title: Molecular Water Lilies: Orienting Single Molecules in a Polymer Film by Solvent Vapor Annealing.
abstract: The microscopic orientation and position of photoactive molecules is crucial to the operation of optoelectronic devices such as OLEDs and solar cells. Here, we introduce a shape-persistent macrocyclic molecule as an excellent fluorescent probe to simply measure (i) its orientation by rotating the excitation polarization and recording the strength of modulation in photoluminescence (PL) and (ii) its position in a film by analyzing the overall PL brightness at the molecular level. The unique shape, the absorption and the fluorescence properties of this probe yield information on molecular orientation and position. We control orientation and positioning of the probe in a polymer film by solvent vapor annealing (SVA). During the SVA process the molecules accumulate at the polymer/air interface, where they adopt a flat orientation, much like water lilies on the surface of a pond. The results are potentially significant for OLED fabrication and single-molecule spectroscopy (SMS) in general.
authors: Institut für Experimentelle und Angewandte Physik, Universität Regensburg , 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
authors: Dominik
authors: D
authors: Würsch
authors: Institut für Experimentelle und Angewandte Physik, Universität Regensburg , 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
authors: Felix J
authors: FJ
authors: Hofmann
authors: Institut für Experimentelle und Angewandte Physik, Universität Regensburg , 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
authors: Theresa
authors: T
authors: Eder
authors: Kekulé-Institut für Organische Chemie und Biochemie, Universität Bonn , 53121 Bonn, Germany.
authors: A Vikas
authors: AV
authors: Aggarwal
authors: Kekulé-Institut für Organische Chemie und Biochemie, Universität Bonn , 53121 Bonn, Germany.
authors: Alissa
authors: A
authors: Idelson
authors: Kekulé-Institut für Organische Chemie und Biochemie, Universität Bonn , 53121 Bonn, Germany.
authors: Sigurd
authors: S
authors: Höger
authors: Institut für Experimentelle und Angewandte Physik, Universität Regensburg , 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
authors: John M
authors: JM
authors: Lupton
authors: Institut für Experimentelle und Angewandte Physik, Universität Regensburg , 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
authors: Jan
authors: J
authors: Vogelsang