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Supramolecular self-assembly of perylene bisimide (PBI) dyes via non-covalent forces gives rise to a high number of different PBI architectures with unique optical and functional properties. As these properties can be drastically influenced by only slightly structural changes of the formed supramolecular ensembles (Chapter 2.1) the controlled self-assembly of PBI dyes became a central point of current research to design innovative materials with a high potential for different applications as for example in the fields of organic electronics or photovoltaics.
As PBI dyes show a strong tendency to form infinite aggregated structures (Chapter 2.2) the aim of this thesis was to precisely control their self-assembly to create small, structurally well-defined PBI assemblies in solution. Chapter 2.3 provides an overview on literature known strategies that were established to realize this aim. It could be demonstrated that especially backbone-directed intra- and intermolecular self-assembly of covalently linked Bis-PBI dyes evolved as one of the most used strategies to define the number of stacked PBI chromophores by using careful designed spacer units with regard to their length and flexibility.
By using conventional spectroscopic methods like UV/Vis and fluorescence experiments in combination with NMR measurements an in-depth comparison of the molecular and optical properties in solution both in the non-stacked and aggregated state of the target compounds could be elucidated to reveal structure-property relationships of different PBI architectures. Thus, it could be demonstrated, that spacer units that pre-organize two PBI chromophores with an inter-planar distance of r < 7 Å lead to an intramolecular folding, whereas linker moieties with a length between 7 to 11 Å result in an intermolecular self-assembly of the respective Bis-PBIs dyes via dimerization to form well-defined quadruple PBI pi-stacks. Hence, if the used spacer units ensure an inter-planar distance r > 14 Å larger oligomeric PBI pi-stacks are generated.
In Chapter 4 a detailed analysis of the exciton coupling in a highly defined H-aggregate quadruple PBI pi-stack is presented. Therefore, bay-tethered PBI dye Bis-PBI 1 was investigated by concentration-dependent UV/Vis spectroscopy in THF and toluene as well as by 2D-DOSY-NMR spectroscopy, ESI mass spectrometry and AFM measurements confirming that Bis-PBI 1 self-assembles exclusively into dimers with four closely pi-stacked PBI chromophores. Furthermore, with the aid of broadband fluorescence upconversion spectroscopy (FLUPS) ensuring broadband detection range and ultrafast time resolution at once, ultrafast Frenkel exciton relaxation and excimer formation dynamics in the PBI quadruple pi-stack within 1 ps was successfully investigated in cooperation with the group of Dongho Kim. Thus, it was possible to gain for the first time insights into the exciton dynamics within a highly defined synthetic dye aggregate beyond dimers. By analysing the vibronic line shape in the early-time transient fluorescence spectra in detail, it could be demonstrated that the Frenkel exciton is entirely delocalized along the quadruple stack after photoexcitation and immediately loses its coherence followed by the formation of the excimer state.
In Chapter 5 four well-defined Bis-PBI folda-dimers Bis-PBIs 2-4 were introduced, where linker units of different length (r < 7 Å) and steric demand were used to gain distinct PBI dye assemblies in the folded state. Structural elucidation based on in-depth UV/Vis, CD and fluorescence experiments in combination with 1D and 2D NMR studies reveals a stacking of the two PBI chromophores upon folding, where geometry-optimized structures obtained from DFT calculations suggest only slightly different arrangements of the PBI units enforced by the distinct spacer moieties. With the resulting optical signatures of Bis-PBIs 2-4 ranging from conventional Hj-type to monomer like absorption features, the first experimental proof of a PBI-based “null-aggregate” could be presented, in which long- and short-range exciton coupling fully compensate each other. Hence, the insights of this chapter pinpoint the importance of charge-transfer mediated short-range exciton coupling that can significantly influence the properties of pi-stacked PBI chromophores
In the last part of this thesis (Chapter 6), spacer-controlled self-assembly of four bay-linked Bis-PBI dyes Bis-PBIs 5-8 into well-defined supramolecular architectures was investigated, where the final aggregate structures are substantially defined by the nature of the used spacer units. By systematically extending the backbone length from 7 to 15 Å defining the inter-planar distance between the tethered chromophores, different assemblies from defined quadruple PBI pi-stacks to larger oligomeric pi-stacks could be gained upon aggregation.
In conclusion, the synthesis of nine covalently linked PBI dyes in combination with a detailed investigation of their spacer-mediated self-assembly behaviour in solution concerning structure-properties-relationships was presented within this thesis. The results confirm a strong exciton coupling in different types of Bis-PBI architectures e.g. folda-dimers or highly defined quadruple pi-stacks, which significantly influences their optical properties upon self-assembly.
In light of the rapidly increasing global demand of energy and the negative effects of climate change, innovative solutions that allow an efficient transition to a carbon-neutral economy are urgently needed. In this context, artificial photosynthesis is emerging as a promising technology to enable the storage of the fluctuating energy of sunlight in chemical bonds of transportable “solar fuels”. Thus, in recent years much efforts have been devoted to the development of robust water oxidation catalysts (WOCs) leading to the discovery of the highly reactive Ru(bda) (bda: 2,2’-bipyridine-6,6’-dicarboxylic acid) catalyst family. The aim of this thesis was the study of chemical and photocatalytic water oxidation with functionalized Ruthenium macrocycles to explore the impact of substituents on molecular properties and catalytic activities of trinuclear macrocyclic Ru(bda) catalysts. A further objective of this thesis comprises the elucidation of factors that influence the light-driven water oxidation process with this novel class of supramolecular WOCs.
The present thesis demonstrates how different thermodynamic aspects of self-assembly and stimuli-responsive properties in water can be encoded on the structure of π-amphiphiles, consisting of perylene or naphthalene bisimide cores. Initially, quantitative thermodynamic insights into the entropically-driven self-assembly was studied for a series of naphthalene bisimides with UV/Vis and ITC measurements, which demonstrated that their thermodynamic profile of aggregation is heavily influenced by the OEG side chains. Subsequently, a control over the bifurcated thermal response of entropically driven and commonly observed enthalpically driven self-assembly was achieved by the modulation of glycol chain orientation. Finally, Lower Critical Solution Temperature (LCST) phenomenon observed for these dyes was investigated as a precise control of this behavior is quintessential for self-assembly studies as well as to generate ‘smart’ materials. It could be shown that the onset of phase separation for these molecules can be encoded in their imide substituents, and they are primarily determined by the supramolecular packing, rather than the hydrophobicity of individual monomers.
The aim of the first part of this thesis was to investigate (R,R)-PBI as a model system for polymorphism at its origin by a supramolecular approach. The pathway complexity of (R,R)-PBI was fine-tuned by experimental parameters such as solvent, temperature and concentration to make several supramolecular polymorphs accessible. Mechanistic and quantum chemical studies on the kinetics and thermodynamics of the supramolecular polymerization of (R,R)-PBI were conducted to shed light on the initial stages of polymorphism. The second part of this work deals with mechanistic investigations on the supramolecular polymerization of the racemic mixture of (R,R)- and (S,S)-PBI with regard to homochiral and heterochiral aggregation leading to conglomerates and a racemic supramolecular polymer, respectively.
Squaraine dyes have attracted more attention in the past decade due to their strong and narrow absorption and fluorescence along with the easily functionalized molecular structure. One successful approach of core functionalization is to replace one oxygen of the squaric carbonyl group with a dicyanomethylene group, which shifts the absorption and emission into the near infrared (NIR) region and at the same time leads to a rigid, planar structure with C2v symmetry. However, such squaraines tend to aggregate cofacially in solution due to dispersion forces and dipole-dipole interactions, usually leading to H-type exciton coupling with undesired blue-shifted spectrum and quenched fluorescence. Therefore, the goal of my research was the design of dicyanomethylene-substituted squaraine dyes that self-assemble into extended aggregates in solution with J-type coupling, in order to retain or even enhance their outstanding optical properties. Toward this goal, bis(squaraine) dyes were envisioned with two squaraine units covalently linked to trigger a slip-stacked packing motif within the aggregates to enable J-type coupling.
In my first project, bis(squaraine) dye BisSQ1 was synthesized, in which two dicyanomethylene squaraine chromophores are covalently linked. Concentration and temperature-dependent UV/Vis/NIR spectroscopy experiments reveal that BisSQ1 undergoes cooperative self-assembly resulting in J-type aggregates in a solvent mixture of toluene/1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane (TCE) (98:2, v/v). The J type exciton coupling is evident from the significantly red shifted absorption maximum at 886 nm and the fluorescence peak at 904 nm. In conclusion, this was a first example to direct squaraine dye aggregation in solution to the more desired slip-stacked packing leading to J-type exciton coupling by simply connecting two dyes in a head-to-tail bis chromophore structure.
Connecting two squaraine dyes with an additional phenylene spacer (BisSQ2) leads to two different polymorphs with very distinct absorption spectra upon cooling down a solution of BisSQ2 in a solvent mixture of toluene/TCE (98:2, v/v) with different rates. Accordingly, rapid cooling resulted in rigid helical nanorods with an absorption spectrum showing a panchromatic feature, while slow cooling led to a sheet-like structure with a significant bathochromic shift in the absorption spectrum.
It was discovered that the conventional molecular exciton model failed to explain the panchromatic absorption features of the nanorods for the given packing arrangement, therefore more profound theoretical investigations based on the Essential States Model (ESM) were applied to unveil the importance of intermolecular charge transfer (ICT) to adequately describe the panchromatic absorption spectrum. Moreover, the red-shift observed in the spectrum for the sheet-like structure can be assigned to the interplay of Coulomb coupling and ICT-mediated coupling.
Furthermore, the same bis-chromophore strategy was adopted for constructing an NIR-II emitter with a bathochromically-shifted spectrum. In chloroform, BisSQ3 exhibits an absorption maximum at 961 nm with a significant bathochromic shift (1020 cm−1) compared to the reference mono-squaraine SQ, indicating intramolecular J-type coupling via head-to-tail arrangement of two squaraine dyes. Moreover, BisSQ3 shows a fluorescence peak at 971 nm with a decent quantum yield of 0.33%. In less polar toluene, BisSQ3 self-assembles into nanofibers with additional intermolecular J-type coupling, causing a pronounced bathochromic shift with absorption maximum at 1095 nm and a fluorescence peak at 1116 nm. Thus, connecting two quinoline-based squaraines in a head-to-tail fashion leads to not only intra-, but also intermolecular J-type exciton coupling, which serves as a promising strategy to shift the absorption and emission of organic fluorophores into the NIR-II window while retaining decent quantum yields.
In conclusion, my research illustrates based on squaraine dyes how a simple modification of the molecular structure can significantly affect the aggregation behavior and further alter the optical properties of dye aggregates. Elongated supramolecular structures based on dicyanomethylene substituted squaraine dyes were successfully established by covalently linking two squaraine units to form a bis-chromophore structure. Then, a simple but efficient general approach was established to direct squaraine dye aggregation in solution to the more desired slip-stacked packing leading to J-type exciton coupling by directly connecting two squaraine dyes in a head-to-tail fashion without spacer units. Moreover, the additional spacer between the squaraine dyes in BisSQ2 allowed different molecular conformations, which leads to two different morphologies depending on the cooling rates for a hot solution. Hence, this is a promising strategy to realize supramolecular polymorphism.
In general, it is expected that the concept of constructing J-aggregates by the bis-chromophore approach can be extended to entirely different classes of dyes since J-aggregates possess a variety of features such as spectral shifts into the NIR window, fluorescence enhancement, and light harvesting, which are commonly observed and utilized for numerous fundamental studies and applications. Moreover, the insights on short-range charge transfer coupling for squaraine dyes is considered of relevance for all materials based on alternating donor-acceptor π-systems. The panchromatic spectral feature is in particular crucial for acceptor-donor-acceptor (ADA) dyes, which are currently considered as very promising materials for the development of bulk heterojunction solar cells.
Within this thesis the interactions between novel corannulene derivatives in solution as well as in the solid state by changing the imide residue of a literature known extended corannulene dicarboximide were investigated, in order to obtain a better understanding of the packing and possible charge transport in potential applications. Accordingly, the goal of the work was to synthesize and investigate an electron-poor corannulene bis(dicarboximide) based on previously published work but with higher solubility and less steric encumbrance in imide position to enable self-assembly in solution.
To obtain further insights into the conformational stability, structure and chiroptical properties of heavily twisted PBIs another aim of this thesis was the design, synthesis, and optoelectronic investigation of various fourfold directly arylated PBIs by substitution in bay position with smaller hydrocarbons with different steric demand, i.e., benzene, naphthalene and pyrene, which should be separable by chiral high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).
As of yet, no concise study concerning the optical and electronic properties of differently core-substituted PBIs in the neutral as well as the mono- and dianionic state in solution is available, which also elucidates the origin of the different optical transitions observed in the absorption and emission spectra. Thus, in this thesis, the investigation of five PBI derivatives with different frontier energetic levels to produce a reference work of reduced PBIs was tackled.
Inspired by the fact that sufficient solubility in aqueous media can be achieved by functional substitution of perylene bisimides (PBIs) with polar groups, one of the essential aims of this thesis was the design and successful synthesis of the new water-soluble PBI cyclophanes [2PBI]-1m and [2PBI]-1p, which are appended with branched, hydrophilic oligoethylene glycol (OEG) chains. Subsequently, the focus was set on the elucidation of properties of PBI cyclophane hosts which are also of relevance for recognition processes in biological systems. The performance of the new amphiphilic PBI cyclophane [2PBI]-1p as synthetic receptors for various natural aromatic alkaloids in aqueous media was thoroughly investigated. Alkaloids represent a prominent class of ubiquitous nitrogen containing natural compounds with a great structural variety and diverse biological activity. As of yet, no chromophore host acting as a molecular probe for a range of alkaloids such as harmine or harmaline is known. In addition, the self-association behavior of cyclophane host [2PBI]-1m and its reference monomer in water was studied in order to gain insights into the thermodynamic driving forces affecting the self-assembly process of these two PBI systems in aqueous environment. Moreover, the chirality transfer upon guest binding previously observed for a PBI cyclophane was investigated further. The assignment of the underlying mechanism of guest recognition to either the induced fit or conformational selection model was of particular interest.
The present thesis introduce different synthetic strategies towards a variety of polycyclic aromatic dicarboximides (PADIs) with highly interesting and diverse properties. This included tetrachlorinated, tetraaryloxy- and tetraaryl-substituted dicarboximides, fused acceptor‒donor(‒acceptor) structures as well as sterically shielded rylene and nanographene dicarboximides. The properties and thus the disclosure of structure‒property relationships of the resulting dyes were investigated in detail among others with UV‒vis absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry and single crystal X-ray analysis. For instance, some of the fused and substituted PADIs offer strong absorption of visible and near infrared (NIR) light, NIR emission and low-lying LUMO levels. On the contrary, intriguing optical features in the solid-state characterize the rylene dicarboximides with their bulky N-substituents, while the devised sterically enwrapped nanographene host offered remarkable complexation capabilities in solution.
The chirality of the interlocked bay-arylated perylene motif is investigated upon its material prospect and the enhancement of its chiroptical response to the NIR spectral region. A considerable molecular library of inherently chiral perylene bisimides (PBIs) was utilized as acceptors in organic solar cells to provide decent device performances and insights into the structure-property relationship of PBI materials within a polymer blend. For the first time in the family of core-twisted PBIs, the effects of enantiopurity on the device performance was thoroughly investigated. The extraordinary structural sensitivity of CD spectroscopy served as crucial analytical tool to bridge the highly challenging gap between molecular properties and device analytics by proving the excitonic chirality of a helical PBI dimer. The chirality of this perylene motif could be further enhanced on a molecular level by both the expansion and the enhanced twisting of the π-scaffold to achieve a desirable strong chiroptical NIR response introducing a new family of twisted QBI-based nanoribbons. These achievements could be substantially further developed by expanding this molecular concept to a supramolecular level. The geometrically demanding supramolecular arrangement necessary for the efficient excitonic coupling was carefully encoded into the molecular design. Accordingly, the QBIs could form the first J-type aggregate constituting a fourfold-stranded superhelix of a rylene bisimide with strong excitonic chirality. Therefore, this thesis has highlighted the mutual corroboration of experimental and theoretical data from the molecular to the supramolecular level. It has demonstrated that for rylene bisimide dyes, the excitonic contribution to the overall chiroptical response can be designed and rationalized. This can help to pave the way for new organic functional materials to be used for
chiral sensing or chiral organic light-emitting devices.
In aqueous environment, hydrophobic interactions play an important role for DNA. The introduction of modifications based on hydrophobic aromatic moieties offers additional ways for controlling recognition and reactivity of functional groups in DNA. Modifications are introduced through an artificial backbone or in the form of an extension of the nucleobases, resulting in additional properties of the DNA.
This dissertation focuses on the use of hydrophobic units for the functionalization of DNA.
In the first part of the work, the tolane (i. e. diphenylacetylene) motif was used in combination with the acyclic backbone of GNA and BuNA to generate recognition units in the DNA context. Fluorination of the aromatic rings in the tolane moiety provided the basis for a supramolecular language based on arene-fluoroarene interactions. The specific recognition was investigated by thermodynamic, kinetic and NMR spectroscopic methods.
In the second part of the work, deoxyuridine derivatives with a hydrophobic aromatic modification were prepared and incorporated into DNA duplexes. The irradiation with UV light led to a [2+2] cycloaddition reaction between two modified nucleosides in the DNA. This reaction product was structurally characterized and the reaction was used in various biochemical and nanotechnological DNA applications.