Issue 26, 2021

Damming an electronic energy reservoir: ion-regulated electronic energy shuttling in a [2]rotaxane

Abstract

We demonstrate the first example of bidirectional reversible electronic energy transfer (REET) between the mechanically bonded components of a rotaxane. Our prototypical system was designed such that photoexcitation of a chromophore in the axle results in temporary storage of electronic energy in a quasi-isoenergetic “reservoir” chromophore in the macrocycle. Over time, the emissive state of the axle is repopulated from this reservoir, resulting in long-lived, delayed luminescence. Importantly, we show that cation binding in the cavity formed by the mechanical bond perturbs the axle chromophore energy levels, modulating the REET process, and ultimately providing a luminescence read-out of cation binding. Modulation of REET processes represents an unexplored mechanism in luminescent molecular sensor development.

Graphical abstract: Damming an electronic energy reservoir: ion-regulated electronic energy shuttling in a [2]rotaxane

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Edge Article
Submitted
21 apr 2021
Accepted
04 jun 2021
First published
04 jun 2021
This article is Open Access

All publication charges for this article have been paid for by the Royal Society of Chemistry
Creative Commons BY license

Chem. Sci., 2021,12, 9196-9200

Damming an electronic energy reservoir: ion-regulated electronic energy shuttling in a [2]rotaxane

S. Yu, A. Kupryakov, J. E. M. Lewis, V. Martí-Centelles, S. M. Goldup, J. Pozzo, G. Jonusauskas and N. D. McClenaghan, Chem. Sci., 2021, 12, 9196 DOI: 10.1039/D1SC02225C

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements