New Strategies Towards Design of Luminescent Metal-Ligand Chromophoric Ensembles, Conjugates and Nano-Assemblies for Sensing, Molecular Imaging and Bioassays

Abstract

The constant search for materials with new and improved properties has led to a variety of investigations into molecular materials and a growing interest in the exploration of molecular-based functional materials research. Molecular functional materials are made up of molecules that could perform a specific function or task at the molecular level. This increasing interest in the search for new molecular materials based on pure organic and metal-organic systems mainly stems from the versatility of materials development through rational design studies and elucidation of the structureproperty relationship at the molecular level. In this presentation, various new classes of chromophoric and luminescent metal complexes of selected metals will be described. A systematic study of the electronic spectroscopy of the metal complex systems has provided fundamental understanding on the spectroscopic and luminescence origin as well as the structure-property relationship of these complexes. Through a fine control of the interplay amongst various coordination motifs, electrostatic assembly and non-covalent metallophilic, hydrophobic-hydrophobic and π-π interactions, together with the modulation of various photo-induced electron and energy transfer processes, new strategies towards the rational design of luminescent metal-ligand chromophoric ensembles, conjugates and nano-assemblies that would lead to changes in the absorption and emission characteristics for potential applications and functions in luminescence sensing, molecular imaging and bioassays, have been made.