title: Photodynamics of a PV trimer in high-viscosity solvents and in PMMA films: a new insight into energy transfer versus conformational relaxation in conjugated polymers.
abstract: Non-Stokes-Einstein relaxation: The rate constant of conformational relaxation of a phenylenevinylene trimer (see picture) in different solvents is proportional to eta(-alpha), with alpha values decreasing from close to unity (low viscosity) to zero at sufficiently high solvent viscosity. This behaviour is attributed to the flexible methylbutyl side chains of the trimer, which partially screen the solvent friction. The p-phenylenevinylene (PV) trimer (MBOPV3) was used to probe the effect of conformational relaxation on fluorescence decays of PV-based polymers in the high solvent viscosity regime, from n-hexadecane (3.45 cP at 293 K) to liquid paraffin (123 cP at 293 K), and in dilute poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) solid films. The effect of intermolecular energy transfer and radiative transport on the fluorescence decays was also analysed by increasing the concentration of MBOPV3 in the PMMA films up to a pure MBOPV3 film. The rate constant of conformational relaxation was found to decrease with increasing solvent viscosity up to about 23 cP, but then becomes viscosity independent. The non-Stokes-Einstein behaviour of k(CR) versus eta over the whole viscosity range apparently results from the presence of the flexible methylbutyl side chains of MBOPV3, which partially screens the solvent friction. Conformational relaxation is not observed in very dilute PMMA solid films, where the fluorescence decay becomes single exponential. The decays become multi-exponential again with an increase of MBOPV3 concentration in the PMMA films, but in this case it is due to intermolecular (interchain) energy transfer from less planar to more planar conformations of MBOPV3. In the pure MBOPV3 film, interchain energy transfer (radiative and non-radiative) is the major process responsible for the observed (tetra-exponential) decays.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Química Estrutural, Departamento de Engenharia Química e Biológica, Instituto Superior Técnico, Av. Rovisco Pais, s/n. Lisboa 1049-001, Portugal. roberto.paolo@ist.utl.pt
authors.forename: Roberto E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Di Paolo
authors.forename: Hugh D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Burrows
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Morgado
authors.forename: António L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Maçanita