Femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy was used to directly monitor, in the ti
me domain, energy transfer from the blue-emitting poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene)
conjugated polymer to the red-emitting tetraphenylporphyrin molecule. This
system is under investigation for use as saturated red light-emitting comp
onent in an organic full-color display. The differential transmission spect
rum of the system evolves, within a few picoseconds after photoexcitation,
from that of the host polymer to that of the guest molecule. Experiments pe
rformed at different acceptor concentrations provide clear evidence for a F
orster energy transfer mechanism and allow a determination of the interacti
on radius. A value of 4.2 +/- 0.2 nm was found. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B
.V. All rights reserved.