Photocurrent generation based on new tetrathiafulvalene–BODIPY dyads

New donor–acceptor dyads containing tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) and 4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene (BODIPY) moieties were synthesized to develop new photoconducting materials. More than half of fluorescence from the BODIPY part was quenched by the photo-induced intramolecular electron transfer from the TTF part to the BODIPY part. Photoelectrochemical measurements indicate that cathodic photocurrents can be generated from a thin film of the dyad spin-coated on ITO electrode. Crystal structure analysis of the ethylenedithio–TTF derivative indicated two-dimensional conducting pathways are constructed in the TTF-stacking layer, and photocurrent measurement indicated that photo-induced conductivity enhancement can be achieved in this crystal.