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Title: Exciton Trapping at Shape‐Persistent Molecular Nanotubes
Abstract We report a series of shape‐persistent molecular nanotubes with top rim connectivity traversing from an all‐meta‐ (m4) to an all‐para‐phenylene (p4) bridged species, including all possible members in between them. Single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction (SCXRD) and microcrystal electron diffraction (MicroED) data show a large torsional angle formeta‐phenylenes relative topara‐phenylene rings. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reproduce the experimental torsional angles and also establish a correlation indicating a gradual increase in strain energy fromm4(∼31 kcal mol−1) top4(∼90 kcal mol−1). Structural transitions fromm4top4lead to additional correlations such as a shift in the lowest absorption wavelength from 330 to 394 nm, a sizeable red shift in the maximum emission wavelength from 444 to 546 nm, and a decrease in fluorescence quantum yield from 0.76 to 0.20, respectively. Time‐dependent (TD)‐DFT analysis of the relaxed excited state (S1’) geometry shows a progression of exciton delocalization aspara‐phenylenes are introduced intom4en route top4, while the overall molecular size remains constant. This effect is directly related to increased π‐conjugation within the nanotube's top‐segment and demonstrates how exciton trapping can take place without changing the nanotube's physical size, e.g., diameter and length.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2302628
PAR ID:
10630530
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ; ;
Publisher / Repository:
Wiley
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Angewandte Chemie International Edition
ISSN:
1433-7851
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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