A supramolecular polymeric heterojunction composed of an all-carbon conjugated polymer and fullerenes

Abstract

Herein, we design and synthesize a novel all-carbon supramolecular polymer host (SPh) containing conjugated macrocycles interconnected by a linear poly(para-phenylene) backbone. Applying the supramolecular host and fullerene C60as the guest, we successfully construct a supramolecular polymeric heterojunction (SPh⊃C60). This carbon structure offers a means to explore the convex-concave π-π interactions betweenSPhand C60. The producedSPhwas characterized by gel permeation chromatography, mass spectrometry, FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, and other spectroscopies. The polymeric segment can be directly viewed using a scanning tunneling microscope. Femtosecond transient absorption and fluorescence up-conversion measurements revealed femtosecond (≪300 fs) electron transfer from photoexcitedSPhto C60, followed by nanosecond charge recombination to produce the C60triplet excited state. The potential applications ofSPh⊃C60in electron- and hole-transport devices were also investigated, revealing that C60incorporation enhances the charge transport properties ofSPh. These results expand the scope of the synthesis and application of supramolecular polymeric heterojunctions.