title: Contrasting emission behaviour of phenanthroimidazole with ZnO nanoparticles.
abstract: A new fluorophore 2-(4-fluorophenyl)-1-phenyl-1H-phenanthro [9,10-d]imidazole has been synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic techniques. Nanoparticulate ZnO enhances the fluorescence of the synthesised fluorophore. The absorption, fluorescence, lifetime, cyclic voltammetry and infrared studies reveal that fluorophore is attached to the surface of ZnO semiconductor. Photo-induced electron transfer (PET) explains the enhancement of fluorescence by nanoparticulate ZnO and the apparent binding constant has been obtained. Adsorption of the fluorophore on ZnO nanoparticle lowers the HOMO and LUMO energy levels of the fluorophore. The strong adsorption of the phenanthrimidazole derivative on the surface of ZnO nanocrystals is likely due to the chemical affinity of the nitrogen atom of the organic molecule to the zinc ion on the surface of nanocrystal.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Annamalai University, Annamalainagar 608 002, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Karunakaran
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jayabharathi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sathishkumar
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jayamoorthy
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vimal
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption; D004583:Electrons; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000737:chemistry*; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D010618:Phenanthrolines / Q000737:chemistry*; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D055672:Static Electricity; D013816:Thermodynamics; D013997:Time Factors; D015034:Zinc Oxide / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D007093:Imidazoles; D010618:Phenanthrolines; C029899:imidazole; D015034:Zinc Oxide
keywords: Enhancing; Interfacial electron transfer; Nanoparticles; Phenanthrimidazole