Exploration of dynamic self-assembly mediated nanoparticle formation using perylenemonoimide–pyrene conjugate: a tool towards single-component white-light emission

Abstract

The formulation of fluorescent organic nanoparticles in an easy and cost-effective way is the desideratum. We have provided a solution by devising fluorescent nanoparticles via dynamic self-assembly of perylenemonoimide appended pyrene (PMIAPy) in a solvent-specific manner which is also efficient in generating white-light emission with a Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage (CIE) chromaticity index of (0.30, 0.31) from a single-component system. The roles of pre-associated pyrene excimer, truncation of electronic communication, H-aggregation, and loss of energy transfer in white-light emission, and in the formation of cyan fluorescent nanoparticles are demonstrated with an in-depth understanding of the self-assembly process using UV-Vis. spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, kinetic experiments, time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and fluorescence microscopy. The reversible disassembly of self-assembled nanoparticles with the addition of more than 80% (V/V) of water in dry THF delineates the possible arrangement of PMIAPy inside the nanoparticle.