Molecular Design Principles for Achieving High-Efficiency Light-Induced Charge Separation at the Nanometer Scale.

ABSTRACT: The light-induced separation of charges, fundamental to natural photosynthesis, is key to converting solar energy into chemical energy in artificial systems. One challenge is that charges tend to spontaneously recombine in a downhill, energy-wasting process. This recombination can be slowed by increasing the distance between charges, but doing so also reduces the efficiency of the initial charge-separating step. We investigated how the quantum efficiency of energy-storing charge separation and the rate of energy-wasting charge recombination vary over distances from 22 to 44 Å in three structurally well-defined molecular donor-photosensitizer-acceptor compounds. Our key finding is that separation efficiency can remain high, around 60%, even at distances of up to 44 Å when redox relays are u

SUBMITTER: Brandlin M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12569672 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature