Selective growth of dual-color-emitting heterogeneous microdumbbells composed of organic charge-transfer complexes

J Am Chem Soc. 2013 Mar 13;135(10):3744-7. doi: 10.1021/ja3114278. Epub 2013 Mar 4.

Abstract

We report a simple yet versatile solution route for constructing heterojunctions from luminescent organic charge-transfer (CT) complexes through a two-step seeded-growth method. Using this method, we achieved anisotropic and selective growth of anthracene-1,2,4,5-tetracyanobenzene (TCNB) complexes onto the tips of naphthalene-TCNB microtubes, resulting in the formation of microdumbbells. Significantly, the two-component microdumbbells appear as dual-color-emitting heterojunctions arising from integration of two distinct color-emitting materials. We further elucidated the two-step seeded-growth mechanism of the dumbbell-like organic heterostructures on the basis of structural analysis of the two crystals and surface-interface energy balance. In principle, the present synthetic route may be used to fabricate a wide range of sophisticated dual- or multicolor-emitting organic heterostructures via judicious choice of the CT complexes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anthracenes / chemistry*
  • Benzene Derivatives / chemistry*
  • Color*
  • Luminescence
  • Naphthalenes / chemistry*
  • Nitriles / chemistry*
  • Particle Size
  • Surface Properties

Substances

  • 1,2,4,5-tetracyanobenzene
  • Anthracenes
  • Benzene Derivatives
  • Naphthalenes
  • Nitriles
  • naphthalene
  • anthracene