Supramolecular DNA-chromophore architectures with optoelectronic function

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Alexander Colsmann; Professor Dr. Hans-Achim Wagenknecht
• Subject Area: Organic Molecular Chemistry - Synthesis and Characterisation ; Biological and Biomimetic Chemistry
• Term: from 2016 to 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 324620768

In this project, DNA serves as supramolecular scaffold that arranges chromophore-modified nucleoside building blocks to non-covalent, hierarchically ordered DNA architectures with optoelectronic properties that are required for light harvesting in important functional pi-systems, especially solar cells. The basic DNA architecture plays a crucial role since it directs the flow of charge carriers by distance and sequence. The significance of this process for basic research focuses on the way from single chromophores to self-assembled materials in order to elucidate the potential of DNA as supramolecular structuring tool. Furthermore, fundamental knowledge about charge transport and photovoltaic properties of these DNA-based, light-absorbing architectures will be achieved.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants