The dual fluorescence on 1-(n,n-dimethylamino)-4-benzonitrile adsorbed on silica and on modified silica surfaces

Ada Levy*, David Avnir, Michael Ottolenghi

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

30 Scopus citations

Abstract

The effect of adsorption on the dual fluorescence of the title compound (DMABN) is studied on silica gel and on modified silica surfaces (co-adsorption of cyclohexane and of 1-octanol, octadecyl derivatization and removal of silanols by heating to 800°C). Both positive and relative intensity of the long-wavelength emission originating in the twisted charge transfer excited state (CT- are effected by changes in the interfacial environment. It is concluded that on silica surfaces the CT- state (originating in DMABN hydrogen-bonded to surface silanols) undergoes effective solvation by orientational relaxation of neighbouring silanols. The apparent surface polarity, estimated from the CT- emission frequency, is comparable to that of ethanol. Formation of the CT- state is also indicative of a relatively uninhibited CN rotation in the excited state of the adsorbed molecule which again is similar to the behaviour in ethanol.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)233-238
Number of pages6
JournalChemical Physics Letters
Volume121
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 8 Nov 1985

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