The photophysical and photochemical behaviour of coumarin-derivatized zinc phthalocyanine when conjugated with gold nanoparticles and electrospun into polymer fibers

Abstract

Polymer composite fibers doped with phthalocyanines and phthalocyanine-functionalized gold nanoparticles were developed. The phthalocyanine and phthalocyanine-functionalized gold nanoparticles have been characterized using UV/Vis, fluorescence and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), time correlated single photon counting (TCSPC), time-resolved emission spectra (TRES) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The changes in photophysical and photochemical behavior of the phthalocyanines induced by their interaction with gold nanoparticles and polystyrene were also investigated. In the presence of gold nanoparticles, the fluorescence lifetimes and quantum yields of the phthalocyanine decreased, whereas the singlet oxygen quantum yield increased. This work shows that polymer composite fibers could be used as functional fibers for a variety of applications such as gas sensing when using the advantageous properties of phthalocyanines and gold nanoparticles.