Intercalation of a cationic cyanine dye into the layer silicate magadiite

A cationic cyanine dye, 1,1′-diethyl-2,2′-cyanine (denoted as PIC), was intercalated into the layer silicate magadiite by ion-exchange between an aqueous PICBr solution and Na-magadiite or dodecyltrimethylammonium-exchanged magadiite. The formation of the intercalation compounds was probed by XRD, IR and chemical analysis. The basal spacing, the adsorbed amount of PIC, and the spectroscopic features of the products were determined. UV-Vis spectra revealed that different types of PIC aggregates were formed in the products synthesized from Na-magadiite and dodecyltrimethylammonium-exchanged magadiite. The state of PIC was also affected by the presence of alkylammonium ions. The microstructure of dye aggregates in the present systems was different from the typical structure of other systems such as the J-aggregates on the surface of AgBr crystals.