Synthesis of light-harvesting dendrimers focally anchored with crown ethers or terpyridine ligands

Crown ethers and terpyridine ligands have been successfully attached to the focal point of light harvesting phenylacetylene monodendrons through Pd-catalyzed coupling reactions. The structures of these functional monodendrons were characterized by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and elemental analysis. Such binding-ligand anchored dendrons exhibit broad absorption, large molar extenction coefficients and high fluoresence quantum yields. Coordination of crown ethers with alkali ions results in a significant increase in absorption strength in the UV range, but little alteration in either intensity or position of fluorescence emission. Coordination of terpyridine ligands with Ru2+, however, does efficiently quench the fluorescence from the dendrons,albeit only the smallest dendron exhibits efficient binding.