Abstract

A series of sphere-rod shape amphiphiles were designed and synthesized by connecting the rod-like oligofluorenes with different lengths (OF_n) to the different positions of the spherical [60]fullerene (C₆₀) through a rigid linkage. The conjugates were characterized by ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR, FTIR, EA and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. The optical and electronic properties of the conjugates were studied by UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence spectrometry, and cyclic voltammetry. The results from UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry indicated that the energy profiles of C₆₀ and OF_n remained unchanged when different lengths of OF_n were attached to C₆₀. The electron affinities of the OF_n-C₆₀ conjugates were close to that of C₆₀, while slight electronic interaction was found between the two individual chromophores (C₆₀ and OF_n) in their ground states. The fluorescence spectra exhibited a complete fluorescence quenching in the toluene solution, suggesting an effective energy transfer from OF_n to C₆₀. It presents a systematic study on the self-assembly, structure-property relationship, and potential technical applications of the conjugates.