Synthesis and photophysical properties of [60]fullerene-oligo(thienylene–ethynylene) dyads

Two series of [60]fullerene-linked oligo(2,3-thienylene–ethynylene)s and oligo(2,5-thienylene–ethynylene)s have been synthesized to elucidate their photophysical characteristics. Their fluorescence spectra in toluene reveals distinct photoinduced intramolecular interactions between the oligomers and C60, which occur in a through-space fashion for the 2,3-thienylene–ethynylene system and in a through-bond fashion for the 2,5-thienylene–ethynylene system.