Research from Bayreuth - Wuerzburg on Molecular Excitons

Researchers from the Universities of Bayreuth and Würzburg have shared an interest in molecular excitons for more than a decade. At both locations, DFG funded research training schools have been established, namely the GRK 1221 "Control of electronic processes in aggregates of pi-conjugaged molecules" (2006-2015, speaker Bernd Engels) in Würzburg and the GRK 1640 "Photophysics of Synthetic and Biological Multichromophoric Systems " (2010-2019, speaker Jürgen Köhler) in Bayreuth, as well as a DFG research group FOR 1809 "Light-induced Dynamics in Molecular Aggregates" (2012-2018, speaker Tobias Brixner). In 2012, following a long-term individual collaboration between Jürgen Köhler (Physics, Bayreuth) and Frank Würthner (Chemistry, Würzburg), the interaction between Chemists in Würzburg and Physicists in Bayreuth was strengthened through the Bavarian Programme "Solar Technologies Go Hybrid", leading to a large number of collaborative projects that contributed significantly to the understanding of the photophysical processes in optically excited synthetic dye aggregates. These results are now featured in a review article by Tobias Brixner, Richard Hildner, Jürgen Köhler, Christoph Lambert and Frank Würthner on "Exciton Transport in Molecular Aggregates – From Natural Antennas to Synthetic Chromophore Systems" published this week in the journal Advanced Energy Materials.