Photophysical investigations on supramolecular fullerene/phthalocyanine charge transfer interactions in solution

Abstract

The photophysical features of non-covalently linked fullerenes C60 and C70 with a designed free-base phthalocyanine, namely, 2,3,9,10,16,17,23,24-octakis-(octyloxy)-29H,31H-phthalocyanine (1) have been investigated employing various spectroscopic tools like UV–vis absorption spectrophotometry, steady state and time resolved fluorescence along with proton NMR measurements in toluene. The ground state interaction between fullerenes and 1 is nicely demonstrated with the appearance of well defined charge transfer absorption bands in the visible region of the electronic spectra. Steady state fluorescence experiment reveals efficient quenching of the excited singlet state of 1 in presence of both C60 and C70. The average values of binding constants for the non-covalent complexes of C60 and C70 with 1 are determined to be ∼18,150 and ∼32,000dm3mol−1, respectively. The magnitude of K suggests that 1 preferentially binds C70 in comparison to C60 although average value of selectivity in binding is measured to be low (∼1.75). Time resolved emission measurements establish photoinduced energy transfer from the excited singlet state of 1 to fullerene in toluene. Measurements of free energy of electron transfer and free energy of radical ion-pair formation elicit that C70/1 complex is stabilized more in comparison to C60/1 complex regarding generation of charge-separated state. Proton NMR studies provide very good support in favor of effective ground state complexation between fullerenes and 1. Semi empirical theoretical calculations on fullerene/1 systems in vacuo substantiate the stronger binding between C70 and 1 in comparison to C60/1 system in terms of heat of formation value of the respective complexes, and determine the orientation of bound guest (here C70) towards the plane of 1 during complexation.