A tetraphenylmethane based dendritic tolan-anthracene dyad: synthesis and energy transfer properties

In order to synthesize a peripherally rigid dendritic donor-acceptor dyad for energy transfer studies, a tritolan dendron based on a tetraphenylmethane scaffold was prepared from New Fuchsin. The dendron showed a small degree of homoconjugation but a large hypochromic effect. Coupling of two such dendrons with an anthracene core led to a dendritic tolan-anthracene dyad whose steady state photophysical studies (UV, PL, PLE) showed vectorial transfer of excitation energy from the surface tolan units to the anthracene core.