Volatile organic compound sensing by quartz crystal microbalances coated with nanostructured macromolecular metal complexes.

We report the construction of a molecular recognition layer composed of polyelectrolyte brushes and metal complexes on the surface of a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and the sensing abilities for various volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Atom-transfer radical polymerization of 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl acrylate from an initiator-terminated self-assembled monolayer yielded polyelectrolyte brushes on the surface of a weight-detectable quartz crystal microbalance. One end of a poly[(2-dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate] brush was covalently attached onto the surface of a sensor. We found that metallophthalocyanines with four bulky pentaphenylbenzene substituents could adsorb volatile organic compounds selectively into their cavities. Macromolecular metal complexes were prepared by immersing polymer-brush-modified QCMs into an aqueous solution of sterically protected cobalt phthalocyanine. Anionic cobalt phthalocyanine was trapped in the polymer brushes and acted as a molecular receptor for the sensing of VOC molecules.