Leah E. Shoer

Singlet Exciton Fission in Polycrystalline Thin Films of a Slip-Stacked Perylenediimide

The crystal structure of N,N-bis(n-octyl)-2,5,8,11-tetraphenylperylene-3,4:9,10-bis(dicarboximide), 1, obtained by X-ray diffraction reveals that 1 has a nearly planar perylene core and π-π stacks at a 3.5 Å interplanar distance in well-separated slip-stacked columns. Theory predicts that slip-stacked, π-π-stacked structures should enhance interchromophore electronic coupling and thus favor singlet exciton fission. Photoexcitation of vapor-deposited polycrystalline 188 nm thick films of 1 results in a 140 ± 20% yield of triplet excitons ((3*)1) in τ(SF) = 180 ± 10 ps. These results illustrate a design strategy for producing perylenediimide and related rylene derivatives that have the optimized interchromophore electronic interactions which promote high-yield singlet exciton fission for potentially enhancing organic solar cell performance and charge separation in systems for artificial photosynthesis.

Direct Observation of Ultrafast Excimer Formation in Covalent Perylenediimide Dimers Using Near-Infrared Transient Absorption Spectroscopy

Energy transfer in perylene-3,4:9,10-bis(dicarboximide) (PDI) aggregates is often limited by formation of a low-energy excimer state. Formation dynamics of excimer states are often characterized by line shape changes and peak shift dynamics in femtosecond visible transient absorption spectra. Femtosecond near-infrared transient absorption experiments reveal a unique low-energy transition that can be used to identify and characterize this state without overlapping excited singlet-state absorption. Three covalently bound PDI dimers with differing PDI-PDI distances were studied to probe the influence of interchromophore electronic coupling on the PDI excimer transient spectra and dynamics.

Singlet Exciton Fission in Thin Films of tert-Butyl-Substituted Terrylenes

Two terrylene chromophores, 2,5,10,13-tetra(tert-butyl)terrylene (1) and 2,5-di(tert-butyl)terrylene (2), were synthesized and studied to determine their singlet exciton fission (SF) efficiencies. Compound 1 crystallizes in one-dimensional stacks, whereas 2 packs in a slip-stacked, herringbone pattern of dimers motif. Strongly quenched fluorescence and rapid singlet exciton decay dynamics are observed in vapor-deposited thin films of 1 and 2. Phosphorescence measurements on thin films of 1 and 2 show that SF is only 70 meV endoergic for these chromophores. Femtosecond transient absorption experiments using low laser fluences on these films reveal rapid triplet exciton formation for both 1 (τ = 120 ± 10 ps) and 2 (τ = 320 ± 20 ps) that depends strongly on film crystallinity. The transient absorption data are consistent with formation of an excimer state prior to SF. Triplet exciton yield measurements indicate nearly quantitative SF in thin films of both chromophores in highly crystalline solvent-vapor-annealed films: 170 ± 20% for 1 and 200 ± 30% for 2. These results show that significantly different crystal morphologies of the same chromophore can both result in high-efficiency SF provided that the energetics are favorable.

Sub-Picosecond Singlet Exciton Fission in Cyano-Substituted Diaryltetracenes.

Thin films of 5,11-dicyano-6,12-diphenyltetracene (TcCN) have been studied for their ability to undergo singlet exciton fission (SF). Functionalization of tetracene with cyano substituents yields a more stable chromophore with favorable energetics for exoergic SF (2E(T1)-E(S1)=-0.17 eV), where S1 and T1 are singlet and triplet excitons, respectively. As a result of tuning the triplet-state energy, SF is faster in TcCN relative to the corresponding endoergic process in tetracene. SF proceeds with two time constants in the film samples (τ=0.8±0.2 ps and τ=23±3 ps), which is attributed to structural disorder within the film giving rise to one population with a favorable interchromophore geometry, which undergoes rapid SF, and a second population in which the initially formed singlet exciton must diffuse to a site at which this favorable geometry exists. A triplet yield analysis using transient absorption spectra indicates the formation of 1.6±0.3 triplets per initial excited state.

Strongly oxidizing perylene-3,4-dicarboximides for use in water oxidation photoelectrochemical cells

Perylene-3,4-dicarboximide (PMI) based chromophores have demonstrated the ability to inject electrons into TiO2 for dye-sensitized solar cell applications and to accept electrons from metal complexes relevant to water oxidation, but they are nearly unexplored for use in photoelectrochemical cells (PECs) for solar fuels generation. A series of related PMIs with high oxidation potentials and carboxylate binding groups was synthesized and investigated for this purpose. Charge injection and recombination dynamics were measured using transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy on the picosecond to second timescales. The dynamics and electron injection yields were correlated with the PMI energetics and structures. Injection began in less than 1 ps for the dye with the best performance and a significant charge-separated state yield remained at long times. Finally, this chromophore was used to oxidize a covalently bound water oxidation precatalyst following electron injection into TiO2 to demonstrate the utility of the dyes for use in PECs.

Photoinduced Electron Transfer in 2,5,8,11-Tetrakis-Donor-Substituted Perylene-3,4:9,10-bis(dicarboximides).

A series of electron donor-acceptor compounds based on substitution of perylene-3,4:9,10-bis(dicarboximide) (PDI) with four electron donors at the 2,5,8,11-positions were synthesized and characterized using femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. The distance between the PDI and the N,N-dimethylaniline or phenothiazine donors was varied using one or two phenyl groups. Photoexcitation of PDI results in rapid charge separation followed by charge recombination with time constants ranging from tens of picoseconds to nanoseconds. The electron transfer time constants are compared with those of the corresponding molecules in which the donor is attached to the PDI through its imide nitrogen atom. The electron transfer reactions through the 2,5,8,11-positions of PDI are generally much faster than those through the imide nitrogen positions, in concert with stronger donor electronic coupling to the PDI acceptor core and in contrast to substituents at the imide positions through which the HOMO and LUMO nodal planes pass.