Photo-induced electron transfer in a pyrenylcarbazole containing polymer–multiwalled carbon nanotube composite

A polymer incorporated with a pyrenylcarbazole pendant poly(12-(3-(pyren-1-yl)-carbazol-9-yl)dodecyl methacrylate, denoted as PCP) was synthesized and applied in the functionalization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) by noncovalent π–π interaction. The PCP–MWCNT hybrids were isolated and characterized by SEM, TEM, and UV-visible absorption and emission spectroscopies. The strong interaction between PCP and the MWCNT in a 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane (TCE) solution was studied. It demonstrated an effective quenching effect on emission from PCP by the MWCNTs. DFT calculations showed electron delocalization between the pyrene and carbazole moieties. The LUMO of PCP is mainly located on the pyrene moiety while the LUMO + 1 is predominantly positioned on the carbazole moiety. Femtosecond transient absorption (TA) experiments determined the characteristic TA peaks of the excited states, which have contributions from both the pyrene and carbazole moieties. The excited state lifetime of the polymer PCP was measured to be 659 ps and the photo-excited electrons were injected into the MWCNTs very effectively on a time scale of 420 fs.