Light harvesting, excitation energy/electron transfer, and photoregulation in artificial photosynthetic systems

This chapter summarizes recent research from our laboratoryon multichromophoric molecules that perform as components ofartificial photosynthetic systems. The basic scientific principlesunderlying the design of these molecules were drawn from naturalphotosynthetic energy conversion, but thematerials used to preparethem are synthetic. The systems consist of chromophores and elec-tron and energy donors and acceptors that have been chemicallylinked to form artificial reaction centers and antennas, and to mimicsome aspects of photosynthetic regulation and photoprotection.These chromophores include porphyrins, fullerenes, carotenoidpolyenes, antenna moieties, and photochromic materials. We beginwith an introduction to artificial photosynthesis and a simple exam-ple. More complex systems including multichromophore arraysand systems that incorporate photoregulatory elements are thendiscussed. We have chosen examples based on a single organicframework-hexaphenylbenzene-as an organizing unit for the var-ious chromophores, donors, and acceptors.