Synthesis and luminescence properties of dye-doped deoxyribonucleic acid films

Dye-doped deoxyribonucleic acids (DNA)–tetradecyltrimethylammonium (TTA) films have been prepared. Rhodamine 6G, known as laser dyes, can be spontaneously doped by immersing the DNA–TTA film in rhodamine 6G-acetonitrile solutions. It is surmised that rhodamine 6G monomers and dimers diffuse within the hydrophobic TTA sites, and then monomers presumably intercalate between adjacent base pairs of DNA. Optical absorption spectra reveal that rhodamine 6G molecules in the sample undergo an unusual transformation from the dimer state to the monomer state with the elapse of time. Rhidamine 6G molecules doped in DNA–TTA show enhanced photostability and concentration quenching than those in PMMA. The environment, conformation and chemical stability of rhodamine 6G are different between DNA–TTA and PMMA, and are presumably modified by the intercalation.