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Title: Distinct properties of the triplet pair state from singlet fission

Journal Article · · Science Advances

Singlet fission, the conversion of a singlet exciton (S1) to two triplets (2 × T1), may increase the solar energy conversion efficiency beyond the Shockley-Queisser limit. This process is believed to involve the correlated triplet pair state 1(TT). Despite extensive research, the nature of the 1(TT) state and its spectroscopic signature remain actively debated. We use an end-connected pentacene dimer (BP0) as a model system and show evidence for a tightly bound 1(TT) state. It is characterized in the near-infrared (IR) region (~1.0 eV) by a distinct excited-state absorption (ESA) spectral feature, which closely resembles that of the S1 state; both show vibronic progressions of the aromatic ring breathing mode. We assign these near-IR spectra to 1(TT)→Sn and S1→Sn' transitions; Sn and Sn' likely come from the antisymmetric and symmetric linear combinations, respectively, of the S2 state localized on each pentacene unit in the dimer molecule. The 1(TT)→Sn transition is an indicator of the intertriplet electronic coupling strength, because inserting a phenylene spacer or twisting the dihedral angle between the two pentacene chromophores decreases the intertriplet electronic coupling and diminishes this ESA peak. In addition to spectroscopic signature, the tightly bound 1(TT) state also shows chemical reactivity that is distinctively different from that of an individual T1 state. Using an electron-accepting iron oxide molecular cluster [Fe8O4] linked to the pentacene or pentacene dimer (BP0), we show that electron transfer to the cluster occurs efficiently from an individual T1 in pentacene but not from the tightly bound 1(TT) state. Thus, reducing intertriplet electronic coupling in 1(TT) via molecular design might be necessary for the efficient harvesting of triplets from intramolecular singlet fission.

Research Organization:
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0012704; SC0014563
OSTI ID:
1413949
Report Number(s):
BNL-114744-2017-JA; KC0403020
Journal Information:
Science Advances, Vol. 3, Issue 7; ISSN 2375-2548
Publisher:
AAASCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 73 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (22)

Routes to singlet exciton fission in rubrene crystals and amorphous films journal September 2019
Tuning the electronic properties of hexanuclear cobalt sulfide superatoms via ligand substitution journal January 2019
Conversion between triplet pair states is controlled by molecular coupling in pentadithiophene thin films journal January 2020
Morphology independent triplet formation in pentalene films: Singlet fission as the triplet formation mechanism journal September 2019
Resolving population dynamics and interactions of multiple triplet excitons one molecule at a time journal July 2019
Fluctuating exchange interactions enable quintet multiexciton formation in singlet fission journal October 2019
New insights into the design of conjugated polymers for intramolecular singlet fission journal July 2018
Striking the right balance of intermolecular coupling for high-efficiency singlet fission journal January 2018
Ultra-fast intramolecular singlet fission to persistent multiexcitons by molecular design journal August 2019
Singlet fission in a hexacene dimer: energetics dictate dynamics journal January 2020
Conformational Planarization versus Singlet Fission: Distinct Excited-State Dynamics of Cyclooctatetraene-Fused Acene Dimers journal March 2018
Efficient triplet pair separation from intramolecular singlet fission in dibenzopentalene derivatives journal May 2019
Lessons from intramolecular singlet fission with covalently bound chromophores journal January 2020
Slow charge transfer from pentacene triplet states at the Marcus optimum journal November 2019
Singlet fission in spiroconjugated dimers journal May 2019
Sensitive Direct Converting X‐Ray Detectors Utilizing Crystalline CsPbBr 3 Perovskite Films Fabricated via Scalable Melt Processing journal January 2020
Conformational Planarization versus Singlet Fission: Distinct Excited-State Dynamics of Cyclooctatetraene-Fused Acene Dimers journal March 2018
Structural origins of the electronic properties of materials via time-resolved infrared spectroscopy journal January 2019
Enhancing the intermolecular singlet fission efficiency by controlling the self-assembly of amphipathic tetracene derivatives in aqueous solution journal January 2019
Pentacene Dimers as a Critical Tool for the Investigation of Intramolecular Singlet Fission journal March 2018
Impact of non-equilibrium molecular packings on singlet fission in microcrystals observed using 2D white-light microscopy journal December 2019
Coupled double triplet state in singlet fission journal January 2018

Figures / Tables (7)


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