title: Control of molecular structures and photophysical properties of zinc(II) porphyrin dendrimers using bidentate guests: utilization of flexible dendrimer structures as a controllable mold.
abstract: We have prepared supramolecular assemblies of hexaaryl-anchored polyester zinc(II) porphyrin dendrimers (6P(Zn)W, 12P(Zn)W, and 24P(Zn)W) with various bipyridyl guests (C(n)Py2; n = 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8) through self-assembled coordination to control the structures and photophysical properties. We comparatively investigated the photophysical properties of porphyrin dendrimers with and without guest binding by using ensemble and single-molecule spectroscopy. The spectrophotometric titration data of dendrimers with guest molecules provide a strong indication of the selective intercalation of bipyridyl guests into porphyrin dendrimers. The representative dendrimer assembly 12P(Zn)W [symbol: see text] C6Py2 exhibits increased fluorescence quantum yield and lifetime in ensemble measurements, as well as higher initial photon count rates with stepwise photobleaching behavior in the single-molecule fluorescence intensity trajectories (FITs) compared to 12P(Zn)W. At the single-molecule level, the higher photostability of 12P(Zn)W [symbol: see text] C6Py2 can be deduced from the long durations of the first emissive levels in the FITs. We attribute the change in photophysical properties of the dendrimer assemblies to their structural changes upon intercalation of guest molecules between porphyrin units. These results provide new insight into the control of porphyrin dendritic structures using appropriate bidentate guests in poor environmental conditions.
authors.affiliation: Center for Ultrafast Optical Characteristics Control and Department of Chemistry, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, Korea.
authors.forename: Jaesung
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Sung
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Hyejin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Jaehong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Wei-Shi
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Takuzo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aida
authors.forename: Dongho
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kim