Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films of tetrapyridyl metalloporphyrins

We report on the formation of Langmuir films of 5,10,15,20-tetra(4-pyridyl) 21H,23H-porphine, hereafter named tetrapyridyl porphyrins with distinct central ions (2H⁺, Zn²⁺, Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺). The films were characterized with surface pressure and surface potential isotherms and in situ UV-vis absorbance. The measurements indicated strong aggregation of porphyrin monomers at the air-water interface, with a red shift of the Soret band in comparison with the spectrum obtained from CHCl₃ solutions. The shift was larger for the non-substituted H₂TPyP, and depended on the metal ion. Significantly, aggregation occurred right after spreading of the Langmuir film, with no further shifts in the UV-vis spectra upon compression of the film, or even after transferring them onto solid substrates in the form of Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films. The buildup of LB films from H₂TPyP and ZnTPyP was monitored with UV-vis spectroscopy, indicating an equal amount of material deposited in each deposition step. Using FTIR in the transmission and reflection modes, we inferred that the H₂TPyP molecules exhibit no preferential orientation in the LB films, while for ZnTPyP there is preferential orientation, with the porphyrin molecules anchored to the substrate by the lateral pyridyl groups.