Photoinduced electron transfer on aqueous carbon nanohorn-pyrene-tetrathiafulvalene architectures

Water-soluble carbon-nanohorn-tetrathiafulvalene (CNH-TTF) nanoensembles were prepared by utilizing positively charged pyrene as an assembly medium and characterized by spectroscopy and electron microscopy. Electronic interactions within the nanoensemble were probed by optical spectroscopy, indicating electron transfer between the TTF units and CNHs after light illumination.     

Synthesis of directly linked zinc(II) porphyrin-imide dyads and energy gap dependence of intramolecular electron transfer reactions

A series of zinc(II) porphyrin-imide dyads (ZP-Im), in which an electron donating ZP moiety is directly connected to an electron accepting imide moiety in the meso position, have been prepared for the examination of energy gap dependence of intramolecular electron transfer reactions with large electronic coupling. The nearly perpendicular conformation of the imide moiety towards the porphyrin plane has been revealed by Xray crystal structures. The energy gap for charge separation, 1ZP* - Im --> ZP+ - Im-, is varied by changing the electron accepting imide moiety to cover a range of about 0.8 eV in DMF. Definitive evidence for electron transfer has been obtained in three solvents (toluene, THF, and DMF) through picosecond-femtosecond transient absorption studies, which have allowed us to determine the rates of photoinduced charge separation, 1ZP* - Im --> ZP+ - Im-, and subsequent thermal charge recombination ZP+ - Im- --> ZP - Im. The free-energy gap dependence (energy gap law) has been probed from the normal to the nearly top region for the charge separation rate alone, and only the inverted region for the charge recombination rate. Although both of the energy gap dependencies can be approximately reproduced by means of the simplified semiclassical equation, when we take into consideration the effect of the high frequency vibrations replaced by one mode of averaged frequency, many features, including the effects of solvent polarity and the electron tunneling matrix element on the energy gap law, differ considerably from those of the previously studied porphyrin-quinone systems, which have weaker interchromophore electronic interactions.     

Using single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy to study electron transfer.

Techniques in single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy now allow sophisticated studies of photophysical processes in single molecules. As interest grows in the possibilities of molecular electronics, researchers have begun to turn these techniques to the study of electron transfer. Electron-transfer reactions have now been detected and measured at the single-molecule level in a variety of systems and on a variety of timescales by adapting techniques from previous single-molecule fluorescence studies.     

An anthracene-appended beta-cyclodextrin-based dyad: study of self-assembly and photoinduced electron-transfer processes

The self-assembly of a beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD)-based supramolecular dyad is reported, in which the donor anthracene moiety is covalently linked to the smaller rim of the beta-CD and the acceptor pyromellitic diimide (PMDI) is encapsulated within the beta-CD cavity. Encapsulation of the PMDI into the beta-CD cavity was studied by a variety of techniques, which suggested that PMDI is encapsulated so as to position the aromatic part at the centre of the cavity with the 2-propyl end at the narrower rim among the overhanging primary OH groups and the N-ethylpyridinium end situated at the wider rim exposed to water. Photoinduced electron transfer (PET) in the system was studied by fluorescence quenching and laser flash photolysis techniques. At [PMDI]<10(-4) M, the equilibrium is in favour of the free molecules, and under these conditions fluorescence quenching is negligible and diffusion-mediated electron transfer involving the triplet excited state of anthracene predominates. At higher concentrations of PMDI, the equilibrium is largely in favour of the supramolecular dyad and intra-ensemble PET processes predominate. The experimentally determined electron-transfer rate constant agrees very well with that calculated by using the Marcus equation. It was observed that a fraction of the ion pairs survived for more than 200 micros.     

Solid film versus solution-phase charge-recombination dynamics of exTTF-bridge-C60 dyads

The charge-recombination dynamics of two exTTF-C60 dyads (exTTF = 9,10-bis(1,3-dithiol-2-ylidene)-9,10-dihydroanthracene), observed after photoinduced charge separation, are compared in solution and in the solid state. The dyads differ only in the degree of conjugation of the bridge between the donor (exTTF) and the acceptor (C60) moieties. In solution, photoexcitation of the nonconjugated dyad C60-BN-exTTF (1) (BN = 1,1'-binaphthyl) shows slower charge-recombination dynamics compared with the conjugated dyad C60-TVB-exTTF (2) (TVB = bisthienylvinylenebenzene) (lifetimes of 24 and 0.6 micros, respectively), consistent with the expected stronger electronic coupling in the conjugated dyad. However, in solid films, the dynamics are remarkably different, with dyad 2 showing slower recombination dynamics than 1. For dyad 1, recombination dynamics for the solid films are observed to be tenfold faster than in solution, with this acceleration attributed to enhanced electronic coupling between the geminate radical pair in the solid film. In contrast, for dyad 2, the recombination dynamics in the solid film exhibit a lifetime of 7 micros, tenfold slower than that observed for this dyad in solution. These slow recombination dynamics are assigned to the dissociation of the initially formed geminate radical pair to free carriers. Subsequent trapping of the free carriers at film defects results in the observed slow recombination dynamics. It is thus apparent that consideration of solution-phase recombination data is of only limited value in predicting the solid-film behaviour. These results are discussed with reference to the development of organic solar cells based upon molecular donor-acceptor structures.     

Controlling short- and long-range electron transfer processes in molecular dyads and triads

Novel pi-extended tetrathiafulvalene (exTTF)-based donor acceptor hybrids-dyads and triads-have been synthesized following a multistep synthetic procedure. Cyclic voltammetry and absorption spectroscopy, conducted in room temperature solutions, reveal features that are identical to the sum of the separate donor and acceptor moieties. Steady-state and time-resolved photolytic techniques confirm that upon photoexcitation of the fullerene chromophore, rapid (1.25 x 10(10) s(-1)) and efficient (67 %) charge separation leads to long-lived, charge-separated radical pairs. Typical lifetimes for the dyad ensembles range between 54 and 460 ns, with the longer values found in more polar solvents. This indicates that the dynamics are located in the 'normal region' of the Marcus curve. In the triads, subsequent charge shifts transform the adjacent radical pair into the distant radical pair, for which we determined lifetimes of up to 111 micros in DMF-values never previously accomplished in molecular triads. In the final charge-separated state, large donor-acceptor separation (center-to-center distances: approximately 30 A) minimizes the coupling between reduced acceptor and oxidized donor. Analysis of the charge recombination kinetics shows that a stepwise mechanism accounts for the unusually long lifetimes.     

Photoinduced intramolecular charge transfer and S2 fluorescence in thiophene-pi-conjugated donor-acceptor systems: experimental and TDDFT studies

Experimental and theoretical methods were used to study newly synthesized thiophene-pi-conjugated donor-acceptor compounds, which were found to exhibit efficient intramolecular charge-transfer emission in polar solvents with relatively large Stokes shifts and strong solvatochromism. To gain insight into the solvatochromic behavior of these compounds, the dependence of the spectra on solvent polarity was studied on the basis of Lippert-Mataga models. We found that intramolecular charge transfer in these donor-acceptor systems is significantly dependent on the electron-withdrawing substituents at the thienyl 2-position. The dependence of the absorption and emission spectra of these compounds in methanol on the concentration of trifluoroacetic acid was used to confirm intramolecular charge-transfer emission. Moreover, the calculated absorption and emission energies, which are in accordance with the experimental values, suggested that fluorescence can be emitted from different geometric conformations. In addition, a novel S(2) fluorescence phenomenon for some of these compounds was also be observed. The fluorescence excitation spectra were used to confirm the S(2) fluorescence. We demonstrate that S(2) fluorescence can be explained by the calculated energy gap between the S(2) and S(1) states of these molecules. Furthermore, nonlinear optical behavior of the thiophene-pi-conjugated compound with diethylcyanomethylphosphonate substituents was predicted in theory.     

Self-assembled single-walled carbon nanotube:zinc-porphyrin hybrids through ammonium ion-crown ether interaction: construction and electron transfer

An ammonium ion-crown ether interaction has been successfully used to construct porphyrin-single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) donor-acceptor hybrids. The [18]crown-6 to alkyl ammonium ion binding strategy resulted in porphyrin-SWNT nanohybrids that are stable and soluble in DMF. The porphyrin-SWNT hybrids were characterized by spectroscopic, TEM, and electrochemical techniques. Both steady-state and time-resolved emission studies revealed efficient quenching of the singlet excited state of the porphyrins and free-energy calculations suggested that electron-transfer quenching occurred. Nanosecond transient absorption spectral results supported the charge-separation quenching process. Charge-stabilization was also observed for the nanohybrids in which the lifetime of the radical ion pairs was around 100 ns. The present nanohybrids were also used to reduce the hexyl viologen dication (HV2+) and to oxidize 1-benzyl-1,4-dihydronicotinamide in solution in an electron-pooling experiment. Accumulation of the radical cation (HV.+) was observed in high yields, which provided additional proof for the occurrence of photoinduced charge separation. The present study demonstrates that a hydrogen-bonding motif is a successful self-assembly method to build SWNTs bearing donor-acceptor nanohybrids, which are useful for light-energy harvesting and photovoltaic applications.     

Probing molecular wires: synthesis, structural, and electronic study of donor-acceptor assemblies exhibiting long-range electron transfer

A series of donor-acceptor arrays (C60-oligo-PPV-exTTF; 16-20) incorporating pi-conjugated oligo(phenylenevinylene) wires (oligo-PPV) of different length between pi-extended tetrathiafulvalene (exTTF) as electron donor and C60 as electron acceptor has been prepared by multistep convergent synthetic approaches. The electronic interactions between the three electroactive species present in 16-20 were investigated by UV-visible spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry (CV). Our studies clearly show that, although the C60 units are connected to the exTTF donors through a pi-conjugated oligo-PPV framework, no significant electronic interactions are observed in the ground state. Interestingly, photoinduced electron-transfer processes over distances of up to 50 Angstroms afford highly stabilized radical ion pairs. The measured lifetimes for the photogenerated charge-separated states are in the range of hundreds of nanoseconds (approximately 500 ns) in benzonitrile, regardless of the oligomer length (i.e., from the monomer to the pentamer). A different lifetime (4.35 micros) is observed for the heptamer-containing array. This difference in lifetime has been accounted for by the loss of planarity of the oPPV moiety that increases with the wire length, as established by semi-empirical (PM3) theoretical calculations carried out with 19 and 20. The charge recombination dynamics reveal a very low attenuation factor (beta = 0.01 +/- 0.005 Angstroms(-1)). This beta value, as well as the strong electron coupling (V approximately 5.5 cm(-1)) between the donor and the acceptor units, clearly reveals a nanowire behavior for the pi-conjugated oligomer, which paves the way for applications in nanotechnology.     

Long-lived charge-transfer states in compact donor-acceptor dyads.

Photoinduced electron transfer is a widely applied method to convert photon energy into a useful (electro)chemical potential, both in nature and in artificial devices. There is a continuing effort to develop molecular systems in which the charge-transfer state, populated by photoinduced electron transfer, survives sufficiently long to tap the energy stored in it. In general this has been found to require the construction of rather complex molecular systems, but more recently a few approaches have been reported that allow the use of much more simple and relatively small electron donor-acceptor dyads for this purpose. The most successful examples of such systems seem to be those that apply "electron spin control" to slow down the spontaneous decay of the charge-transfer state, and these are reviewed in this minireview, with a discussion of the underlying principles and a critical evaluation of some of the claims made with regard to using a pronounced "inverted-region effect" as an alternative method to prolong the lifetime of charge-transfer states.     

Photoinduced electron transfer dynamics in porphyrin donor dyads

Intramolecular photoinduced electron transfer (PET) processes occurring in dyads with a free base porphyrin-tetraazaanthracene donor (P) and either a tetracyanonaphthoquinidodimethane (TCQ) or benzoquinone (BQ) acceptor linked by a rigid six σ-bond polynorbornane bridge ([6]) have been investigated. For P[6]BQ, PET in the polar solvent benzonitrile (_s = 25.9) occurs with a rate constant (k_PET) of 1.6 × 10⁸ s⁻¹ but is not evident in solvents less polar than tetrahydrofuran (_s = 7.52). For P[6]TCQ, highly efficient forward PET occurs in both polar and non-polar solvents (k_PET > 2 × 10¹⁰ s⁻¹). For P[6]TCQ the lifetime of the resulting charge-separated state decreases markedly with increasing solvent polarity. The results are discussed in the context of the likely mechanisms for electronic coupling and current theories for PET processes in such linked molecular systems.     

Electron transfer in nonpolar solvents in fullerodendrimers with peripheral ferrocene units

Two new fullerodendrimers, with two and four ferrocene units on their periphery, have been synthesized by 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions between the corresponding azomethine ylides and C(60). These new compounds have been studied by using cyclic voltammetry and UV/Vis spectroscopy. Weak intramolecular interactions between the fullerene cage and the ferrocene groups have been found. The photochemical events of both fullerene-ferrocene dendrimers have been probed by means of steady-state and time-resolved techniques. The steady-state emission intensities of the fulleropyrrolidine-ferrocene dendrimers 1 and 2 were found to be quenched relative to the N-methylfulleropyrrolidine without substituents that was used as a model. The nanosecond transient absorption spectral studies revealed efficient charge separation in both systems, even in toluene. The lifetimes of the (C(60))(*-)-(dendron)(*+) are higher for the second-generation fullerodendrimer (with four ferrocene units) and they are of the order of tens of nanoseconds in toluene and hundreds of nanoseconds in polar solvents.     

Combining high electron affinity and intramolecular charge transfer in 1,3-dithiole-nitrofluorene push-pull diads

Attaching electron-rich 1,3-dithiol-2-ylidene moieties to polynitrofluorene electron acceptors leads to the formation of highly conjugated compounds 6 to 11, which combine high electron affinity with a pronounced intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) that is manifested as an intense absorption band in their visible spectra. Such a rare combination of optical and electronic properties is beneficial for several applications in optoelectronics. Thus, incorporation of fluorene-dithiole derivative 6a into photoconductive films affords photothermoplastic storage media with dramatically increased photosensitivity in the ICT region. A wide structural variation of the dithiole and fluorene parts of the molecules reveals excellent correlation between the ICT energy and the reduction potential with the Hammett's parameters for the substituents. Although only a small solvatochromism of the ICT band was observed, heating the solution led to a pronounced blueshift, which was probably as a result of increased twisting around the C9=C14 bond that links the fluorene and dithiole moieties. X-ray crystallographic analysis of 7a, 8a, 10a, 11a and 13a confirms an ICT interaction in the ground state of the molecules. The C9=C14 double bond between the donor and acceptor is substantially elongated and its length increases as the donor character of the dithiole moiety is enhanced.     

Impact of bridging units on the dynamics of photoinduced charge generation and charge recombination in donor-acceptor dyads.

We estimate, at a full quantum-chemical level, the various molecular parameters governing the rate of photoinduced charge generation and charge recombination in model organic structures containing a donor and an acceptor unit in view of the possible use of such systems in organic solar cells. The rate of through-space excitation dissociation, as predicted in the framework of the Marcus-Levich-Jortner theory, is found to be low in comparison to intramolecular decay processes when the donor and acceptor molecules are lying in a head-to-tail arrangement and high when the donor and acceptor molecules are superimposed in a cofacial arrangement. The charge separation rates for side-by-side donor-acceptor dyads are significantly increased by promoting through-bond interactions in covalently linked donor and acceptor units. This has motivated a detailed quantitative analysis of the influence of the nature, size, and conformation of the bridging moiety on the calculated transfer rates.     

Moderate and advanced intramolecular proton transfer in urea-anion hydrogen-bonded complexes

The study of the interactions of the three urea-based receptors AH, BH(+) and CH(2+) with a variety of anions, in MeCN, has made it possible to verify the current view that hydrogen bonding is frozen proton transfer from the donor (the urea N-H fragment in this case) to the acceptor (the anion X(-)). The poorly acidic, neutral receptor AH establishes two equivalent hydrogen bonds N-H···X(-), with all anions, including CH(3)COO(-) and F(-), in which moderate proton transfer from N-H to the anion takes place. The strongly acidic, dicationic receptor CH(2+) forms, with most anions, complexes in which two inequivalent hydrogen bonds are present: one involving moderate proton transfer (N-H···X(-)) and one in which advanced proton transfer has taken place, described as N(-)···H-X. The degree of proton advancement is directly related to the basic tendencies of the anion. The cationic receptor BH(+) of intermediate acidic properties only forms complexes with two inequivalent hydrogen bonds (moderate+advanced proton transfer) with CH(3)COO(-) and F(-), and complexes with two equivalent hydrogen bonds (moderate proton transfer) with all the other anions. Moreover, [B···HF] and [C···HF](+), on addition of a second F(-) ion, lose the bound HF molecule to give HF(2)(-). Release of CH(3)COOH, with the formation of [CH(3)COOH···CH(3)COO](-), also takes place with the [B···CH(3)COOH] complex in the presence of a large excess of anion.     

Theoretical investigation of electron transfer transition in tetracyanoethylene-contained organic complexes

In this work, the authors use complete active space self-consistent field method to investigate the photoinduced charge-separated states and the electron transfer transition in complexes ethylene-tetracyanoethylene and tetramethylethylene-tetracyanoethylene. Geometries of isolated tetracyanoethylene, ethylene, and tetramethylethylene have been optimized. The ground state and the low-lying excited states of ethylene and tetracyanoethylene have been optimized. The state energies in the gas phase have been obtained and compared with the experimentally observed values. The torsion barrier of tetracyanoethylene has been investigated through the state energy calculation at different conformations. Attention has been particularly paid to the charge-separated states and the electron transfer transition of complexes. The stacked conformations of the donor-acceptor complexes have been chosen for the optimization of the ground and low-lying excited states. Equilibrium solvation has been considered by means of conductor-like screening model both in water and in dichloromethane. It has been found that the donor and tetracyanoethylene remain neutral in complexes in ground state (1)A(1) and in lowest triplet state (3)B(1), but charge separation appears in excited singlet state (1)B(1). Through the correction of nonequilibrium solvation energy based on the spherical cavity approximation, pi-->pi* electron transfer transition energies have been obtained. Compared with the experimental measurements in dichloromethane, the theoretical results in the same solvent are found higher by about 0.5 eV.