A tungsten oxide–lutetium bisphthalocyanine n–p–n heterojunction: from nanomaterials to a new transducer for chemo-sensing

We report on a new hybrid heterojunction gas-sensitive device by combining a molecular material with a metal oxide. WO3 was synthesised via an aerosol-assisted chemical vapour deposition technique from a tungsten hexacarbonyl precursor. Onto an inorganic film, LuPc2 was vacuum evaporated. The morphology of the WO3–LuPc2 hybrid films is dominated by the morphological features of the tungsten oxide film, as shown by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Raman spectroscopy of the device confirms the presence of both materials. The non-linear I–V characteristics demonstrate the existence of an energy barrier at the interface between the inorganic and molecular materials. The…