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Electron donor–acceptor co-crystals are receiving increasing interest because of their many useful optoelectronic properties. While the steady-state properties of many different co-crystals have been characterized, very few studies have addressed how crystal morphology affects the dynamics of charge transfer (CT) exciton formation, migration, and decay, which are often critical to their performance in device structures. Here we show that co-crystallization of a pyrene (Pyr) electron donor with either N , N ′-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)- or N , N ′-bis(3′-pentyl)-perylene-3,4:9,10-bis(dicarboximide) (diisoPDI or C 5 PDI) electron acceptors, respectively, yields mixed π-stacked Pyr–diisoPDI or Pyr–C 5 PDI donor–acceptor co-crystals. Femtosecond transient absorption microscopy is used to determine the CT exciton dynamics in these single crystals. Fitting the data to a one-dimensional charge transfer CT exciton diffusion model reveals a diffusion constant that is two orders of magnitude higher in the Pyr–diisoPDI co-crystal compared to the Pyr–C 5 PDI co-crystal. By correlating the co-crystal structures to their distinct excited-state dynamics, the effects of each mixed stacked structure on the exciton dynamics and the mechanisms of CT exciton diffusion are elucidated.
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Role of intramolecular hydrogen bonds in promoting electron flow through amino acid and oligopeptide conjugates
Elucidating the factors that control charge transfer rates in relatively flexible conjugates is of importance for understanding energy flows in biology as well as assisting the design and construction of electronic devices. Here, we report ultrafast electron transfer (ET) and hole transfer (HT) between a corrole (Cor) donor linked to a perylene-diimide (PDI) acceptor by a tetrameric alanine (Ala) 4 . Selective photoexcitation of the donor and acceptor triggers subpicosecond and picosecond ET and HT. Replacement of the (Ala) 4 linker with either a single alanine or phenylalanine does not substantially affect the ET and HT kinetics. We infer that electronic coupling in these reactions is not mediated by tetrapeptide backbone nor by direct donor–acceptor interactions. Employing a combination of NMR, circular dichroism, and computational studies, we show that intramolecular hydrogen bonding brings the donor and the acceptor into proximity in a “scorpion-shaped” molecular architecture, thereby accounting for the unusually high ET and HT rates. Photoinduced charge transfer relies on a (Cor)NH … O=C–NH … O=C(PDI) electronic-coupling pathway involving two pivotal hydrogen bonds and a central amide group as a mediator. Our work provides guidelines for construction of effective donor–acceptor assemblies linked by long flexible bridges as well as insights into structural motifs for mediating ET and HT in proteins.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1800602
- PAR ID:
- 10282593
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Volume:
- 118
- Issue:
- 11
- ISSN:
- 0027-8424
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- e2026462118
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2026462118
