An insight into non-emissive excited states in conjugated polymers

Porous Semiconducting Polymer Nanoparticles as Intracellular Biophotonic Mediators to Modulate the Reactive Oxygen Species Balance

The integration of nanotechnology with photoredox medicine has led to the emergence of biocompatible semiconducting polymer nanoparticles (SPNs) for the optical modulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, the need for efficient photoactive materials capable of finely controlling the intracellular redox status with high spatial resolution at a nontoxic light density is still largely unmet. Herein, highly photoelectrochemically efficient photoactive polymer beads are developed. The photoactive material/electrolyte interfacial area is maximized by designing porous semiconducting polymer nanoparticles (PSPNs). PSPNs are synthesized by selective hydrolysis of the polyester segments of nanoparticles made of poly(3-hexylthiophene)-graft-poly(lactic acid) (P3HT-g-PLA). The photocurrent of PSPNs is 4.5-fold higher than that of nonporous P3HT-g-PLA-SPNs, and PSPNs efficiently reduce oxygen in an aqueous environment. PSPNs are internalized within endothelial cells and optically trigger ROS generation with a >1.3-fold concentration increase with regard to nonporous P3HT-SPNs, at a light density as low as a few milliwatts per square centimeter, fully compatible with in vivo, chronic applications.

NIR-II Absorption/Fluorescence of D-A π-Conjugated Polymers Composed of Strong Electron Acceptors Based on Boron-Fused Azobenzene Complexes

Luminescence in the second near-infrared (NIR-II, 1,000-1,700 nm) window is beneficial especially for deep tissue imaging and optical sensors because of intrinsic high permeability through various media. Strong electron-acceptors with low-lying lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy levels are a crucial unit for donor-acceptor (D-A) π-conjugated polymers (CPs) with the NIR-II emission property, however, limited kinds of molecular skeletons are still available. Herein, D-A CPs involving fluorinated boron-fused azobenzene complexes (BAz) with enhanced electron-accepting properties are reported. Combination of fluorination at the azobenzene ligand and trifluoromethylation at the boron can effectively lower the LUMO energy level down to -4.42 eV, which is much lower than those of conventional strong electron-acceptors. The synthesized series of CPs showed excellent absorption/fluorescence property in solution over a wide NIR range including NIR-II. Furthermore, owing to the inherent solid-state emissive property of the BAz skeleton, obvious NIR-II fluorescence from the film (up to λFL=1213 nm) and the nanoparticle in water (λFL=1036 nm, brightness=up to 29 cm-1 M-1) were observed, proposing that our materials are applicable for developing next-generation of NIR-II luminescent materials.

Sub-50 fs Formation of Charge Transfer States Rules the Fate of Photoexcitations in Eumelanin-Like Materials

Eumelanins play a crucial role as photoprotective agents for living organisms, yet the nature of the stationary and transient species involved in the light absorption and deactivation processes remains controversial. Moreover, the critical sub-100 fs time scale, which is key to the characterization of the primary excited species, has remained unexplored. Here, we study the eumelanin analogue polydopamine (PDA) and employ a combination of steady-state and transient optical spectroscopies to reveal the presence of spectrally broad coupled electronic transitions with, at least partial, charge-transfer (CT) character. We monitor the CT state dynamics using tunable sub-20 fs pulses. We find that high photon energy excitation results in accelerated (sub-20 fs) CT formation times while activating pathways, which lead to long-lived (≫1 ns), possibly reactive CT species. On the other hand, visible light excitation results in a slower (≈45 fs) formation of bound CT states, which, however, recombine on the ultrafast sub-2 ps time scale.

Semiconducting Polymer Nanoporous Thin Films as a Tool to Regulate Intracellular ROS Balance in Endothelial Cells

The design of soft and nanometer-scale photoelectrodes able to stimulate and promote the intracellular concentration of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is searched for redox medicine applications. In this work, we show semiconducting polymer porous thin films with an enhanced photoelectrochemical generation of ROS in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). To achieve that aim, we synthesized graft copolymers, made of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and degradable poly(lactic acid) (PLA) segments, P3HT-g-PLA. In a second step, the hydrolysis of sacrificial PLA leads to nanometer-scale porous P3HT thin films. The pore sizes in the nm regime (220-1200 nm) were controlled by the copolymer composition and the structural arrangement of the copolymers during the film formation, as determined by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The porous P3HT thin films showed enhanced photofaradaic behavior, generating a higher concentration of ROS in comparison to non-porous P3HT films, as determined by scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) measurements. The exogenous ROS production was able to modulate the intracellular ROS concentration in HUVECs at non-toxic levels, thus affecting the physiological functions of cells. Results presented in this work provide an important step forward in the development of new tools for precise, on-demand, and non-invasive modulation of intracellular ROS species and may be potentially extended to many other physiological or pathological cell models.

Generating Long-Lived Triplet Excited States in Narrow Bandgap Conjugated Polymers

Narrow bandgap conjugated polymers are a heavily studied class of organic semiconductors, but their excited states usually have a very short lifetime, limiting their scope for applications. One approach to overcome the short lifetime is to populate long-lived triplet states for which relaxation to the ground state is forbidden. However, the triplet lifetime of narrow bandgap polymer films is typically limited to a few microseconds. Here, we investigated the effect of film morphology on triplet dynamics in red-emitting conjugated polymers based on the classic benzodithiophene monomer unit with the solubilizing alkyl side chains C₁₆ and C₂C₆ and then used Pd porphyrin sensitization as a further strategy to change the triplet dynamics. Using transient absorption spectroscopy, we demonstrated a 0.45 ms triplet lifetime for the more crystalline nonsensitized polymer C₂C₆, 2-3 orders of magnitude longer than typically reported, while the amorphous C₁₆ had only a 5 μs lifetime. The increase is partly due to delaying bimolecular electron-hole recombination in the more crystalline C₂C_6, where a higher energy barrier for charge recombination is expected. A triplet lifetime of 0.4 ms was also achieved by covalently incorporating 5% of Pd porphyrin into the C₁₆ polymer, which introduced extra energy transfer steps between the polymer and porphyrin that delayed triplet dynamics and increased the polymer triplet yield by 7.9 times. This work demonstrates two synthetic approaches to generate the longest-lived triplet excited states in narrow bandgap conjugated polymers, which is of necessity in a wide range of fields that range from organic electronics to sensors and bioapplications.

"Red Carbon": A Rediscovered Covalent Crystalline Semiconductor

Carbon suboxide (C₃ O₂ ) is a unique molecule able to polymerize spontaneously into highly conjugated light-absorbing structures at temperatures as low as 0 °C. Despite obvious advantages, little is known about the nature and the functional properties of this carbonaceous material. In this work, the aim is to bring "red carbon," a forgotten polymeric semiconductor, back to the community's attention. A solution polymerization process is adapted to simplify the synthesis and control the structure. This allows one to obtain this crystalline covalent material at low temperatures. Both spectroscopic and elemental analyses support the chemical structure represented as conjugated ladder polypyrone ribbons. Density functional theory calculations suggest a crystalline structure of AB stacks of polypyrone ribbons and identify the material as a direct bandgap semiconductor with a medium bandgap that is further confirmed by optical analysis. The material shows promising photocatalytic performance using blue light. Moreover, the simple condensation-aromatization route described here allows the straightforward fabrication of conjugated ladder polymers and can be inspiring for the synthesis of carbonaceous materials at low temperatures in general.

Conformational Heterogeneity and Interchain Percolation Revealed in an Amorphous Conjugated Polymer

Conjugated polymers are employed in a variety of application areas due to their bright fluorescence and strong biocompatibility. However, understanding the structure of amorphous conjugated polymers on the nanoscale is extremely challenging compared to their related crystalline phases. Using a bespoke classical force field, we study amorphous poly(9,9-di-n-octylfluorene-alt-benzothiadiazole) (F8BT) with molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the role that its nanoscale structure plays in controlling its emergent (and all-important) optical properties. Notably, we show that a giant percolating cluster exists within amorphous F8BT, which has ramifications in understanding the nature of interchain species that drive the quantum yield reduction and bathochromic shift observed in conjugated polymer-based devices and nanostructures. We also show that distinct conformations can be unravelled from within the disordered structure of amorphous F8BT using a two-stage machine learning protocol, highlighting a link between molecular conformation and ring stacking propensity. This work provides predictive understanding by which to enhance the optical properties of next-generation conjugated polymer-based devices and materials by rational, simulation-led design principles.

Controlled tuning of radiative-nonradiative transition via solvent perturbation: Franck-Condon emission vs. aggregation caused quenching

Organic molecules with tunable fluorescence quantum yield are attractive for opto-electronic applications. A fluorophore with tunable fluorescence quantum yield should be a better choice for a variety of applications that demand fluorophores with different quantum yields. Here organic emitters with a continuous bell-shaped fluorescence yield profile would be promising in view of sustainability and reusability; however, fluorophores with these properties are rarely reported. A bis-indole derivative, 3,3'-bisindolyl(phenyl)methane (BIPM), was synthesised and found to undergo a unique 'rise-and-fall' profile in fluorescence yield with a compositional change of the 1,4-dioxane (DiOx)-H₂O solvent system. A predominant interplay of two contrasting factors, (a) polarity and proticity induced emission enhancement and (b) aggregation caused fluorescence quenching, on either side of a crossover solvent composition (∼50% f_W), resulted in a continuous bell-patterned fluorescence yield profile. Interestingly, these two factors could be observed individually or simultaneously by adjusting the H₂O fraction. Detailed spectroscopic, electron microscopic and computational studies have been performed to substantiate the photophysics behind the solvent regulated modulation of fluorescence quantum yield.

Charge Transfer Excitons in π -stacked Thiophene Oligomers and P3[Alkyl]T Crystals: CIS calculations and electroabsorption spectroscopy

Poly(3-alkylthiophenes), P3[Alkyl]T, exhibit high mobility and efficiency of formation of polaronic chargecarriers generated by light absorption which gives them applications in field effect devices. Excited states ofπ -stacked dimers of tetra-thiophene oligomers (T4), infinite isolated polythiophene (PT) chains and P3[Alkyl]Tcrystals are modeled using configuration interaction singles (CIS) calculations. Excited states in cofacial T4dimers are mostly localized, Frenkel (FR) states except for two low energy CT exciton states which become theionization potential and electron affinity levels of T4 molecules at large dimer separation. The lowest excitedstates in infinite, isolated PT chains and P3[Alkyl]T crystals are intra-chain excitons where the electron and holeare localized on the same chain. The next lowest excited states are inter-chain, CT excitons in which electronand hole reside on neighboring chains. The former capture almost all optical oscillator strength and the lattermay be a route to efficient formation of polaronic charge carriers in P3[Alkyl]T systems. Changes in opticalabsorption energies of T4 dimers are explained as a function of molecular separation using CIS calculations withfour frontier orbitals in the active space. Shifts in optical absorption energy observed on going from isolatedchains to P3[Alkyl]T lamellar structures are already present in single-particle transition energies induced bydirect π - π interactions at short range. The electroabsorption spectrum of T4 dimers is calculated as a functionof dimer separation and states which are responsible for parallel and perpendicular components of the spectrumare identified.

Inverse molecular design from first principles: tailoring organic chromophore spectra for optoelectronic applications

The discovery of molecules with tailored optoelectronic properties such as specific frequency and intensity of absorption or emission is a major challenge in creating next-generation organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) and photovoltaics. This raises the question: how can we predict a potential chemical structure from these properties? Approaches that attempt to tackle this inverse design problem include virtual screening, active machine learning and genetic algorithms. However, these approaches rely on a molecular database or many electronic structure calculations, and significant computational savings could be achieved if there was prior knowledge of (i) whether the optoelectronic properties of a parent molecule could easily be improved and (ii) what morphing operations on a parent molecule could improve these properties. In this perspective we address both of these challenges from first principles. We firstly adapt the Thomas-Reiche-Kuhn sum rule to organic chromophores and show how this indicates how easily the absorption and emission of a molecule can be improved. We then show how by combining electronic structure theory and intensity borrowing perturbation theory we can predict whether or not the proposed morphing operations will achieve the desired spectral alteration, and thereby derive widely-applicable design rules. We go on to provide proof-of-concept illustrations of this approach to optimizing the visible absorption of acenes and the emission of radical OLEDs. We believe this approach can be integrated into genetic algorithms by biasing morphing operations in favour of those which are likely to be successful, leading to faster molecular discovery and greener chemistry.

Dynamics of Excitons in Conjugated Molecules and Organic Semiconductor Systems

The exciton, an excited electron-hole pair bound by Coulomb attraction, plays a key role in photophysics of organic molecules and drives practically important phenomena such as photoinduced mechanical motions of a molecule, photochemical conversions, energy transfer, generation of free charge carriers, etc. Its behavior in extended π-conjugated molecules and disordered organic films is very different and very rich compared with exciton behavior in inorganic semiconductor crystals. Due to the high degree of variability of organic systems themselves, the exciton not only exerts changes on molecules that carry it but undergoes its own changes during all phases of its lifetime, that is, birth, conversion and transport, and decay. The goal of this review is to give a systematic and comprehensive view on exciton behavior in π-conjugated molecules and molecular assemblies at all phases of exciton evolution with emphasis on rates typical for this dynamic picture and various consequences of the above dynamics. To uncover the rich variety of exciton behavior, details of exciton formation, exciton transport, exciton energy conversion, direct and reverse intersystem crossing, and radiative and nonradiative decay are considered in different systems, where these processes lead to or are influenced by static and dynamic disorder, charge distribution symmetry breaking, photoinduced reactions, electron and proton transfer, structural rearrangements, exciton coupling with vibrations and intermediate particles, and exciton dissociation and annihilation as well.

Development of NIR emissive fully-fused bisboron complexes with π-conjugated systems including multiple azo groups

Development of novel near-infrared (NIR) emitters is essential for satisfying the growing demands of advancing optical telecommunication and medical technology. We synthesized elemental skeletons composed of robust π-conjugated systems including two boron-fused azo groups, which showed an intense emission in the red or near-infrared (NIR) region both in solution and solid states. Two types of bisboron complexes with different aromatic linkers showed emission properties with larger bathochromic shifts and emission efficiencies in solution than the corresponding monoboron complex. Transient absorption spectroscopy disclosed that the inferior optical properties of the monoboron complex can be attributed to fast nonradiative deactivation accompanied by a large structural relaxation after photoexcitation. The expanded π-conjugated system through multiple boron-fused azo groups can contribute to rigid molecular skeletons followed by improved emission properties. Moreover, the anti-form of the bisboron complex with fluorine groups in the opposite directions to the π-plane exhibited crystallization-induced emission enhancement in the NIR region. The molecular design by using multiple boron-fused azo groups is expected to be a critical strategy for creating novel NIR emitters.

Unraveling the Contribution of Residual Monomer to the Emission Spectra of Poly(3-hexylthiophene) Aggregates: Implications for Identifying H- and J-type Coupling

Poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) is a well-studied benchmark system for semiconducting polymers used in optoelectronic devices. In these materials, aggregation can improve charge transport efficiency or enhance emission yields depending on the interchain packing. This may be inferred from the absorption and emission spectra when analyzed using exciton coupling models such as the well-known H- and J-coupling model of Kasha. The more recently developed weakly coupled H-aggregate (WCH) model quantifies the degree of disorder via the ratio of the electronic origin intensity to that of the first vibronic band. Here, the underlying assumptions of this approach are tested experimentally for P3HT aggregates formed by solvent poisoning using bulk and single-molecule-based spectroscopic techniques. Specifically, we show that the contribution of residual monomeric chains to the aggregate spectrum must be accounted for to properly assign the spectra as H- or J-type. A modification of the WCH model is introduced to account for multiple emissive species.

J-like aggregation of a cationic polythiophene with hydrogen-bonding capabilities due to 1,4-dioxane: Solution excitation spectra and fluorescence, morphology and surface free energy of films

This work presents solution- and solid-state evidence of the enhancement of J-like aggregation of a cationic polythiophene (CPT) with isothiouronium functionalities (PT1), caused by a decrease in the polarity and hydrogen-bonding (H-bonding) capacity of the solvent, generated by using a 50:50 v/v 1,4-dioxane-water mixture (W-DI) instead of water. In solution, the presence of 1,4-dioxane (DI) seems to generate selective solvation, tuning the energy transfer within PT1 from inter-chain into intra-chain, enhancing J-like aggregation. On the other hand, during the casting process, the presence of DI directs the interaction with solid-substrates, generating an increase in the solid-state fluorescence, modifying the morphology from one similar to ballistic-aggregation (BA) into one similar to attachment limited aggregation (ALA), DI also modifies the SFE by increasing slightly its polar contribution (γSp) and decreasing the dispersive one (γSd). These results can be explained to be caused by a "coating" effect in presence of DI (as proposed before experimentally and computationally). Our results show a clear correlation between the solution- and solid-state properties of PT1 in each solvent, further validating the use of the fluorescence excitation spectra to trace J-like aggregation of water-soluble conjugated polymeric fluorophores in solution. This information could be useful for predicting and designing specific mesoscopic architectures of CPTs (and conjugated polyelectrolytes in general), which are molecules lacking of clear structure-function guidelines for designing high-performance polythiophene-based interlayer materials, especially for CPTs (and conjugated polyelectrolytes (CPEs) in general), particularly those with H-bonding capabilities. To the best of our knowledge the use of solution-state fluorescence excitation spectra to identify J-like aggregation of water-soluble conjugated polymers (CPs) has been scarcely used/discussed in literature and no correlation with solid-state properties was reported previously.

Crystalline assembly of perylene in metal-organic framework thin film: J-aggregate or excimer? Insight into the electronic structure

The spatial orientation of chromophores defines the photophysical and optoelectronic properties of a material and serves as the main tunable parameter for tailoring functionality. Controlled assembly for achieving a predefined spatial orientation of chromophores is rather challenging. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are an attractive platform for exploring the virtually unlimited chemical space of organic components and their self-assembly for device optimization. Here, we demonstrate the impact of interchromophore interactions on the photophysical properties of a surface-anchored MOF (SURMOF) based on 3,9-perylenedicarboxylicacid linkers. We predict the structural assembly of the perylene molecules in the MOF via robust periodic density functional theory calculations and discuss the impact of unit topology and π-π interaction patterns on spectroscopic and semiconducting properties of the MOF films. We explain the dual nature of excited states in the perylene MOF, where strong temperature-modulated excimer emission, enhanced by the formation of perylene J-aggregates, and low stable monomer emission are observed. We use band-like and hopping transport mechanisms to predict semiconducting properties of perylene SURMOF-2 films as a function of inter-linker interactions, demonstrating both p-type and n-type conduction mechanisms. Hole carrier mobility up to 7.34 cm²Vs^-1is predicted for the perylene SURMOF-2. The results show a promising pathway towards controlling excimer photophysics in a MOF while controlling charge carrier mobility on the basis of a predictive model.

SSAIMS-Stochastic-Selection Ab Initio Multiple Spawning for Efficient Nonadiabatic Molecular Dynamics

Ab initio multiple spawning provides a powerful and accurate way of describing the excited-state dynamics of molecular systems, whose strength resides in the proper description of coherence effects during nonadiabatic processes thanks to the coupling of trajectory basis functions. However, the simultaneous propagation of a large number of trajectory basis functions can be numerically inconvenient. We propose here an elegant and simple solution to this issue, which consists of (i) detecting uncoupled groups of coupled trajectory basis functions and (ii) selecting stochastically one of these groups to continue the ab initio multiple spawning dynamics. We show that this procedure can reproduce the results of full ab initio multiple spawning dynamics in cases where the uncoupled groups of trajectory basis functions stay uncoupled throughout the dynamics (which is often the case in high-dimensional problems). We present and discuss the aforementioned idea in detail and provide simple numerical applications on indole, ethylene, and protonated formaldimine, highlighting the potential of stochastic-selection ab initio multiple spawning.

Mixed Quantum Classical Simulations of Charge-Transfer Dynamics in a Model Light-Harvesting Complex. I. Charge-Transfer Dynamics

We develop here a mixed quantum mechanical/molecular dynamics model to investigate charge-transfer dynamics in a set of large organic donor-bridge-acceptor triad molecules. Specifically, we are interested in the differences in electron and nuclear behavior relating to small changes in the molecular makeup of carotenoid-porphyrin-fullerene triads. Our model approximates excitation energies on the order of 1.9 eV which agree with absorption spectra for these triads and isolated porphyrins. Using electron population analysis, we monitor charge migration to the acceptor in time. Approximations of the charge transfer rates reveal ultrafast (picosecond scale) electron dynamics consistent with experimental literature.

All-conjugated donor–acceptor block copolymers featuring a pentafulvenyl-polyisocyanide-acceptor

A fulvenyl-functionalized polyisocyanide (PIC2) with a high electron mobility of μ_e = 10⁻² cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹ has been incorporated into donor–acceptor block copolymers. Their self-assembly and bulk-morphology have been studied, and potential device applications have been explored.

Chain Coupling and Luminescence in High-Mobility, Low-Disorder Conjugated Polymers

Optoelectronic devices based on conjugated polymers often rely on multilayer device architectures, as it is difficult to design all the different functional requirements, in particular the need for efficient luminescence and fast carrier transport, into a single polymer. Here we study the photophysics of a recently discovered class of conjugated polymers with high charge carrier mobility and low degree of energetic disorder and investigate whether it is possible in this system to achieve by molecular design a high photoluminescence quantum yield without sacrificing carrier mobility. Tracing exciton dynamics over femtosecond to microsecond time scales, we show that nearly all nonradiative exciton recombination arises from interactions between chromophores on different chains. We evaluate the temperature dependence and role of electron-phonon coupling leading to fast internal conversion in systems with strong interchain coupling and the extent to which this can be turned off by varying side chain substitution. By sterically decreasing interchain interaction, we present an effective approach to increase the fluorescence quantum yield of low-energy gap polymers. We present a red-NIR-emitting amorphous polymer with the highest reported film luminescence quantum efficiency of 18% whose mobility concurrently exceeds that of amorphous-Si. This is a key result toward the development of single-layer optoelectronic devices that require both properties.

Manipulating Nonradiative Decay Channel by Intermolecular Charge Transfer for Exceptionally Improved Photothermal Conversion

In-depth studies of nonradiative (NR) decay, seeking to maximize NR decay rate or manipulate other NR decay channels, are of greatest significance for improving the photothermal conversion efficiency (η) of organic materials for phototheranostics; however, to date, relevant work remains scarce. Here, we present an insightful study of NR decay in BODIPY (BDP) dye, in an aggregated state, i.e., in BDP nanoparticles (BDP NPs), which show an efficient additional NR decay channel from the aggregation-stabilized intermolecular charge transfer (CT) state, resulting in exceptionally high η (61%) for highly efficient phototheranostics in vivo. BDP NPs exhibit two ultrafast NR decay channels with ultrashort lifetimes of 1.7 and 50 ps, which is in stark contrast to the only S₁ → S₀ NR channel with a long lifetime of 373 ps in the isolated BDP dye. More importantly, the ultrafast NR channel (1.7 ps) in BDP NPs depletes a substantial portion of the excited-state population (71%), which accounts for its much better photothermal effect as compared with the isolated BDP dye. Finally, BDP NPs display a highly efficient photoacoustic imaging (PAI) guided photothermal therapy (PTT) of tumors in live mice. This study presents a deeper fundamental understanding of NR decay in organic materials, setting a valuable guideline that may be widely applicable to similar molecular structure to develop more advanced organic materials not only for photothermal-related applications.

A π-Conjugated, Covalent Phosphinine Framework

Structural modularity of polymer frameworks is a key advantage of covalent organic polymers, however, only C, N, O, Si, and S have found their way into their building blocks so far. Here, the toolbox available to polymer and materials chemists is expanded by one additional nonmetal, phosphorus. Starting with a building block that contains a λ⁵‐phosphinine (C₅P) moiety, a number of polymerization protocols are evaluated, finally obtaining a π‐conjugated, covalent phosphinine‐based framework (CPF‐1) through Suzuki–Miyaura coupling. CPF‐1 is a weakly porous polymer glass (72.4 m² g⁻¹ BET at 77 K) with green fluorescence (λ_max=546 nm) and extremely high thermal stability. The polymer catalyzes hydrogen evolution from water under UV and visible light irradiation without the need for additional co‐catalyst at a rate of 33.3 μmol h⁻¹ g⁻¹. These results demonstrate for the first time the incorporation of the phosphinine motif into a complex polymer framework. Phosphinine‐based frameworks show promising electronic and optical properties, which might spark future interest in their applications in light‐emitting devices and heterogeneous catalysis.

Solving the Trivial Crossing Problem While Preserving the Nodal Symmetry of the Wave Function

In an adiabatic mixed quantum-classical simulation, the avoided crossing of weakly coupled eigenstates can lead to unphysical discontinuities in wave function dynamics, otherwise known as the trivial crossing problem. A standard solution to the trivial crossing problem eliminates spatial discontinuities in wave function dynamics by imposing changes to the eigenstate of the wave function. In this paper, we show that this solution has the side effect of introducing transient discontinuities in the nodal symmetry of the wave function. We present an alternative solution to the trivial crossing problem that preserves both the spatial and nodal structure of the adiabatic wave function. By considering a model of exciton dynamics on conjugated polymer systems, we show that failure to preserve wave function symmetry yields exciton dynamics that depends unphysically on polymer system size. We demonstrate that our symmetry-preserving solution to the trivial crossing problem yields more realistic dynamics and can thus improve the accuracy of simulations of larger systems that are prone to the trivial crossing problem.

A de novo strategy for predictive crystal engineering to tune excitonic coupling

In molecular solids, the intense photoluminescence (PL) observed for solvated dye molecules is often suppressed by nonradiative decay processes introduced by excitonic coupling to adjacent chromophores. We have developed a strategy to avoid this undesirable PL quenching by optimizing the chromophore packing. We integrated the photoactive compounds into metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and tuned the molecular alignment by introducing adjustable "steric control units" (SCUs). We determined the optimal alignment of core-substituted naphthalenediimides (cNDIs) to yield highly emissive J-aggregates by a computational analysis. Then, we created a large library of handle-equipped MOF chromophoric linkers and computationally screened for the best SCUs. A thorough photophysical characterization confirmed the formation of J-aggregates with bright green emission, with unprecedented photoluminescent quantum yields for crystalline NDI-based materials. This data demonstrates the viability of MOF-based crystal engineering approaches that can be universally applied to tailor the photophysical properties of organic semiconductor materials.

Energetics of exciton binding and dissociation in polythiophenes: a tight binding approach

A tight-binding exciton model that describes the continuum from the bound exciton to the free hole and electron polarons in conjugated polymer chains is introduced and applied to polythiophenes.

Effect of Spacer Length and Solvent on the Concentration-Driven Aggregation of Cationic Hydrogen-Bonding Donor Polythiophenes

Aggregation of cationic isothiouronium polythiophenes with alkoxy-spacers of different lengths at the 3-position of the thiophene ring was studied in solvents of different polarities. Hydrogen-bonding capacity was assessed by steady-state absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy, whereas the aggregation in aqueous solutions was studied by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, using paramagnetic probes of different polarities. The two polymers displayed similar features in respect to conformation, effect of cosolvents on aggregation, unstructured absorption-fluorescence spectra, Stokes shifts when aggregated, solvatochromic effect, and self-quenching concentration. However, these polymers also showed different specific interactions with water, Stokes shifts in water, effect of the solvent on the extent of dominant state of the S1 level, and also different inner cavities and hydrophobic-hydrophilic surface area in aqueous solution aggregates. Water maximized the difference between the polymers concerning the effect of specific increases in concentration, whereas the presence of 1,4-dioxane generated almost identical effects on both polymers.

Effect of Confinement on Photophysical Properties of P3HT Chains in PMMA Matrix

The influence of arrangement of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) chains embedded into poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) matrix on photophysical properties, such as electronic absorption spectrum, band gap, and photoluminescence quantum yield, of the formed P3HT aggregates have been studied. It has been found that variation of P3HT fraction in PMMA matrix from 25 to 2 wt% is accompanied with the increasing quantum yield of photoluminescence, red shift of the band gap, and structural change of P3HT crystallites. The above changes are accompanied with disruption of the continuous network of P3HT fraction into smaller P3HT particles with size ranged from several microns to several tens of nanometers. The results are interpreted in terms of the changing intermolecular packing and reduced intramolecular torsional disorder. It is discussed that the most contribution to the above changes comes from P3HT molecules at the interface of P3HT cluster and PMMA environment.

Impact of backbone fluorination on nanoscale morphology and excitonic coupling in polythiophenes

Fluorination represents an important strategy in developing high-performance conjugated polymers for photovoltaic applications. Here, we use regioregular poly(3-ethylhexylthiophene) (P3EHT) and poly(3-ethylhexyl-4-fluorothiophene) (F-P3EHT) as simplified model materials, using single-molecule/aggregate spectroscopy and molecular dynamic simulations, to elucidate the impacts of backbone fluorination on morphology and excitonic coupling on the molecular scale. Despite its high regioregularity, regioregular P3EHT exhibits a rather broad distribution in polymer chain conformation due to the strong steric hindrance of bulky ethylhexyl side chains. This conformational variability results in disordered interchain morphology even between a few chains, prohibiting long-range effective interchain coupling. In stark contrast, the experimental and molecular dynamic calculations reveal that backbone fluorination of F-P3EHT leads to an extended rod-like single-chain conformation and hence highly ordered interchain packing in aggregates. Surprisingly, the ordered and close interchain packing in F-P3EHT does not lead to strong excitonic coupling between the chains but rather to dominant intrachain excitonic coupling that greatly reduces the molecular energetic heterogeneity.