Improvement in metrological performances of phthalocyanine-based QCM sensors for BTX detection in air through substituent’s effect

Molecular engineering in macrocyclic materials like metallophthalocyanines (MPc) is a powerful strategy to tune the thin film properties that can be relevant develop high performance gas sensors. In this context, present work reports enhancement BTX sensing of MPc-based quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensors through exploiting large surface area tertiary-butyl (ttb) substituent grafted at periphery CuPc. Thin films CuPc and ttb-CuPc reveal distinct morphologies microstructures, which former presents locally organized columnar structure, while latter has an amorphous containing agglomeration molecular clusters. Such structural variation MPc huge implications on benzene, toluene xylenes (BTX) QCM sensors, utilizing these as layers. Responses ttb-CuPc-based sensor are amplified by ca. 4-times response time reduced, compared CuPc-based sensor. Moreover, displays repeatability, resolution better than 20 ppm, negligible hysteresis sensitivity with limit detection 2 1 ppm 0.7 for xylenes, respectively. favorable metrological characteristics combined interference from other gases make microsensors suitable real environment concentrations below recommended guidelines. • based metal phthalocyanine developed detection. Tertiary butyl substitution improved performances. detects environmental High operational stability partial selectivity reported. Gas-material interactions involve specific non-specific adsorptions.