Aggregates in Langmuir–Blodgett Films of Spiropyrans Having Hydroxyl or Hydroxymethyl Group

Abstract

Abstract The optical properties of monomolecular layers at an air–water interface and also of Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) films of several photochromic spiropyrans with a single hydrophobic long chain and either a hydroxyl or a hydroxymethyl group have been investigated. Changes in the optical spectra of these films were induced by either UV irradiation or heating. UV-visible, and IR absorption spectra showed that spiropyran SP145 formed J-aggregates and SP147 formed H-aggregates. The half-decay period of the J-aggregate to the spiropyran (SP) form was longer than that of the colored monomeric photomerocyanine (PMC) to the SP form. It was concluded that hydrogen bonding between neighboring colored PMC molecules via hydroxyl, hydroxymethyl, and nitro groups stabilizes the aggregate state.