Solvent effect on adsorption and fluorescence properties of perylene and pyrene dyes bonded to SBA-15 network

Abstract Synthesis and adsorption studies of the SBA-15 immobilizing perylene and pyrene dyes are described in this work. The functionalization is carried out with amine groups through post-synthesis using amino-propyl triethoxysilane (APTES) and ethanol or toluene as solvent. The resulting functionalized material is investigated as a matrix for the immobilization of perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic dianhydride (PDA). Further exploration of the immobilization of 1-Pyrenecarboxaldehyde (PCA) is detailed. The obtained materials were characterized by FTIR and fluorescence spectroscopy, nitrogen adsorption analysis and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The textural characterization of the functionalized samples shows the decrement of the average pore sizes and the surface area as consequence of the APTES and fluorescent dyes immobilization. Compared with the pristine SBA-15, the solids obtained by functionalization with PDA yielded red-coloured samples, which show absorption bands at λ = 670 nm in solid state and λ = 570 nm in solution. The PDA dye is bonded to the SBA-15 network and it shows absorption or emissions properties for the new hybrid solids. The fluorescence of these species are preserved if the PDA molecules remains with a more flexible structure.