Terrylene in p-terphenyl: single-molecule experiments at room temperature Original Research Article

This paper reports on fluorescence microscopy and spectroscopy of single terrylene molecules embedded in p-terphenyl at room temperature. The basic photophysical parameters of this crystalline host/guest system such as photostability, single-molecule emission rates and the properties of dispersed fluorescence spectra are reported. The stability of the single-molecule signals allowed the direct observation of singlet–triplet quantum jumps at room temperature, by means of which the underlying intersystem crossing rates can be investigated. The results of earlier investigations at liquid-helium temperatures are reviewed briefly where appropriate. The properties of terrylene in p-terphenyl are also compared to those of other host/guest systems at room temperature.