Perylene diimide dye/layered carbide charge transfer composite: Design, synthesis, and photophysical properties

Brominated perylene diimide dye (BrPDI) was found to intercalate into a host layer of two-dimensional OH-Ti3C2 to produce BrPDI-OTi3C2 nanocomposites that gave a stable dispersion in polar solvents. Compared to the parent BrPDI, BrPDI-OTi3C2 exhibited a novel lower energy electronic transition (max. at ~700 nm) in addition to solvatochromism. Furthermore, molecular simulations (density functional theory) indicated that intramolecular charge transfer occurred from the perylene core units to the OH-Ti3C2 moiety in the HOMO-LUMO excitation process of BrPDI-OTi3C2.