Self-Hybridized Vibrational-Mie Polaritons in Water Droplets.

We study the self-hybridization between Mie modes supported by water droplets with stretching and bending vibrations in water molecules. Droplets with radii >2.7 µm are found to be polaritonic on the onset of the ultrastrong light-matter coupling regime. Similarly, the effect is observed in larger deuterated water droplets at lower frequencies. Our results indicate that polaritonic states are ubiquitous and occur in water droplets in mists, fogs, and clouds. This finding may have implications not only for polaritonic physics but also for aerosol and atmospheric sciences.

Quantum trapping and rotational self-alignment in triangular Casimir microcavities.

Casimir torque, a rotational motion driven by zero-point energy minimization, is a problem that attracts notable research interest. Recently, it has been realized using liquid crystal phases and natural anisotropic substrates. However, for natural materials, substantial torque occurs only at van der Waals distances of ~10 nm. Here, we use Casimir self-assembly with triangular gold nanostructures for rotational self-alignment at truly Casimir distances (100 to 200 nm separation). The interplay of repulsive electrostatic and attractive Casimir potentials forms a stable quantum trap, giving rise to a tunable Fabry-Pérot microcavity. This cavity self-aligns both laterally and rotationally to maximize area overlap between templated and floating flakes. The rotational self-alignment is sensitive to the equilibrium distance between the two triangles and their area, offering possibilities for active control via electrostatic screening manipulation. Our self-assembled Casimir microcavities present a versatile and tunable platform for nanophotonic, polaritonic, and optomechanical applications.

Tunable self-assembled Casimir microcavities and polaritons.

Spontaneous formation of ordered structures-self-assembly-is ubiquitous in nature and observed on different length scales, ranging from atomic and molecular systems to micrometre-scale objects and living matter1. Self-ordering in molecular and biological systems typically involves short-range hydrophobic and van der Waals interactions2,3. Here we introduce an approach to micrometre-scale self-assembly based on the joint action of attractive Casimir and repulsive electrostatic forces arising between charged metallic nanoflakes in an aqueous solution. This system forms a self-assembled optical Fabry-Pérot microcavity with a fundamental mode in the visible range (long-range separation distance about 100-200 nanometres) and a tunable equilibrium configuration. Furthermore, by placing an excitonic material in the microcavity region, we are able to realize hybrid light-matter states (polaritons4-6), whose properties, such as coupling strength and eigenstate composition, can be controlled in real time by the concentration of ligand molecules in the solution and light pressure. These Casimir microcavities could find future use as sensitive and tunable platforms for a variety of applications, including opto-mechanics7, nanomachinery8 and cavity-induced polaritonic chemistry9.

Singlet Energy Transfer in Anthracene-Porphyrin Complexes: Mechanism, Geometry, and Implications for Intramolecular Photon Upconversion.

In this work we show that the mechanism for singlet excitation energy transfer (SET) in coordination complexes changes upon changing a single atom. SET is governed by two different mechanisms; Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) based on Coulombic, through-space interactions, or Dexter energy transfer relying on exchange, through-bond interactions. On the basis of time-resolved fluorescence and transient absorption measurements, we conduct a mechanistic study of SET from a set of photoexcited anthracene donors to axially coordinated porphyrin acceptors, revealing the effect of coordination geometry and a very profound effect of the porphyrin central metal atom. We found that FRET is the dominating mechanism of SET for complexes with zinc-octaethylporphyrin (ZnOEP) as the acceptor, while Dexter energy transfer is the dominating mechanism of SET in a corresponding ruthenium complex (RuOEP). In addition, by analyzing the coordination geometry of the complexes and its temperature dependence, the binding angle potential energy of axially coordinated porphyrin complexes could be estimated. The results of this study are of fundamental importance and are discussed with respect to the consequences for developing intramolecular triplet-triplet annihilation photon upconversion in coordination complexes.

Electron transfer reactions in sub-porphyrin-naphthyldiimide dyads.

A series of donor-acceptor compounds based on a sub-porphyrin (SubP) as an electron donor and naphthyldiimide (NDI) as an acceptor has been designed, synthesized and investigated by time-resolved emission and transient absorption measurements. The donor and acceptor are separated by a single phenyl spacer substituted by methyl groups in order to systematically vary the electronic coupling. The electron transfer reactions in toluene are found to be quite fast; charge separation is quantitative and occurs within 5-10 ps and charge recombination occurs in 1-10 ns, depending on the substitution pattern. As expected, when steric bulk is introduced on the adjoining phenyl group, electron transfer rates slow down because of smaller electronic coupling. Quantum mechanical modelling of the potential energy for twisting the dihedral angles combined with a simplified model of the electronic coupling semi-quantitatively explains the observed variation of the electron transfer rates. Investigating the temperature variation of the charge separation in 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MTHF) and analyzing using the Marcus model allow experimental estimation of the electronic coupling and reorganization energies. At low temperature, relatively strong phosphorescence is observed from the donor-acceptor compounds with onset at 660 nm signaling that charge recombination occurs, at least partially, through the sub-porphyrin localized triplet excited state. Finally, it is noted that charge separation in all SubP-NDI dyads is efficient even at cryogenic temperatures (85 K) in 2-MTHF glass.

Syntheses and studies of electron/energy transfer of new dyads based on an unsymmetrical perylene diimide incorporating chelating 1,10-phenanthroline and its corresponding square-planar complexes with dichloroplatinum(ii) and dichloropalladium(ii ).

Perylene diimides (PDIs) are among the most versatile and functional dyes for supramolecular structures displaying characteristic high absorptions and photo-luminescence properties as the prerequisite for optoelectronic thin film devices. Despite intense investigations into these semi-conducting and electro-active materials, details of their electronic structure are still under examination. In particular, non-planar twisted PDIs as an electron acceptor is a promising model system for efficient charge generation and transport processes. Therefore, a new dyad, an unsymmetrical PDI, N'-(2-ethylhexyl)-N'-(1,10-phenanthroline)-1,6,7,12-tetrakis-(4-methoxyphenoxy)-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic acid diimide (1) and its corresponding dichloroplatinum(ii) and dichloropalladium(ii) complexes as new dyads, [(Cl2)M(ii)-(1)] where, M(ii) = Pt(ii) (2) and Pd(ii) (3), were prepared. These dyads were fully characterized by FT-IR, 1D-NMR (1H-NMR and 13C-NMR), 2D-NMR (1H-1H COSY, 1H-13C HSQC, 1H-13C HMBC), MALDI TOF mass and UV-Vis spectroscopy. Electronic structure calculations have been employed based on Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory (TDDFT) calculations for the geometry-optimized electronic ground state structures in the gas phase and in dichloromethane (DCM). Current results indicate that 2 and 3 have similar HOMO-LUMO energy gaps which are smaller than 1. The energy and charge transfer processes with molecular structures are crucial for the design of future functional dyads based on donor and acceptor moieties for hybrid optoelectronic devices. Charge transfer mechanisms were also investigated with linear absorption, fluorescence and ultrafast transient absorption spectra for the newly synthesized compounds in DCM. The observed ultrafast intramolecular charge transfer from donor units on the PDI-2 compound is related to fluorescence quenching and faster singlet decay on transient measurements.

Singlet and triplet energy transfer dynamics in self-assembled axial porphyrin-anthracene complexes: towards supra-molecular structures for photon upconversion.

Energy and electron transfer reactions are central to many different processes and research fields, from photosynthesis and solar energy harvesting to biological and medical applications. Herein we report a comprehensive study of the singlet and triplet energy transfer dynamics in porphyrin-anthracene coordination complexes. Seven newly synthesized pyridine functionalized anthracene ligands, five with various bridge lengths and two dendrimer structures containing three and seven anthracene units, were prepared. We found that triplet energy transfer from ruthenium octaethylporphyrin to an axially coordinated anthracene is possible, and is in some cases followed by back triplet energy transfer to the porphyrin. The triplet energy transfer follows an exponential distance dependence with an attenuation factor, ß, of 0.64 Å-1. Further, singlet energy transfer from anthracene to the ruthenium porphyrin appears to follow a R6 Förster distance dependence. Porphyrin-anthracene complexes are also used as triplet sensitizers for triplet-triplet annihilation (TTA) based photon upconversion, demonstrating their potential for photophysical and photochemical applications. The triplet lifetime of the complex is extended by the anthracene ligands, resulting in a threefold increase in the upconversion efficiency, ΦUC to 4.5%, compared to the corresponding ruthenium porphyrin-pyridine complex. Based on the results herein we discuss the future design of supra-molecular structures for TTA upconversion.

Fabrication of Plasmonically Active Substrates Using Engineered Silver Nanostructures for SERS Applications.

Demanding applications in sensing, metasurfaces, catalysis, and biotechnology require fabrication of plasmonically active substrates. Herein, we demonstrate a bottom-up, versatile, and scalable approach that relies on direct growth of silver nanostructures from seed particles that were immobilized on polymer brush-grafted substrates. Our approach is based on (i) the uniform and tunable assembly of citrate-stabilized gold nanoparticles on poly(ethylene glycol) brushes to serve as seeds and (ii) the use of hydroquinone as a reducing agent, which is extremely selective to the presence of seed particles, confining the growth of silver nanostructures on the surface of the substrate. The diameter of the seed particles, concentration, as well as ratio of reactants and duration of the growth process are investigated for large-area growth of silver nanostructures with high surface coverage and plasmonic activity. The resulting silver nanostructures exhibit high levels of surface-enhanced Raman scattering activity at two different laser lines and allow detection of molecules at concentrations as low as 10 pM. The plasmonic properties of the silver nanostructures are further studied using ultrafast pump-probe spectroscopy. Spatially defined silver nanostructures are fabricated through the seed particles that are patterned via soft lithography, showing the capabilities of the presented approach in device applications.

Fabrication of Supramolecular n/p-Nanowires via Coassembly of Oppositely Charged Peptide-Chromophore Systems in Aqueous Media.

Fabrication of supramolecular electroactive materials at the nanoscale with well-defined size, shape, composition, and organization in aqueous medium is a current challenge. Herein we report construction of supramolecular charge-transfer complex one-dimensional (1D) nanowires consisting of highly ordered mixed-stack π-electron donor-acceptor (D-A) domains. We synthesized n-type and p-type ß-sheet forming short peptide-chromophore conjugates, which assemble separately into well-ordered nanofibers in aqueous media. These complementary p-type and n-type nanofibers coassemble via hydrogen bonding, charge-transfer complex, and electrostatic interactions to generate highly uniform supramolecular n/p-coassembled 1D nanowires. This molecular design ensures highly ordered arrangement of D-A stacks within n/p-coassembled supramolecular nanowires. The supramolecular n/p-coassembled nanowires were found to be formed by A-D-A unit cells having an association constant (KA) of 5.18 × 105 M-1. In addition, electrical measurements revealed that supramolecular n/p-coassembled nanowires are approximately 2400 and 10 times more conductive than individual n-type and p-type nanofibers, respectively. This facile strategy allows fabrication of well-defined supramolecular electroactive nanomaterials in aqueous media, which can find a variety of applications in optoelectronics, photovoltaics, organic chromophore arrays, and bioelectronics.

Ultrafast transient optical loss dynamics in exciton-plasmon nano-assemblies.

We study the exciton-plasmon dynamics that lead to optical loss mitigation via ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy (UTAS) on hybrid aggregates of core-shell quantum dots (QDs) and Au nanoparticles (NPs). We highlight that generating hot electrons in plasmonic NPs contributes to the transient differential absorption spectrum under optical excitation. The results suggest modifying the method of analyzing the transient absorption spectra of loss mitigated systems. Additionally, we investigate the effect of Electron Oscillation frequency-Phonon Resonance Detuning (EOPRD) on loss mitigation efficiency. Moreover, power dependent UTAS reveal a frequency pulling like effect in the transient bleach maximum towards the gain emission. We show that the appropriate choice of the pump wavelength and by changing the pump power we can conclusively prove the existence of loss mitigation using UTAS. Finally, we study the transient kinetics of hybrid gain-plasmon systems and report interesting hybrid transient kinetics.

Broad-Band N(∧)N Pt(II) Bisacetylide Visible Light Harvesting Complex with Heteroleptic Bodipy Acetylide Ligands.

Pt(II) dbbpy bisacetylide (dbbpy = 4,4'-di(tert-butyl)-2,2'-bipyridine) complex (Pt-1) with two different Bodipy ligands was prepared with the goal to attain broad-band visible light absorbing, efficient funneling of the photoexcitation energy (via resonance energy transfer, RET) to the energy acceptor and high triplet formation quantum yields. Construction of the above-mentioned molecular structural motif is challenging because two different arylacetylide ligands are incorporated in the complex; normally two homoleptic acetylide ligands were used for this kind of N(∧)N Pt(II) complexes. A reference complex with trans bis(tributylphosphine) Pt(II) bisacetylide protocol (Pt-4) was prepared for comparison of the photophysical properties. The two different Bodipy ligands in Pt-1 and Pt-4 constitute singlet/triplet energy donor/acceptor, as a result the harvested photoexcitation energy can be funneled to the triplet state confined on one of the two Bodipy ligands. The photophysical properties of the complexes were studied with steady state UV-vis absorption and luminescence spectroscopies, femto- and nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopies, cyclic voltammetry, as well as DFT/TDDFT calculations. Fluorescence/phosphorescence dual emission were observed for the complex. The ultrafast intramolecular singlet/triplet energy transfer in Pt-1 was confirmed by the transient absorption spectroscopy (kFRET = 2.6 × 10(11) s(-1), ΦFRET = 87.1%) followed by an intersystem crossing (kISC = 1.9 × 10(10) s(-1)), and the triplet state lifetime (τT) is 54.1 µs. The reference complex Pt-4 shows drastically different kinetics with kFRET = 6.9 × 10(10) s(-1), ΦFRET = 81.0%, kISC = 5.83 × 10(9) s(-1), and τT = 147.9 µs. Different singlet oxygen ((1)O2) quantum yields (ΦΔ = 75% and 70%) and triplet state quantum yields (ΦT = 91% and 69%, respectively) were observed for complexes Pt-1 and Pt-4.

Near-IR Broadband-Absorbing trans-Bisphosphine Pt(II) Bisacetylide Complexes: Preparation and Study of the Photophysics.

Broadband near-IR absorbing trans-bis(trialkylphosphine) Pt(II) bisacetylide binuclear complex (Pt-1) was prepared with boron-dipyrromethene (Bodipy) and styrylBodipy acetylide ligands. Pt-1 shows strong absorption bands at 731 and 503 nm. Singlet energy transfer (EnT) and efficient intersystem crossing of the central coordinated Bodipy ligand were proposed to be responsible for the efficient funneling of the excitation energy to the triplet-state manifold. Reference complexes containing only a single Bodipy ligand were prepared for comparison (with styrylBodipy ligand Pt-0 or Bodipy ligand Pt-2). The molecular structures were confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The photophysical properties were studied with steady-state and time-resolved transient absorption spectroscopies, electrochemical characterization, and density functional theory/time-dependent density functional theory calculations. Dual fluorescence was observed for Pt-1. Singlet EnT in Pt-1 was proposed based on the fluorescence quenching/excitation spectra, and femtosecond transient absorption spectra (energy transfer rate constant kEnT = 2.2 × 10(10) s(-1)). With nanosecond transient absorption spectra, intramolecular triplet-state energy transfer in Pt-1 was proved. Gibbs free energy changes of charge separation indicate that the photoinduced intramolecular electron transfer in Pt-1 is thermodynamically prohibited. Intermolecular triplet transfer between Pt-2 and L-1 was studied with nanosecond transient absorption spectra; the EnT rate and energy transfer efficiency were determined as 3.6 × 10(4) s(-1) and 94.5%, respectively. The singlet oxygen ((1)O2) photosensitizing of Pt-1 was improved as compared to the complexes containing only a single visible-light-absorbing chromophore.

DiiodoBodipy-perylenebisimide dyad/triad: preparation and study of the intramolecular and intermolecular electron/energy transfer.

2,6-diiodoBodipy-perylenebisimide (PBI) dyad and triad were prepared, with the iodoBodipy moiety as the singlet/triplet energy donor and the PBI moiety as the singlet/triplet energy acceptor. IodoBodipy undergoes intersystem crossing (ISC), but PBI is devoid of ISC, and a competition of intramolecular resonance energy transfer (RET) with ISC of the diiodoBodipy moiety is established. The photophysical properties of the compounds were studied with steady-state and femtosecond/nanosecond transient absorption and emission spectroscopy. RET and photoinduced electron transfer (PET) were confirmed. The production of the triplet state is high for the iodinated dyad and the triad (singlet oxygen quantum yield ΦΔ = 80%). The Gibbs free energy changes of the electron transfer (ΔGCS) and the energy level of the charge transfer state (CTS) were analyzed. With nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopy, we confirmed that the triplet state is localized on the PBI moiety in the iodinated dyad and the triad. An exceptionally long lived triplet excited state was observed (τT = 150 µs) for PBI. With the uniodinated reference dyad and triad, we demonstrated that the triplet state localized on the PBI moiety in the iodinated dyad and triad is not produced by charge recombination. These information are useful for the design and study of the fundamental photochemistry of multichromophore organic triplet photosensitizers.

Bodipy-C60 triple hydrogen bonding assemblies as heavy atom-free triplet photosensitizers: preparation and study of the singlet/triplet energy transfer.

Supramolecular triplet photosensitizers based on hydrogen bonding-mediated molecular assemblies were prepared. Three thymine-containing visible light-harvesting Bodipy derivatives (B-1, B-2 and B-3, which show absorption at 505 nm, 630 nm and 593 nm, respectively) were used as H-bonding modules, and 1,6-diaminopyridine-appended C60 was used as the complementary hydrogen bonding module (C-1), in which the C60 part acts as a spin converter for triplet formation. Visible light-harvesting antennae with methylated thymine were prepared as references (B-1-Me, B-2-Me and B-3-Me), which are unable to form strong H-bonds with C-1. Triple H-bonds are formed between each Bodipy antenna (B-1, B-2 and B-3) and the C60 module (C-1). The photophysical properties of the H-bonding assemblies and the reference non-hydrogen bond-forming mixtures were studied using steady state UV/vis absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence emission spectroscopy, electrochemical characterization, and nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. Singlet energy transfer from the Bodipy antenna to the C60 module was confirmed by fluorescence quenching studies. The intersystem crossing of the latter produced the triplet excited state. The nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopy showed that the triplet state is either localized on the C60 module (for assembly B-1·C-1), or on the styryl-Bodipy antenna (for assemblies B-2·C-1 and B-3·C-1). Intra-assembly forward-backward (ping-pong) singlet/triplet energy transfer was proposed. In contrast to the H-bonding assemblies, slow triplet energy transfer was observed for the non-hydrogen bonding mixtures. As a proof of concept, these supramolecular assemblies were used as triplet photosensitizers for triplet-triplet annihilation upconversion.