Soluble phthalocyanines for the detection of organic solvents: thin film structures with quartz microbalance and capacitance transducers

Abstract Soluble tetrakis-hexyl- and dodecylthiophthalocyaninatonickel(II) and the corresponding Pd(II) and Ag(I) complexes are investigated as senstive materials for the detection of organic solvent vapors using quartz microbalance (QMB) and interdigital capacitance transudcers (IDC). The results show than sensor responses were reversible at room temperature with response times in the order of several seconds depending on the partition coefficient of the organic solvents in the phthalocyanine film, which are correlated with the Ostwald solubility parameter and boiling temperature of the solvents investigated.