Efficient Intramolecular Charge Transfer Research Articles

Tuning Electron-Accepting Properties of Phthalocyanines for Charge Transfer Processes.

Phthalocyanines play fundamental roles as electron-acceptors in many different fields; thus, the study of structural features affecting electron-accepting properties of these macrocycles is highly desirable. A series of low-symmetry zinc(II) phthalocyanines, in which one, three, or four benzene rings were replaced for pyrazines, was prepared and decorated with electron-neutral (alkylsulfanyl) or strongly electron-withdrawing (alkylsulfonyl) groups to study the role of the macrocyclic core as well as the effect of peripheral substituents. Electrochemical studies revealed that the first reduction potential (Ered1) is directly proportional to the number of pyrazine units in the macrocycle. Introduction of alkylsulfonyl groups had a very strong effect and resulted in a strongly electron-deficient macrocycle with Ered1 = -0.48 V vs SCE (in THF). The efficiency of intramolecular-charge transfer (ICT) from the peripheral bis(2-methoxyethyl)amine group to the macrocycle was monitored as a decrease in the sum of ΦΔ + ΦF and correlated well with the determined Ered1 values. The strongest quenching by ICT was observed for the most electron-deficient macrocycle. Importantly, an obvious threshold at -1.0 V vs SCE was observed over which no ICT occurs. Disclosed results may substantially help to improve the design of electron-donor systems based on phthalocyanines.

Designing the electron push-pull chromophores through the joining of triphenylamine and triphenylborane for efficient nonlinear optical and photovoltaic properties

The benzoxadiazole class of organic compounds demonstrates exceptional versatility, particularly in the realm of nonlinear optical (NLO) materials, where their unique properties find impactful applications. In the present study, we have focused on systematically designed six benzoxadiazole (BDZ) derivatives named as BDZ-1 to BDZ-6 by using 2,3,1-benzoxadiazole as a central core/π-spacer between the donor and acceptor. Triphenylamine and triphenylborane are used as donor and acceptor in all derivatives with addition of nitro and methoxy group as substitutions. B3LYP/6-311G* method of density functional theory (DFT) is employed for optimization of purposed systems while M06/6-311G* is used to check the NLO properties. The isotropic polarizability (αiso) and anisotropic polarizability (αaniso) of BDZ-6, were found to be 110.1 × 10−24 esu and 106.3 × 10−24 esu, respectively. Among our designed compounds, the BDZ-6 exhibits the highest third-order NLO polarizability, which was found to be 5954.8 × 10−36 esu corresponding to lowest transition energy of 2.00 eV. Additionally, frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs), molecular electrostatic potential maps (MEPs), electron difference density maps (EDD) and UV–Vis analysis were performed. BDZ-6 shows minimum energy gap of 2.24 eV, while it shows maximum absorption at 620 nm. The density of states (DOS) analysis reveals distinct electronic contributions of various fragments in the formation of HOMO and LUMO orbitals resulting in efficient intramolecular charge transfer (ICT). Photovoltaic findings revealed that BDZ-4 have maximum open circuit voltage of 1.70 eV with minimum dye regeneration value (0.30 eV). Our findings shed light on the design and development of novel NLO materials with BDZ derivatives.

Inherent D-A Architecture in Indoloquinoxalines with an Array of Substituents for Non-Volatile Memory Device Applications.

Donor-acceptor (D-A)-based architecture has been the key to increase storage capability efficiency through the enhanced charge transportation in the fabricated device. We have designed and synthesized a series of functionalized indoloquinoxalines (IQ) for non-volatile organic memory devices. The investigation on UV-visible spectra reveals the absorption maxima of the compounds around 420 nm, attributed to the intramolecular charge transfer between indole and quinoxaline moiety. The irreversible anodic peak in the 1.0 to 1.5 V range indicates the indole moiety's oxidation ability. Besides, the cathodic peak in the range of -0.5 to -1.0 V, contributed to the stability of the reduced quinoxaline unit. All the compounds exhibited uniformly covered thin film in SEM analysis, potentially facilitating the seamless charge carrier migration between adjacent molecules. The methoxyphenyl substituted compound exhibited the binary write-once read-many (WORM) memory behavior with the lowest threshold voltage of -0.81 V. The molecular simulations displayed the efficient intramolecular charge transfer, providing the fabricated device's distinctive conductive states. Except for the tert-butylphenyl compound, which showed volatile dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) behavior, all the other compounds exhibited non-volatile WORM memory behavior, suggesting IQs potential as an intrinsic D-A molecule in organic memory devices on further structural refinement.

The design and synthesis of 1-phenylimidazo[1,5-a]pyridine – anthracene-based fluorophore for greenish-yellow organic light emitting diode and warm white LED

Solution-processed OLEDs offer a promising and affordable technology for solid-state lighting and superior self-luminous display panels. Herein, an imidazo[1,5-a]pyridine (ImPy)-based fluorophore decorated with an aromatic π-system anthracene is synthesized by a one-pot condensation approach. From the theoretical study, the energy difference between HOMO and LUMO is 3.1 eV. The molecule shows excellent thermal stability and electrochemical stability. It exhibits efficient intramolecular charge transfer and displays a positive solvatochromic photoluminescence emission band ranging from 528 nm in hexane to 586 nm in acetonitrile with large Stokes’ shift of ∼11,000 cm−1. The OLEDs made of this emitter displayed good device performance with luminous efficiency of 4.4 cd A–1, power efficiency of 2.2 lm W–1 and external quantum efficiency of 3.2%. Additionally, this OLED emitted greenish-yellow light with CIE coordinate (0.34, 0.45) and possessed a low turn-on voltage of 7 V. The material also used in white LED fabrication and the fabricated white LED displayed an excellent color rendering index (CRI), the luminous efficiency of radiation (LER), and correlated color temperatures (CCT) of 89328 lm W–1 , and 4907 K, respectively with CIE coordinate (0.35,0.32).

Intramolecular through-space charge transfer between benzofuran and ynone groups on a naphthalene spacer.

We have developed a new scaffold that exhibits an efficient intramolecular through-space charge transfer (CT). In this design, electron-rich benzofuran and electron-deficient ynone groups are placed strategically in proximity via a naphthalene spacer. Charge transfer is supported by distinct CT bands in the visible region (>500 nm) in their UV-vis absorption and emission spectra.

Aromatic systems with two and three pyridine-2,6-dicarbazolyl-3,5-dicarbonitrile fragments as electron-transporting organic semiconductors exhibiting long-lived emissions.

The pyridine-3,5-dicarbonitrile moiety has gained significant attention in the field of materials chemistry, particularly in the development of heavy-metal-free pure organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Extensive research on organic compounds exhibiting thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) has led to numerous patents and research articles. This study focuses on the synthesis and investigation of the semiconducting properties of polyaromatic π-systems containing two and three fragments of pyridine-2,6-dicarbazolyl-3,5-dicarbonitrile. The compounds are synthesized by Sonogashira coupling reactions and characterized by steady-state and time-resolved luminescence spectroscopy. The compounds show efficient intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) from the donor to the acceptor. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra of the solutions of the compounds showed non-structured emission peaks in the visible region, which are attributed to ICT emission. The PL intensities of the solutions of the compounds are enhanced after deoxygenation, which is indicative of TADF. The photoluminescence quantum yields and TADF properties of the compounds are sensitive to the medium. Cyclic voltammetry measurements indicate good hole-blocking and electron-injecting properties due to their high ionization potentials. Photoelectron spectroscopy and time-of-flight measurements reveal good electron-transporting properties for one of the compounds. In general, polyaromatic π-systems with pyridine-3,5-dicarbonitrile fragments demonstrate promising potential for use in organic electronic devices, such as OLEDs.

High Detectivity Near Infrared Organic Photodetectors Using an Asymmetric Non-Fullerene Acceptor for Optimal Nanomorphology and Suppressed Dark Current.

Recently, the development of non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs) for near-infrared (NIR) organic photodetectors (OPDs) has attracted great interest due to their excellent NIR light absorption properties. Herein, we developed NFAs by substituting an electron-donating moiety (branched alkoxy thiophene (BAT)) asymmetrically (YOR1) and symmetrically (YOR2) for the Y6 framework. YOR1 exhibited nanoscale phase separation in a film blended with PTB7-Th. Moreover, substituting the BAT unit effectively extended the absorption wavelengths of YOR1 over 1000 nm by efficient intramolecular charge transfer and extension of the conjugation length. Consequently, YOR1-OPD exhibited significantly reduced dark current and improved responsivity by simultaneously satisfying optimal nanomorphology and significant suppression of charge recombination, resulting in 1.98 × 1013 and 3.38 × 1012 Jones specific detectivity at 950 and 1000 nm, respectively. Moreover, we successfully demonstrated the application of YOR1-OPD in highly sensitive photoplethysmography sensors using NIR light. This study suggests a strategic approach for boosting the overall performance of NIR OPDs targeting a 1000 nm light signal using an all-in-one (optimal morphology, suppressed dark current, and extended NIR absorption wavelength) NFA.

Improvement in Radiative Efficiency Via Intramolecular Charge Transfer in ortho-Carboranyl Luminophores Modified with Functionalized Biphenyls.

In this study, we found that the electronic effects of the functional groups on aromatic units attached to o-carboranyl species can enhance the efficiency of intramolecular charge transfer (ICT)-based radiative decay processes. Six o-carboranyl-based luminophores having attached functionalized biphenyl groups with CF3, F, H, CH3, C(CH3)3, and OCH3 substituents were prepared and fully characterized by multinuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. In addition, their molecular structures were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffractometry, which revealed that the distortion of the biphenyl rings and the geometries around the o-carborane cages were similar. All compounds exhibited ICT-based emissions in the rigid state (solution at 77 K and film). Intriguingly, the quantum efficiencies (Φem) of five compounds (that of the group with CF3 could not be measured because of its extremely weak emissions) in the film state increased gradually as the electron-donating power of the terminal functional group modifying the biphenyl moiety increased. Furthermore, the nonradiative decay constants (knr) for the group with OCH3 were estimated to be one-tenth of those for the group with F, whereas the radiative decay constants (kr) for the five compounds were similar. The dipole moments (μ) calculated for the optimized first excited state (S1) structures gradually increased, from that of the group with CF3 to that of the group with OCH3, implying that the inhomogeneity of the molecular charge distribution was enhanced by electron donation. The electron-rich environment formed as a result of electron donation led to efficient charge transfer to the excited state. Both experimental and theoretical findings revealed that the electronic environment of the aromatic moiety in o-carboranyl luminophores can be controlled to accelerate or interrupt the ICT process in the radiative decay of excited states.

Simultaneously Achieving Fast Intramolecular Charge Transfer and Mass Transport in Holey D-π-A Organic Conjugated Polymers for Highly Efficient Photocatalytic Pollutant Degradation.

Simultaneously realizing efficient intramolecular charge transfer and mass transport in metal-free polymer photocatalysts is critical but challenging for environmental remediation. Herein, we develop a simple strategy to construct holey polymeric carbon nitride (PCN)-based donor-π-acceptor organic conjugated polymers via copolymerizing urea with 5-bromo-2-thiophenecarboxaldehyde (PCN-5B2T D-π-A OCPs). The resultant PCN-5B2T D-π-A OCPs extended the π-conjugate structure and introduced abundant micro-, meso-, and macro-pores, which greatly promoted intramolecular charge transfer, light absorption, and mass transport and thus significantly enhanced the photocatalytic performance in pollutant degradation. The apparent rate constant of the optimized PCN-5B2T D-π-A OCP for 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (2-MBT) removal is ∼10 times higher than that of the pure PCN. Density functional theory calculations reveal that the photogenerated electrons in PCN-5B2T D-π-A OCPs are much easier to transfer from the donor tertiary amine group to the benzene π-bridge and then to the acceptor imine group, while 2-MBT is more easily adsorbed on π-bridge and reacts with the photogenerated holes. A Fukui function calculation on the intermediates of 2-MBT predicted the real-time changing of actual reaction sites during the entire degradation process. Additionally, computational fluid dynamics further verified the rapid mass transport in holey PCN-5B2T D-π-A OCPs. These results demonstrate a novel concept toward highly efficient photocatalysis for environmental remediation by improving both intramolecular charge transfer and mass transport.

Investigation of Solvent Effect and H-Bonding on Spectroscopic Properties of 1-(3-Amino-6-(2,5-dichlorothiophen-3-yl)-4-phenylfuro[2,3-b]Pyridin-2-yl) Ethenone: Experimental and Computational Study.

The furo[2,3-b]pyridine moiety is an important scaffold for many biologically active compounds, therefore, the spectral data of the derivative 1-(3-Amino-6-(2,5-dichlorothiophen-3-yl)-4-phenylfuro[2,3-b]pyridin-2-yl) ethenone (FP1) were investigated. Analysis of absorption-pH profile and Förster cycle of FP1 revealed that its excited state is more acidic than its ground state ([Formula: see text] < [Formula: see text]). The main fluorescence emission band of FP1 at 480nm (in hexane) is shifted to longer wavelengths with increasing polarities of solvents. Linear Lippert's plot and linear correlation between bands maxima and Camlet-Taft parameter, α, of the protic solvents indicated efficient intramolecular charge transfer and noticeable H-bonding. Moreover, the disappearance of the absorption band of FP1 at 385nm in water, along with the noticeable red shift and quenching of the emission band, and the lower lifetime, relative to nonaqueous solvents, indicate the interruption of the furo[2,3-b]pyridine aromatic moiety. In addition, results from the Time Dependent Density Functional Theory (TDDFT) and Molecular Mechanic (MM) calculations were in agreement with experimentally determined spectra of FP1.

A Donor–Acceptor Cage for Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence: toward a New Kind of TADF Exciplex Emitters

We present the rational design of an organic cage combining an electron-donating (D) triazatruxene and electron-accepting (A) triphenyl triazine connected by three electronically inert pillars. This controlled architecture leads to a precise spatial separation and cofacial alignment of the D and A motifs. Such an architecture induces an efficient intramolecular through-space charge transfer (TSCT), providing a small singlet–triplet energy difference (ΔEST) of 0.049 eV, and thus gives rise to a thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) macrocyclic exciplex emitter.

The Green Box: Selenoviologen-Based Tetracationic Cyclophane for Electrochromism, Host–Guest Interactions, and Visible-Light Photocatalysis

The novel selenoviologen-based tetracationic cyclophanes (green boxes 3 and 5) with rigid electron-deficient cavities are synthesized via SN2 reactions in two steps. The green boxes exhibit good redox properties, narrow energy gaps, and strong absorption in the visible range (370-470 nm), especially for the green box 5 containing two selenoviologen (SeV2+) units. Meanwhile, the femtosecond transient absorption (fs-TA) reveals that the green boxes have a stabilized dicationic biradical, high efficiency of intramolecular charge transfer (ICT), and long-lived charge separation state due to the formation of cyclophane structure. Based on the excellent photophysical and redox properties, the green boxes are applied to electrochromic devices (ECDs) and visible-light-driven hydrogen production with a high H2 generation rate (34 μmol/h), turnover number (203), and apparent quantum yield (5.33 × 10-2). In addition, the host-guest recognitions are demonstrated between the green boxes and electron-rich guests (e.g., G1:1-naphthol and G2:platinum(II)-tethered naphthalene) in MeCN through C-H···π and π···π interactions. As a one-component system, the host-guest complexes of green box⊃G2 are successfully applied to visible-light photocatalytic hydrogen production due to the intramolecular electron transfer (IET) between platinum(II) of G2 and SeV2+ of the green box, which provides a simplified system for solar energy conversion.

Efficient Synthesis of Imine-Carboxylic Acid Functionalized Compounds: Single Crystal, Hirshfeld Surface and Quantum Chemical Exploration.

Two aminobenzoic acid based crystalline imines (HMBA and DHBA) were synthesized through a condensation reaction of 4-aminobenzoic acid and substituted benzaldehydes. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction was employed for the determination of structures of prepared Schiff bases. The stability of super molecular structures of both molecules was achieved by intramolecular H-bonding accompanied by strong, as well as comparatively weak, intermolecular attractive forces. The comparative analysis of the non-covalent forces in HMBA and DHBA was performed by Hirshfeld surface analysis and an interaction energy study between the molecular pairs. Along with the synthesis, quantum chemical calculations were also accomplished at M06/6-311G (d, p) functional of density functional theory (DFT). The frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs), molecular electrostatic potential (MEP), natural bond orbitals (NBOs), global reactivity parameters (GRPs) and natural population (NPA) analyses were also carried out. The findings of FMOs found that Egap for HMBA was examined to be smaller (3.477 eV) than that of DHBA (3.7933 eV), which indicated a greater charge transference rate in HMBA. Further, the NBO analysis showed the efficient intramolecular charge transfer (ICT), as studied by Hirshfeld surface analysis.

Dual‐State Emission and Two‐Photon Absorption Tuned by Benzonitrile Substitution in 2,3,4,5‐Tetraphenyl‐1H‐Pyrrole

AbstractA series of nine 2,3,4,5‐tetraphenyl pyrrole derivatives presenting benzonitrile substitution at different positions was designed and synthesized for this work. Their structure–emission property relationships were investigated in depth through a joint advanced experimental and computational effort. Our ultrafast and non‐linear spectroscopic results showed more efficient intramolecular charge transfer and enhanced two‐photon absorption cross sections when the benzonitrile substitution is at position 3 of the central pyrrole. On the other hand, an intriguing dual‐state emission behaviour was found to be activated by substitution at position 2, with exceptionally large photoluminescence quantum yields exhibited both in solution and in the solid state. Indeed, the quantum chemical simulations revealed for the derivatives functionalized at position 2 that the distorted geometry of the benzonitrile substituent with respect to the phenyl ring prevents emission quenching in the aggregate species by π‐π stacking interactions. Our findings shed new light on optimized design strategies of highly emitting materials for efficient optoelectronic devices.

Near-Infrared Acceptors with Imide-Containing End Groups for Organic Solar Cells.

Near-infrared electron acceptors for organic solar cells (OSCs) mostly contain electron-withdrawing 2-(3-oxo-2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-1-ylidene)malononitrile (IC) end groups, which can be modified by but limited to phenyl, thienyl, and naphthyl units with halogenated, methyl, and methyloxy substitution. In this work, we employed an imide-containing unit to construct a new IC end group, based on which a series of new electron acceptors were synthesized. The strong electron-deficient nature of imide units enables the new acceptors to show efficient intramolecular charge transfer and hence red-shifted absorption spectra compared to their IC counterparts. These new electron acceptors were applied to OSCs, providing efficiencies of over 17% with a low voltage loss of 0.52 eV. These results demonstrate that the new imide-containing end groups are promising fragments for the construction of near-infrared electron acceptors for high-performance OSCs.

Effect of electron-donating groups on the excited state spectroscopy and dynamics of 2′-hydroxychalcone derivatives

We investigated the effect of different electron-donating groups on the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) process in three hydroxychalcone derivatives. More efficient ICT was observed when replacing N(Me)2 by pyrrolidine due to less hydrogen bonding with solvent. Adding NH2 to the structure caused more planarity that was detected as a larger fluorescence quantum yield and narrower fluorescence peak. This was confirmed by femtosecond transient absorption in which the intramolecular twisting process, observed in the other derivatives, was absent in the presence of NH2. This work should be a useful step toward understanding and tailoring the excited state spectroscopy of chalcone derivatives.

Effect of bridged spacers and auxiliary acceptors on Dye Sensitized Solar Cell sensitizers: A density functional theory‐based investigation

AbstractFour donor‐pi‐acceptor (D‐π‐A) type sensitizers containing coumarin as the donor unit and cyanoacrylic acid as the acceptor unit are investigated using density functional theory (DFT) and time‐dependent‐DFT methods. The effect of introducing auxiliary acceptor like benzothiadiazole and spacer bridge like 3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) is analyzed. The EDOT bridge leads to increase in band gap whereas the introduction of benzothiadiazole lessens the band gap. The frontier molecular orbital diagram also shows an efficient intramolecular charge transfer for non‐EDOT based sensitizers. For benzothiadiazole‐based sensitizers, the electrophilicity index was higher and hyperhardness was lower in the estimated reactivity descriptors. The experimentally determined light harvesting efficiency (LHE) of the sensitizers is correlated with the calculated global descriptors. A direct relation of LHE is obtained with electrophilicity index and an inverse relation for hyperhardness. A reverse trend is seen on comparing these descriptors with the band gap of the sensitizers. The computed non‐linear optical (NLO) characteristics show that the benzothiadiazole acceptor increases NLO response, while EDOT‐based sensitizers show a reduced NLO response. The NLO properties also give a direct relation with the LHE and electrophilicity index. The hyperpolarizability exhibits an inverse relation with the transition energy which is in accordance with the Ouder's model.

Investigation and design of efficient intramolecular charge transfer dyes with DBTP-based dual-electron-donor structure

In this work, three recently synthesized D1-D2-π-A type dyes (DB-1/2/3) were regarded as the primary dyes and were theoretically investigated in the context of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). For each dye, a di (1-benzothieno)[3,2-b:2′,3′-d]pyrrole (DBTP) group (electron donor D2) functions as a dual-electron-donor together with another electron donor (D1). Through density functional theory and time-dependent density functional theory calculations, the ground-state information and the excited-state information was obtained to build structure-property connection for the dyes. In particular, the intramolecular charge transfer capacity was emphatically studied from multiple angles (via absorption spectra, frontier molecular orbitals, electron density difference, etc.). Some key parameters that affect the short-circuit current and the open-circuit voltage of DSSCs were calculated and compared. Finally, based on the primary dyes, four new D1-DBTP-π-A type dyes (D1/2/3/4) were designed with the aim of improving the performances of these type dyes. Our research theoretically explains why DB-1 characterized by a triphenylamine unit as D1 preforms better than the other two primary dyes experimentally. Furthermore, it is predicted that due to the best light-harvesting ability, the designed dye D4 with a coumarin unit as D1 is expected to surpass DB-1 and become the most promising and potential for DSSCs among all the dyes in this work.

Relationship between the Molecular Geometry and the Radiative Efficiency in Naphthyl-Based Bis-Ortho-Carboranyl Luminophores.

The efficiency of intramolecular charge transfer (ICT)-based emission on π-aromatic-group-appended closo-ortho-carboranyl luminophores is known to be affected by structural fluctuations and molecular geometry, but investigation of this relationship has been in progress to date. In this study, four naphthyl-based bis-o-carboranyl compounds, in which hydrogen (15CH and 26CH) or trimethysilyl groups (15CS and 26CS) were appended at the o-carborane cage, were synthesized and fully characterized. All the compounds barely displayed an emissive trace in solution at 298 K; however, 15CH and 26CH distinctly exhibited a dual emissive pattern in rigid states (in solution at 77 K and in films), attributed to locally excited (LE) and ICT-based emission, while 15CS and 26CS showed strong ICT-based greenish emission. Intriguingly, the molecular structures of the four compounds, analyzed by single X-ray crystallography, showed that the C-C bond axis of the o-carborane cage in the trimethysilyl group-appended compounds 15CS and 26CS were more orthogonal to the plane of the appended naphthyl group than those in 15CH and 26CH. These features indicate that 15CS and 26CS present an efficient ICT transition based on strong exo-π-interaction, resulting in a higher quantum efficiency (Φem) for ICT-based radiative decay than those of 15CH and 26CH. Moreover, the 26CS structure revealed most orthogonal geometry, resulting in the highest Φem and lowest knr values for the ICT-based emission. Consequently, all the findings verified that efficient ICT-based radiative decay of aromatic group-appended o-carboranyl luminophores could be achieved by the formation of a specific geometry between the o-carborane cage and the aromatic plane.

Electron transfer from a new chalcone dye to TiO2 nanoparticles: Synthesis, photophysics, and excited-state dynamics

Efficient electron injection from photosensitizers to semiconductor nanoparticles is essential in many applications such as solar energy harvesting and catalytic reactions. Herein, we present a promising photosensitizer, 4-dimethylamino-2′-hydroxy-4′-carboxychalcone (DHC-COOH), that upon adsorption on TiO2 nanoparticles shows enhanced electron transfer from its excited state to the conduction band (CB) of TiO2 via an intramolecular charge transfer (ICT). In order to fully characterize the current system, three more derivatives were synthesized and characterized, its analogue without the COOH group (DHC), and the molecules without the OH group (DC and DC-COOH). The presence of OH causes a red shift in the absorption and fluorescence spectra, whereas the COOH group induces more red shift due to efficient ICT which is also seen in the density functional theory calculations. Excited-state intramolecular proton transfer is evident in the crystalline/solid form of DHC and DHC-COOH as a large red shift in the fluorescence peak. The red shift was not observed when DHC-COOH was adsorbed on the TiO2 surface due to the involvement of the OH group in binding. This was confirmed by XPS, in addition to a bidentate binding of the COOH group to TiO2. The latter has a major contribution to the electron transfer mechanism which was observed as a much weaker fluorescence intensity and a 50% reduction in the lifetime component that involves the COOH dynamic (from 63 ps to 32 ps). On the other hand, electron-hole recombination dynamics were slowed down on the TiO2 surface (from 311 ps to 440 ps and 1.4 ns to 2.4 ns). From cyclic voltammetry and steady state spectra, it was found that electron injection from the excited state of the dye to the CB of TiO2 is energetically favorable, and regeneration of the oxidized dye by the I−/I3− redox pair (used in dye-sensitized solar cells) is also possible.