The effect of pulsed laser radiation on polyelectrolyte capsule shells modified with fluorescent dyes

Abstract

Polyelectrolyte capsules containing rhodamine 6G and fluorescein isothiocyanate in their shells are obtained by successive adsorption on spherical microscopic CaCO₃ particles followed by the dissolution of the latter. Suspensions of the capsules are irradiated with a laser operating at a wavelength corresponding to the absorption bands of the dyes, and it is shown that shell modification with the selected dyes promotes photosensitized disruption of these structures. The mechanism proposed for this disruption is realized via energy transfer from photoexcited dye molecules to the polymer matrix. Therewith, the dye-modified capsules are disrupted due to their nonuniform local heating.