Absorption spectrophotometric, fluorescence and quantum chemical investigations on non-covalent interaction between PC₇₀BM and designed diporphyrin in solution.

Present work reports the photophysical insights on supramolecular interaction of a C₇₀ derivative, namely, [6,6]-phenyl C₇₁ butyric acid methyl ester (PC₇₀BM), with two designed diporphyrin molecules having dithiophene (1) and carbazole (2) spacer in toluene and benzonitrile. Both absorption spectrophotometric and steady state fluorescence investigations reveal efficient complexation of PC₇₀BM with 1 and 2 in both toluene and benzonitrile. The magnitude of average value of binding constant, viz., Kav, for the complexes of PC₇₀BM with 1 and 2 in toluene (benzonitrile) are estimated to be 2.185 × 10(3)dm(3)mol(-1) (3.215 × 10(3)dm(3)mol(-1)) and 10.180 × 10(3)dm(3)mol(-1) (25.405 × 10(3)dm(3)mol(-1)), respectively. Selectivity in binding for the complexation process of PC₇₀BM with 1 and 2 is estimated to be ∼4.6 and ∼7.90 as observed in toluene and benzonitrile, respectively. The complexation between PC₇₀BM and diporphyrin is well accounted by a theoretical model which takes into account the electronic subsystems of both acceptor and donor. Ab initio calculations in vacuo establish that size selective orientation pattern of PC₇₀BM towards the cavity of diporphyrin dictates the magnitude of binding and electronic structure of the PC₇₀BM/diporphyrin complexes.