Tuning intrachain versus interchain photophysics via control of the threading ratio of conjugated polyrotaxanes.

Effective nanoscale control of intermolecular interactions in conjugated polymers is needed for the optimal development and exploitation of the latter in low-cost, large-area consumer electronics items, such as light-emitting and photovoltaic diodes, or transistors. Here we report our investigations on insulated molecular wires constituted by conjugated polymers threaded into cyclodextrin rings. Until now, there has been no detailed quantitative understanding of the role of progressive cyclodextrin encapsulation (quantifiable by the so-called "threading ratio", TR, or number of cyclodextrins per repeat unit) in tailoring the photophysics of the conjugated polymeric wires.