Singlet-energy transfer in quadruple hydrogen-bonded oligo(p-phenylenevinylene)perylene-diimide dyads

The photophysical properties of a supramolecular donor-acceptor dyad consisting of an oligo(p-phenylenevinylene) unit and a perylene-diimide unit are described. The dyad is created by functionalising the two chromophores with quadruple hydrogen bonding 2-ureido-4[1H]-pyrimidinone units, which provide a high association constant (K approximately 10(8) M-1 in toluene). This feature enabled us to study the time-resolved photoinduced singlet-energy transfer reaction between the two chromophores in dilute solution with transient pump-probe spectroscopy. This energy transfer occurs with a time constant of 5.1 ps.