Heptacyclo[6.6.0.02,6.03,13.04,11.05,9.010,14]tetradecane: a new type of spacer for mediating electron transfer processes

A series of derivatives of the titled compound with donor and acceptor substituents were prepared. Efficient fluorescence quenching was observed for the molecules in which donor and acceptor π-chromophores are coplanar. Charge recombination of the radical ion pairs resulted in broad charge transfer bands centered at ca. 510 nm. Twisting the donor and acceptor chromophores 90° with respect to each other seemed to retard the electron transfer process.