Enhanced photoluminescence and the self-assembled fibrillar nanostructure of 5-(cholesteryloxy)methyl-8-hydroxyquinoline lithium in a gel state

New Journal of Chemistry Pub Date: 2009-12-09 DOI: 10.1039/B9NJ00453J

Abstract

Soluble 5-(cholesteryloxy)methyl-8-hydroxyquinoline lithium(I) (LiChQ) was synthesized through the modification of 8-hydroxyquinoline lithium (LiQ) with cholesterol, and showed about 3 times more enhanced luminescence than pristine LiQ. When increasing the concentration of LiChQ up to 1 wt% in non-protic solvents, nanoscale fibers of 30–100 nm diameter were formed through self-assembly in a super-gel state. There was a red shift in the absorption of the gel in comparison to the solution, which indicates that LiChQ tends to form a J-aggregate in the gel state. We also investigated the gelation process of LiChQ using the Lippert–Mataga equation. We suggest that LiChQ has potential applications in luminescent devices and/or as a template for nanostructured optoelectronic materials.

Graphical abstract: Enhanced photoluminescence and the self-assembled fibrillar nanostructure of 5-(cholesteryloxy)methyl-8-hydroxyquinoline lithium in a gel state
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