The ultra-photostable and electrically modulated Stimulated Emission in perylene-based dye doped liquid crystal.

One of the most important drawback of organic dyes is their low photo-stability which reduces possibility of their commercial utilization. In this article we employ the strategy of dye re-crystallization from oversaturated matrix in order to enhance material's durability. One of the main advantages of perylene derivative is ability to form emissive j-aggregates, good miscibility and incorporation into liquid crystalline matrix. Investigation of perylene-based dye and LC matrix brought as the result very efficient light amplification modulation by applied external electric field. In our article we show that Stimulated Emission (STE) is possible to achieve from perylene-derivative based system, at typical fluence thresholds for laser dyes: 3.9 mJ/cm2. Moreover, presented system proves ultra-high photostability, showing lack of STE reduction even after 12 000 excitation laser pulses. Furthermore, we proved the possibility of light emission intensity control using external electric field.

Miscibility of dl-α-tocopherol ß-glucoside in DPPC monolayer at air/water and air/solid interfaces.

The role of newly synthesized tocopherol glycosidic derivative in modifying molecular organization and phase transitions of phospholipid monolayer at the air/water interface has been investigated. Two-component Langmuir films of dl-α-tocopheryl ß-D-glucopyranoside (BG) mixed with dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) in the whole range of mole fractions were formed at the water surface. An analysis of surface pressure versus mean molecular area (π-A) isotherms and Brewster angle microscope images showed that the presence of BG molecules changes the structure and packing of the DPPC monolayer in a BG concentration dependent manner. BG molecules incorporated into DPPC monolayer inhibit its liquid expanded to liquid condensed phase transition proportionally to the BG concentration. The monolayers were also transferred onto solid substrates and visualized using an atomic force microscope. The results obtained indicate almost complete miscibility of BG and DPPC in the monolayers at surface pressures present in the biological cell membrane (30-35·10(-3) N·m(-1)) for a BG mole fraction as high as 0.3. This makes the monolayer less packed and more disordered, leading to an increased permeability. The results support our previous molecular dynamics simulation data.

Spectral properties of chlorophyll a in liquid crystal.

Solution of chlorophyll a in liquid crystals mixture (MBBA + EBBA) was investigated. Chl molecules are in LC in low electric field oriented. They can be divided into two groups: one strongly interacting with LC and subjected to reorientation by the electric field, and another weakly interacting with the solvent and insensitive to the voltage applied. The emission spectrum of the first type of chlorophyll is strongly perturbed. At higher voltages, the pigment molecules orientation in the plane of the electrode is another. Pigment absorption and emission anisotropy provides information about the reorientation of LC molecules. Even at high (10(-3)M) Chl concentration and regular pigment array, the interaction between the pigment and solvent exceeds pigment-pigment interaction because the solvent appears to have a stronger influence on the Chl spectrum.

Influence of chlorophyll a on intermolecular interactions in liquid crystal.

Studies of the variability of the spectral properties (linear dichroism, polarized fluorescence and the energetic separation of the absorption and emission bands) of chlorophyll a in a nematic liquid crystal matrix with respect to the effects of solute concentration and the external electric fields were made. A close examination of the above mentioned types of variability suggest that the pigment molecules can influence a high initial order of the liquid crystal matrix. These structural changes of the matrix can be explained by the assumption that two types of chlorophyll with different orientations occur: the surface layers with the high degree of orientation, and a central volume of the sample with disordered molecules. The ordered molecules are sensitive to an reorientation by the external electric field.