Construction of a supramolecular light-harvesting system based on pillar[5]arene-mediated nanoparticles in water†

Light harvesting and energy transfer are ubiquitous processes in natural photosynthesis, significantly advancing the widespread utilization of solar energy. In this study, we engineered a supramolecular light-harvesting system utilizing a pyridinium salt-modified cyanostilbene guest (CPy) and a water-soluble pillar[5]arene host (WP5). Through host–guest complexation between WP5 and CPy, the resultant supra-amphiphile further self-assembled into emissive nanoparticles within aqueous environments. Incorporating the commercially available dye DBT into these nanoparticles yielded an efficient artificial light-harvesting system with a high donor/acceptor ratio (>200). Additionally, this system demonstrated tunable fluorescence emission in the solid state and exhibited potential applications as a color-tunable fluorescent ink for information encryption. Our findings not only delineate a promising approach for fabricating efficient light-harvesting systems via a straightforward supramolecular strategy but also underscore the significant potential of tunable photoluminescent nanomaterials.