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Engineering giant excitonic coupling in bioinspired, covalently bridged BODIPY dyads

Journal Article · · Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. PCCP
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1039/d2cp05621f· OSTI ID:2420524
Strong excitonic coupling in photosynthetic systems is believed to enable efficient light absorption and quantitative charge separation, motivating the development of artificial multi-chromophore arrays with equally strong or even stronger excitonic coupling. However, large excitonic coupling strengths have typically been accompanied by fast non-radiative recombination, limiting the potential of the arrays for solar energy conversion as well as other applications such as fluorescent labeling. Here, in this work, we report giant excitonic coupling leading to broad optical absorption in bioinspired BODIPY dyads that have high photostability, excited-state lifetimes at the nanosecond scale, and fluorescence quantum yields of nearly 50%. Through the synthesis, spectroscopic characterization, and computational modeling of a series of dyads with different linking moieties, we show that the strongest coupling is obtained with diethynylmaleimide linkers, for which the coupling occurs through space between BODIPY units with small separations and slipped co-facial orientations. Other linkers allow for broad tuning of both the relative through-bond and through-space coupling contributions and the overall strength of interpigment coupling, with a tradeoff observed in general between the strength of the two coupling mechanisms. These findings open the door to the synthesis of molecular systems that function effectively as light-harvesting antennas and as electron donors or acceptors for solar energy conversion.
Research Organization:
Kent State Univ., Kent, OH (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0016501
OSTI ID:
2420524
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1960056
Journal Information:
Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. PCCP, Journal Name: Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. PCCP Journal Issue: 11 Vol. 25; ISSN 1463-9076
Publisher:
Royal Society of ChemistryCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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