Mechanistic Aspects of the Oxygen Quenching of the Solid-Matrix Phosphorescence of Perdeuterated Phenanthrene on Partially Hydrophobic Paper

Abstract

The effects of oxygen over a wide concentration range on the solid-matrix phosphorescence (SMP) of perdeuterated phenanthrene (D10) adsorbed on partially hydrophobic paper (1PS) were investigated. The SMP lifetime results of D10 adsorbed on Whatman 1PS paper and Whatman No. 1 paper were considered, and the SMP intensities and SMP lifetimes of D10 on 1PS paper were compared. The SMP quenching model employed showed that diffusional quenching was not very extensive for D10 adsorbed on both types of paper. In addition, a large fraction of the D10 phosphor molecules did not undergo diffusional quenching in either paper. The changes in the SMP intensities for D10 adsorbed on 1PS paper were much greater than the corresponding SMP lifetime changes, which indicated that static quenching by oxygen was very effective for D10 on 1PS paper. Also, the SMP intensity data indicated that a relatively large fraction of the D10 molecules were not quenched statically. The quenching data were interpreted and compared with equations that permitted both linear and nonlinear models to be employed.