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In this paper, we review several aspects of molecular recognition (based on non-covalent binding interactions) occurring between meso-pyridyl substituted tetrapyrrole extra-ligands and chemical dimers of tetrapyrrolic macrocycles containing central Zn ions and spacers of various nature and flexibility. Experimental results obtained by us earlier are analyzed using a novel approach (based on steady-state absorption/fluorescence measurements) for the evaluation of complexation constants KC for the formation of porphyrin triads. It was found that KC values [KC ~ (0.5 – 70) × 10⁶ M⁻¹] show noticeable dependence on the structural parameters of the interacting subunits as well as on the solvent nature. The same self-assembly approach has been used to attach meso-pyridyl substituted porphyrins to the surface of semiconductor CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QD). It was comparatively found that in contrast to self-assembled porphyrin triads, the formation of “QD-porphyrin” nanoassemblies takes place in competition with surface stabilizing tri-n-octyl phosphine oxide (TOPO) ligand molecules and attached porphyrin molecules. It manifests in a temporal dynamics of QD photoluminescence caused by ligand exchange, TOPO layer reorganization, QD surface reconstruction, solvent properties. It was shown that the sensitivity of QD surface morphology to attached organic ligands (e.g. porphyrins) provides an opportunity to control the dynamics and pathways of the exciton relaxation in “QD-dye” nanoassemblies by changing the structure and electronic properties of these ligands.

Functional dye molecules, such as porphyrins, attached to CdSe quantum dots (QDs) through anchoring meso-pyridyl substituents, form quasi-stable nanoassemblies. This fact results in photoluminescence (PL) quenching of the QDs both due to Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) and the formation of non-radiative surface states under conditions of quantum confinement (non-FRET). The formation process is in competition with the ligand dynamics. At least two timescales are found for the formation of the assemblies: 1) one faster than 60 s attributed to saturation of empty attachment sites and 2) one slower than 600 s, which is attributed to a reorganisation of the tri-n-octylphosphine oxide (TOPO) ligand shell. Finally, this process results in almost complete exchange of the TOPO shell by porphyrin dye molecules. Following a Stern–Volmer analysis, we established a microscopic description of PL quenching and assembly formation. Based on this formalism, we determined the equilibrium constant for assembly formation between QDs and the pyridyl-functionalised dye molecules to be K ≈ 10⁵ – 10⁷m⁻¹, which is several orders of magnitude larger than that of the TOPO ligands. Our results give additional insights into the non-FRET PL quenching processes involved and show that the QD surface is inhomogeneous with respect to the involved attachment and detachment processes. In comparison with other methods, such as NMR spectroscopy, the advantage of our approach is that ligand dynamics can be investigated at extremely low ratios of dye molecules to QDs.

Optical spectroscopy on ensembles and single CdSe/ZnS semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) demonstrates a competition of trap and near band edge photoluminescence (PL). This competition can be markedly influenced by a few surface attached pyridyl functionalized dye molecules (porphyrins or perylene diimides) forming nanoassemblies with well defined geometries. Temperature variation and related changes in absorption and emission reveal sharp changes of the ligand shell structure in a narrow temperature range for organic (TOPO and amine) surfactants (phase transition). The effects on QD PL at this transition become considerably pronounced upon attachment of only a few dye molecules to QD surface. Moreover, under ambient conditions amine capped QDs are photodegraded in the course of time. This process is enhanced by attached dye molecules both on the ensemble and single particle/dye level. This investigation elaborates the importance of (switchable) surface states for the characterization of the PL of QDs. © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

We review recent experimental work to utilize the size dependence of the luminescence quenching of colloidal semiconductor quantum dots induced by functionalized porphyrin molecules attached to the surface to describe a photoluminescence (PL) quenching process which is different from usual models of charge transfer (CT) or Foerster resonant energy transfer (FRET). Steady-state and picosecond time-resolved measurements were carried out for nanocomposites based on colloidal CdSe/ZnS and CdSe quantum dots (QDs) of various sizes and surfacely attached tetra-mesopyridyl-substituted porphyrin molecules (“Quantum Dot-Porphyrin” nanocomposites), in toluene at 295 K. It was found that the major part of the observed strong quenching of QD PL in “QD-Porphyrin” nanocomposites can neither be assigned to FRET nor to photoinduced charge transfer between the QD and the chromophore. This PL quenching depends on QD size and shell and is stronger for smaller quantum dots: QD PL quenching rate constants kq scale inversely with the QD diameter. Based on the comparison of experimental data and quantum mechanical calculations, it has been concluded that QD PL quenching in “QD-Porphyrin” nanocomposites can be understood in terms of a tunneling of the electron (of the excited electron-hole pair) followed by a (self-) localization of the electron or formation of trap states. The major contribution to PL quenching is found to be proportional to the calculated quantum-confined exciton wave function at the QD surface. Our findings highlight that single functionalized molecules can be considered as one of the probes for the complex interface physics and dynamics of colloidal semiconductor QD.

Hetero-nanoassemblies in toluene solution are formed via anchoring pyridyl substituted free base porphyrin molecules on the colloidal core-shell semiconductor nanocrystals CdSe/ZnS. The formation can be identified via quenching of semiconductor photoluminescence and followed via spectral changes of porphyrin spectral properties such as fluorescence, fluorescence decay and absorption. Interpreting these changes we estimate that even at high molar ratios on average only one molecule is anchored on one nanocrystal. Experimentally determined complexation constants are comparable to those observed for multi-porphyrin complexes. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The observed resonance energy transfer in nanoassemblies of CdSe/ZnS quantum dots and pyridyl-substituted free-base porphyrin molecules [Zenkevich et al., J. Phys. Chem. B 109 (2005) 8679] is studied computationally by ab initio electronic structure and quantum dynamics approaches. The system harvests light in a broad energy range and can transfer the excitation from the dot through the porphyrin to oxygen, generating singlet oxygen for medical applications. The geometric structure, electronic energies, and transition dipole moments are derived by density functional theory and are utilized for calculating the Förster coupling between the excitons residing on the quantum dot and the porphyrin. The direction and rate of the irreversible exciton transfer is determined by the initial photoexcitation of the dot, the dot–porphyrin coupling and the interaction to the electronic subsystem with the vibrational environment. The simulated electronic structure and dynamics are in good agreement with the experimental data and provide real-time atomistic details of the energy transfer mechanism. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

For CdSe nanoparticles it has been theoretically and experimentally shown that at low temperatures the photoluminescence is circularly polarized in accordance with a wurtzite structure and the corresponding allowed optical transitions. In the present Letter, we report on related investigations on CdSe/ZnS colloids in toluene solution. From time resolved photoluminescence anisotropy we conclude that also at room temperature the results are in good agreement with structure and related electronic states as determined from crystals at low temperature. © 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Steady-state and time-resolved studies indicate that for a sequence of porphyrin or chlorin chemical dimers Zn-cyclodimer → (ZnOEP)₂Ph → (ZnOEP)₂ → (ZnHTPP)₂ → (ZnOEChl)₂ with relative lowering of excited S₁- and T₁-states, the extra-ligation by pyridine (PYR) does not influence essentially on fluorescence parameters but leads to an increase of T₁-states non-radiative decay (the most pronounced for dimers with higher lying T₁-levels). For pyridinated dimers at 293 K T₁-states quenching by molecular oxygen depends on the spacer flexibility and donor-acceptor interactions with PYR. In self-assembled triads and pentads energy and electron transfer (within a few ps) takes place from Zn-dimers to pyridyl substituted porphyrin extra-ligand, H₂P, followed by the effective population of H₂P T₁-state. For these systems, bimolecular constants of H₂P T₁-states quenching by O₂ decrease by 1.4-1.8 times with respect to those found for individual monomeric porphyrins. This effect is explained by the screening action of a strongly quenched Zn-porphyrin dimer subunit limiting the access of oxygen molecule to the excited extra-ligand. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Electronic excitation energy deactivation in self-assembled porphyrin triads has been studied by the time correlated single photon counting technique as a function of the solvent polarity (toluene-acetone mixtures), temperature (77-350 K), and mutual spatial arrangement of the donor and acceptor subunits. The donor (Zn-octaethylporphyrin chemical dimer) fluorescence quenching with time constant of 1.7÷10 ps is due to competing energy migration and electron transfer processes to the acceptor (dipyridyl substituted tetrapyrrole extra-ligand). The quenching of the acceptor fluorescence (by ~ 1.3–1.6 times) does not significantly depend on the mutual spatial arrangement of the triad subunits and increases with the solvent polarity rising and the decrease of the temperature. The obtained experimental data are analyzed using the reduced density matrix formalism in the frame of Haken-Strobl-Reineker approach taking into account the energy transfer, charge separation, and the dephasing of coherence between the excited electronic states of the triad.

The photoinduced electron transfer (ET) and the energy migration (EM) processes have been studied in liquid solutions and polymeric (PMMA) films for the triads consisting of the Zn-octaethylporphyrin chemical dimer (the energy and electron donor, D) and dipyridyl substituted tetrapyrrole extra-ligands (porphyrins, chlorin, tetrahydroporphyrin) as the acceptors, A. On the basis of the time correlated single photon counting technique and femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy, it has been shown that D fluorescence quenching with time constant ranging from 1.7 to 10 ps is due to competing EM and ET processes from the dimer to A's. In addition, the fluorescence decay time shortening (by ∼1.3–1.6 times in toluene at 293 K) is observed for electron accepting extra-ligands in the triads. The acceptor fluorescence quenching is hard dependent on the mutual spatial arrangement of the triad subunits, but becomes stronger upon the solvent polarity increase (addition of acetone to toluene solutions) as well as the temperature lowering (from 278 to 221 K). The possible reasons and mechanisms of the non-radiative deactivation of locally excited S₁-states in the triads are discussed taking into account a close lying charge-separated state. The obtained experimental data are analyzed using the reduced density matrix formalism in the frame of Haken–Strobl–Reineker approach. This model includes EM and ET processes as well as the dephasing of coherence between the excited electronic states of the triad. © 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

On the base of of covalent and non-covalent bonds nanoscale self-assembling multiporphyrin arrays with well-defined geometry, the controllable number of interacting components and their spectral and photophysical properties were formed. The deactivation of excited singlet and triplet states was studied using steady-state, time-resolved picosecond fluorescence (∆½≈30 ps) and femtosecond pump-probe (∆½≈280 fs) spectroscopy in solvents of various polarity at 77-300 K. It has been found that the competition between the non-radiative energy transfer (within ≤10 ps) and charge transfer (within 300 fs - 700 ps) processes in the systems depends on the structure, spectral and redox properties of interacting subunits and may be driven by the distance, temperature and solvent polarity. The possible pathways and mechanisms of the electron transfer in the systems of various types are discussed (Marcus theory for the “normal” region and the non-adiabatic case, the “superexchange” mechanism).

Spectral properties and equilibrium constants of multimolecular complexes (triads) formed by 2-fold coordination of dipyridyl-substituted free bases of porphyrin, chlorin, or tetrahydroporphyrin with Zn-porphyrin and Zn-chlorin dimers bridged by either of two different spacers between the monomeric entities have been studied in methylcyclohexane at room temperature. The ability of the dimers bridged by a -CH2-CH2- spacer to form complexes with the free bases is found to be much lower than that for the dimers with a phenyl spacer having complexation constants up to Kc = 5 × 10⁷ M⁻¹. The complexation equilibrium is also affected strongly by the chemical nature of the free base and the position of the pyridyl substituents. Spectral effects occurring upon complexation in absorption spectra of the dimers are mainly due to ligation effects. Strong quenching of the dimer fluorescence in the complexes is attributed to effective singlet-singlet energy transfer (ET) to the ligands.

Principles of formation, electronic absorption and fluorescence spectra are reported for self-organized pentameric arrays of tetrapyrrolic macrocycles. In these arrays two molecules of Zn-porphyrin dimers, Zn(II)l,4-bis[5-(10,15,20-tri-p-hexylphenylporphyrinyl)]-benzene ((ZnHTPP)₂) are bound via one molecule of a tetrapyridyl-substituted free base of porphyrin or tetrahydroporphyrin. The process of self-assembly is based on the twofold coordination of the central Zn ions !n the dimer with the nitrogen atoms of the pyridyl rings in the free base which is strong enough to make the complexes stable at room temperature. The formation of the complexes can be followed by changes in the absorption bands of (ZnHTPP)₂ characteristic of an axial extra-ligation of Zn-porphyrins with pyridine or pyridyl-substituted compounds. The spectral behavior of the free bases in the pentads is determined by a non-planar distortion of their macrocycle caused by the two-point binding with the dimers. The fluorescence intensity of the Zn-porphyrin dimer decreases essentially upon complexation with the tetrapyridyl-substituted free bases. This quenching effect is assigned to a singlet-silaglet energy transfer from the complexed Zn-porphyrin dimers to the free base subunit in the pentad.