Project Details
Projekt
Coordination Funds
Applicant
Professor Dr. Andreas Steffen
Subject Area
Inorganic Molecular Chemistry - Synthesis and Characterisation
Term
since 2025
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 535200000
Stimulus-responsive (SR) molecular photonic materials alter their emission wavelengths, life-times, quantum yields, circular dichroism, or energy transfer rates in dependence of external stimuli. In contrast to organic SR fluorophores that emit from their singlet excited states, transition metal complexes form phosphorescent multiplet excited states due to strong spin-orbit coupling mediated by the metal center. Apart from the higher suitability for electroluminescent devices, these long-lived phosphorescent states provide longer timescales for influencing the photophysical properties by an external physical stimulus and its photophysical readout, ranging from nano-seconds to seconds. Stimulus-responsive luminescent coordination compounds (STIL-COCOs) are thus of great interest for the future development of advanced photonic applications that benefit from such multiplet excited states, including non-invasive sensing of material dynamics, anti-counterfeiting methods, re-writeable displays, data storage, and quantum communication. However, no coherent design strategies exist for the various coordination geometries and d electron configurations of phosphorescent metal complexes to achieve a specific property change in response to a specific stimulus. This research unit aims to establish structure-property relationships for efficient STIL-COCOs by investigating pressure, stress, magnetic and electric field effects on the photophysical properties of the most fundamental coordination geometries linear, square-planar and octahedral with suitable d electron configurations d10, d8 and d3, to pave the road to new technological platforms. To this end, an interdisciplinary network has been established, integrating expertise across various domains, including synthesis, luminescence spectroscopy, structural characterization, ultrafast spectroscopy, and the theoretical modeling of excited states. This collaborative framework facilitates, for the first time, a systematic and targeted investigation of responsive systems under the influence of external stimuli. By leveraging the collective competencies of its members, the network aims to advance the understanding of complex interactions within these systems and enhance their potential applications in diverse scientific fields.
DFG Programme
Research Units
