Electroabsorption spectra of push–pull porphyrins in solution and in solid films

Polarized electroabsorption (E-A) spectra of highly efficient porphyrin sensitizers (YD2 and YD2-oC8) have been measured in benzene solution. Polarized E-A spectra of these push-pull porphyrins embedded in poly(methyl methacrylate) films or sensitized on TiO 2 films are also observed. Based on the analysis of the E-A spectra, the magnitude of the electric dipole moment both in the ground state and in the lowest excited state have been evaluated in solution and in solid films. The electric dipole moment in the excited state of these compounds is very large on TiO2 films, suggesting the interfacial charge transfer on TiO2 surface following photoexcitation of porphyrin dyes. The electric dipole moment in the excited state evaluated from the E-A spectra is very different from the one evaluated from the electrophotoluminescence spectra on TiO2, suggesting that the strong local field of TiO 2 films is applied to the fluorescing dyes attached to TiO 2 films.