High density intercalation of porphyrin into transparent clay membrane without aggregation.

Cationic porphyrin was successfully intercalated into transparent clay membrane by developing the new strategy for the sample preparation conditions. When water:ethanol = 1:2 (v:v) was used as solvent for porphyrin penetration process, high density intercalation of porphyrin into the clay membrane was achieved. In the interlayer space, porphyrin molecules do not aggregate owing to intercharge distance matching effect (size-matching effect), even at high density condition. Judging from XRD and absorption measurements, the orientations of the porphyrins in the clay layers should be almost parallel to the clay nanosheet as monolayer. Because the fluorescence quantum yield did not depend on its loading level, it is turned out that intercalated TMPyP in the clay film keeps the photoactivity even under the high density conditions.