Thin film formulations of substituted phthalocyanines

Phthalocyanines are macrocyclic compounds which possess a variety of properties of potential importance in advanced technologies. The article considers the development of phthalocyanine derivatives for deposition as thin films by the Langmuir-Blodgett method, spin-coating and self-assembly. Important aspects in this area of research are the development of good quality films which contain a high and reproducible degree of molecular order and the deposition of films constructed with different types of molecular packing. Attention is drawn to the potential of purpose-designed non-uniformly substituted amphiphilic derivatives. A number of these exhibit liquid-crystal behaviour as the bulk material and this appears also to be manifested in some of the films. The potential of examples of the films as the detecting component in gas sensors is commented upon.