Laser photolysis study of the triplet states of phthalocyanines on the surface of silica nanoparticles in aqueous solutions

Abstract

Aluminum and zinc phthalocyanines (AlPc and ZnPc, respectively) adsorbed on the surface of silica nanoparticles (60 nm in diameter) in aqueous solutions have been found to form H-aggregates, which possess characteristic absorption spectra with bands (having a maximum at 640 nm) in a shorter wavelength region with respect to the main Q-band of the monomer (having a maximum at 670 nm). For AlPc on the surface, J-aggregates of two types (long-wavelength bands with maximums at 740 and 770 nm) are also observed. Using nanosecond laser photolysis (with the excitation wavelength of 337 nm) in deoxygenated solutions of AlPc on the surface, the formation of the triplet electronically excited states of J-aggregates has been detected, which are characterized by a broad absorption spectrum in the region of 400–800 nm and a lifetime of 360 μs. No intermediate products have been detected during the photolysis of H-aggregates of ZnPc on the surface.