Ultrafast excited-state energy dissipation pathway of diethylamino hydroxybenzoyl hexyl benzoate (DHHB) via the nanoparticles

The organic UVA filter is popularized in sunscreen cosmetics due to the advantages of excellent light stability and high molar extinction coefficient. However, the poor water solubility of organic UV filters has been a common problem. Given that nanoparticles (NPs) can significantly improve the water solubility of organic chemicals. Meanwhile, the excited-state relaxation pathways of NPs might differ from their solution. Here, the NPs of diethylamino hydroxybenzoyl hexyl benzoate (DHHB), a popular organic UVA filter, were prepared by an advanced ultrasonic micro-flow reactor. The surfactant (sodium dodecyl sulfate) was selected as an effective stabilizer to prevent the self-aggregation of the NPs for DHHB. Femtosecond transient ultrafast spectroscopy (fs-TA) and theoretical calculations were utilized to trace and explain the excited-state evolution of DHHB in NPs suspension and its solution. The results reveal that the surfactant-stabilized NPs of DHHB reserve a similarly good performance of ultrafast excited-state relaxation. The stability characterization experiments demonstrate that the strategy of surfactant-stabilized NPs for sunscreen chemicals can maintain its stability and enhance the water solubility of DHHB compared with that of the solution phase. Therefore, the surfactant-stabilized NPs of organic UV filters are an effective method to improve water solubility and keep the stability from aggregation and photoexcitation. Graphical Abstract