Characterization of adsorption and electronic excited states of quercetin on titanium dioxide nanoparticles

•Quercetin molecules adsorbed on TiO2 were investigated and compared with free dye.•Stark effect spectroscopy was used to estimate the electrooptical parameters.•The excited state of adsorbed quercetin shows significant charge-transfer character.

Adsorption of quercetin on colloidal titanium dioxide nanoparticles in ethanol and its excited-state electronic structure were investigated by means of electronic and vibrational spectroscopies. The changes in electronic charge redistribution as reflected by the dipole moment difference, ∆μ, between the ground and excited electronic states were measured with electroabsorption spectroscopy and analyzed using results of TD DFT computations. Adsorption of quercetin causes a red shift of its absorption spectrum. Raman spectra of quercetin analyzed with reference to analogous data for morin indicate binding of quercetin through the hydroxy groups of the catechol moiety. The difference dipole moment, which is 5.5 D in free quercetin, increases to 11.8 D in opposite direction in adsorbed quercetin, and is associated with charge-transfer to the Ti atom. The computed transition energy, intensity, vector Δμ and molecular orbitals involved in the electronic transition at different molecular configurations indicate a bidentate chelating mode of binding of quercetin.

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