Different effects of alkyl sulfate and alkylbenzene sulfonate surfactants on the synthesis and properties of CuPc/TiO 2 composite films by the liquid-phase deposition (LPD) method

Abstract

The insoluble copper phthalocyanine (CuPc)/TiO 2 composite thin film has been successfully prepared in an aqueous solution by liquid-phase deposition (LPD) method, applying two surfactants as the solubilizing agents. The two surfactants are sodium dodecyl benzylsulfonate (SDBS) and sodium lauryl sulfate (SDS), selected as the representative of their groups. The deposited films were characterized by UV–vis, SEM, FT-IR, XRD and ICP–AES. Comparing the two composite thin films, it revealed a series of interesting facts. The films showed excellent adherence to the substrate with particle diameter ranging from 20–50 nm in, and 90 and 280 nm in thickness. It is identified that CuPc is coexisting of dimers and monomers form, mainly in dimeric form for both the composite thin films by UV–vis spectroscopy, illustrating that the CuPc is not further aggregated by LPD process. The dependences of deposited amount of Ti and Cu with the reaction time suggested the growing of the films can be easily controlled, the SDBS seems to be hindrance to the growing of the films. After heat treatment at 250 °C for 2 h, the SDS–CuPc/TiO 2 thin film becomes crystallized, but no obvious XRD peak is observed in the SDBS–CuPc/TiO 2 composite thin film.