Features of cyanine dyes aggregation on differently charged TiO2 matrices

Abstract

Changing the polycondensation reaction route, positively and negatively charged TiO2 nanoparticles have been synthesized. On the base of the synthesized TiO2 nanoparticles, porous TiO2 films have been formed with different surface charges. J-aggregates of two anionic dyes were formed on positively charged TiO2 films, while J-aggregates of cationic dye was formed on negatively charged one. Combining J-aggregates with different J-band spectral positions, we have obtained two composites consisting of J-aggregates pairs with an effective excitation energy transfer between them. In both cases, simple mixing of J-aggregate in solution did not result in the composite formation and only sequential deposition of J-aggregate from corresponding solutions was successful. Interesting, not only charge alternating composite of cationic pseudoisocyanine J-aggregates and anionic thiacarbocyanine J-aggregates was realized, but also the same was done in the case of the composite of two anionic carbocyanine J-aggregates.