Phthalimide thin film for methanol vapor detection

The thin film and sensing properties of a novel (N-phthalimido)-p-aminobenzoic acid (FIABA) compound against methanol vapor is investigated using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR). AFM results indicated that FIABA molecule is a suitable material to produce thin films by spin coating method, with compact and granular morphology. SPR results showed that thin films of this material are highly selective for methanol vapor with fast response and recovery times. Vapor exposure tests using SPR measurements clearly show that the novel FIABA molecules demonstrate a promising material in the development of room temperature vapor sensing application.