Multimodular Wide-Band Capturing Nanohybrids: Role of Carbon Nanotubes in Slowing Charge Recombination in Supramolecular C 60 -BisstyrylBODIPY-(Zinc Porphyrin) 2 Donor-Acceptor Molecular Cleft.

The importance of diameter-sorted single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) noncovalently bound to a donor-acceptor molecular cleft , 1 , in prolonging the lifetime of charge-separated states is successfully demonstrated. For this, using a multistep synthetic procedure, a wide-band capturing, multimodular, C 60 -bisstyrylBODIPY-(zinc porphyrin) 2 , molecular cleft 1 , was newly synthesized and shown to bind diameter-sorted SWCNTs. The molecular cleft and its supramolecular assemblies were characterized by a suite of physicochemical techniques. Free-energy calculations suggested that both the (6,5) and (7,6) SWCNTs bound to 1 act as hole acceptors during the photoinduced sequential electron transfer events. Consequently, selective excitation of 1 in 1 :SWCNT hybrids revealed a two-step electron transfer, leading to the formation of charge-separated states. Due to the distant separation of the cation and anion radical species within the supramolecules, improved lifetimes of the charge-separated states could be achieved. The present supramolecular strategy of improving charge separation involving SWCNTs and donor-acceptor molecular clefts highlights the potential application of these hybrid materials for various light energy harvesting and optoelectronic applications.