title: Synthesis, self-assembly, and photophysical behavior of oligo phenylene ethynylenes: from molecular to supramolecular properties.
abstract: A pair of cationic phenylene ethynylene oligomers (OPEs) have been synthesized, and their optical properties have been studied in solution with and without added scaffold materials, including carboxymethylcellulose, carboxymethylamylose, and Laponite. The OPEs are strongly fluorescent in methanol solution, but in water, the fluorescence yield is suppressed. The addition of scaffolds to aqueous solutions of OPEs leads to a red shift in the absorption and in most cases a significant increase in the fluorescence quantum yield. The effects most likely arise because of template-induced formation of linear J-dimers or possibly because of planarization, which give rise to an effective increase in the conjugation length of OPEs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering and Center for Biomedical Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131-1341, USA.
authors.forename: Yanli
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Zhijun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Katsu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Gabriel P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Lopez
authors.forename: Kirk S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Schanze
authors.forename: David G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Whitten
mesh_terms: D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D017155:Wettability
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers