Optical properties of cyanine dyes in the nanoporous chrysotile asbestos

The optical properties of the cyanine dye in nanotubes of the chrysotile asbestos are studied. Absorption and fluorescence spectra have blue shift; the Stokes shift for asbestos is smaller than for solution. The fluorescence decay lifetime of dye in asbestos is longer that in films, due to hindrance of stereoisomerization in the excited state. Observed linear dichroism and fluorescence anisotropy indicate that embedded dye molecules are well-isolated monomer oriented predominantly along asbestos nanotubes.