Dip and wait: a facile route to nanostructured porphyrin films for QCM functionalization

A facile and straightforward way to deposit nanostructured porphyrin films onto quartz surfaces is presented. The particular peripheral functionalization on the macrocycle is exploited to drive the formation of aggregates in solution, which then spontaneously deposit as ordered solid layers. Film deposition is then achieved by simple dipping the quartz slide into a solution containing porphyrin aggregates and waiting the formation of the related thin films. QCMs covered with different metalloporphyrin derivatives have been exposed to some model VOCs, showing in general good performances especially in all the cases where film morphology is fundamental for sensing interactions.