Near-Infrared Photoelectrochemical Conversion via Photoinduced Charge Separation in Supramolecular Complexes of Anionic Phthalocyanines with Li+@C60

Applications of Photoinduced Phenomena in Supramolecularly Arranged Phthalocyanine Derivatives: A Perspective

This review focuses on the description of several examples of supramolecular assemblies of phthalocyanine derivatives differently functionalized and interfaced with diverse kinds of chemical species for photo-induced phenomena applications. In fact, the role of different substituents was investigated in order to tune peculiar aggregates formation as well as, with the same aim, the possibility to interface these derivatives with other molecular species, as electron donor and acceptor, carbon allotropes, cyclodextrins, protein cages, drugs. Phthalocyanine photo-physical features are indeed really interesting and appealing but need to be preserved and optimized. Here, we highlight that the supramolecular approach is a versatile method to build up very complex and functional architectures. Further, the possibility to minimize the organization energy and to facilitate the spontaneous assembly of the molecules, in numerous examples, has been demonstrated to be more useful and performing than the covalent approach.

Caged-Electron States in Endohedral Li Fullerenes

By employing large-scale high-level EA-EOM-CCSD calculations, we have computed and analyzed the low-lying states of neutral Li@C₆₀. Apart from one state, all states are found to be charge-separated states of the type Li⁺@C₆₀^-. The new state is the first reported non-charge-separated state in endohedral alkali fullerenes. This caged-electron state is analyzed in detail. Arguments are given that in larger highly symmetric endohedral fullerenes the caged-electron state can be the electronic ground state of the system. HF and DFT calculations on Li@C₁₈₀ indeed find that the caged-electron state is the ground state and that in its equilibrium geometry Li sits at the center of the cage. Applications are mentioned.

New Insight into an Old Problem: Analysis, Interpretation, and Theoretical Modeling of the Absorption and Magnetic Circular Dichroism Spectra of Monomeric and Dimeric Zinc Phthalocyanine Cation Radical

The chemically or spectroelectrochemically generated formation and aggregation of zinc(II) tetra-tert-butylphthalocyanine cation radical [ZnPc^tBu]^+•, which was highly soluble in common organic solvents, were investigated using UV-vis and magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectroscopies with an emphasis on the influence of the axial ligand on the fingerprint (∼500 nm) and NIR (720∼1000 nm) spectral envelopes. MCD spectroscopy is suggestive that the NIR band at ∼1000 nm observed for the antiferromagnetically coupled cation radical dimer, [ZnPc^tBu]₂²⁺, has no degeneracy, the monomer-dimeric equilibrium is temperature dependent, and higher degree aggregates can be formed at specific conditions. Sixteen different exchange-correlation functionals were tested to accurately predict the energies, intensities, and profiles of the UV-vis and MCD spectra of the phthalocyanine cation radical monomer and dimer. It was found that the M05 exchange-correlation functional (along with several other functionals that include 27-42% of Hartree-Fock exchange) provided an excellent agreement (∼0.1 eV for the degenerate excited states observed by MCD spectroscopy) between theory and experiment for the phthalocyanine cation-radical monomer and dimer. Not only did time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculations with M05 exchange-correlation functional correctly predict the nondegenerate NIR charge-transfer band at ∼1000 nm, all degenerate excited states, monomer and dimer energies, and oscillator strengths, but also they correctly described the nature of the experimentally observed at ∼500 nm MCD B-term (fingerprint band) detected for both the monomeric and dimeric phthalocyanine cation radicals. The TDDFT data explain the similarities in the UV-vis and MCD spectra of the monomeric and dimeric species observed between the UV and fingerprint spectral envelopes as well as correctly predicted the antiferromagnetic coupling between the two singly oxidized phthalocyanine macrocycles in the dimer.

Extensive first-principles molecular dynamics study on Li encapsulation into C60 and its experimental confirmation

The aim of increasing the production ratio of endohedral C₆₀ by impinging foreign atoms against C₆₀ is a crucial matter of the science and technology employed towards industrialization of these functional building block materials. Among these endohedral fullerenes, Li⁺@C₆₀ exhibits a wide variety of physical and chemical phenomena and has the potential to be applicable in areas spanning the medical field to photovoltaics. However, currently, Li⁺@C₆₀ can be experimentally produced with only ∼1% ratio using the plasma shower method with a 30 eV kinetic energy provided to the impinging Li⁺ ion. From extensive first-principles molecular dynamics simulations, it is found that the maximum production ratio of Li⁺@C₆₀ per hit is increased to about 5.1% (5.3%) when a Li⁺ ion impinges vertically on a six-membered ring of C₆₀ with 30 eV (40 eV) kinetic energy, although many C₆₀ molecules are damaged during this collision. On the contrary, when it impinges vertically on a six-membered ring with 10 eV kinetic energy, the production ratio remains at 1.3%, but the C₆₀ molecules are not damaged at all. On the other hand, when the C₆₀ is randomly oriented, the production ratio reduces to about 3.7 ± 0.5%, 3.3 ± 0.5%, and 0.2 ± 0.03% for 30 eV, 40 eV, and 10 eV kinetic energy, respectively. Based on these observations we demonstrate the possibility of increasing the production ratio by fixing six-membered rings atop C₆₀ using the Cu(111) substrate or UV light irradiation. In order to assess the ideal experimental production ratio, the ⁷Li solid NMR spectroscopy measurement is also performed for the multilayer randomly oriented C₆₀ sample irradiated by Li⁺ using the plasma shower method combined with inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). Time-of-flight mass spectroscopy measurements are also performed to cross check whether Li⁺@C₆₀ molecules are produced in the sample. The resulting experimental estimate, 4% for 30 eV incident kinetic energy, fully agrees with our simulation results mentioned above, suggesting the consistency and accuracy of our simulations and experiments.

Multimolecular assemblies on high surface area metal oxides and their role in interfacial energy and electron transfer

High surface area metal oxides offer a unique substrate for the assembly of multiple molecular components at an interface.

Enhanced Internal Quantum Efficiency in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells: Effect of Long-Lived Charge-Separated State of Sensitizers

Effective charge separation is one of the key determinants for the photovoltaic performance of the dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Herein, two charge-separated (CS) sensitizers, MTPA-Pyc and YD-Pyc, have been synthesized and applied in DSSCs to investigate the effect of the CS states of the sensitizers on the device's efficiency. The CS states with lifetimes of 64 and 177 ns for MTPA-Pyc and YD-Pyc, respectively, are formed via the photoinduced electron transfer (PET) from the 4-styryltriphenylamine (MTPA) or 4-styrylindoline (YD) donor to the pyrimidine cyanoacrylic acid (Pyc) acceptor. DSSCs based on MTPA-Pyc and YD-Pyc exhibit high internal quantum efficiency (IQE) values of over 80% from 400 to 600 nm. In comparison, the IQEs of the charge transfer (CT) sensitizer cells are 10-30% lower in the same wavelength range. The enhanced IQE values in the devices based on the CS sensitizers are ascribed to the higher electron injection efficiencies and slower charge recombination. The results demonstrate that taking advantage of the CS states in the sensitizers can be a promising strategy to improve the IQEs and further enhance the overall efficiencies of the DSSCs.

Control of local structures and photophysical properties of zinc porphyrin-based supramolecular assemblies structurally organized by regioselective ligand coordination

Nano- and micro-sized molecular assemblies of zinc porphyrins [5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrinato-zinc(II) (ZnTCPP)] utilizing bridging nitrogen ligands such as diazabicycro[2.2.2]octane (DABCO) were prepared to demonstrate the regioselective coordination by two different synthetic strategies such as (I) the solvothermal method and (II) the colloidal metal organic framework (MOF) method. The initial organization process is a planar checkerboard patterned formation (2D platform) of zinc porphyrins organized by paddlewheel secondary building units (PSBUs) between carboxylate and zinc ions. Then, DABCO moieties are decorated on zinc atoms in the metal centres of the porphyrin rings (m-cPDC) in the solvothermal method, whereas the metal centres in the porphyrin rings (n-uPDC) remain uncoordinated in the colloidal MOF method. These internal structural changes between m-cPDC and n-uPDC are in sharp contrast with the corresponding reference systems using ZnTCPP and a 4,4'-bipyridine (BPY) ligand (i.e., m-cPBC and n-cPBC). Concretely, the metal centres of zinc porphyrins in n-uPDC were unsaturated and uncoordinated with the DABCO ligands, which was confirmed by XRD and steady-state spectroscopic measurements. These different coordination features have great effect on the spectroscopic and photophysical properties. For example, the average fluorescence lifetime of m-cPDC is much smaller than that of n-uPDC because of the acceleration of nonradiative processes, which are highly related with the coordination of DABCO to the Zn(II) centre of the ZnTCPP unit. Finally, fluorescence quenching experiments via photoinduced electron transfer (PET) utilizing an electron acceptor: benzoquinone (BQ) were performed. The apparent association constant (Kapp) of n-uPDC is larger than that of m-cPDC. This suggested that the unsaturated ZnTCPP units embedded in n-uPDC easily accommodate guest molecules as compared to the other systems.

Graphene oxide–Li+@C60 donor–acceptor composites for photoenergy conversion

An ionic endohedral metallofullerene (Li⁺@C₆₀) with mild hydrophilic nature was combined with graphene oxide (GO) to construct a donor–acceptor composite in neat water.