A Supramolecular Artificial Light-Harvesting System with Two-Step Sequential Energy Transfer for Photochemical Catalysis.

An artificial light-harvesting system with sequential energy-transfer process was fabricated based on a supramolecular strategy. Self-assembled from the host-guest complex formed by water-soluble pillar[5]arene (WP5), a bola-type tetraphenylethylene-functionalized dialkyl ammonium derivative (TPEDA), and two fluorescent dyes, Eosin Y (ESY) and Nile Red (NiR), the supramolecular vesicles achieve efficient energy transfer from the AIE guest TPEDA to ESY. ESY can function as a relay to further transfer the energy to the second acceptor NiR and realize a two-step sequential energy-transfer process with good efficiency. By tuning the donor/acceptor ratio, bright white light emission can be successfully achieved with a CIE coordinate of (0.33, 0.33). To better mimic natural photosynthesis and make full use of the harvested energy, the WP5⊃TPEDA-ESY-NiR system can be utilized as a nanoreactor: photocatalyzed dehalogenation of α-bromoacetophenone was realized with 96 % yield in aqueous medium.