Molecules 2012, 17, 1602-1616; doi:10.3390/molecules17021602 OPEN ACCESS molecules ISSN 1420-3049 www.mdpi.com/journal/molecules Article Phloxine B as a Probe for Entrapment in Microcrystalline Cellulose Paulo Duarte 1, Diana P. Ferreira 1, Isabel Ferreira Machado 1,2, Luís Filipe Vieira Ferreira 1,*, Hernan B. Rodríguez 3 and Enrique San Román 3,* 1 Centro de Química-Física Molecular, and IN-Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Complexo Interdisciplinar, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal; E-Mails:
[email protected] (P.D.);
[email protected] (D.P.F.);
[email protected] (I.F.M.) 2 Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Gestão, Instituto Politécnico de Portalegre, Lugar da Abadessa, Apt 148, 7301-901, Portalegre, Portugal 3 INQUIMAE / DQIAyQF, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, UBA, Ciudad Universitaria, Pab. II, C1428EHA, Buenos Aires, Argentina; E-Mail:
[email protected] * Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mails:
[email protected] (L.F.V.F.);
[email protected] (E.S.R.); Tel.: +351-218419252 (L.F.V.F.); Fax: +351-218464455 (L.F.V.F.). Received: 11 November 2011; in revised form: 26 January 2012 / Accepted: 2 February 2012 / Published: 7 February 2012 Abstract: The photophysical behaviour of phloxine B adsorbed onto microcrystalline cellulose was evaluated by reflectance spectroscopy and laser induced time-resolved luminescence in the picosecond-nanosecond and microsecond-millisecond ranges. Analysis of the absorption spectral changes with concentration points to a small tendency of the dye to aggregate in the range of concentrations under study.