Fluorescence and photoisomerization of azobenzene-containing bilayer membranes

Journal Article · Wed Aug 19 00:00:00 EDT 1987 · J. Am. Chem. Soc.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/ja00251a022· OSTI ID:6089652

Shimomura, M; Kunitake, T

Spectroscopic and photoisomerization behavior of aqueous bilayer aggregates of azobenzene-containing amphiphiles was examined. The azobenzene bilayers assume different chromophore orientations, depending on the component structure. Some of the azobenzene bilayers were found to be fluorescent, and the fluorescence intensity decreased as the chromophore orientation changed from the tilted head-to-tail type to the parallel type. Emission quenching was observed in the presence of extremely small amounts of a bound cyanine dye. In the trans-to-cis photoisomerization of the bilayers, the rate in the gel state decreased with changing chromophore orientations from the head-to-tail type to the parallel type. The rate was much larger and unaffected by the molecular structure, in the case of the liquid-crystalline bilayers and of the azobenzene amphiphiles isolated in inert bilayer matrices. In the phase-separated system, photoisomerization occurred between the unclustered isomers. The emission was quickly lost by the formation of the cis isomer. The photoisomerization was suppressed in the presence of the cyanine, probably due to energy transfer to the cyanine and sensitization of the reverse photoisomerization by the cyanine. An energy level diagram was constructucted which includes excited states characteristic of the bilayer and explains the photophysical and photochemical processes. Finally, implications of the present finding in relation to light energy harvesting systems were discussed.

• Research Organization: Kyushu Univ., Fukuoka, Japan
• OSTI ID: 6089652
• Journal Information: J. Am. Chem. Soc.; (United States), Vol. 109:17
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
14 SOLAR ENERGY
AROMATICS
FLUORESCENCE
ISOMERIZATION
PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTIONS
AZO COMPOUNDS
AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
EXCITED STATES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
LAYERS
MEMBRANES
PHOTOCHEMISTRY
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
DATA
DISPERSIONS
ENERGY LEVELS
INFORMATION
KINETICS
LUMINESCENCE
MIXTURES
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
REACTION KINETICS
SOLUTIONS
400500* - Photochemistry
140505 - Solar Energy Conversion- Photochemical
Photobiological
& Thermochemical Conversion- (1980-)