Assembly of a Tetrathiafulvalene–Anthracene Dyad on the Surfaces of Gold Nanoparticles: Tuning the Excited‐State Properties of the Anthracene Unit in the Dyad

Due to the unique features of the tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) unit, such as the electron-donating ability and presence of methylthio groups, dyad 1 can be assembled on the surfaces of gold nanoparticles, as indicated by absorption, electrochemical, and fluorescent-spectral studies. Dyad 1 can also be disassembled by the addition of thiols. Assembly of dyad 1 on the surfaces of gold nanoparticles leads to the formation of a triad (A1-D-A2), which in turn modulates the photoinduced electron-transfer process within dyad 1. Accordingly, the fluorescence intensity of dyad 1, after assembly with gold nanoparticles, increases, and the fluorescence lifetime is prolonged. Furthermore, the assembly of dyad 1 on gold nanoparticles facilitates photodimerization of the anthracene units of dyad 1. Both fluorescence and photodimerization are associated with the excited-state behavior of the anthracene unit, thus it may be concluded that the excited-state properties of the anthracene unit can be tuned upon complexation with gold nanoparticles.