HETEROSUPRAMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY AND MODULATION OF FUNCTION IN MOLECULAR DEVICES

An organised heterosupramolecular assembly is prepared by attachment o f linked molecular components to previously organised condensed phase nano-components. The above approach yields an intrinsic substrate thro ugh which the resultant molecular device may be modulated. Further, th e modulation state can be inferred from the bulk properties of the int rinsic substrate. Specifically, we report results for a heterosupermol ecule consisting of a TiO2 nanocrystallite attached to a linked violog en-quinone unit. The associated function is photo-induced vectorial el ectron flow. For the corresponding organised assembly we demonstrate t he following: bandgap excitation of a semiconductor nanocrystallite re sults in light-induced vectorial electron flow; electrochemical modula tion of the bulk properties of the intrinsic nanocrystalline semicondu ctor substrate modulates function; and the state of the intrinsic subs trate provides information about the modulation state of the constitue nt units of the assembly.