Molecular organization and effective energy transfer in iridium metallosurfactant-porphyrin assemblies embedded in Langmuir-Schaefer films

Mixed Langmuir monolayers and Langmuir-Schaefer (LS) films containing the cationic metallosurfactant bis(2-phenylpyridine)(4,4'-diheptadecyl-2,2'-bipyridine)-iridium(III) chloride (Ir-complex) and the anionic tetrakis(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin (TSPP) in 4:1 molar ratio have been successfully prepared by the co-spreading method at the air-water interface. The presence of both luminescent species at the interface, as well as the organization of the TSPP underneath the Ir-complex matrix in Langmuir and LS films, is inferred by surface techniques such as π-A isotherms, reflection spectroscopy, Brewster angle microscopy (BAM) and UV-visible absorption spectroscopy. A red-shift in the absorption band of the porphyrin under the compression of the mixed monolayer suggests the J-aggregation of the TSPP under the Ir-complex matrix. To date, this is the first report of Langmuir and/or LS films containing these two types of species together. Furthermore, the intermolecular energy transfer between Ir-complex and TSPP molecules in solution and in transferred mixed films is investigated through steady-state fluorescence and lifetime measurements. These results indicate that effective intermolecular energy transfer occurs from the Ir-complex to the TSPP molecules in LS films. The influence of the spatial proximity of donor and acceptor molecules has been studied by the insertion of lipid interlayers among them.     

Fabrication of chiral Langmuir-Schaefer films of achiral amphiphilic Schiff base derivatives through an interfacial organization

Supramolecular chirality in the Langmuir-Schaefer (LS) films of two achiral amphiphilic Schiff bases, 2-(2'-benzimidazolyliminomethyl)-4-octadecyloxyphenol (BSC18) and 2-(2'-benzthiazolyliminomethyl)-4-octadecyloxyphenol (TSC18), was investigated. Both of these amphiphiles could form LS films from the water surface or coordinate with Ag(I) in the subphase to form Ag(I)-coordinated LS films. Although both of these amphiphiles were achiral, TSC18 formed a chiral LS film from the water surface, while BSC18 formed a chiral Ag(I)-coordinated LS film from the aqueous AgNO3 subphase. The supramolecular chirality in these LS films was suggested to be due to a cooperative stereoregular pi-pi stacking of the functional groups together with the long alkyl chains in a helical sense. The relationship between the chirality of the LS films and the molecular structures of TSC18 and BSC18 as well as their H-bond or coordination behaviors was discussed. The Schiff base films showed a reversible color change upon exposure to HCl and NH3 gas alternatively; however, the supramolecular chirality was irreversible during these processes.     

J-aggregates in matrix stabilized two-dimensional azobenzene derivatives

A two-component film technique at the air-water interface has been used for fabricating matrix stabilized azobenzene J-aggregates. Langmuir monolayers of (E)-1-(3-chloro-4-(alkyloxy)phenyl)-2-phenyldiazene (CnCD, n=8,10,12) have been prepared with stearic acid (STA) as the two-dimensional matrix. Miscibility studies at a molecular level, explored from the monolayer pressure-area isotherms revealed a phase separation of the CnCD from the stearic acid matrix at a compression pressure of 10 mN/m. A 43-nm strong red shift in the 350 nm pi-pi * absorption feature implied formation of highly ordered J-aggregates of CnCDs in conformity with atomic force microscopy and micro-Raman spectral characteristics. While a one-component CnCD failed to form a 2D monolayer, the STA supported CnCD binary system crossed a mixed monolayer phase followed by compression, leading to the formation of matrix stabilized CnCD J-aggregates.     

Nanoaggregates of copper porphyrazine in floating layers and Langmuir-Schaefer films

Aggregation behavior of unsubstituted copper porphyrazine (CuPaz) on the water surface was studied by analysis of compression curves, Brewster angle microscopy (BAM), and optical spectroscopy. The structure and stability of the CuPaz aqua aggregates in the floating layers are determined by hydration degree that depends on initial surface concentration and surface pressure. Langmuir-Schaefer (LS) films of CuPaz were prepared by deposition of the variously structured floating layers and studied by X-ray scattering technique and optical spectroscopy. Stable and labile structures were detected and compared with the floating CuPaz aqua aggregates. Conditions of formation of the stable four-stacked nanoaggregates in LS films were determined. A model comprising both nucleation of CuPaz on the water surface and structural transformations in the solid films is proposed.     

Investigation of structure–spectroscopy–function relationship of two-dimensional J-aggregates of tetrachlorobenzimidazolocarbocyanine preferentially oriented in poly-vinyl-alcohol thin films

The structure–spectroscopy–function relationship of 1,1′,3,3′-tetraethyl-5,5′,6,6′-tetrachlorobenzimidazolocarbocyanine (TTBC) aggregates is studied using a combination of experimental and theoretical techniques. The aggregates are macroscopically aligned in poly-vinyl-alcohol thin films by vertical spin coating. Angular dependence of the UV–Vis spectra is measured at eleven different orientations between the electric field polarization and the macroscopic alignment axis. The aggregates are characterized by a pair of Davydov split bands with opposite polarization behaviors: an H-band (505 nm) and a J-band (594 nm) polarized respectively, close to being parallel and perpendicular to the alignment axis. Spectral response is interpreted via simulations within the Frenkel exciton formalism. TTBC aggregates are shown to assume very similar internal molecular packing (herringbone) and dynamics of excited states (phonon-assisted intraband and interband relaxations) in ionic aqueous solution and in thin films. The general conclusions on the structure–spectroscopy–function relationship are expected to hold for other cyanine aggregates with the same generic spectral features.     

J-aggregates in vapor deposited films of a bisazomethine dye

This is the first report of J-aggregate formation of a non-ionic bisazomethine dye in vapor deposited films; this dye allows us to prepare easily large homogeneous and very stable J-aggregate thin films and to investigate intrinsic properties of low-dimensional Frenkel excitons.     

Thermal stability of lysozyme Langmuir-Schaefer films by FTIR spectroscopy

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy has been applied to study the thermal stability of multilayer Langmuir-Schaefer (LS) films of lysozyme deposited on silicon substrates. The study has confirmed previous structural findings that the LS protein films have a high thermal stability that is extended in a lysozyme multilayer up to 200 degrees C. 2D infrared analysis has been used here to identify the correlated molecular species during thermal denaturation. Asynchronous 2D spectra have shown that the two components of water, fully and not fully hydrogen bonded, in the high-wavenumber range (2800-3600 cm-1) are negatively correlated with the amine stretching band at 3300 cm-1. On the grounds of the 2D spectra the FTIR spectra have been deconvoluted using three main components, two for water and one for the amine. This analysis has shown that, at the first drying stage, up to 100 degrees C, only the water that is not fully hydrogen bonded is removed. Moreover, the amine intensity band does not change up to 200 degrees C, the temperature at which the structural stability of the multilayer lysozyme films ceases.     

Controlled formation of the two-dimensional TTBC J-aggregates in an aqueous solution

Strong experimental and theoretical evidence was provided on the controlled formation of the two-dimensional J-aggregates that were assembled in the herringbone morphology. The exciton-band structure formation of 1,1',3,3'-tetraethyl-5,5',6,6'-tetrachlorobenzimidazolocarbocyanine (TTBC) J-aggregates was investigated in ionic (NaOH) aqueous solution at room temperature. The control was achieved by changing the [TTBC] at a given [NaOH], or vice versa, and was monitored through the changes in the absorption, fluorescence excitation, and emission spectra. Specific attention was paid to expose the excited-state structure and dynamics through simulations of the excitonic properties, which included diagonal energetic disorder and phonon-assisted exciton relaxation. Aggregates were characterized by an asymmetrically split Davydov pair, an H-band (approximately 500 nm, 1300 cm(-1) wide, Lorentzian-like) and a J-band (approximately 590 nm, 235 cm(-1) wide, with a band shape typical of a one-dimensional J-aggregate), whose relative intensities showed a strong dependence on the [TTBC]/[NaOH]. The H-band is favored by high [TTBC] or high [NaOH]. An explanation of the control on the aggregate formation was given by correlating the changes in the absorption with the structural modifications and the subsequent changes in the dynamics, which were induced by variations in the dye and NaOH concentrations. The J-band shape/width was attributed to disorder and disorder-induced intraband phonon-assisted exciton relaxation. The intraband processes in both bands were estimated to occur in the same time scale (about a picosecond). It has been suggested that the wide energetic gap between the Davydov split bands (3000 cm(-1)) could get bridged by the excitonic states of the loosely coupled chains, in addition to the monomeric species at low [TTBC]. Phonon-assisted interband relaxation, through the band gap states and/or directly from the H- to the J-band, are suggested for accounting the difference between the bandwidths and shapes of the two bands. Energy transfer between the H-band and the monomeric species is suggested as crucial for tuning the relative strengths of the two bands.     

High efficiency photocurrent generation by two-dimensional mixed J-aggregates of cyanine dyes

Two-dimensional mixed J-aggregates of structurally and spectrally analogous anionic cyanine dyes, coadsorbed on a self-assembled monolayer of aminoalkanethiolate on Au(111), generated a high-efficiency (20-30% quantum efficiency) cathodic photocurrent and a significant photovoltaic effect in reversible Fe2+/Fe3+ redox solution.     

Mesoscopic structural organization in fluorinated room temperature ionic liquids

The presence of fluorous tails in room-temperature ionic liquids imparts new properties to their already rich spectrum of appealing features. The interest towards this class of compounds that are of ionic nature with melting point less than 25 °C is accordingly growing; in particular, compounds bearing relatively long fluorous tails have begun to be considered. In this invited presentation, we show recent results arising from the systematic study of structural properties of a series of fluorinated room temperature ionic liquids, with growing fluorous chain length. At odd with the current understanding of this class of compounds, we show experimentally that they are characterized by the presence of segregated fluorous domains whose size depends on the fluorous chain length. This experimental finding, based on the synergic use of X-ray and neutron scattering, provides a structural scenario at the mesoscopic spatial scale that is in agreement with the recent state of the art molecular dynamic simulations. We speculate on the potential role of this significant compartmentalization of the bulk liquid phase into different nanoscale domains, as relevant in a series of applications including separation, solubility, catalysis, and so forth.     

Localization and coherent dynamics of excitons in the two-dimensional optical spectrum of molecular J-aggregates

Two-dimensional optical spectra of J-aggregates at low temperature provide a large amount of information about the nature and dynamics of exciton states that is hidden in conventional broad band pump-probe spectra. By using numerical simulations, we study the two-dimensional absorption spectrum and find that it is dominated by a V-shaped negative peak and a blueshifted elliptic positive peak. We demonstrate a simple method to derive the energy dependence of the exciton localization size from the distance between these two features in the zero waiting time experiment. When the waiting time is turned on, the V peak is filled with an extra positive peak resulting from population relaxation. From the time evolution of this peak, energy dependent relaxation rates can be obtained. The oscillations of coherent contributions to the two-dimensional spectrum are not damped by inhomogeneous mechanisms and can be seen clearly.     

噻菁染料的合成

本实验合成了6个二磺酸盐的水溶性噻菁染料，并通过UV-vis、^1H NMR、IR谱图和元素分析给予确定。从紫外可见光谱可看出，苯环上的取代基影响染料的最大吸收(λ~m~a~x)和摩尔消光系数ε~m~a~x。     

Optical and electrochemical properties of poly(o-toluidine) multiwalled carbon nanotubes composite Langmuir-Schaefer films

Conducting poly(o-toluidine) (POT) with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) nanocomposite (POT-MWNTs) was synthesized by oxidative polymerization. Chloroform solutions of the material were used for the optical characterizations by means of UV-visible spectroscopy and for the fabrication of Langmuir-Schaefer (LS) films. LS films were fabricated at the air-liquid interface by using 0.1 M HCl aqueous solution as the subphase to study the electrochemical properties of the nanocomposite by means of cyclic voltammetry and photoelectrochemical techniques. The optical characterizations gave proof that the presence of MWNTs inside the polymeric matrix produced no change in the (pi-pi*) transition of POT structure, indicating that the polymeric chains were simply wrapped around and not doped by MWNTs. The electrochemical investigations highlighted significant changes in the redox properties of POT-MWNTs LS films with respect to pure POT. The cyclic voltammetric study also revealed high electrochemical stability, confirmed by the estimation of the diffusion coefficient and the photoelectrochemical response of the nanocomposite LS films. This characteristic turned out to be more evident than that obtained in our earlier studied poly(o-anisidine)-MWNTs (POAS-MWNTs) system.     

Optical, morphological and structural characterization of Langmuir-Schaefer films of a functionalized copper phthalocyanine

Langmuir-Schaefer (LS) films of copper(II) tetrakis-(isoprpoxy-carbonyl)-phthalocyanine (TiPCuPc) have been deposited onto various solid supports. Its floating film have been characterized at the air-water interface by means of Brewster Angle Microscopy and Langmuir curves. Vibrational modes of multilayer transferred LS film have been studied by Raman spectroscopy and the optical parameters (refractive index n and extinction coefficient k) have been determined in the visible range of the electromagnetic spectrum. Linearly polarized light absorbance measurements have been performed at room temperature in the 400-800 nm spectral range and the average orientation of the phthalocyanine rings have been estimated. Transmission electron microscopy has been also used to characterize the morphological properties of the LS film and a close packed arrangement of the deposited molecules has been observed.     

Spectral properties and structure of the J-aggregates of pseudoisocyanine dye in layered silicate films

Monolayer behavior of an ion pair amphiphile (IPA), hexadecyltrimethylammonium-dodecylsulfate (HTMA-DS), with normal long-chain alcohols at the air/water interface was analyzed by the Langmuir trough technique with the Brewster angle microscope (BAM) observations, and the pronounced stability enhancement of a HTMA-DS monolayer with the presence of the alcohol additives was demonstrated. Two normal long-chain alcohols with alkyl chain lengths of C16 and C18, 1-hexadecanol (HD) and 1-octadecanol (OD), were chosen as the additives. The surface pressure-area and surface potential-area isotherms of the monolayers with BAM images of monolayer morphology implied that the addition of either HD or OD with a comparatively small head group in a double-chained HTMA-DS monolayer at the interface led to better molecular packing and attractive interaction between the molecules, showing a similar condensing effect as that observed in mixed phospholipid/cholesterol systems. Moreover, the monolayer hysteresis and relaxation curves indicated that the incorporation of the alcohols into a HTMA-DS monolayer was able to lessen the monolayer hysteresis and to enhance the monolayer stability. In comparison with OD, HD seemed more effective as an additive in stabilizing a HTMA-DS monolayer, most likely due to the relatively better molecular packing of HTMA-DS and HD molecules at the interface. It is inferred that the stability of a monolayer or vesicular bilayer structure composed of IPAs can be improved by adjusting the molecular packing/interaction with a suitable long-chain alcohol as the additive.     

Molecular organization in two-dimensional films of liquid I. Langmuir films of binary mixtures of liquid crystals with a crystalline mixtures terminal cyano group

The Langmuir films of two liquid crystal materials, 4-octyl-4'-cyanobiphenyl (8CB) and 4-pentyl-4"-cyano-p-terphenyl (5CT), and of their mixtures have been studied by recording surface pressure-area isotherms and Brewster angle microscopy (BAM) images. The pure liquid crystals revealed very different characters of the surface pressure-area isotherms indicating different organization of the molecules and different molecular interactions in the monolayer at the water-air interface. The surface pressure-area isotherms of Langmuir films formed from 8CB/5CT mixtures give evidence for phase separation of the components over the whole range of molar fractions. Similar conclusions have been drawn on the basis of BAM image analysis.     

Molecular organization in two-dimensional films of liquid I. Langmuir films of binary mixtures of liquid crystals with a crystalline mixtures terminal cyano group

The Langmuir films of two liquid crystal materials, 4-octyl-4'-cyanobiphenyl (8CB) and 4-pentyl-4"-cyano-p-terphenyl (5CT), and of their mixtures have been studied by recording surface pressure-area isotherms and Brewster angle microscopy (BAM) images. The pure liquid crystals revealed very different characters of the surface pressure-area isotherms indicating different organization of the molecules and different molecular interactions in the monolayer at the water-air interface. The surface pressure-area isotherms of Langmuir films formed from 8CB/5CT mixtures give evidence for phase separation of the components over the whole range of molar fractions. Similar conclusions have been drawn on the basis of BAM image analysis.