Preparation and Characterization of Rhodamine 6G/Alkyltrimethylammonium/Laponite Hybrid Solid Materials with Higher Emission Quantum Yield

To realize the solid materials with higher emission quantum yield from the rhodamine 6G (R6G) monomers, typical laser-dye, we hybridized both alkyltrimethylammonium (CnTMA(+)) and R6G cations into the laponite (Lap) interlayer nanospace and investigated their photoemission and nanostructure. The hybrid solid materials were prepared by dissolving an appropriate amount of CnTMA(+)Br(-) powder with Lap ethanol/aqueous (1/1 v/v) suspension with 0.1% or 0.5% cation-exchange capacity (CEC) of R6G cations. From X-ray diffraction (XRD) and C-13 cross-polarization magic-angle spinning (CP MAS) NMR of the present solid materials, it was found that CnTMA(+) cations were incorporated as the trans-gauche form into the Lap interlayer nanospace and R6G cations were intercalated parallel to the surface of Lap nanosheet. Emission quantum yield, 0, of the R6G/CnTMA(+)/Lap solid materials became higher than that of R6G/Lap and increased with increasing carbon number in alkyl chain, n, and was a constant as ca. 80% beyond 11 > 10. The R6G/C/6TMA(+)/Lap solid material prepared under optimal conditions exhibited ca. 80% 0, even when the molar concentration of R6G cation was 10(-2) mol/dm(3).