Preparation of a graphene oxide–phthalocyanine hybrid through strong π–π interactions

A phthalocyanine derivative-2,11,20,29-tetra-tert-butyl-2,3-naphthalocyanine (NPc) was immobilized on graphene oxide (GO) to form a GO–NPc hybrid by the π–π stacking supermolecular method. Spectroscopic measurements showed that intermolecular interactions immediately happened after mixing the two components together and the resultant hybrid was stable even during the dilution process, which were related to the strong π–π interactions between GO and NPc. Spectroscopic evidence further indicated the stoichiometry of the GO–NPc hybrid was a mass ratio of 1:6 (GO:NPc). X-ray diffraction results demonstrated that a new layered structure existed in the hybrid. A reversible rise/decay of the photocurrent in response to the on/off illumination step was observed in a photoelectrochemical cell of the GO–NPc hybrid.