Photophysics of two structurally similar dyes containing substituted amino as donor and carbonyl as acceptor groups

The present work entails a comparative photophysical study of two structurally similar donor–acceptor dyes. In one of the dyes (DN2) twisting about C–N bond is permissible, while twisting is strategically restricted in the other (N2). Optical responses of both the dyes have been monitored in pure and mixed binary solvents comprising of mainly aprotic+protic systems. Results indicate that the nature of emitting states in protic and aprotic microenvironments is different for the two dyes. In aprotic media the solvated dye molecule is the emitting species while emission mainly takes place, supposedly, from the dye-solvent hydrogen bonded complex in protic media. The parallel behaviour of the two dyes indicates that twisting about C–N bond in the excited state is not an important photophysical process. Further, the effect of addition of strong acid to the dye solution and the corresponding existence of equilibrium between two tautomeric forms for both the dye has been studied.