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Hydrophobic Chromophores in Aqueous Micellar Solution Showing Large Two-Photon Absorption Cross Sections†

  1. Y. Tian1,
  2. C.-Y. Chen1,
  3. Y.-J. Cheng1,
  4. A. C. Young1,
  5. N. M. Tucker1,2,
  6. A. K.-Y. Jen1,2

Article first published online: 10 MAY 2007

DOI: 10.1002/adfm.200600916

Issue

Advanced Functional Materials

Advanced Functional Materials

Volume 17, Issue 10, pages 1691–1697, July, 2007

Additional Information

How to Cite

Tian, Y., Chen, C.-Y., Cheng, Y.-J., Young, A. C., Tucker, N. M. and Jen, A. K.-Y. (2007), Hydrophobic Chromophores in Aqueous Micellar Solution Showing Large Two-Photon Absorption Cross Sections. Adv. Funct. Mater., 17: 1691–1697. doi: 10.1002/adfm.200600916

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Washington, Box 352120, Seattle, WA 98195 (USA)

  2. 2

    Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Box 351700, Seattle, WA 98195 (USA)

  1. †

    Support from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) under the Bioinspired Concept Program and the Microscale Life Sciences Center (MLSC)—A Center of Excellence in Genome Sciences funded by NIH is acknowledged. A.K.-Y.J thanks the Boeing-Johnson Foundation for its support. The authors would like to thank Prof. Miqin Zhang, and Dr. Narayan Bhattarai at the University of Washington for their help with dynamic light scattering measurement.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 28 JUN 2007
  2. Article first published online: 10 MAY 2007
  3. Manuscript Revised: 25 JAN 2007
  4. Manuscript Received: 4 OCT 2006

Funded by

  • Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) under the Bioinspired Concept Program
  • Microscale Life Sciences Center (MLSC)—A Center of Excellence in Genome Sciences funded by NIH

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Keywords:

  • Biomedical applications;
  • Block copolymers;
  • Micelles;
  • Two-photon absorption

Abstract

A series of new hydrophobic two-photon absorbing (2PA) chromophores with varied electron-donating groups in quasi-linear and multibranched structures are synthesized to correlate their structure/photophysical property relationships. The feasibility of using these large two-photon absorption cross-sectional (δ, expressed in GM = 1 × 10–50 cm4 s photon–1 molecule–1) materials in aqueous solution is also explored. All four hydrophobic 2PA materials can be encapsulated into micelles generated by dispersing an amphiphilic block copolymer, poly(methacrylic acid)-block-polystyrene (PMAA-b-PS), into water. The micellar nanostructures are characterized using dynamic light scattering, atomic force microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. After these dyes are incorporated into micelles, they exhibit strong fluorescence in water. It is found that the quantum yield and δ values of these chromophores are strongly dependent on the diameters of the micelles, concentrations of the PMAA-b-PS, and molecular structures of the 2PA chromophores. One of the compounds that has a strong triarylamino donor and a multibranched structure exhibits a large δ value of 2790 GM and high quantum yield (0.56) in micelle-containing water. Although this value is smaller than the original value of 5300 GM in toluene, it is still substantially larger than the values of most water-soluble 2PA materials, which have δ values of less than 100 GM.

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