Atmospheric pressure plasma polymerisation of metalloporphyrins containing mesoporous membranes for gas sensing applications

Metalloporphyrins are embedded in an organosilicon matrix by an easily up-scalable atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge method. The integrity of the metalloporphyrins, followed by UV–visible spectroscopy, is successfully preserved and their aggregation prevented. The single molecule properties, rather than the bulk ones, are thus enhanced. Exposure to triethylamine, which reaches the metalloporphyrins through the pores of the organosilicon membrane, led to a shift in the absorption spectrum and confirms the gas sensing potential of such coatings.