We report low-temperature charge transport measurements of metal−molecule−metal junctions. Studies on insulating alkyl and π-conjugated molecular wires provide experimental insight into the coupling between tunnel charge carriers and molecular vibrations in molecular electronic systems. By comparison with other vibrational spectroscopy studies and density functional theory calculations, the observed vibrational peaks have been assigned to longitudinal modes of the molecules.

Singlet fission is an excitation multiplication process in molecular systems that can circumvent energy losses and significantly boost solar cell efficiencies; however, the nature of a critical intermediate that enables singlet fission and details of its evolution into multiple product excitations remain obscure. We resolve the initial sequence of events comprising the fission of a singlet exciton in solids of pentacene derivatives using femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. We propose a three-step model of singlet fission that includes two triplet-pair intermediates and show how transient spectroscopy can distinguish initially interacting triplet pairs from those that are spatially separated and noninteracting. We find that the interconversion of these two triplet-pair intermediates is limited by the rate of triplet transfer. These results clearly highlight the classical kinetic model of singlet fission and expose subtle details that promise to aid in resolving problems associated with triplet extraction.

We compare the singlet fission dynamics of five pentacene derivatives precipitated to form nanoparticles. Two nanoparticle types were distinguished by differences in their solid-state order and kinetics of triplet formation. Nanoparticles that comprise primarily weakly coupled chromophores lack the bulk structural order of the single crystal and exhibit nonexponential triplet formation kinetics (Type I), while nanoparticles that comprise primarily more strongly coupled chromophores exhibit order resembling that of the bulk crystal and triplet formation kinetics associated with the intrinsic singlet fission rates (Type II). In the highly ordered nanoparticles, singlet fission occurs most rapidly. We relate the molecular packing arrangement derived from the crystal structure of the pentacene derivatives to their singlet fission dynamics and find that slip stacking leads to rapid, subpicosecond singlet fission. We present evidence that exciton delocalization, coincident with an increased relative admixture of charge-transfer configurations in the description of the exciton wave function, facilitates rapid triplet pair formation in the case of single-step singlet fission. We extend the study to include two hexacene derivatives and find that these conclusions are generally applicable. This work highlights acene derivatives as versatile singlet fission chromophores and shows how chemical functionalization affects both solid-state order and exciton interactions and how these attributes in turn affect the rate of singlet fission.

We have synthesized a series of cyclopentadithiophene-benzochalcogenodiazole donor-acceptor (D-A) copolymers, wherein a single atom in the benzochalcogenodiazole unit is varied from sulfur to selenium to tellurium, which allows us to explicitly study sulfur to selenium to tellurium substitution in D-A copolymers for the first time. The synthesis of S- and Se-containing polymers is straightforward; however, Te-containing polymers must be prepared by postpolymerization single atom substitution. All of the polymers have the representative dual-band optical absorption profile, consisting of both a low- and high-energy optical transition. Optical spectroscopy reveals that heavy atom substitution leads to a red-shift in the low-energy transition, while the high-energy band remains relatively constant in energy. The red-shift in the low-energy transition leads to optical band gap values of 1.59, 1.46, and 1.06 eV for the S-, Se-, and Te-containing polymers, respectively. Additionally, the strength of the low-energy band decreases, while the high-energy band remains constant. These trends cannot be explained by the present D and A theory where optical properties are governed exclusively by the strength of D and A units. A series of optical spectroscopy experiments, solvatochromism studies, density functional theory (DFT) calculations, and time-dependent DFT calculations are used to understand these trends. The red-shift in low-energy absorption is likely due to both a decrease in ionization potential and an increase in bond length and decrease in acceptor aromaticity. The loss of intensity of the low-energy band is likely the result of a loss of electronegativity and the acceptor unit's ability to separate charge. Overall, in addition to the established theory that difference in electron density of the D and A units controls the band gap, single atom substitution at key positions can be used to control the band gap of D-A copolymers.

Chalcogen bonding is the noncovalent interaction between an electron-deficient, covalently bonded chalcogen (Te, Se, S) and a Lewis base. Although substantial evidence supports the existence of chalcogen bonding in the solid state, quantitative data regarding the strengths of the interactions in the solution phase are lacking. Herein, determinations of the association constants of benzotelluradiazoles with a variety of Lewis bases (Cl(-), Br(-), I(-), NO3(-) and quinuclidine, in organic solvent) are described. The participation of the benzotelluradiazoles in chalcogen bonding interactions was probed by UV-vis, (1)H and (19)F NMR spectroscopy as well as nano-ESI mass spectrometry. Trends in the free energy of chalcogen bonds upon variation of the donor, acceptor and solvent are evident from these data, including a linear free energy relationship between chalcogen bond donor ability and calculated electrostatic potential at the tellurium center. Calculations using the dispersion-corrected B97-D3 functional were found to give good agreement with the experimental free energies of chalcogen bonding.