Highly Effective Near-Infrared Activating Triplet–Triplet Annihilation Upconversion for Photoredox Catalysis

• DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c06976
• Publication Date: 2020-10-19T20:43:19Z
• Authors: Ling Huang; Wenting Wu; Yang Li; Kai Huang; Le Zeng; Wenhai Lin; Gang Han
• Keywords: Photon Upconversion; Photoredox catalysis; Visible spectrum

Organic triplet–triplet annihilation upconversion (TTA-UC) materials have considerable promise in areas as broad biology, solar energy harvesting, and photocatalysis. However, the development of highly efficient near-infrared (NIR) light activatable TTA-UC systems remains extremely challenging. In this work, we report on a method systematically tailoring an annihilator to attain such outstanding systems. By chemical modifications commonly used perylene annihilator, constructed family derivatives that simultaneously tailored triplet excited state (T1) singlet (S1), two key factors determine performance. Via method, were able tune system from endothermic type exothermic one, thus significantly elevating performance NIR TTA conjunction with photosensitizer PdTNP (10 μM), efficiency using optimal (100 μM) identified study was measured be 14.1% under low-power density mW/cm2, 720 nm). Furthermore, low concentration derivative, demonstrated pair developed our can act effective wavelength up-shifter enable drive photoredox catalysis otherwise requires visible light. We found driven is even surpass directly catalysis. This important for penetrate much deeper colored reaction solutions, especially when done large-scale manner. mediated outdoor sunlight operable. Thus, provides solution enhance organic set stage wide array applications previously been limited by suboptimal existing materials.