High rates of fluorescence quenching between perylene dodecyldiimide and certain $pi$ electron donors

Abstract

Perylene bis-n-dodecyl diimide is found to quench fluorescenc emissions of naphthalene, phenanthrene and dihydrocarbazolocarbazole molecules at rates of $4.4times 10^{11}$, $2.8times 10^{12}$ and $2.5times 10^4$ $M^{-1}$ $sec^{-1}$, in respective order of aromaticity. These unusulally high rates of fluorecence quenchings are attributed to Perrin model static quenching and presence of electron transfer through singlet excited state of perylene diimide. Calculated free energy of electron transfer, $Delta G_{ET}$=-120.5 kJ/mol, between perylene diimide and dihydrocarbazolocarbazole is taken as evidence for observation of high fluorescence quenching rate for carbazolocarbazole molecule.