title: Carbon Nanodots: Supramolecular Electron Donor-Acceptor Hybrids Featuring Perylenediimides.
abstract: We describe the formation of charge-transfer complexes that feature electron-donating carbon nanodots (CND) and electron-accepting perylenediimides (PDI). The functionalities of PDIs have been selected to complement those of CNDs in terms of electrostatic and π-stacking interactions based on oppositely charged ionic head groups and extended π-systems, respectively. Importantly, the contributions from electrostatic interactions were confirmed in reference experiments, in which stronger interactions were found for PDIs that feature positively rather than negatively charged head groups. The electronic interactions between the components in the ground and excited state were characterized in complementary absorption and fluorescence titration assays that suggest charge-transfer interactions in both states with binding constants on the order of 8×10(4)  M(-1) (25 L g(-1) ). Selective excitation of the two components in ultrafast pump probe experiments gave a 210 ps lived charge-separated state.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy & Interdisciplinary Center for Molecular Materials (ICMM), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Egerlandstrasse 3, 91058 Erlangen (Germany).
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Strauss
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy & Interdisciplinary Center for Molecular Materials (ICMM), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Egerlandstrasse 3, 91058 Erlangen (Germany).|Computer-Chemie-Centrum & Interdisciplinary Center for Molecular Materials (ICMM), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Nägelsbachstrasse 25, 91058 Erlangen (Germany).
authors.forename: Johannes T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Margraf
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy & Interdisciplinary Center for Molecular Materials (ICMM), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Egerlandstrasse 3, 91058 Erlangen (Germany).
authors.forename: Konstantin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dirian
authors.affiliation: Center of Excellence for Nanostructured Materials (CENMAT), Università degli Studi di Trieste, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Piazzale Europa 1, 34127 Trieste (Italy).
authors.forename: Zois
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Syrgiannis
authors.affiliation: Center of Excellence for Nanostructured Materials (CENMAT), Università degli Studi di Trieste, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Piazzale Europa 1, 34127 Trieste (Italy).
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Prato
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy & Interdisciplinary Center for Molecular Materials (ICMM), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Egerlandstrasse 3, 91058 Erlangen (Germany).
authors.forename: Cordula
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wessendorf
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy & Interdisciplinary Center for Molecular Materials (ICMM), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Egerlandstrasse 3, 91058 Erlangen (Germany).
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hirsch
authors.affiliation: Computer-Chemie-Centrum & Interdisciplinary Center for Molecular Materials (ICMM), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Nägelsbachstrasse 25, 91058 Erlangen (Germany).
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy & Interdisciplinary Center for Molecular Materials (ICMM), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Egerlandstrasse 3, 91058 Erlangen (Germany). dirk.guldi@fau.de.
authors.forename: Dirk M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Guldi
keywords: carbon nanodots; charge transfer; donor-acceptor compounds; perylenediimides; transient absorption