Low defect fluorescent and near IR absorbing Langmuir−Schaefer films of n-octyloxy-substituted zinc (II) naphthalocyanine
Journal article, 2026
Near infrared (near IR) absorbing Langmuir-Schaefer (LS) films based on a new n -octyloxy-substituted zinc(II) naphthalocyanine were prepared and successfully deposited onto a solid substrates. The supramolecular organization of floating layers and LS films was investigated by a combination of molecular modeling, surface pressure–area (π–A) isotherms, Brewster angle microscopy (BAM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), UV/Vis/near IR absorption spectroscopy, steady-state fluorescence and confocal fluorescence microscopy. Geometric molecular models based on the optimized structure of the n -octyloxy-substituted zinc(II) naphthalocyanine were used to estimate the molecular areas for face-on and edge-on packing and to rationalize the experimental isotherms. The naphthalocyanine forms continuous floating layers at the air/water interface with a small fraction of three-dimensional (3D) aggregates, as revealed by π–A isotherms and BAM. The supramolecular organization of these floating layers is largely preserved upon LS transfer: AFM shows thin films with an average thickness of about 2.7 nm, low roughness and a limited number of 3D aggregates, while UV/Vis/ near IR spectra of LS films with 1–20 layers display a linear increase of absorbance without significant band broadening. Confocal fluorescence microscopy demonstrates that thicker LS films retain a nearly homogeneous near IR fluorescence background with only a small population of brighter emissive domains. The combination of sterically hindered n -octyloxy substituents and controlled LS deposition thus affords low-defect, near IR absorbing and fluorescent naphthalocyanine films with tunable thickness. Such supramolecularly organized LS films are promising for applications in optoelectronics and sensing where controlled near IR optical response and morphological uniformity are required.
Phthalocyanine derivatives
Supramolecular organization
Fluorescence
Langmuir-Schaefer films
Floating layers
UV/Vis/near IR spectral studies
Author
Alexander Kazak
Moscow Polytechnic University
Ivanovo State University
Vladimir State University
National Research Centre "Kurchatov Institute"
I. V. Rykov
National Research Centre "Kurchatov Institute"
A. Маrchenkova
National Research Centre "Kurchatov Institute"
T. V. Dubinina
Moscow State University
M. M. Ivanova
Moscow State University
M. S. Belousov
Moscow State University
A. V. Artemova
Russian Academy of Sciences
B. V. Nabatov
National Research Centre "Kurchatov Institute"
D. N. Chausov
Moscow State University
Russian Academy of Sciences
V. K. Nikolaev
Moscow Polytechnic University
A. A. Skvortsov
Moscow Polytechnic University
Q. Yan
Rich Sense Electronics Technology Co.
Fuzhou University
Jie Sun
Chalmers, Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2), Quantum Device Physics
Fuzhou University
Victor Belyaev
Federal State University of Education (SUE)
RUDN University
Surfaces and Interfaces
2468-0230 (ISSN)
Vol. 93 109356Subject Categories (SSIF 2025)
Theoretical Chemistry
Condensed Matter Physics
Physical Chemistry
DOI
10.1016/j.surfin.2026.109356