STUDIES ON THE FLUORESCENCE QUENCHING OF ANTHRACENES BY POLYSILANE COPOLYMERS

In this article, the room-temperature solution fluorescence quenching of electron-deficient anthracenes such as 9-cyanoanthracene (CNA), 9,1 0-dicyanoanthracene (DCNA), and 9,10-dichloroanthracene (DCLA) by poly silane copolymers was studied. The fluorescence quenching data was in conformity with the Stern-Volmer equation F-0/F = 1 + K-sv[Q], the F-0 /F-[Q] straight lines were drawn, and the fluorescence quenching const ants K-SV were obtained. By measuring the fluorescence lifetimes of th e anthracenes, the fluorescence quenching rate constants k(q) were cal culated. Based on experiments and references, we tentatively proposed that for the same polysilane copolymer quencher the fluorescence quenc hing was caused mainly by the polysilane Si-Si chain and affected in a small degree by the side substituents attached to the Si-Si chain. In addition, it was observed that the order of the fluorescence quenchin g rate constants k(q) of the above three electron deficient anthracene s by the same polysilane copolymer was DCNA > CNA > DCLA, which is jus t in keeping with that of their electron deficiency. (C) 1996 John Wil ey & Sons, Inc.