Filling the Green Gap of a Megadalton Photosystem I Complex by Conjugation of Organic Dyes.

Photosynthesis is Nature's major process for converting solar into chemical energy. One of the key players in this process is the multiprotein complex photosystem I (PSI) that through absorption of incident photons enables electron transfer, which makes this protein attractive for applications in bioinspired photoactive hybrid materials. However, the efficiency of PSI is still limited by its poor absorption in the green part of the solar spectrum. Inspired by the existence of natural phycobilisome light-harvesting antennae, we have widened the absorption spectrum of PSI by covalent attachment of synthetic dyes to the protein backbone. Steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence reveal that energy transfer occurs from these dyes to PSI. It is shown by oxygen-consumption measurements that subsequent charge generation is substantially enhanced under broad and narrow band excitation. Ultimately, surface photovoltage (SPV) experiments prove the enhanced activity of dye-modified PSI even in the solid state.

Localization and dynamics of amylose-lipophilic molecules inclusion complex formation in starch granules.

Inclusion complex formation between lipophilic dye molecules and amylose polymers in starch granules is investigated using laser spectroscopy and microscopy. By combining confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) with spatial resolved photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, we are able to discriminate the presence of amylose in the peripheral region of regular and waxy granules from potato and corn starch, associating a clear optical fingerprint with the interaction between starch granules and lipophilic dye molecules. We show in particular that in the case of regular starch the polar head of the lipophilic dye molecules remains outside the amylose helix experiencing a water-based environment. The measurements performed on samples that have been extensively washed provide a strong proof of the specific interaction between lipid dye molecules and amylose chains in regular starch. These measurements also confirm the tendency of longer amylopectin chains, located in the hilum of waxy starch granules, to form inclusion complexes with ligands. Through real-time recording of CLSM micrographs, within a time frame of tens of seconds, we measured the dynamics of occurrence of the inclusion process between lipids and amylose located at the periphery of starch granules.

All organic host-guest crystals based on a dumb-bell-shaped conjugated host for light harvesting through resonant energy transfer.

Together we glow: Fully organic host-guest crystals with two dyes inserted in their parallel nanochannels display broad emission in the visible range thanks to resonant energy transfer. The conjugated host crystal provides light harvesting in the UV region.

Deep blue polymer light emitting diodes based on easy to synthesize, non-aggregating polypyrene.

Thorough analyses of the photo- and devicephysics of poly-7-tert-butyl-1,3-pyrenylene (PPyr) by the means of absorption and photoluminescence emission, time resolved photoluminescence and photoinduced absorption spectroscopy as well as organic light emitting devices (OLEDs) are presented in this contribution. Thereby we find that this novel class of polymers shows deep blue light emission as required for OLEDs and does not exhibit excimer or aggregate emission when processed from solvents with low polarity. Moreover the decay dynamics of the compound is found to be comparable to that of well blue emitting conjugated polymers such as polyfluorene. OLEDs built in an improved device assembly show stable bright blue emission for the PPyr homopolymer and further a considerable efficiency enhancement can be demonstrated using a triphenylamine(TPA)/pyrene copolymer.

The temperature dependence of Cr3+:YAG zero-phonon lines.

This paper deals with the photoluminescence temperature dependence of the zero-phonon lines of Cr(3+) ions in an yttrium aluminium garnet (YAG) matrix. Experimental data were analysed in the framework of electron-phonon coupling in the quadratic approximation and it was found that Cr(3+) ions in the YAG matrix are strongly coupled with lattice vibrations, with a Debye temperature of about 550 K and a value of the quadratic coupling constant of 0.65. The analysis of both homogeneous and inhomogeneous contributions to the photoluminescence linewidth is performed and the results obtained are compared with previously reported data for Fe(3+):YAG and discussed with respect to the different dependences of the two transition metal ions on the crystal field.