Exciplex emission and photoinduced energy transfer as a function of cavity dimension in naphthalene-linked aza-crown ethers

We report here the photophysical properties of two derivatives of N-(β-methylnaphthalene) aza-crown systems having different cavity dimensions. The aza-crown moiety is attached to β-position of naphthalene moiety by one >CH2 unit in both the derivatives. The cavity size is found to have a pronounced effect on exciplex formation as well as energy transfer in the systems at room temperature and low temperature, respectively. Both the systems exhibit photoinduced electron transfer (PET) which is evident from their weaker fluorescence emission and their quenched singlet lifetimes as compared to that of free naphthalene. The systems also show a solvent sensitive red shifted broad structureless emission which is assigned to exciplex formation. The ratio of quantum yields of exciplex to monomer emission (ϕExp/ϕM) is lower in the smaller aza-crown (L1) as compared to that in the larger aza-crown (L2) implying a different geometry of the two systems in the excited state. Semi-emperical calculations performed on the systems also corroborate the different geometry of the two systems. Complexation of alkali metals, rare earth ions and protons by the aza-crown moiety results in enhancement of fluorescence emission due to blocking of PET. In the presence of protons, L1 exhibits a new emission due to excimer formation which has not been observed in L2 under similar conditions. The rare earth ion complexes of L1 and L2 at low temperature exhibit energy transfer from the lowest triplet state of naphthalene to the rare earth ion states, the extent of energy transfer being greater in the larger aza-crown (L2) as compared to that in smaller aza-crown system (L1).