The influence of structured interfacial water on the photoluminescence of carboxyester-terminated oligo-p-phenylene ethynylenes

摘要

Oligo-p-phenylene ethynylenes have been shown to be useful for their sensing and biocidal capabilities. In this study, we examine the influence of interfacial water on the photophysical properties of a carboxyester-substituted compound in this class through analysis of the aggregation with ionic surfactants, solvent isotope effects, and classicalmolecular dynamics simulations. The results of this study reveal that the presence of carboxyester groups leads to highly structured interfacial water and results in quenched fluorescence. In addition, the results indicate that hydrogen bonding is essential for aggregate formation.