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Exploring Size-Controlled Exciton Evolution Using DNA Libraries
Jeffrey Gorman1,2, Sarah Orsborne1, Peter Budden1
1Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom.
Journal of the American Chemical Society
|February 19, 2026
Summary
Researchers developed a DNA-based method to rapidly assemble multiple light-absorbing molecules (chromophores). This DNA-directed assembly enables efficient screening of charge separation and electronic delocalization for new electronic materials.
Area of Science:
- Molecular electronics
- Supramolecular chemistry
- Organic semiconductors
Background:
- Investigating multichromophore systems traditionally requires synthesizing model covalent dimers.
- Molecular semiconductors like porphyrins and perylene diimides (PDIs) are crucial for organic electronics.
- Nucleic acid libraries offer a platform for rapid screening of complex molecular phenomena.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a DNA-directed assembly method for creating multichromophore systems.
- To enable rapid screening of charge separation and electronic delocalization.
- To create tailored electronic properties through sequence-programmed hybridization.
Main Methods:
- Integrating porphyrins and perylene diimides (PDIs) into DNA sequences.
- Utilizing base-sequence programmed hybridization for nearest-neighbor assembly.
- Computational prescreening for π-stacking to predict orbital overlap and exchange energy.
Main Results:
- Successfully assembled up to five π-conjugated chromophores using DNA.
- Demonstrated charge separation and electronic delocalization in the assembled systems.
- Achieved on-demand dimer and multimer production within hours.
- Validated computational prescreening for optimizing charge transfer.
Conclusions:
- DNA-directed assembly provides a modular platform for bespoke chromophore architectures.
- This method allows stoichiometric control and ordering of chromophores.
- Enables rapid development and screening of multichromophore systems for electronic applications.
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