Artificial Light-Harvesting Material Based on Self-Assembly of Coordination Polymer Nanoparticles

Artificial light-harvesting antenna materials as potential mimics for photosynthetic systems have attracted intense attention recently. Herein, a new modular approach to construct light-harvesting material, which involves the self-assembly of coordination polymer nanoparticles (CPNs) at room temperature, is presented. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) occurs between donor and acceptor molecules encapsulated in the CPNs, and the emission signal of acceptor is amplified significantly. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of artificial light-harvesting material generated from biomolecule-based coordination polymer nanoparticles. The modularity of the material makes it convenient to manipulate the system by changing the composite of CPNs and the type and amount of dyes confined, implying it is a general strategy. The material functions not only in fluid medium, but also in the form of solid state, which extends its application areas greatly. Furthermore, photocurrent generation can be realized by the dye-encapsulated CPNs system upon irradiation with visible light, implying the potential usefulness in light-energy conversion and photoelectronic applications. Besides, the creation of FRET system provides a platform to mimic dual-channel logic gate at nanoscale level, which is beneficial to the construction of integrated logic devices with multiple functions.