Picosecond spectral relaxation of curcumin excited state in toluene–alcohol mixtures

Excited state photophysics of Curcumin in a binary solvent mixture of toluene and five different alcohols (Methanol, Ethanol, 1-Propanol, 1-Butanol and 1-Octanol) are compared with an instrument time resolution of ~40 ps. As the alcohol mole-fraction is varied from zero to unity, the observed trends in the fluorescence quantum yield and lifetime of the pigment in toluene–alcohol mixtures changes significantly in going from Methanol to 1-Octanol. This is attributed to the different degree of modulation of the non-radiative rates associated with the excited state intermolecular H bonding between the pigment and the alcohol. Fluorescence decays taken at the red edge of the emission spectrum started to show measurable rise times (200–30 ps) the magnitude of which decreased gradually with increasing alcohol mole-fraction. As a consequence the solvation times in the binary mixture were observed to slow down considerably at certain solvent compositions compared to that in neat alcohol. However, in toluene-1-Octanol mixture, the rise times and corresponding solvation times did not show a dependence on the 1-Octanol mole-fraction. The observed results suggest that viscosity, polarity and hydrogen bonding property of the alcohol solvent plays an important role in the excited state processes of the pigment in toluene–alcohol mixture.