Two phases of trans -stilbene in a polystyrene matrix.

Variability in the spectral properties of solid conformations of stilbene under various external conditions still remains obscure. The photophysical properties of trans -stilbene solution in solid polystyrene glass have been studied by absorption and time-resolved fluorescence. Concentration-induced quenching has been observed for small concentrations of stilbene. At large concentrations, the spectroscopic characteristics become split between the two phases of the sample: single-molecule properties are responsible for absorption, while the micro-crystalline phase dominates in fluorescence. Ab initio and molecular dynamics analyses suggest permanent twisting of the stilbene molecular structure upon crystallization, which supports spectroscopic phase separation.