Synthesis, spectroscopic and electrochemical properties of the perylene–tetrathiafulvalene dyads

The TTF–perylene dyads 1–3 were designed and synthesized. The absorption spectra, cyclic voltammogram (CV) of dyads and the frontier orbital calculation indicated no intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) interaction in their ground state. The fluorescence spectra and theoretical calculation of the dyads 1–3 revealed the photoinduced electron transfer (PET) interaction existed in the dyads in their excited state. The chemical oxidation implied an effective reverse electron transfer from the perylene* to the TTF2+ species. The three donor–acceptor systems could be used as models for the study of photoinduced electron transfer and reverse electron transfer process.