Size-Dependent Optical Properties of Dendronized Perylenediimide Nanoparticle Prepared by Laser Ablation in Water

Abstract

Fluorescent nanoparticles of dendronized perylenediimide (DPDI) were fabricated by laser ablation in water. We succeeded in the preparation of colloidal nanoparticles of different sizes (150–400 nm) and examined their size-dependent optical absorption and fluorescence properties. The size-dependent extinction spectra can be explained by the effect of light scattering loss, and it was confirmed that their absorption spectrum is similar to that of molecules in solution. The very weak interchromophoric interaction is also confirmed by fluorescence spectral measurement. On the other hand, we found that the fluorescence quantum yield decreases with decreasing of the particle size, and we propose a new mechanism for the size-dependent reduction of emission intensity in organic nanoparticles. On the basis of the size dependent-fluorescence quantum yield and solvent polarity dependence of DPDI fluorescence in organic solvents, we considered that, while the interchromophoric interactions are weak in the nanoparticle, the excited singlet state migrates in a nanoparticle owing to energy hopping and is quenched at the surface, leading to the observed size-dependent fluorescence quantum yield (Φf) and a smaller value of Φf for nanoparticles than for the molecules in nonpolar solvents.