Symmetry-Breaking Charge Transfer Chromophore Interactions Supported by Carbon Nanodots.

Carbon dots (CDs) and their derivatives are a useful platform for studying electron donor-acceptor interactions and dynamics therein. In this work, we couple amorphous CDs with phthalocyanines (Pc) as electron donors featuring a large extended π-surface and intense absorption across the visible range of the solar spectrum. Investigations regarding the intercomponent interactions, by means of steady-state and pump-probe transient absorption spectroscopies, reveal symmetry-breaking charge transfer/separation and recombination dynamics within pairs of phthalocyanines. Of great relevance is hereby that CDs facilitate the electronic interactions between the phthalocyanines. As such, our findings suggest that CDs could be used to support electronic couplings in multichromophoric systems and further increase their applicability in organic electronics, photonics, and artificial photosynthesis.