Efficient Artificial Light-Harvesting System Based on Supramolecular Peptide Nanotubes in Water

• Published in: Journal of the American Chemical Society Vol. 143; no. 1; pp. 382 - 389
• Main Authors: Song, Qiao, Goia, Sofia, Yang, Jie, Hall, Stephen C. L, Staniforth, Michael, Stavros, Vasilios G, Perrier, Sébastien
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 13.01.2021
• Subjects: energy transfer; fluorescence; hydrophobicity; nanotubes; peptides; solubility; white light
• ISSN: 0002-7863; 1520-5126; 1520-5126
• DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c11060

Artificial light-harvesting systems in aqueous media which mimic nature are of significant importance; however, they are often restrained by the solubility and the undesired aggregation-caused quenching effect of the hydrophobic chromophores. Here, we report a generalized strategy toward the construction of efficient artificial light-harvesting systems based on supramolecular peptide nanotubes in water. By molecularly aligning the hydrophobic chromophores along the nanotubes in a slipped manner, an artificial light-harvesting system with a two-step sequential Förster resonance energy transfer process is successfully fabricated, showing an energy transfer efficiency up to 95% and a remarkably high fluorescence quantum yield of 30%, along with high stability. Furthermore, the spectral emission could be continuously tuned from blue through green to orange, as well as outputted as a white light continuum with a fluorescence quantum yield of 29.9%. Our findings provide a versatile approach of designing efficient artificial light-harvesting systems and constructing highly emissive organic materials in aqueous media.