近日，德国维尔茨堡大学Frank Würthner团队报道了生成扩展的折叠染料堆栈和解开其演变的激子动力学。2026年3月23日出版的《自然-化学》杂志发表了这一最新研究成果。

在生物大分子中，往往需要大量氨基酸或核苷酸才能形成明确的二级结构并实现相应的复杂功能。然而，当研究人员利用染料构建合成模型类似物，以预测相应固态聚集体的（光）功能特性时，通常仅使用二聚体模型。

研究组介绍了一个由紧密π堆积染料组成的折叠体系列，涵盖从二聚体到十四聚体，该系列通过基于嵌段的迭代偶联方案获得，使得研究寡聚体长度对其光物理性质的影响成为可能。光谱技术揭示了在约四到六个染料单元处荧光性质发生显著转变——荧光带变窄，总量子产率从二聚体的47%提升至十四聚体的75%——同时伴随着多激子态的形成。这些结果凸显了二聚体模型的局限性，并为未来研究结构明确的π堆积折叠体提供了动力，这类体系既可作为固态材料的模型，也可作为未来电子与光子应用中的超分子导线。

附：英文原文

Title: Generating extended foldamer dye stacks and unravelling their evolving exciton dynamics

Author: Ernst, Leander, Hong, Yongseok, Song, Hongwei, Zhang, Wei, Lass, Elisabeth, Kim, Dongho, Wrthner, Frank

Issue&Volume: 2026-03-23

Abstract: In biomacromolecules, many amino acids or nucleotides are needed to obtain defined secondary structures and concomitant advanced functionalities. However, when researchers generate synthetic model analogues composed of dyes to predict the (photo-)functional properties of the respective solid-state aggregates they often use dimer models. Here we introduce a foldamer series of closely π-stacked dyes from dimer to 14-mer, obtained by an iterative block-based coupling protocol, that enable the study of oligomer-length effects on their photophysical properties. Spectroscopic techniques identify a distinct change of fluorescence properties at around four to six dye units—affording narrowed fluorescence bands and an increase of the total quantum yield from 47% for the dimer up to 75% for the 14-mer—that is accompanied by the development of a multiexciton state. These results highlight the limitation of the dimer model and motivate future research on well-defined π-stacked foldamers, both as models for solid-state materials and as supramolecular wires for future electronic and photonic applications.

DOI: 10.1038/s41557-026-02082-0

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41557-026-02082-0