Solvent-induced chirality transfer represents an intriguing, yet poorly exploited tool to tune the assembly of supramolecular polymers in view of potential applications as functional materials. In particular, the exploitation of chiral solvents to induce circularly polarized luminescence in aggregation-induced-emission-based supramolecular polymers is unprecedent in literature. Moreover, despite the high potential of aggregation-induced emission materials for optoelectronic applications, systematic studies on the influence of monomer design on bulk properties are scarce. The results of this project constitute a proof-of-concept, demonstrating that supramolecular materials based on solvent-induced chirality transfer are intriguing platforms with emerging structure-property relationships for chiroptical and spintronic applications.
On the other hand, the exploitation of one-dimensional supramolecular templates to enable SF within ordered nanostructures of photoactive pendants is unprecedent in literature. Leveraging directional secondary interactions between monomeric units provides a novel strategy to mitigate the strength of interchromophoric interactions, while imparting a supramolecular order reminiscent of crystalline materials. The results provides new insights in the quest for fast singlet conversion and long-lived triplets, highlighting the critical role of conformational dynamic and chiral organization in regulating excited-state dynamics within non-covalent, ordered architecture and outlining the potential of singlet fission to disclose the structure and dynamics of supramolecular polymers. The innovative implementation of singlet fission in supramolecular polymers contributes to elucidate the structure-property relationships regulating the process, addressing some of the major issues that currently limit the efficiency of singlet fission-based photovoltaics.
Overall, the work carried out within this project contributes towards addressing the global challenges of sustainability and clean energy of the United Nations and the European Green Deal. The outcomes of this high-gain research strongly contribute to advancements within the research field of supramolecular polymers, enabling the design of functional, adaptive materials based on supramolecular interactions and ultimately contributing to the knowledge-based society. On one hand, the knowledge gained from the study of solvent-induced circularly polarized emission will foster advances in a wide range of chirality-related applications. On the other hand, fundamental investigation on singlet fission is of crucial importance for applications in solar energy conversion schemes.
