Abstract
The fluorescence quenching N,N-bis(2,6-dimethylphenyl)-3,4:9,10-perylenetetra-carboxylic diimide (BDPD) by colloidal silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was studied in methanol and ethylene glycol by steady state fluorescence measurements. The Stern - Volmer quenching rate constant (K-sv) was calculated as 8.1 x 10(8) and 8.22 x 10(8) M-1 in methanol and ethylene glycol respectively. Taking the fluorescence lifetime of BDPD in the absence of silver nanoparticles as 3.2 ns, the values of the fluorescence quenching rate constants (k(q) = K-sv /tau) are calculated as 2.54 x 10(17) and 2.56 x 10(17) M-1 s(-1) in methanol and ethylene glycol respectively. From the data, fluorescence resonance energy transfer and / or electron transfer processes play a major role in the fluorescence quenching of BDPD by AgNPs in methanol and low concentrations of Ag NPs in ethylene glycol. The static quenching rate constant in ethylene glycol was calculated by modified Stern - Volmer equation as V = 8.86 x 10(9) M-1 . For dynamic quenching, the radius of quenching sphere volume r values were found to be 68.3 and 70.6 nm in ethanol and ethylene glycol, respectively. For static quenching in ethylene glycol the effective radius of quenching sphere action (kinetic radius) was calculated as r = 152 nm.