Facile assembly of a polystyrene microsphere/graphene oxide/porphyrin composite with core–shell structure

5,10,15,20-Tetrakis(4-trimethylaminophenyl)porphyrin iodide (TAPPI) was easily assembled on the surface of graphene oxide (GO) coated polystyrene (PS) microspheres by electrostatic interactions combined with π–π interactions. In the monodisperse ternary composite with core–shell structure (PS microspheres/GO/TAPPI), effective electron transfer from excited TAPPI to GO can be achieved as evidenced by fluorescence spectra. Under continuous UV illumination, TAPPI molecules in the ternary composite displayed high UV stability compared with that of pure TAPPI. Furthermore, enhanced thermal stability could also be obtained for the ternary composite. It was possible to enhance the stability of the TAPPI molecules through conjugation of the delocalized π-electron systems between the PS microsphere supported GO and TAPPI.