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A Mixed Fullerene–Ferrocene Thermotropic Liquid Crystal: Synthesis, Liquid‐Crystalline Properties, Supramolecular Organization and Photoinduced Electron Transfer
Author(s) -
Even Michaël,
Heinrich Benoit,
Guillon Daniel,
Guldi Dirk M.,
Prato Maurizio,
Deschenaux Robert
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
chemistry – a european journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.687
H-Index - 242
eISSN - 1521-3765
pISSN - 0947-6539
DOI - 10.1002/1521-3765(20010618)7:12<2595::aid-chem25950>3.0.co;2-a
Subject(s) - ferrocene , fullerene , supramolecular chemistry , thermotropic crystal , lamellar structure , liquid crystal , crystallography , materials science , phase (matter) , electron transfer , photochemistry , chemistry , crystal structure , organic chemistry , liquid crystalline , electrochemistry , optoelectronics , electrode
Grafting of a ferrocene‐containing liquid‐crystalline malonate derivative to C 60 led to the mixed fullerene–ferrocene material 1 which gave rise to a smectic A phase. Cholesterol was used as liquid‐crystalline promoter. X‐ray diffraction experiments and volumetric measurements indicated that 1 is organized in double layered structures. The corresponding supramolecular organization within the mesomorphic lamellar phase is characterized by a microsegregation of the different units (ferrocene, fullerene, and cholesterol) in distinct sublayers. In such a smectic A phase, C 60 imposes the arrangement of the other molecular moieties. Photophysical studies revealed that electron transfer occurs from the donor ferrocene to the electron accepting fullerene. The formation of a long‐lived radical pair, with lifetimes of the order of several hundred nanoseconds, was confirmed by time‐resolved spectrometry, especially in the near infrared region, in which the radical anion of the fullerene moiety displays its characteristic fingerprint absorption.