The invention provides a device for selective molecular recognition, the device comprising a sensing portion, wherein said sensing portion includes a substrate having coated thereon a layer comprising a non-volatile, small molecule compound having at least two pendant and terminal unsaturated groups, each being functionalized with at least one halogen substituted alcohol or phenol functional group. The compound of the invention preferably has one of the following general formulae: ##STR00001## wherein A is a core moiety;B is a pendant and terminal unsaturated group;q is at least 1;r is at least 2;X is a linking group; andn is an integer designating the number of repeating units from 1 to 3, with the proviso that, if n is greater than 1, then the B groups differ from each other in at least two of the repeating units.The device is used to detect the molecules of a hydrogen bond accepting vapor such as an organophosphonate or nitroaromatic vapor.