Imaging and spectroscopy of terrylene molecules isolated in vapor-deposited n-alkane matrices

The matrix isolation technique was applied for producing very thin samples of terrylene doped n-alkane solids directly on the surface of a microscope objective. Fluorescence microscopy allowed the study of the spectroscopic p roperties of many single terrylene molecules in parallel. From images recor ded sequentially at different laser excitation frequencies, the spectral li ne profiles of corresponding zero-phonon absorption lines were measured. Fo r the two matrices n-decane and Ir-hexane the line width distributions were determined. Under similar excitation conditions, the individual terrylene molecules were 'burned out' much faster in n-hexane than in n-decane matric es. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.