Research Projects

This project aims to achieve amplification in solar-thermal energy using multicomponent co-assembly and resonance energy transfer. Three different pi-systems, Red, Green, and Blue, are selected to cover 60% of the solar spectrum (400-1000 nm). The red molecule covers 450-600 nm, the green molecule 600-750 nm, and the blue molecule 750-1000 nm, allowing for efficient coverage of 60% of the solar spectrum. However, pi-systems also convert absorbed photons into emissions like fluorescence and phosphorescence, which hampers photothermal conversion efficiency. To overcome these drawbacks, one approach is to design pi-systems with strong light absorption and zero fluorescence quantum yield. Another approach is to transfer the emission to other pi-systems that efficiently convert light into heat. Preliminary results show that the Red pi-system shows fluorescence from 600 to 800 nm, which overlaps with the absorption of both Green and Blue pi-systems. Green and Blue pi-systems display zero fluorescence quantum yield in the solid-state. The blue pi-system alone shows 50% photothermal conversion efficiency. When co-assembled, the absorption spectra cover wavelengths from 400-1000 nm without emission, indicating quenching of fluorescence by Green and Blue pi-systems via resonance energy transfer. This approach provides a rational design principle for solar thermal energy amplification and can be used to develop alternative technologies for clean water generation from seawater and polluted water cost-effectively using sunlight.