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Article

Nanostructured Oligo(p-phenylene Vinylene)/Silicate Hybrid Films: One-Step Fabrication and Energy Transfer Studies

Keisuke Tajima,^† Liang-shi Li, and Samuel I. Stupp*

Contribution from the Department of Chemistry, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208

J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2006, 128 (16), pp 5488–5495

DOI: 10.1021/ja058610s

Publication Date (Web): April 4, 2006

†

Current address: Department of Applied Chemistry, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7−3−1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan.

In papers with more than one author, the asterisk indicates the name of the author to whom inquiries about the paper should be addressed.

, s-stupp@northwestern.edu

Abstract

Novel hybrid materials containing silicate and charged oligo(p-phenylene vinylene) (OPV) amphiphiles were fabricated in one step by spin casting using evaporation-induced self assembly. The conjugated segments were substituted with trimethylammonium bromide groups at both termini, and tetraethyl orthosilicate served as the silicate precursor. X-ray diffraction scans of the hybrid films revealed Bragg diffraction peaks with d-spacings of 2.76 and 1.37 nm, indicating the presence of order in the hybrid structure. Optical properties of the hybrid films were characterized by UV−vis absorption and fluorescence spectra, and molecular orientation was characterized by IR spectroscopy. A rhodamine B derivative containing a triethoxysilane group was covalently incorporated into the silicate network of the films during the sol−gel reaction. Relative to disordered polymer films with identical organic composition, the ordered hybrid films revealed significantly enhanced emission from rhodamine B and also fluorescence quenching from OPV segments. These results indicate that the ordered and nanostructured environment leads to highly efficient energy transfer among organic components in these hybrid films.

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