Supramolecular Arrangement of Iron Phthalocyanine in Langmuir-Schaefer and Electrodeposited Thin Films

The supramolecular arrangement in thin film technology has been explored through different deposition techniques aiming to control the film properties at the molecular level. We report on the formation of iron phthalocyanine (FePc) films using both Langmuir-Schaefer (LS) and electrodeposition methods. The multilayer formation was monitored with ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy (UV-vis) and electrochemical measurements. According to Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the surface morphology of electrodeposited films is more homogeneous than LS films at micro and nanometer scales. From FTIR spectroscopy, the FePc molecules in the electrodeposited films are oriented preferentially with the macrocycle parallel to the substrate surface (flat-on), while a slight tilt is suggested in LS films, being both films crystalline. Therefore, the use of different deposition techniques allowed the fabrication of thin films from FePc with distinct supramolecular arrangements, leading to distinct electrochemical properties. For instance, the electrodeposited films show higher surface coverage, suggesting a more compact structure, which favors the charge transfer and smaller energy gap. The possibility of tuning some properties according to deposition technique for the same material can help the development of technological applications such as electronic or sensing devices.