A DNA‐Based Light‐Harvesting Antenna

Abstract

Shedding light on DNA: A DNA-based light-harvesting antenna has been synthesized. Light is absorbed by π-stacked phenanthrene units and efficiently transferred to a phenanthrene–pyrene exciplex. The whole system is structurally organized by a DNA scaffold. Up to eight phenanthrene units are used for light collection and the intensity of the exciplex emission is proportional to the number of light-absorbing chromophores.