A novel route to synthesis of photoluminescent dye/polypyrrole nanoparticles: Effects of intermolecular energy transfer on nucleation and growth of polypyrrole

Photoluminescent dye/polypyrrole nanoparticles were prepared by one-step polymerization of pyrrole monomer in the presence of the dye molecules under UV light illumination. Oxygen in the air was selected as an oxidant in this method. Optical properties of the nanoparticles were investigated, revealing that the nanoparticles exhibited higher photostability than pure RhB. In addition, it was found that the presence of both dye molecules and UV light played the important role in the formation of the nanoparticles. And then the mechanism for the formation of well-confined nanoparticles was explained via the effects of intermolecular energy transfer between the dye molecules and pyrrole monomer on nucleation and growth of polypyrrole.