title: Unmasking electronic energy transfer of conjugated polymers by suppression of O(2) quenching
abstract: The photochemistry of poly[2-methoxy, 5-(2'-ethyl-hexyloxy)-p-phenylene-vinylene] (MEH-PPV) has been found to be highly dependent on the presence of O(2), which increases singlet exciton quenching dramatically. Spectroscopy on isolated single molecules of MEH-PPV in polycarbonate films that exclude O(2) reveals two distinct polymer conformations with fluorescence maxima near 555 and 580 nanometers wavelength, respectively. Time-resolved single-molecule data demonstrate that the 580-nanometer conformation exhibits a "landscape" for intramolecular electronic energy relaxation with a "funnel" that contains a 580-nanometer singlet exciton trap at the bottom. The exciton traps can be converted to exciton quenchers by reaction with O(2). Conformationally induced, directed-energy transfer is arguably a critical dynamical process that is responsible for many of the distinctive photophysical properties of conjugated polymers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Barbara