Date of Award

8-2021

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Chemistry

First Advisor

Dr. Gellert Mezei

Second Advisor

Dr. Ramakrishna Guda

Third Advisor

Dr. Ekk Sinn

Keywords

Fluorescence, nanojars, pyrene-functionalized, mass spectrometry, photophysical studies

Access Setting

Masters Thesis-Campus Only

Abstract

Fluorescence is a fascinating chemical phenomenon often utilized in chemical probes, tags, and substrates across several disciplines. These tags are usually organic structures, and their fluorescent properties are both investigated in chemistry research and applied in industry. In this work, copper hydroxide pyrazolate complexes (i.e., nanojars) are functionalized with a fluorophore (pyrene). Covalently binding fluorescent dyes to metal-organic macrostructures has shown to be useful in the literature, and similar uses are foreseen for fluorescent nanojars. In this work, the synthesis, mass spectrometric, and photophysical properties of six different fluorescent compounds (i.e., 3 free dyes and 3 corresponding fluorescent nanojars) are investigated. The photophysics of these compounds were studied using UV-vis spectroscopy, as well as steadystate and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. Once bound to nanojars, the fluorescent dyes exhibited significant emission quenching. Photophysical experiments were performed in solvents of varying polarity to explore solvatochromic effects. With deviations in quenching observed in the different environments, it was concluded that intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) between the nanojar and the fluorescent dye was a major contributor to emission quenching. To further this work, collecting electrochemical data will help determine the direction of charge transfer, and adjusting the structure of the organic dyes can improve nanojar emission intensities.

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