Optical detection and spectroscopy of single molecules has recently been achieved in solids at very low temperature. Until now only three host-guest combinations have fulfilled the stringent requirements for high-resolution single-molecule spectra. A large absorption cross section has to be paired with high fluorescence quantum yield, high photochemical stability, as well as the absence of any significant shelving in a bottleneck state. The photophysical properties of the single fluorescent molecule are strongly influenced by its 'nano-environment'. Here we report the properties of a new system: terrylene in the Shpol'skii matrix hexadecane. In this system a peak emission rate more than 107 photons/s is achieved. It is expected that such a Shpol'skii system is a prototype of a new class of materials which allow single-molecule spectra to be easily recorded.
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Plakhotnik et al. (1994) studied this question.