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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 February 2011
Photophysical properties of l-Docosyl-4-(4-hydroxystyryl)pyridiniurn bromide(SB), a merocyanine dye in solution and encapsulated in sol-gel derivedglass are investigated at 298 and 77 K. In solution, the absorption spectraof SB display an equilibrium between the quinolinium and benzoid forms. Theequilibrium can be shifted to either quinolinium or benzoid form under anacidic or basic condition, respectively. The emission spectra of SB, on theother hand, give not only the quinolinium and benzoid forms but also thequinoid form which emits at 500 nm. The existence of excited state quinoidform of SB is also evident in the excitation spectrum while the emission at500 nm is monitored. Both in solution and in xerogel, the quinoid form of SBis shown to be photochemically unstable as compared to the benzoid form. Itis proposed that the photoexcited quinolinium form of SB is a protondissociative species which transforms readily to become the quinoid form.The results indicate that photochemistry channels of SB are originated fromthe quinoid form. Moreover, the benzoid form of SB (photochemically stable)exhibits large hyperpolarizability due to its charge-transfercharacteristic, and is a desired molecular form for nonlinear optical (NLO)applications. The material processing techniques for stabilizing the benzoidform of SB in optically transparent sol-gel glasses are illustrated for thefirst time.