Solvent effect on the photophysics of bisphenol-A-based polycarbonate and diphenylcarbonate

Abstract

Polycarbonate and diphenylcarbonate exhibit an anomalous fluorescence emission with peak maximum around 350 nm in polar solvents that may be attributed to the association of diarylcarbonate moieties in a polar solvent cage. The red-shifted emission is attributed to intermolecular interactions in polar solvents and intramolecular interactions in polycarbonate. The photophysical behavior of polycarbonate and diphenylcarbonate is different from that of 1,3-diphenylpropane where a red-shifted emission is due to excimers formed by phenyl groups separated by three carbon atoms and is independent of the polarity of the solvent. Keywords: diphenylcarbonate, polycarbonate, aggregates, photophysics.