Modification of the optoelectronic properties of membranes via insertion of amphiphilic phenylenevinylene oligoelectrolytes

The modification of members by incorporation of phenylenevinylene oligoelectrolytes with the aim of tailoring their optical and electronic properties and their applications is described. Fluorescence imaging has shown that distyrystilbene oligoelectrolyte (DSSN+) and shorter distryrylbenzene analogue (DSBN+) are accumulated within cell membranes and notable increases in yeast microbial fuel cell performance are observed when using DSSN+ as the electron transport mediator.