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Proton‐coupled electron‐transfer (PCET) processes play a key role in biocatalytic energy conversion and storage, for example, photosynthesis or nitrogen fixation. Here, we report a series of bipyridine‐containing di‐ to tetranuclear Ru(bda) macrocycles 2 C–4 C (bda: 2,2′‐bipyridine‐6,6′‐dicarboxylate) to promote O−O bond formation. In photocatalytic water oxidation under neutral conditions, all complexes 2 C–4 C prevail in a folded conformation that support the water nucleophilic attack (WNA) pathway with remarkable turnover frequencies of up to 15.5 s\(^{−1}\) per Ru unit respectively. Single‐crystal X‐ray analysis revealed an increased tendency for intramolecular π‐π stacking and preorganization of the proximal bases close to the active centers for the larger macrocycles. H/D kinetic isotope effect studies and electrochemical data demonstrate the key role of the proximal bipyridines as proton acceptors in lowering the activation barrier for the crucial nucleophilic attack of H\(_{2}\)O in the WNA mechanism.
We introduce fluorescence-detected pump–probe microscopy by combining a wavelength-tunable ultrafast laser with a confocal scanning fluorescence microscope, enabling access to the femtosecond time scale on the micrometer spatial scale. In addition, we obtain spectral information from Fourier transformation over excitation pulse-pair time delays. We demonstrate this new approach on a model system of a terrylene bisimide (TBI) dye embedded in a PMMA matrix and acquire the linear excitation spectrum as well as time-dependent pump–probe spectra simultaneously. We then push the technique towards single TBI molecules and analyze the statistical distribution of their excitation spectra. Furthermore, we demonstrate the ultrafast transient evolution of several individual molecules, highlighting their different behavior in contrast to the ensemble due to their individual local environment. By correlating the linear and nonlinear spectra, we assess the effect of the molecular environment on the excited-state energy.
Perylene bisimides (PBIs) are among the best fluorophores but have to be enwrapped for optoelectronic applications by large and heavy substituents to prevent their ππ‐stacking, which is known to accelerate non‐radiative decay processes in the solid state. Here, light‐weight di‐tert‐butylsilyl groups are introduced to bridge 1,12‐dihydroxy and 1,6,7,12‐tetrahydroxy PBIs to afford sublimable dyes for vacuum‐processed optoelectronic devices. For both new compounds, this substitution provides a twisted and shielded perylene π‐core whose, via OSiObridges, rigid structure affords well‐resolved absorption and emission spectra with strong fluorescence in solution, as well as in the solid state. The usefulness of these dyes for vacuum‐processed optoelectronic devices is demonstrated in organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) that show monomer‐like emission spectra and high maximum external quantum efficiency (EQEmax) values of up to 3.1% for the doubly silicon‐bridged PBI.
A series of novel imide‐functionalized C\(_{64}\) nanographenes is investigated as acceptor components in organic solar cells (OSCs) in combination with donor polymer PM6. These electron‐poor molecules either prevail as a monomer or self‐assemble into dimers in the OSC active layer depending on the chosen imide substituents. This allows for the controlled stacking of electron‐poor and electron‐rich π–scaffolds to establish a novel class of non‐fullerene acceptor materials to tailor the bulk‐heterojunction morphology of the OSCs. The best performance is observed for derivatives that are able to self‐assemble into dimers, reaching power conversion efficiencies of up to 7.1%.
Inspired by the proficiency of natural enzymes, mimicking of nanoenvironments for precise substrate preorganisation is a promising strategy in catalyst design. However, artificial examples of enzyme-like activation of H\(_2\)O molecules for the challenging oxidative water splitting reaction are hardly explored. Here, we introduce a mononuclear Ru(bda) complex (M1, bda: 2,2’-bipyridine-6,6’-dicarboxylate) equipped with a bipyridine-functionalized ligand to preorganize H\(_2\)O molecules in front of the metal center as in enzymatic clefts. The confined pocket of M1 accelerates chemically driven water oxidation at pH 1 by facilitating a water nucleophilic attack pathway with a remarkable turnover frequency of 140 s\(^{−1}\) that is comparable to the oxygen-evolving complex of photosystem II. Single crystal X-ray analysis of M1 under catalytic conditions allowed the observation of a 7th H\(_2\)O ligand directly coordinated to a RuIII center. Via a well-defined hydrogen-bonding network, another H\(_2\)O substrate is preorganized for the crucial O–O bond formation via nucleophilic attack.
In π-conjugated organic photovoltaic materials, an excimer state has been generally regarded as a trap state which hinders efficient excitation energy transport. But despite wide investigations of the excimer for overcoming the undesirable energy loss, the understanding of the relationship between the structure of the excimer in stacked organic compounds and its properties remains elusive. Here, we present the landscape of structural dynamics from the excimer formation to its relaxation in a co-facially stacked archetypical perylene bisimide folda-dimer using ultrafast time-domain Raman spectroscopy. We directly captured vibrational snapshots illustrating the ultrafast structural evolution triggering the excimer formation along the interchromophore coordinate on the complex excited-state potential surfaces and following evolution into a relaxed excimer state. Not only does this work showcase the ultrafast structural dynamics necessary for the excimer formation and control of excimer characteristics but also provides important criteria for designing the π-conjugated organic molecules.
Herein we devise and execute a new synthesis of a pristine boron-doped nanographene. Our target boron-doped nanographene was designed based on DFT calculations to possess a low LUMO energy level and a narrow band gap derived from its precise geometry and B-doping arrangement. Our synthesis of this target, a doubly B-doped hexabenzopentacene (B\(_{2}\)-HBP), employs six net C−H borylations of an alkene, comprising consecutive hydroboration/electrophilic borylation/dehydrogenation and BBr\(_{3}\)/AlCl\(_{3}\)/2,6-dichloropyridine-mediated C−H borylation steps. As predicted by our calculations, B\(_{2}\)-HBP absorbs strongly in the visible region and emits in the NIR up to 1150 nm in o-dichlorobenzene solutions. Furthermore, B\(_{2}\)-HBP possesses a very low LUMO level, showing two reversible reductions at −1.00 V and −1.17 V vs. Fc\(^{+}\)/Fc. Our methodology is surprisingly selective despite its implementation of unfunctionalized precursors and offers a new approach to the synthesis of pristine B-doped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
The pseudopeptide backbone provided by N-(2-aminoethyl)-glycine oligomers with attached nucleobases has been widely utilized in peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) as DNA mimics. Here we demonstrate the suitability of this backbone for the formation of structurally defined dye stacks. Toward this goal a series of peptide merocyanine (PMC) dye oligomers connected to a N-(2-aminoethyl)-glycine backbone were prepared through peptide synthesis. Our concentration-, temperature- and solvent-dependent UV/Vis absorption studies show that under the control of dipole–dipole interactions, smaller-sized oligomers consisting of one, two or three dyes self-assemble into defined duplex structures containing two up to six chromophores. In contrast, upon further extension of the oligomer, the chosen peptide backbone cannot direct the formation of a defined duplex architecture anymore due to intramolecular aggregation between the dyes. For all aggregate species a moderate aggregation-induced emission enhancement is observed.
Multichromophoric macrocycles and cyclophanes are important supramolecular architectures for the elucidation of interchromophoric interactions originating from precise spatial organization. Herein, by combining an axially chiral binaphthol bisimide (BBI) and a bay-substituted conformationally labile twisted perylene bisimide (PBI) within a cyclophane of well-defined geometry, we report a chiral PBI hetero-cyclophane (BBI-PBI) that shows intramolecular energy and solvent-regulated chirality transfer from the BBI to the PBI subunit. Excellent spectral overlap and spatial arrangement of BBI and PBI lead to efficient excitation energy transfer and subsequent PBI emission with high quantum yield (80–98 %) in various solvents. In contrast, chirality transfer is strongly dependent on the respective solvent as revealed by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. The combination of energy and chirality transfer affords a bright red circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) from the PBI chromophore by excitation of BBI.
Many dyes suffer from fast non-radiative decay pathways, thereby showing only short-lived excited states and weak photoluminescence. Here we show a pronounced fluorescence enhancement for a weakly fluorescent merocyanine (MC) dye by being co-facially stacked to other dyes in hetero-folda-trimer architectures. By means of fluorescence spectroscopy (lifetime, quantum yield) the fluorescence enhancement was explained by the rigidification of the emitting chromophore in the defined foldamer architecture and the presence of a non-forbidden lowest exciton state in H-coupled hetero-aggregates. This folding-induced fluorescence enhancement (FIFE) for specific sequences of π-stacked dyes points at a viable strategy toward improved fluorophores that relates to the approach used by nature in the green fluorescent protein (GFP).
Organic dyes offer unique properties for their application as room temperature single photon emitters. By means of photon‐correlation, the emission characteristics of macrocyclic para‐xylylene linked perylene bisimide (PBI) trimers and tetramers dispersed in polymethyl methacrylate matrices are analyzed. The optical data indicate that, despite of the strong emission enhancement of PBI trimers and tetramers according to their larger number of chromophores, the photon‐correlation statistics still obeys that of single photon emitters. Moreover, driving PBI trimers and tetramers at higher excitation powers, saturated emission behavior for monomers is found while macrocycle emission is still far‐off saturation but shows enhanced fluctuations. This observation is attributed to fast singlet–singlet annihilation, i.e., faster than the radiative lifetime of the excited S1 state, and the enlarged number of conformational arrangements of multichromophores in the polymeric host. Finally, embedding trimeric PBI macrocycles in active organic light‐emitting diode matrices, electrically driven bright fluorescence together with an indication for antibunching at room temperature can be detected. This, so far, has only been observed for phosphorescent emitters that feature much longer lifetimes of the excited states and, thus, smaller radiative recombination rates. The results are discussed in the context of possible effects on the g(2) behavior of molecular emitters.
Designing highly efficient purely organic phosphors at room temperature remains a challenge because of fast non-radiative processes and slow intersystem crossing (ISC) rates. The majority of them emit only single component phosphorescence. Herein, we have prepared 3 isomers (o, m, p-bromophenyl)-bis(2,6-dimethylphenyl)boranes. Among the 3 isomers (o-, m- and p-BrTAB) synthesized, the ortho-one is the only one which shows dual phosphorescence, with a short lifetime of 0.8 ms and a long lifetime of 234 ms in the crystalline state at room temperature. Based on theoretical calculations and crystal structure analysis of o-BrTAB, the short lifetime component is ascribed to the T\(^M_1\) state of the monomer which emits the higher energy phosphorescence. The long-lived, lower energy phosphorescence emission is attributed to the T\(^A_1\) state of an aggregate, with multiple intermolecular interactions existing in crystalline o-BrTAB inhibiting nonradiative decay and stabilizing the triplet states efficiently.
Boric acid (BA) has been used as a transparent glass matrix for optical materials for over 100 years. However, recently, apparent room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) from BA (crystalline and powder states) was reported (Zheng et al., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2021, 60, 9500) when irradiated at 280 nm under ambient conditions. We suspected that RTP from their BA sample was induced by an unidentified impurity. Our experimental results show that pure BA synthesized from B(OMe)\(_{3}\) does not luminesce in the solid state when irradiated at 250–400 nm, while commercial BA indeed (faintly) luminesces. Our theoretical calculations show that neither individual BA molecules nor aggregates would absorb light at >175 nm, and we observe no absorption of solid pure BA experimentally at >200 nm. Therefore, it is not possible for pure BA to be excited at >250 nm even in the solid state. Thus, pure BA does not display RTP, whereas trace impurities can induce RTP.
Exciton coupling between two or more chromophores in a specific environment is a key mechanism associated with color tuning and modulation of absorption energies. This concept is well exemplified by natural photosynthetic proteins, and can also be achieved in synthetic nucleic acid nanostructures. Here we report the coupling of barbituric acid merocyanine (BAM) nucleoside analogues and show that exciton coupling can be tuned by the double helix conformation. BAM is a nucleobase mimic that was incorporated in the phosphodiester backbone of RNA, DNA and GNA oligonucleotides. Duplexes with different backbone constitutions and geometries afforded different mutual dye arrangements, leading to distinct optical signatures due to competing modes of chromophore organization via electrostatic, dipolar, - stacking and hydrogen-bonding interactions. The realized supramolecular motifs include hydrogenbonded BAM–adenine base pairs and antiparallel as well as rotationally stacked BAM dimer aggregates with distinct absorption, CD and fluorescence properties.
Utilizing Pd‐catalyzed [5+2] annulation a series of heptagon‐extended corannulenes could be synthesized from a borinic acid precursor furnished by C−H borylation strategy. Single‐crystal X‐ray analysis revealed the presence of two conformational enantiomers crystallizing in a racemic mixture. Through their embedded five‐ and seven‐membered rings these polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) exhibit both negative and positive curvature and UV/Vis/NIR absorption spectroscopy as well as cyclic voltammetry experiments provided insights into the influence of larger flanking aromatic systems and electron‐donating substituents encompassing the heptagonal ring. Through [5+2] annulation of acenaphthylene an azulene‐containing PAH with intriguing optoelectronical properties including a very small bandgap and absorption over the whole visible spectrum could be obtained. Theoretical calculations were employed to elucidate the long‐wavelength absorption and aromaticity.
Water‐soluble multinuclear complexes based on ruthenium 2,2′‐bipyridine‐6,6′‐dicarboxylate (bda) and ditopic bipyridine linker units are investigated in three‐component visible light‐driven water oxidation catalysis. Systematic studies revealed a strong enhancement of the catalytic efficiency in the absence of organic co‐solvents and with increasing oligomer length. In‐depth kinetic and morphological investigations suggest that the enhanced performance is induced by the self‐assembly of linear Ru(bda) oligomers into aggregated superstructures. The obtained turnover frequencies (up to 14.9 s\(^{−1}\)) and turnover numbers (more than 1000) per ruthenium center are the highest reported so far for Ru(bda)‐based photocatalytic water oxidation systems.
Dye–dye interactions affect the optical and electronic properties in organic semiconductor films of light harvesting and detecting optoelectronic applications. This review elaborates how to tailor these properties of organic semiconductors for organic solar cells (OSCs) and organic photodiodes (OPDs). While these devices rely on similar materials, the demands for their optical properties are rather different, the former requiring a broad absorption spectrum spanning from the UV over visible up to the near‐infrared region and the latter an ultra‐narrow absorption spectrum at a specific, targeted wavelength. In order to design organic semiconductors satisfying these demands, fundamental insights on the relationship of optical properties are provided depending on molecular packing arrangement and the resultant electronic coupling thereof. Based on recent advancements in the theoretical understanding of intermolecular interactions between slip‐stacked dyes, distinguishing classical J‐aggregates with predominant long‐range Coulomb coupling from charge transfer (CT)‐mediated or ‐coupled J‐aggregates, whose red‐shifts are primarily governed by short‐range orbital interactions, is suggested. Within this framework, the relationship between aggregate structure and functional properties of representative classes of dye aggregates is analyzed for the most advanced OSCs and wavelength‐selective OPDs, providing important insights into the rational design of thin‐film optoelectronic materials.
A starlike heterocyclic molecule containing an electron‐deficient nonaaza‐core structure and three peripheral isoquinolines locked by three tetracoordinate borons, namely isoquinoline‐nona‐starazine (QNSA), is synthesized by using readily available reactants through a rather straightforward approach. This new heteroatom‐rich QNSA possesses a quasi‐planar π‐backbone structure, and bears phenyl substituents on borons which protrude on both sides of the π‐backbones endowing it with good solubility in common organic solvents. Contrasting to its starphene analogue, QNSA shows intense fluorescence with a quantum yield (PLQY) of up to 62 % in dilute solution.
Palladium‐catalyzed [5+2] annulation of 1‐boraphenalenes with ortho‐dihaloarenes afforded negatively curved π‐extended pleiadienes. Two benzo[1,2‐i:4,5‐i’]dipleiadienes (BDPs) featuring a seven‐six‐seven‐membered ring arrangement were synthesized and investigated. Their crystal structure revealed a unique packing arrangement and theoretical calculations were employed to shed light onto the dynamic behavior of the BDP moiety and its aromaticity. Further, a naphthalene‐fused pleiadiene was stitched together by oxidative cyclodehydrogenation to yield an additional five‐membered ring. This formal azulene moiety led to distinct changes in optical and redox properties and increased perturbation of the aromatic system.
Activating Organic Phosphorescence via Heavy Metal–π Interaction Induced Intersystem Crossing
(2022)
Heavy‐atom‐containing clusters, nanocrystals, and other semiconductors can sensitize the triplet states of their surface‐bonded chromophores, but the energy loss, such as nonradiative deactivation, often prevents the synergistic light emission in their solid‐state coassemblies. Cocrystallization allows new combinations of molecules with complementary properties for achieving functionalities not available in single components. Here, the cocrystal formation that employs platinum(II) acetylacetonate (Pt(acac)\(_{2}\)) as a triplet sensitizer and electron‐deficient 1,4,5,8‐naphthalene diimides (NDIs) as organic phosphors is reported. The hybrid cocrystals exhibit room‐temperature phosphorescence confined in the low‐lying, long‐lived triplet state of NDIs with photoluminescence (PL) quantum yield (Φ\(_{PL}\)) exceeding 25% and a phosphorescence lifetime (τ\(_{Ph}\)) of 156 µs. This remarkable PL property benefits from the noncovalent electronic and spin–orbital coupling between the constituents.