Strong molecular aggregation of neutral carriers bearing perfluoroalkyl chains in liquid-crystalline ion-sensor membranes.

A liquid-crystalline benzocrown ether, 4'-[(4''-1,1,2,2-tetrahydroperfluorooctyloxy)biphenyloxycarbonyl]benzo-15-crown-5, was used as a neutral carrier of ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) to elucidate the effect of highly ordered assembling of the neutral carrier on the sensor properties through fluorophilic interactions. The properties for the membrane and the resulting ISEs based on a benzocrown ether bearing a perfluoroalkyl chain were compared with those based on the corresponding crown ether bearing an alkyl chain. Atomic force microscopy and fluorescence measurements suggested that the neutral carrier bearing a perfluoroalkyl chain formed highly aggregational states in the membranes of ISEs.