All-inorganic cesium lead halide (CsPbX3, X = Br(-), I(-)) perovskites could potentially provide comparable photovoltaic performance with enhanced stability compared to organic-inorganic lead halide species. However, small-bandgap cubic CsPbI3 has been difficult to study due to challenges forming CsPbI3 in the cubic phase. Here, a low-temperature procedure to form cubic CsPbI3 has been developed through a halide exchange reaction using films of sintered CsPbBr3 nanocrystals. The reaction was found to be strongly dependent upon temperature, featuring an Arrhenius relationship. Additionally, film thickness played a significant role in determining internal film structure at intermediate reaction times. Thin films (50 nm) showed only a small distribution of CsPbBrxI3-x species, while thicker films (350 nm) exhibited much broader distributions. Furthermore, internal film structure was ordered, featuring a compositional gradient within film. Transient absorption spectroscopy showed the influence of halide exchange on the excited state of the material. In thicker films, charge carriers were rapidly transferred to iodide-rich regions near the film surface within the first several picoseconds after excitation. This ultrafast vectorial charge-transfer process illustrates the potential of utilizing compositional gradients to direct charge flow in perovskite-based photovoltaics.

Fast emission and high color purity are essential characteristics of modern opto-electronic devices, such as organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). These properties are currently not met by the latest generation of thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitters. Here, we present an approach, called “hot exciplexes” that enables access to both attributes at the same time. Hot exciplexes are produced by coupling facing donor and acceptor moieties to an anthracene bridge, yielding an exciplex with large T1 to T2 spacing. The hot exciplex model is investigated using optical spectroscopy and quantum chemical simulations. Reverse intersystem crossing is found to occur preferentially from the T3 to the S1 state within only a few nanoseconds. Application and practicality of the model are shown by fabrication of organic light-emitting diodes with up to 32 % hot exciplex contribution and low efficiency roll-off.

We present a new series of photochromic 1,2-bis(2-ethylbenzo[b]thiophen-3-yl)perfluorocyclopentenes with an oxidized benzothiophene core (O) or a nonoxidized one, decorated with mono- (Th1) and bithiophene (Th2) units attached to positions 6 and 6′ (Sy = symmetric) or only to position 6 (As = asymmetric). “Oxidized” compounds have highly fluorescent closed forms emitting in the visible region (yellow to red). The dyes with nonoxidized benzothiophenes possess fluorescent open forms with rather low emission efficiency. The photoswitching kinetics was studied at several wavelengths with UV and visible light. New diarylethenes underwent ring-closure reactions by irradiation with UV light (365 nm, 405 nm), and the reversible ring-opening by irradiation with visible light (470 nm, 530 nm). The on-switching of fluorescence due to the ring-closure reaction was observed also with visible light of 470 nm (to an extent of 10% for compound SyOTh 1) and attributed to the Urbach tail effect. Due to a high degree of fluorescence modulation (>270), good fatigue resistance and large fluorescence quantum yield, compound SyOTh 1 emerged as a candidate for single-molecule based super-resolution fluorescence microscopy.

The aqueous self‐assembly of amphiphiles into aggregates such as micelles and vesicles has been widely investigated over the past decades with applications ranging from materials science to drug delivery. The combination of characteristic properties of nucleic acids and amphiphiles is of substantial interest to mimic biological self‐organization and compartmentalization. Herein, we present ribose‐ and ribonucleotide‐based amphiphiles and investigate their self‐assembly as well as their fundamental reactivity. We found that various types of aggregates are formed, ranging in size from nanometers to micrometers and all amphiphiles exhibit aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) in solution as well as in the solid state. We also observed that the addition of 1‐ethyl‐3‐(3‐dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide (EDC) leads to rapid and selective dimerization of the amphiphiles into pyrophosphates, which decreases the critical aggregation concentration (CAC) by a factor of 25 when compared to the monomers. Since the propensity for amphiphile dimerization is correlated with their tendency to self‐assemble, our results may be relevant for the formation of rudimentary compartments under prebiotic conditions.

An optimized route toward iptycene-capped, p-dibromo-quinoxalinophenazine was developed, increasing the yield significantly from literature procedures. New iptycene-containing symmetrical aza­acenes were synthesized from this intermediate using Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling, and their photophysical properties were evaluated. Tuning the substituents allows modulating emission wavelengths across the visible spectrum. Substitution with 3-methoxy-2-methylthiophene exhibits a quantum yield of 35%. The (triisopropylsilyl)acetylene product has a quantum yield of 38% and serves as a model compound for the synthesis of polymers based on this electrooptically active molecular motif.