Photophysics of 3,3'-diethyloxadicarbocyanine iodide (DODCI) in ionic liquid micelle and binary mixtures of ionic liquids: effect of confinement and viscosity on photoisomerization rate.

The dynamics of photoisomerization of 3,3'-diethyloxadicarbocyanine iodide (DODCI) has been investigated inside micellar environment formed by a surfactant-like ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium octyl sulfate ([C(4)mim][C(8)SO(4)]) and also in binary mixture of another ionic liquid, N,N,N-trimethyl-N-propyl ammonium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide, ([N(3111)][Tf(2)N]) with methanol, acetonitrile, and n-propanol by using steady-state and picosecond time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. The entrapment of DODCI into the [C(4)mim][C(8)SO(4)] micellar environment led to the enhanced fluorescence intensity along with ~13 nm red shift in the emission maxima. A sharp increase in the fluorescence quantum yield (Φ) and the lifetime (τ(f)) near the critical micelle concentration (cmc) range is observed followed by saturation at higher concentration. As a result of partitioning of the probe molecules in the micellar phase from water, the nonradiative rate constant (k(nr)) of DODCI decreases 2.7 times than in water. The retardation of isomerization rate is due to high microviscosity of the micellar system compared to bulk water. In order to understand how the rate of isomerization depends on polarity as well as viscosity, we have measured isomerization rate in neat [N(3111)][Tf(2)N] and its mixtures with polar solvents, like methanol, acetonitrile, and n-propanol. The addition of methanol and n-propanol increases the polarity, but viscosity of the medium decreases. The nonradiative rate constant that represents the rate of photoisomerization decreases with the addition of the polar solvent in [N(3111)][Tf(2)N]. Complete analysis of all the experimental results indicate that viscosity is the sole parameter that regulates the rate of photoisomerization. Temperature-dependent k(nr) are used to determine the activation energy (E(a)) in 100 mM [C(4)mim][C(8)SO(4)] solution and neat [N(3111)][Tf(2)N] system.