title: Photophysical studies of an encapsulated neutral guest intercalated into the 2-dimensional space of α-Zr(IV) phosphate.
abstract: Our long-range objective of developing surface anchored supramolecular assemblies as artificial light harvesting systems led us to explore the intercalation of guest molecules confined within octaamine hydrochloride (OAm·HCl) in the 2-dimensional galleries of layered inorganic material α-Zr(IV)phosphate (α-ZrP). Photophysical properties of 4,4'-dimethylbenzil, camphorthione, 4,4'-dimethylstilbene, pyrene and coumarin-1 were used to probe the intercalation behavior of OAm capsules within the galleries of α-ZrP. (1)H NMR and emission spectral investigations suggested the inclusion of guests within OAm and also confirmed the stability of host-guest complexes under acidic conditions in water. Stirring guest encapsulated OAm capsule with exfoliated α-ZrP nanosheets resulted in intercalation of the host-guest assembly as a whole in the case of 4,4'-dimethylbenzil, camphorthione, and 4,4'-dimethylstilbene as guests. According to powder X-ray diffraction and emission data these capsules are stable in the galleries of α-ZrP. The fact that the capsules are stable and can be included in α-ZrP nanosheets opens up further opportunities to explore inclusion of two different capsules, one with a donor and the other with an acceptor, and study the energy and electron transfer phenomenon between neutral molecules in α-ZrP galleries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33124, USA.
authors.forename: Elamparuthi
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ramasamy
authors.forename: Inoka K
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Deshapriya
authors.forename: Revathy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kulasekharan
authors.forename: Challa V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ramamurthy