A Supramolecular Artificial Light-Harvesting System with Two-Step Sequential Energy Transfer for Photochemical Catalysis

Min Hao; Guangping Sun; Minzan Zuo; Zuqiang Xu; Yuan Chen; Xiao-Yu Hu; Leyong Wang

doi:10.1002/anie.201912654

A Supramolecular Artificial Light-Harvesting System with Two-Step Sequential Energy Transfer for Photochemical Catalysis

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2020 Jun 15;59(25):10095-10100. doi: 10.1002/anie.201912654. Epub 2019 Nov 14.

Authors

Min Hao¹, Guangping Sun¹, Minzan Zuo¹, Zuqiang Xu¹, Yuan Chen¹, Xiao-Yu Hu^{1

2}, Leyong Wang^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry of MOE, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Organic Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China.
² College of Material Science and Technology, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, 211100, China.
³ School of Petrochemical Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou, 213164, China.

PMID: 31625651
DOI: 10.1002/anie.201912654

Abstract

An artificial light-harvesting system with sequential energy-transfer process was fabricated based on a supramolecular strategy. Self-assembled from the host-guest complex formed by water-soluble pillar[5]arene (WP5), a bola-type tetraphenylethylene-functionalized dialkyl ammonium derivative (TPEDA), and two fluorescent dyes, Eosin Y (ESY) and Nile Red (NiR), the supramolecular vesicles achieve efficient energy transfer from the AIE guest TPEDA to ESY. ESY can function as a relay to further transfer the energy to the second acceptor NiR and realize a two-step sequential energy-transfer process with good efficiency. By tuning the donor/acceptor ratio, bright white light emission can be successfully achieved with a CIE coordinate of (0.33, 0.33). To better mimic natural photosynthesis and make full use of the harvested energy, the WP5⊃TPEDA-ESY-NiR system can be utilized as a nanoreactor: photocatalyzed dehalogenation of α-bromoacetophenone was realized with 96 % yield in aqueous medium.

Keywords: artificial light harvesting; host-guest interactions; sequential energy transfer; supramolecular self-assembly; white light emission.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't