Polymers 2011, 3(4), 2053-2077; doi:10.3390/polym3042053
Review

Mechanisms of Light Energy Harvesting in Dendrimers and Hyperbranched Polymers

David S. Bradshawemail and David L. Andrews* email
School of Chemistry, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 24 October 2011; in revised form: 18 November 2011 / Accepted: 2 December 2011 / Published: 5 December 2011
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dendrimers and Hyperbranched Polymers)
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Abstract: Since their earliest synthesis, much interest has arisen in the use of dendritic and structurally allied forms of polymer for light energy harvesting, especially as organic adjuncts for solar energy devices. With the facility to accommodate a proliferation of antenna chromophores, such materials can capture and channel light energy with a high degree of efficiency, each polymer unit potentially delivering the energy of one photon—or more, when optical nonlinearity is involved. To ensure the highest efficiency of operation, it is essential to understand the processes responsible for photon capture and channelling of the resulting electronic excitation. Highlighting the latest theoretical advances, this paper reviews the principal mechanisms, which prove to involve a complex interplay of structural, spectroscopic and electrodynamic properties. Designing materials with the capacity to capture and control light energy facilitates applications that now extend from solar energy to medical photonics.
Keywords: light-matter interactions; dendrimers; photons; energy harvesting; nonlinear optics; chromophore arrays; photochemistry; photophysics

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Cite This Article

MDPI and ACS Style

Bradshaw, D.S.; Andrews, D.L. Mechanisms of Light Energy Harvesting in Dendrimers and Hyperbranched Polymers. Polymers 2011, 3, 2053-2077.

AMA Style

Bradshaw DS, Andrews DL. Mechanisms of Light Energy Harvesting in Dendrimers and Hyperbranched Polymers. Polymers. 2011; 3(4):2053-2077.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Bradshaw, David S.; Andrews, David L. 2011. "Mechanisms of Light Energy Harvesting in Dendrimers and Hyperbranched Polymers." Polymers 3, no. 4: 2053-2077.

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