Light-harvesting dendrimers

Natural photosynthetic systems collect sunlight using a vast array of light-harvesting chromophores that channel the absorbed energy to a single reaction center. Recently, it has been realized that dendritic macromolecules can exhibit similar properties, though on a more modest scale. The preparation of dendritic structures and assemblies composed of numerous light-collecting chromophores that transfer their energy to a single energy ‘sink’ at the core has been achieved in a number of diverse and creative ways. These novel structures are being used as model systems in light-emitting diodes, signal amplifiers, fluorescent sensors, frequency converters, and other photonic devices.