A comparative study of the photophysical properties of perylenediimides in liquid phase, PVC and sol-gel host matrices

The photophysical and photochemical properties of three different perylenediimide derivatives, N,N'-di-dodecylperylene-3,4,9,10-bis(diarboximide), N,N'-di-(1-dehydroabietyl)perylene-3,4,9,10-bis(dicarboximide) and N,N'-di-(4-carboxy phenyl)perylene-3,4,9,10-bis(dicarboximide) (N-DODEPER, ABIPER and PECA, respectively), were determined in immobilized pleases (PVC films, both plasticized and non-plasticized, and sol-gel matrix) using steady-state-fluorescence spectroscopy and compared with the data in solution phase. It was found that the plasticizers support the interaction of the dyes with the quencher and bis-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DOP) itself acts as a quencher for the perylenediimide derivatives with aromatic substituents. The sol-gel matrix imparted serious changes to the properties of the perylenediimides. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.