Energy transfer in nanostructured oligothiophene inclusion compounds

Resonant energy transfers from terthiophene (T3) to quinquethiophene (T5) oligomers embedded in the nanochannels of perhydrotriphenylene (PHTP) crystals are studied by cw and femtosecond spectroscopy. The stringent geometry imposed by the host results in a very peculiar supramolecular organization of the guest molecules consisting of parallel linear arrays of chromophores. This provides a unique opportunity to make a quantitative analysis of the energy transfer phenomena and in particular to distinguish between heterotransfers and homotransfers. The experimental data fitted by a suitable theoretical analysis indicate that homotransfers become important in the long time dynamics and that the heterotransfer rate is satisfactorily described by the analytical solution obtained by assuming a continuous intermolecular spacing. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science BN. All rights reserved.