Energy Transport in Dichroic Metallo-organic Crystals: Selective Inclusion of Spatially Resolved Arrays of Donor and Acceptor Dyes in Different Nanochannels

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2023 Jan 23;62(4):e202214041. doi: 10.1002/anie.202214041. Epub 2022 Dec 16.

Abstract

In this study, the precise positioning and alignment of arrays of two different guest molecules in a crystalline host matrix has been engineered and resulted in new optically active materials. Sub-nm differences in the diameters of two types of 1D channels are sufficient for size-selective inclusion of dyes. Energy transport occurs between the arrays of different dyes that are included in parallel-positioned nanochannels by Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). The color of individual micro-sized crystals are dependent on their relative position under polarized light. This angular-dependent behavior is a result of the geometrically constrained orientation of the dyes by the crystallographic packing of the host matrix and is concentration dependent.

Keywords: Dichroic Crystals; Förster Resonance Energy Transfer; Metal-Organic Frameworks; Selective Guest Inclusion.