Assessing the Photoinduced Electron-Donating Behavior of Carbon Nanodots in Nanoconjugates

FERRER-RUIZ, ANDRÉS; CADRANEL, ALEJANDRO; GULDI, DIRK M.; RODRÍGUEZ-PÉREZ, LAURA; MARTÍN, NAZARIO; SCHARL, TOBIAS; HERRANZ, M. ÁNGELES

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY

AMER CHEMICAL SOC

Año: 2020 vol. 142 p. 20324 - 20328

0002-7863

Carbon nanodots (CNDs) undergo electron transfer in different scenarios. Previous studies have mainly focused on the electron-accepting features of CNDs in covalently linked donor-acceptor nanoconjugates. In view of this, we decided to carry out in this study the formation of covalently linked nanoconjugates that feature electron-donating pressure synthesized carbon nanodots (pCNDs) and electron-accepting 11,11,12,12-tetracyano-9,10-anthra-p-quinodimethane (TCAQ): pCND-TCAQ. The stability of the one-electron reduced form of TCAQ renders it the acceptor of choice. Detailed structural and electrochemical investigations allowed the characterization of pCND-TCAQ. Furthermore, investigations regarding intramolecular interactions, by means of steady-state and pump-probe transient absorption spectroscopies, allowed detection and characterization of three excited state species, in general, and the pCND?+-TCAQ?- charge-separated state, in particular.