Femto-to nanosecond photodynamics of Nile Red in metal-ion exchanged faujasites

We report on the photodynamics of Nile Red (NR) interacting with faujasite (NaY)-type zeolites having different Na/Al ratios and charge balancing metals (Li+, Mg2+, and Cs+) in dichloromethane (DCM) suspensions. The encapsulation of NR in these materials leads to the formation of different populations, reflected in H- and J-aggregates, monomers, and surface adsorbed species. Due to the interaction of the dye with both the Brønsted and Lewis sites of the zeolite, a bathochromic shift is observed in the steady-state diffuse transmittance and emission spectra. The relative contribution of each population is affected by the Na/Al ratio and the nature of the doping metal ion. These findings are further explored by femto-to nanosecond time-resolved emission experiments, where a multi-exponential behaviour is observed for the excited samples. The fluorescence lifetimes range from ∼100 ps to ∼2 ns. They are assigned to the emission from H- and J-aggregates and monomers. At low Na/Al ratios, we observed an increase in the fluorescence time constants which is explained in terms of H-bonds formation between NR and the zeolite framework, while the change in the emission lifetimes for the metal ion exchanged zeolites is due to the variation of the properties (size and polarization ability) of the exchanged cation. An ultrafast formation (∼200 fs) of a charge-separated state (CS) followed by a vibrational cooling (∼1–2 ps) are observed in the fluorescence up-conversion transients. These results indicate a strong interaction between NR and the studied zeolites and may help for the design of metal ion sensors and for a better understanding of nanocatalysis.