Nanoporous p-terphenyl-polystyrene films containing perylene; fabrication, characterization and remarkable fluorescence resonance energy transfer based blue emitting properties

Abstract

Strongly blue luminescent porous p-terphenyl-polystyrene films containing perylene was obtained on glass substrates using a simple Breath Figure method. The size and shape of porous with perylene load from scanning electron microscopy was seen to be decreased from 600 to 70 nm. However, the contact angle of films loading with perylene found to be increased with the decrease in pores size. This result is helped to propose a mechanism of Breath Figure formation. The fluorescence spectra of doped polystyrene (PS) films showed the characteristic monomer emission of perylene at 478 nm with simultaneous quenching of p-terphenyl fluorescence due to excitation energy transfer from p-terphenyl to perylene. The estimated values of the efficiency of energy transfer are found to be pore size dependant. The spectral results of quenching of p-terphenyl and simultaneously sensitization of perylene emission are in good agreements with the color seen in fluorescence microscope images and fluorescence life time measurements. The sensitization of blue emission from Breath Figure pattern of PS films is of current demand into the fabrication of micropatterning devices.