Full Paper

Enhanced Optical Properties and Opaline Self-Assembly of PPV Encapsulated in Mesoporous Silica Spheres

  1. Timothy L. Kelly1,
  2. Yuri Yamada2,
  3. Celine Schneider3,
  4. Kazuhisa Yano2,
  5. Michael O. Wolf1,*

Article first published online: 11 NOV 2009

DOI: 10.1002/adfm.200901484

Issue

Advanced Functional Materials

Advanced Functional Materials

Volume 19, Issue 23, pages 3737–3745, December 9, 2009

Additional Information

How to Cite

Kelly, T. L., Yamada, Y., Schneider, C., Yano, K. and Wolf, M. O. (2009), Enhanced Optical Properties and Opaline Self-Assembly of PPV Encapsulated in Mesoporous Silica Spheres. Adv. Funct. Mater., 19: 3737–3745. doi: 10.1002/adfm.200901484

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z1 (Canada)

  2. 2

    Toyota Central R & D Labs, Inc. Nagakute, Aichi, 480-1192 (Japan)

  3. 3

    Department of Chemistry, Memorial University St. John's, NL, A1B 3X7 (Canada)

*Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z1 (Canada)

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 3 DEC 2009
  2. Article first published online: 11 NOV 2009
  3. Manuscript Received: 6 AUG 2009

Funded by

  • Toyota Central R & D Labs, Inc.

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Keywords:

  • Colloids;
  • Conjugated polymers;
  • Hybrid materials;
  • Photonic crystals;
  • Silica

Abstract

A new poly(p-phenylenevinylene) (PPV) composite material has been developed by the incorporation of insoluble PPV polymer chains in the pores of monodisperse mesoporous silica spheres through an ion-exchange and in situ polymerization method. The polymer distribution within the resultant colloidal particles is characterized by electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis, powder X-ray diffraction, and nitrogen adsorption. It was found that the polymer was selectively incorporated into the mesopores of the silica host and was well distributed throughout the body of the particles. This confinement of the polymer influences the optical properties of the composite; these were examined by UV–vis and fluorescence spectroscopy and time-correlated single-photon counting. The results show a material that exhibits an extremely high fluorescence quantum yield (approaching 85%), and an improved resistance to oxidative photobleaching compared to PPV. These enhanced optical properties are further complemented by the overall processability of the colloidal material. In marked contrast to the insolubility of PPV, the material can be processed as a stable colloidal dispersion, and the individual composite spheres can be self-assembled into opaline films using the vertical deposition method. The bandgap of the opal can be engineered to overlap with the emission band of the polymer, which has significant ramifications for lasing.

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