Excited-State Dynamics of Pyrene Incorporated into Poly(substituted methylene)s: Effects of Dense Packing of Pyrenes on Excimer Formation

Abstract

The excited-state dynamics of pyrene incorporated into poly(substituted methylene)s is investigated by picosecond time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy and femtosecond time-resolved near-IR absorption spectroscopy in the 900–1400 nm region. The pyrene rings in poly(substituted methylene)s are photoexcited to the monomer excited state immediately after UV irradiation, followed by prompt excimer formation with time constants of a few picoseconds to a few hundred picoseconds. The excimer formation in poly(substituted methylene)s proceeds with much shorter time constants than that in pyrene-incorporated polyacrylates, vinyl polymer counterparts with the same side-chain structures, indicating the presence of stronger electronic interaction between the pyrene rings in poly(substituted methylene)s. The effects of every methylene substitution hold when each pyrene ring is connected to the polymer backbone with a monomethylene linker, while the effects are observed only weakly when a tetramethylene linker is employed. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of every methylene substitution in the prompt excimer formation of pyrene connected to the polymer backbone either directly or with the monomethylene linker.