Ionic self-assembly of porphyrin nanostructures on the surface of charge-altered track-etched membranes

Track-etched polymer membranes are typically used as templates in the synthesis of various nanowires or nanotubes arrays. The unique advantages of track-etched membranes, such as uniform pore structure, excellent porosity, easily tailored pore sizes, and a well characterized surface chemistry, may find use in self-assembly strategies where colloidal nanostructures can be tethered to a suitable substrate to produce devices of interest. Meso-tetrakis(4-phenylsulfonicacid)porphyrin dihydrochloride and Sn(IV) tetrakis(4-pyridyl)porphyrin were used to synthesize ionic self-assembled porphyrin nanorods. The track-etched membranes surface charge was changed from negative to positive using polyethyleneimine. The porphyrin nanorods were either filtered through or self-assembled onto the surface of track-etched membranes. Comparisons were made with track-etched membranes modified with, and without, poly ethyleneimine. Assembly of the porphyrin nanotubes only occurred on the surface of positively charged track-etched membranes, and filtration of the porphyrin nanorods produced a mesh-like structure on the surface of the membrane irrespective of the track-etched membrane pore diameter. In each case the characteristic absorbance profiles of the porphyrin nanorods was maintained. Transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and UV-vis spectroscopy were used to characterize the various systems.