X. Marguerettaz et al., HETEROSUPRAMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY AND MODULATION OF FUNCTION IN MOLECULAR DEVICES, Proceedings of the Indian Academy of Sciences. Chemical sciences, 107(6), 1995, pp. 673-689
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.