Mustafa Supur

Charge Dynamics in A Donor–Acceptor Covalent Organic Framework with Periodically Ordered Bicontinuous Heterojunctions

The donor–acceptor heterojunction is a key structure in current technologies, including transistors, light-emitting diodes, and photovoltaics, because it controls the charge dynamics in the devices. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are crystalline molecular skeletons that allow atomically precise integration of building blocks into periodic array structures. In this regard, we have demonstrated arene, porphyrin, and phthalocyanine COFs that provide periodically ordered columnar arrays of p-components and show outstanding semiconducting and photoconductive properties. We recently synthesized a donor–acceptor COF that gives rise to a periodically ordered bicontinuous heterojunction structure and self-sorted donor and acceptor columnar arrays separated at nanometer-scale intervals. This nanoscopic segregation morphology forms a broad interface for charge separation, provides ambipolar pathways for charge collection, and would be ideal for the current semiconducting devices that involve photoenergy transformations; however, the charge dynamics, which is a key mechanism that controls the energy transformation, remains unclear. Here, we report the charge dynamics of a donor–acceptor COF, which were determined using time-resolved spectroscopy to elucidate the photochemical processes of the free charges from their generation to delocalization and retention. In the COF, the heterojunctions allow an ultrafast electron transfer from the donor to the acceptor columns. Consequently, the light absorption is directly coupled with charge dissociation to generate free charges in the donor and acceptor p-columns within 2 ps. On the other hand, the stacked p-columns delocalize the charges, suppress charge recombination, and retain the charges for a prolonged period of time. We show that both solvated and solid-state COFs enable rapid charge separation and exceptional long-term charge retention, thereby providing a key mechanistic basis to envisage the high potential of donor–acceptor COFs for photoelectric applications. The donor–acceptor COF (Scheme 1a, DZnPc-ANDI-COF) is a tetragonal, mesoporous 2D framework that is composed of zinc phthalocyanine as an electron donor and naphthalene diimide as an acceptor. In the COF, the two p-units are alternately linked within an electron-transfer distance and at a dihedral angle of approximately 428. The COF provides selfsorted, bicontinuous columnar arrays and constitutes periodically structured heterojunctions in which each donor column is interfaced with four acceptor columns that are equally active in capturing photo-generated electrons (Scheme 1b). The DZnPc-ANDI-COF absorbs light over a broad visible and near-infrared region up to 1100 nm (Figure S1 in the Supporting Information). Elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and electron microscopy confirmed the formation of the COF (Figure S2–S4 and Table S1). The same COF has been reported as a thin film. The DZnPc-ANDI-COF exhibited a type IV nitrogen sorption curve that is characteristic of mesoporous frameworks (Figure 1a). The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area and pore volume were calculated as 1410 mg 1 and 1.25 cmg , respectively. The pore-size distribution profile with a range up

Syntheses, Electrochemistry, and Photodynamics of Ferrocene–Azadipyrromethane Donor–Acceptor Dyads and Triads

A near-IR-emitting sensitizer, boron-chelated tetraarylazadipyrromethane, has been utilized as an electron acceptor to synthesize a series of dyads and triads linked with a well-known electron donor, ferrocene. The structural integrity of the newly synthesized dyads and triads was established by spectroscopic, electrochemical, and computational methods. The DFT calculations revealed a molecular clip-type structure for the triads wherein the donor and acceptor entities were separated by about 14 Å. Differential pulse voltammetry combined with spectroelectrochemical studies have revealed the redox states and estimated the energies of the charge-separated states. Free-energy calculations revealed the charge separation from the covalently linked ferrocene to the singlet excited ADP to yield Fc(+)-ADP(•-) to be energetically favorable. Consequently, the steady-state emission studies revealed quantitative quenching of the ADP fluorescence in all of the investigated dyads and triads. Femtosecond laser flash photolysis studies provided concrete evidence for the occurrence of photoinduced electron transfer in these donor-acceptor systems by providing spectral proof for formation of ADP radical anion (ADP(•-)) which exhibits a diagnostic absorption band in the near-IR region. The kinetics of charge separation and charge recombination measured by monitoring the rise and decay of the ADP(•-) band revealed ultrafast charge separation in these molecular systems. The charge-separation performance of the triads with two ferrocenes and a fluorophenyl-modified ADP macrocycle was found to be superior. Nanosecond transient absorption studies revealed the charge-recombination process to populate the triplet ADP as well as the ground state.

Photochemical charge separation in closely positioned donor-boron dipyrrin-fullerene triads

A series of molecular triads, composed of closely positioned boron dipyrrin-fullerene units, covalently linked to either an electron donor (donor(1)-acceptor(1)-acceptor(2)-type triads) or an energy donor (antenna-donor(1)-acceptor(1)-type triads) was synthesized and photoinduced energy/electron transfer leading to stabilization of the charge-separated state was demonstrated by using femtosecond and nanosecond transient spectroscopic techniques. The structures of the newly synthesized triads were visualized by DFT calculations, whereas the energies of the excited states were determined from spectral and electrochemical studies. In the case of the antenna-donor(1)-acceptor(1)-type triads, excitation of the antenna moiety results in efficient energy transfer to the boron dipyrrin entity. The singlet-excited boron dipyrrin thus generated, undergoes subsequent energy and electron transfer to fullerene to produce a boron dipyrrin radical cation and a fullerene radical anion as charge-separated species. Stabilization of the charge-separated state in these molecular triads was observed to some extent.

Creation of Superheterojunction Polymers via Direct Polycondensation: Segregated and Bicontinuous Donor–Acceptor π-Columnar Arrays in Covalent Organic Frameworks for Long-Lived Charge Separation

By developing metallophthalocyanines and diimides as electron-donating and -accepting building blocks, herein, we report the construction of new electron donor-acceptor covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with periodically ordered electron donor and acceptor π-columnar arrays via direct polycondensation reactions. X-ray diffraction measurements in conjunction with structural simulations resolved that the resulting frameworks consist of metallophthalocyanine and diimide columns, which are ordered in a segregated yet bicontinuous manner to form built-in periodic π-arrays. In the frameworks, each metallophthalocyanine donor and diimide acceptor units are exactly linked and interfaced, leading to the generation of superheterojunctions-a new type of heterojunction machinery, for photoinduced electron transfer and charge separation. We show that this polycondensation method is widely applicable to various metallophthalocyanines and diimides as demonstrated by the combination of copper, nickel, and zinc phthalocyanine donors with pyrommellitic diimide, naphthalene diimide, and perylene diimide acceptors. By using time-resolved transient absorption spectroscopy and electron spin resonance, we demonstrated that the COFs enable long-lived charge separation, whereas the metal species, the class of acceptors, and the local geometry between donor and acceptor units play roles in determining the photochemical dynamics. The results provide insights into photoelectric COFs and demonstrate their enormous potential for charge separation and photoenergy conversions.

Elongation of lifetime of the charge-separated state of ferrocene-naphthalenediimide-[60]fullerene triad via stepwise electron transfer.

Photoinduced electron-transfer processes of a newly synthesized rodlike covalently linked ferrocene-naphthalenediimide-[60]fullerene (Fc-NDI-C(60)) triad in which Fc is an electron donor and NDI and C(60) are electron acceptors with similar first one-electron reduction potentials have been studied in benzonitrile. In the examined Fc-NDI-C(60) triad, NDI with high molar absorptivity is considered to be the chromophore unit for photoexcitation. Although the free-energy calculations verify that photoinduced charge-separation processes via singlet- and triplet-excited states of NDI are feasible, transient absorption spectra observed upon femtosecond laser excitation of NDI at 390 nm revealed fast and efficient electron transfer from Fc to the singlet-excited state of NDI ((1)NDI*) to produce Fc(+)-NDI(•-)-C(60). Interestingly, this initial charge-separated state is followed by a stepwise electron transfer yielding Fc(+)-NDI-C(60)(•-). As a result of this sequential electron-transfer process, the lifetime of the charge-separated state (τ(CS)) is elongated to 935 ps, while Fc(+)-NDI(•-) has a lifetime of only 11 ps.

Excitation energy transfer from non-aggregated molecules to perylenediimide nanoribbons via ionic interactions in water

Two energy donor–acceptor self-assembly systems have been constructed by using π–π, lipophilic, and ionic interactions in water. π-stacked N,N′-ditridecylperylenediimide (PDI), which forms nanoribbons, has been dispersed in water in the presence of myristyltrimethylammonium bromide (MTAB) through lipophilic interactions of tridecyl groups of PDIs with long tails of MTAB molecules. Cationic heads of MTAB molecules, anchored on the bulk of the side-chains of the nanoribbons, attract water-soluble zinc tetra(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin tetrapotassium salt (ZnTPPSK4) and lucifer yellow CH dipotassium salt (LY). By this design, efficient photosensitization of non-aggregated energy donors, ZnTPPSK4 and LY, has been achieved while retaining the one-dimensional order at nanoscale, resulting in the efficient excitation energy transfer to PDI nanoribbons in each system.

A New Cyanofluorene–Triphenylamine Copolymer: Synthesis and Photoinduced Intramolecular Electron Transfer Processes

A new pi-conjugated copolymer, namely, poly{cyanofluore-alt-[5-(N,N-diphenylamino)phenylenevinylene]} ((CNF-TPA)(n)), was synthesized by condensation polymerization of 2,2-(9,9-dioctyl-9H-fluorene-2,7-diyl)diacetonitrile and 5-(N,N-diphenylamino)benzene-1,3-dicarbaldehyde by using the Knoevenagel reaction. By design, diphenylamine, alkylfluorene and poly(p-phenylenevinylene) linkages were combined to form a (CNF-TPA)(n) copolymer which exhibits high thermal stability and glass-transition temperature. Photodynamic measurements in polar benzonitrile indicate fast and efficient photoinduced electron transfer ( approximately 10(11) s(-1)) from triphenylamine (TPA) to cyanofluorene (CNF) to produce the long-lived charge-separated state (90 mus). The finding that the charge-recombination process of (CNF(.-)-TPA(.+))(n) is much slower than the charge separation in polar benzonitrile suggests a potential application in molecular-level electronic and optoelectronic devices.

Remarkable enhancement of ambient-air electrical conductivity of the perylenediimide π-stacks isolated in the flexible films of a hydrogen-bonded polymer

N,N′-di(2-(trimethylammoniumiodide)ethylene) perylenediimide (TAIPDI), forming extensive π-stacks through the strong π–π interactions of large π-planes, was isolated in the hydrogen-bonding milieu of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) from aqueous solutions. The stacking behaviour of TAIPDIs in PVA films was investigated by using UV-vis and magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS NMR) spectroscopy. It was concluded that the TAIPDI molecules were organized as extensive π-stacks in the PVA matrix controlled by the interactions with the polymer chains. The resulting films of TAIPDI/PVA were doped with electrons by using a strong reducing agent. The electrical current obtained in the electron-doped TAIPDI/PVA films was 740 times higher under the same bias as compared to that of reduced TAIPDIs cast on a glass substrate without a polymer additive. The significant increase in the conductivity of electron-doped TAIPDI/PVA films reflects the strong effect of the uninterrupted π-stacking of TAIPDIs extending in the flexible PVA films and the protection of the doped electrons from the oxygen in the air, provided by the H-bonded environment in PVA.