Narcissistic self-sorting of n-acene nano-ribbons yielding energy-transfer and electroluminescence at p-n junctions

Abstract

The 2,3-didecyloxy derivative of an n-type anthracene (n-BG) and a p-type tetracene (p-R) have been synthesized and their self-assembly into nano-ribbons studied. Hyperspectral fluorescence imaging revealed their narcissistic self-sorting, leading to separated nanoribbons emitting with very different colors (blue or green for n-BG, depending on the growth solvent, and red for p-R). It is unique that the usual origins of self-sorting, such as specific H-bonding, different growth kinetics, or incompatible steric hindrance can be ruled out. Hence, the narcissistic behaviour is herein proposed to originate from a sofar unconsidered cause: the discrepancy between the quadrupolar character of n-BG and dipolar character of p-R. At the p-n junctions of these nanoribbons, inter-ribbon FRET and electro-luminescence switch-on were observed by fluorescence/luminescence microscopy.The authors acknowledge the financial support of the European Research Council Marie Curie Actions (FP7-PEOPLE-2012-ITN SMARTNET Grant agreement Nr 316656); the CNRS; the French Ministry of Education and Research; the Region Aquitaine; the ANR-06-JCJC-0030; the Department of Education, Science and Universities of the Basque Country Government (postdoctoral grant and project IT1639-22); the "Arina" informatic cluster of UPV/EHU; the facilities ELORGA of UB; and the ANR-17-CE24-0033-01 RESOLVE. The authors thank Dr A. Mendez-Ardoy for the CV measurements and CESAMO for structural analyses (ISM, Univ. Bordeaux)

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