Spectroscopic Properties of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons: 2. Examination of Nitromethane as a Selective Fluorescence Quenching Agent for Alkylated Pyrene and Chrysene Derivatives

Abstract

Abstract Nitromethane is examined as a selective fluorescence quenching agent for alternant alkyl-substituted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Fluorescence emission behavior is reported for 1-methylpyrene, 2-methylpyrene, 4-methylpyrene, 1,5-dimethylpyrene, 1-butylpyrene, 1-decylpyrene, 4-methylchrysene, 5-methylchrysene, and 7-methyldibenzo[b,def]chrysene dissolved in acetonitrile or aqueous-acetonitrile solvent mixtures at various nitromethane concentrations. Results of these measurements show that nitromethane quenches fluorescence emission of the nine solutes studied, which is in complete agreement with what would be expected based upon earlier measurements on the parent compounds.