Synthesis and gas sensitivity properties of novel metallocorroles and functionalized graphene oxide

Corrole compounds with the 18-pi electron marcrocycle display unique electrochemical properties and show potential value in sensor fields. In this paper, a novel 10-(4-Chlorophenyl)-5,15-di(4-methylphenyl)-Corrole (Cl-Cor 1) and its metal complex 10-(4-Chlorophenyl)-5,15-di(4-methylphenyl)-Corrole-Co (Cl-Cor-Co 2) were synthesized. Then corrole compounds were introduced onto graphene oxide (GO). UV-Vis spectroscopy, fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and mass spectrometry were used to determine synthesized compounds. Capacity gas sensing analysis system was also examined to evaluate the gas sensitivity toward NO2 of Cl-Cor 1, Cl-Cor-Co 2, Cl-Cor+GO 3, Cl-Cor-Co+GO 4 and GO 5 at room temperature. It can be found that Cl-Cor-Co 2 has gas-sensing property for nitrogen dioxide (NO)(2), but recovery performance is low. It is interesting that the gas sensitivity and recovery performance could be evidently improved when the GO is grafted onto Cl-Corrole-Co, which is ascribed to the pi-pi interaction between Corrole and GO. The gas respond at room temperature enormously indicating that covalently Cl-Cor-Co+GO 4 can be used as gas sensors candidate.