Gh. Xiong et al., The microstructural dependence of intramolecular photoautomerism of salicylic acid doped in silica gel glass prepared by a sol-gel process, MATER LETT, 39(2), 1999, pp. 103-106
Many fluorophores will show photoautomerism if irradiated by light, which r
esults in some changes of the fluorescence emission spectra of these fluoro
phores. The intramolecular photoautomerism of salicylic acid in silica gel
glass prepared by a sol-gel process and an ethanol solution were studied co
mparatively. Doped in silica gel glass, salicylic acid, as well as water an
d ethanol, co-exists in the pores of the gel glass, and only one broad band
due to the zwitterion is observed and shifts to longer wavelength with res
pect to that in ethanol solution as a result of solvent effects. After the
doped gel glass being heat treated at 150 degrees C, some salicylic acid mo
lecules are trapped in the tiny pores with little polarity, and the broad b
and around 370 nm due to the neutral molecule appears. The number of salicy
lic acid molecules trapped in the low polar pores of the gel glass increase
s after the sample is heat treated at elevated temperature, which increases
in the fluorescence intensity of 370 nm emission band. (C) 1999 Elsevier S
cience B.V. All rights reserved.