Single chain spectroscopy of conformational dependence of conjugated polymer photophysics
Open Access
- 10 October 2000
- journal article
- Published by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
- Vol. 97 (21), 11187-11191
- https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.97.21.11187
Abstract
Single molecule confocal fluorescence microscopy was used to perform photoluminescence spectroscopy on single, isolated molecules of the conjugated polymer poly[2-methoxy,5-(2′-ethyl-hexyloxy)-p-phenylene-vinylene] (MEH-PPV). We show that the fluorescence from single chains of this electroluminescent polymer depends strongly on chain conformation. The time evolution of the spectra, emission intensity, and polarization all provide direct evidence that memory of the chain conformation in solution is retained after solvent evaporation. Chains cast from toluene solution are highly folded and show memory of the excitation polarization. Exciton funneling to highly aggregated low energy regions causes the chain to mimic the photophysical behavior of a single chromophore. Chains cast from chloroform, however, behave as multichromophore systems, and no sudden discrete spectral or intensity jumps are observed. These also exhibit different spectroscopy from the folded chromophores.Keywords
This publication has 26 references indexed in Scilit:
- Single Molecule Detection in Life SciencesSingle Molecules, 2000
- Single-Molecule Spectroscopy of the Conjugated Polymer MEH-PPVJournal of the American Chemical Society, 1999
- Single MoleculesScience, 1999
- Conjugated polymer aggregates in solution: Control of interchain interactionsThe Journal of Chemical Physics, 1999
- Photophysics of phenylenevinylene polymersSynthetic Metals, 1996
- Imaging and Time-Resolved Spectroscopy of Single Molecules at an InterfaceScience, 1996
- The Elasticity of a Single Supercoiled DNA MoleculeScience, 1996
- Photochemistry and Fluorescence Emission Dynamics of Single Molecules in Solution: B-PhycoerythrinThe Journal of Physical Chemistry, 1996
- Adhesion Forces Between Individual Ligand-Receptor PairsScience, 1994
- Femtosecond energy relaxation in π-conjugated polymersPhysical Review Letters, 1993