| New single molecule spectroscopy (SMS) and scanning probe microscopy methodologies were developed and applied to the investigation of intramolecular and interfacial electron transfer (ET) in some prototypical systems. Intramolecular ET processes in a prototypical symmetric dimer systems composed of two perylene chromophores connected via an adjustable bridge were investigated by scanning confocal microscopy, and switching of intramolecular ET in these perylene dimer donor-bridge-acceptor (DBA) systems was comprehensively investigated by straightforward bulk optical investigations, and SMS. Key parameters like the electronic coupling were determined and trends across the dimer series were discussed. SMS was used to investigate other perylene-based asymmetric DBA systems, and for the first time, we demonstrated that such asymmetric perylene molecules can be used as single molecule sensors to probe local environments.; Both near-field scanning optical microscopy and scanning electrostatic potential microscopy (SEPM) were used to study the interfacial ET processes in nanocomposites of TiO2 particles and a PPV polymer. The photoinduced charge redistribution in the nanocomposites was mapped by the photo-modulated SEPM. |
