Photonic Switching of Photoinduced Electron Transfer in a Dithienylethene−Porphyrin−Fullerene Triad Molecule

• Published in: Journal of the American Chemical Society Vol. 124; no. 26; pp. 7668 - 7669
• Main Authors: Liddell, Paul A, Kodis, Gerdenis, Moore, Ana L, Moore, Thomas A, Gust, Devens
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 03-07-2002
• Subjects: Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Exact sciences and technology; Optical properties and condensed-matter spectroscopy and other interactions of matter with particles and radiation; Photoluminescence; Physics; Solid organic materials; Fluorescence spectroscopy; Fullerene compounds; Molecular clusters; Nitrogen heterocycle; Electron transfer; Radiative lifetimes; Experimental study; Non metal porphyrin; Thiophene derivatives; Sulfur heterocycle; Luminescence quenching; Photovoltaic power systems; Photonic switching systems; Triad; Ethylenic compound; Organic compounds; Ultraviolet visible spectrometry
• ISSN: 0002-7863; 1520-5126
• DOI: 10.1021/ja026327c

A dithienylethene (DTE)−porphyrin (P)−fullerene (C60) triad molecule in which intramolecular photoinduced electron transfer is controlled by the photochromic DTE moiety has been prepared. Irradiation of the molecule with visible light gives the open form of the dithienylethene (DTEo). Excitation of the porphyrin gives DTEo-1P-C60, which undergoes photoinduced electron transfer with a time constant of 25 ps to generate DTEo-P•+-C60 •-. Irradiation with ultraviolet light produces the closed form of the dithienylethene (DTEc). Excitation of DTEc-P-C60 yields DTEc-1P-C60, whose porphyrin first excited singlet state is quenched in 2.3 ps by singlet−singlet energy transfer to DTEc, generating 1DTEc-P-C60 and precluding significant photoinduced electron transfer. Such highly reversible photonically controlled intramolecular photoinduced electron transfer may eventually be useful in the design of photonic or optoelectronic devices.