Publications by authors named "Heidi Hester"

Alternating multilayer films composed of titania nanosheets and Zn porphyrins were prepared by use of a previously reported Langmuir-Blodgett film-transfer method in order to fabricate photoelectrochemical devices. Closely packed titania nanosheet monolayers on indium tin oxide (ITO), mica, and quartz surfaces strongly adsorbed cationic [5,10,15,20-tetrakis(1-methylpyridinium-4-yl)porphyrinatozinc]4+ (ZnTMPyP4+) by electrostatic interactions. The alternating deposition process afforded nanometer-scale multilayer films with the following structure: solid surface/(titania nanosheet/ZnTMPyP4+)n (n is the number of layers).

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Photoinduced charge separation is a fundamental step in photochemical energy conversion. In the design of molecularly based systems for light-to-chemical energy conversion, this step is studied through the construction of two- and three-component systems (dyads and triads) having suitable electron donor and acceptor moieties placed at specific positions on a charge-transfer chromophore. The most extensively studied chromophores in this regard are ruthenium(II) tris(diimine) systems with a common 3MLCT excited state, as well as related ruthenium(II) bis(terpyridyl) systems.

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A new terpyridyl-containing Pt triad [Pt(pytpy)(p-CC-C6H4-NH-CO-C6H2(OMe)3)](PF6)2 (4), where pytpy = 4'-(4-pyridin-1-ylmethylphenyl)-[2,2';6',2' ']terpyridine and p-CC-C6H4-NH-CO-C6H2(OMe)3 = N-(4-ethynylphenyl)-3,4,5-trimethoxybenzamide, has been synthesized and structurally characterized. The related donor-chromophore dyad [Pt(ttpy)(p-CC-C6H4-NH-CO-C6H2(OMe)3)]PF6 2, where ttpy = 4'-p-tolyl-[2,2';6',2' ']terpyridine, and the chromophore-acceptor dyad [Pt(pytpy)(CCC6H5)](PF6)2 (3), where CCC6H5 = ethynylbenzene, have also been studied. The multistep syntheses culminate with a CuI-catalyzed coupling reaction of the respective acetylene with either [Pt(ttpy)Cl]PF6 or [Pt(pytpy)Cl](PF6)2.

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