Investigation of Perylene Photonic Wires by Combined Single‐Molecule Fluorescence and Atomic Force Microscopy

Heterogeneous optical behavior of perylene polyisocyanides, which arises from different structures of the polymer backbone, is revealed by the combination of single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. Short nonhelical perylene oligomers exhibit monomer-like fluorescence properties, whereas long helical perylene fiber emission arises from excimer sites after delocalization of the excitation along the polymer backbone (see picture).