineral surface. Simultaneously, the aggregation induces a neat color change from red to green, serving as a fast direct visual test of pH variations. These results open the route for the utilization of bio-compatible and inert mineral nanomaterials with strong adsorbing properties as efficient and cost-effective solid state vectors for functional molecules.

Graphical abstract: Mineral–organic hybrid nanotubes as highly sensitive solid state optical chemical sensors

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
22 Oct 2013
Accepted
28 Nov 2013
First published
28 Nov 2013

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2014,16, 2491-2498

Mineral–organic hybrid nanotubes as highly sensitive solid state optical chemical sensors

A. Monguzzi, I. G. Lesci, G. C. Capitani, N. Santo, N. Roveri and M. Campione, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2014, 16, 2491 DOI: 10.1039/C3CP54467B

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