True absolute determination of photoluminescence quantum yields by coupling multiwavelength thermal lens and photoluminescence spectroscopy

Tools

Pereira, Tatiane O. and Warzecha, Monika and Andrade, Luis H. C. and Silva, Junior R. and Baesso, Mauro L. and McHugh, Callum J. and Calvo-Castro, Jesus and Lima, Sandro M. (2020) True absolute determination of photoluminescence quantum yields by coupling multiwavelength thermal lens and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 22 (43). pp. 25156-25164. ISSN 1463-9084 (https://doi.org/10.1039/d0cp03794j)

[thumbnail of Pereira-etal-PCCP-2020-True-absolute-determination-of-photoluminescence-quantum-yields-by-coupling-multiwavelength-thermal-lens]
Preview
 Text. Filename: Pereira_etal_PCCP_2020_True_absolute_determination_of_photoluminescence_quantum_yields_by_coupling_multiwavelength_thermal_lens.pdf
Accepted Author Manuscript
Download (855kB)| Preview

Abstract

Photoluminescence quantum yields denote a critical variable to characterise a fluorophore and its potential performance. Their determination, by means of methodologies employing reference standard materials, inevitably leads to large uncertainties. In response to this, herein we report for the first time an innovative and elegant methodology, whereby the use of neat solvent/reference material required by thermal lens approaches is eliminated by coupling it to photoluminescence spectroscopy, allowing for the discrimination between materials with similar photoluminescence quantum yields. To achieve this, both radiative and non-radiative transitions are simultaneously measured using a photoluminescence spectrometer coupled to a multiwavelength thermal lens spectroscopy setup in a mode-mismatched dual-beam configuration, respectively. The absorption factor independent ratio of the thermal lens and photoluminescence signals can then be used to determine the fluorescence quantum yield both accurately and precisely. We validated our reported method using rhodamine 6G and further applied it to three novel structurally related diketopyrrolopyrrole based materials, which, in contrast to results obtained by other methods, unveiled significant differences in their photoluminescence quantum yields.

ORCID iDs

Pereira, Tatiane O., Warzecha, Monika ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6166-1089, Andrade, Luis H. C., Silva, Junior R., Baesso, Mauro L., McHugh, Callum J., Calvo-Castro, Jesus and Lima, Sandro M.;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)