10.1002/chem.201404372
The research focuses on the design and synthesis of fullerene-based multicomponent systems that mimic artificial light-harvesting photoreaction centers. The purpose of this study is to create modular arrays incorporating a [60]fulleropyrrolidine scaffold, linked to an oligo(p-phenyleneethynylene) (OPE) antenna and electron-donor moieties such as phenothiazine (PTZ) and/or ferrocene (Fc). The aim is to achieve selective excitation on a given unit while maintaining the specific electronic properties of each component. The researchers concluded that the OPE unit effectively acts as an antenna, undergoing ultrafast energy transfer to the fullerene acceptor, and that photoinduced electron transfer with a relatively long-lived charge-separated state (250 ns) was unambiguously demonstrated only in the presence of PTZ in a polar solvent. However, when Fc is part of the system, strong quenching of the fullerene excited states occurs, suggesting that Fc may not be an ideal electron donor for promoting efficient charge separation in multicomponent arrays. The chemicals used in this process include [60]fulleropyrrolidine, oligo(p-phenyleneethynylene), phenothiazine, ferrocene, and various ketones and amino acids for the synthesis of the multicomponent systems.