Efficiency of porous silicon photosensitizer in the singlet oxygen-mediated oxidation of organic compounds

The efficiency of singlet oxygen photosensitization by porous silicon is compared with that of a conventional dye photosensitizer tetraphenylporphine by means of singlet oxygen-mediated photooxidation of α-terpinene. Based on photoluminescence measurements it was concluded that the efficiency of porous silicon as a sensitizer is much lower than that of the conventional organic dye. The main reasons for this are the low quantum yield of long living photoinduced electronic excitations (excitones) confined in silicon nanocrystals and deactivation of singlet oxygen by H-terminated internal surface of porous silicon powder. Efficient quenching of excitons in porous silicon by 1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran via the direct energy transfer was demonstrated. This process is believed to be responsible for photobleaching of 1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran at its millimolar concentrations.