Research on dye molecules has been continuing to be at the forefront of new developments in chemistry owing to their versatile functional properties associated with p-conjugation. On a supramolecular level, appropriately controlled spatial arrangement of dyes enables pivotal functions in nature, the most intriguing examples being provided by the light-harvesting systems of purple and green bacteria which contain a large number of chlorophyll and carotene chromophores organized in cyclic arrays or tubular architectures by non-covalent interactions.

During the last few years, we have intensively investigated the organization of merocyanine, chlorin, and perylene bisimide dyes by non-covalent forces into desirable nanoscale architectures as well as liquid-crystalline and crystalline solid state materials. In this lecture, I will provide an overview on our achievements in the preparation of defined dye assemblies and their functional properties that originate from proper p-p-stacking [1]. In particular, charge and exciton transport in dye aggregates [2], pH-sensitive energy transfer processes in dye vesicles [3], and photovoltaic performance of dye-based bulk heterojunction solar cells [4] will be discussed.

 

[1] Review: Z. Chen, A. Lohr, C. R. Saha-Möller, F. Würthner, Chem. Soc. Rev. 2009, 38, 564–584.

[2] Z. Chen, V. Stepanenko, V. Dehm, P. Prins, L. D. A. Siebbeles, J. Seibt, P. Marquetand, V. Engel, F. Würthner, Chem. Eur. J. 2007, 13, 436–449.

[3] X. Zhang, S. Rehm, M. M. Safont-Sempere, F. Würthner, Nature Chem.  2009, 1, 623–629.

[4] U. Mayerhöffer, K. Deing, K. Gruß, H. Braunschweig, K. Meerholz, F. Würthner, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2009, 48, 8776–8779.