Photophysics of H- and J-Aggregates of Indole-Based Squaraines in Solid State

Abstract

The photodynamics of six types of indole-based squaraines (SQs) molecules deposited onto quartz substrates by using the spin-coating method have been studied by means of steady-state and time-resolved techniques. Enhanced scattering signal at the resonance wavelengths together with the broadening and shift of the absorption bands to the red side with respect to those in solution prove the formation of H- and J-aggregates in the thin film samples. Excited state deactivation dynamics were studied by the femtosecond (fs) transient absorption spectroscopy and nanosecond (ns) flash photolysis. Faster kinetics were obtained for the solid state samples as compared to those in solution. Singular value decomposition (SVD) analysis of the fs transient signal proves the presence of monomers and aggregates, enabling the separation of the kinetics for each one. For the SQ monomers, the dynamics of the singlet excited state does not depend on the pump fluence, and we thus propose that the quenching of the excited monomers is due to an energy transfer process to the aggregates. For the SQ aggregates, nonexponential fit of the experimental time profiles along with the power dependence of the transient absorption signal indicates a singlet–singlet annihilation process (γ′ ≈ 3 × 10 –15 cm 3 s –1/2 ). The combination of the long-range Förster-type mechanism and quantum delocalization is found to be the physical process that accounts for the singlet–singlet annihilation. In the flash photolysis experiments, we observed transient signals with a maximum intensity at 710 nm and lifetimes of 30 and 35 ns for SQ 41 and SQ 26, respectively. We have attributed these signals to the cis photoisomers of the aggregates deactivating to the trans photoisomers through the back photoisomerization reaction. These results provide information for a better understanding of the photodynamics of squaraines.