Light-harvesting in nature is known to work differently than conventional man-made solar cells. Recent studies found electronic excitations, delocalised over several chromophores, and a soft, vibrating structural environment to be key schemes that might protect and direct energy transfer yielding increased harvest efficiencies even under adversary conditions. Unfortunately, testing realistic models of noise assisted transport at the quantum level is challenging due to the intractable size of the environmental wave function. I developed a powerful tree tensor network states (TTNS) method that finds an optimally compressed explicit representation of the combined electronic and vibrational quantum state. With TTNS it is possible to simulate exciton-phonon quantum dynamics from small molecules to larger complexes, modelled as an open quantum system with multiple bosonic environments. After benchmarking the method on the minimal spin-boson model by reproducing ground state properties and dynamics that have been reported using other methods, the vibrational quantum state is harnessed to investigate environmental dynamics and its correlation with the spin system. To enable simulations of realistic non-Born-Oppenheimer molecular quantum dynamics, a clustering algorithm and novel entanglement renormalisation tensors are employed to interface TTNS with ab initio density functional theory (DFT). A thereby generated model of a pentacene dimer containing 252 vibrational normal modes was simulated with TTNS reproducing exciton dynamics in agreement with experimental results. Based on the environmental state, the (potential) energy surfaces, underlying the observed singlet fission dynamics, were calculated yielding unprecedented insight into the super-exchange mediated avoided crossing mechanism that produces ultrafast and high yield singlet fission. This combination of DFT and TTNS is a step towards large scale material exploration that can accurately predict excited states properties and dynamics. Furthermore, application to biomolecular systems, such as photosynthetic complexes, may give valuable insights into novel environmental engineering principles for the design of artificial light-harvesting systems.

Light-harvesting devices made from lead sulfide quantum dot (QD) absorbers are one of the many promising technologies of third-generation photovoltaics. Their simple, solution-based fabrication, together with a highly tunable and broad light absorption makes their application in newly developed solar cells, particularly promising. In order to yield devices with reduced voltage and current losses, PbS QDs need to have strategically passivated surfaces, most commonly achieved through lead iodide and bromide passivation. The interdot spacing is then predominantly filled with residual amorphous lead halide species that remain from the ligand exchange, thus hindering efficient charge transport and reducing device stability. Herein, it is demonstrated that a post-treatment by iodide-based 2-phenylethlyammonium salts and intermediate 2D perovskite formation can be used to manage the lead halide excess in the PbS QD active layer. This treatment results in improved device performance and increased shelf-life stability, demonstrating the importance of interdot spacing management in PbS QD photovoltaics.

Der Gegenstand der vorliegenden Arbeit ist die Untersuchung von photoinduzierten Energietransferprozessen (EET) und Elektronentransferprozessen (ET) in Modellsystemen, die als potentiell geeignet für eine Nutzung in der artifiziellen Photosynthese angesehen werden. Den beiden wesentlichen Zugängen zur Architektur artifizieller Photosynthese-Systeme entsprechend wurden vergleichend kovalente und sich selbst organisierende Systeme untersucht. In beiden Zugängen wurden ähnliche chemische Komponenten als optisch aktive Moleküle eingesetzt, insbesondere Phthalocyanine mit einem Silizium-Zentralatom (SiPc). Durch eine Kombination von stationären und zeitaufgelösten optisch-spektroskopischen Methoden konnten die lichtinduzierten ET- und EET-Prozesse identifiziert und quantifiziert werden. Im ersten Teil der Arbeit wurden mehrere kovalent gebundene Triaden und eine Pentade untersucht. In allen Systemen finden sehr effiziente ET und EET Prozesse statt. Es wurde gezeigt, dass das Lösungsmittel großen Einfluss auf die photophysikalischen Eigenschaften der Systeme ausübt. Die Lebensdauer des ladungsseparierten Zustandes variiert von 1,7 ns in Toluol bis 30 ps in DMF. Im zweiten Teil der Arbeit wurde erstmals gezeigt, dass sich in wässriger Lösung ein supramolekularer Komplex, bestehend aus einem Beta-Cyklodextrin (CD), einem konjugierten Subphthylocyanin (SubPc), einem Porphyrin (Por) und einem SiPc bilden kann. Letzteres wurde über unterschiedliche Ketten an zwei CDs kovalent gebunden. Die Selbstorganisation wird über hydrophobe Wechselwirkungen vermittelt und die Bildung der Komplexe ist sehr effizient. Nach selektiver Anregung von SubPc finden sequenzielle ET- und EET-Prozesse von SubPc zu SiPc statt. Das Por spielt die Rolle einer energetischen und elektronischen Brücke und ermöglicht die ET und EET-Prozesse von SubPc zu SiPc. Die Ladungsrekombination in den Grundzustand geschieht innerhalb von 1,7 ns. / The main objective of the present thesis was to conduct investigations of photo-induced electron transfer (ET) and excitation energy transfer (EET) processes in model compounds that are considered potentially appropriate for use in artificial photosynthesis. Two approaches have been used to construct the artificial photosynthetic systems, namely covalent and supramolecular approach. In both systems similar optically active molecules have been employed, particularly silicon-based phthalocyanines (SiPc). A comparative study between the covalently-linked and self-assembled systems had been conducted. For these purposes, thorough spectroscopic measurements in the UV/Vis range had been performed on these conjugates. A combination of steady-state and time-resolved experiments allowed an identification and quantification of the photo-induced ET and EET processes. In the first part of the work several covalently bound triads and a pentad bearing a central SiPc unit were studied. In all systems highly efficient ET and EET processes take place. It was found that the solvent exerts great influence on the photophysical properties of the systems. The lifetime of the charge-separated state varied from 1.7 ns (toluene) down to 30 ps (DMF). In the second part of the thesis, for the first time the formation of ternary supramolecular complexes consisting of a beta-cyclodextrin (CD), a conjugated subphthalocyanine (SubPc), a porphyrin (Por) and a series of SiPcs substituted axially with two CDs via different spacers was shown. These components are held in water by host-guest interactions and the formation of these host-guest complexes was found to be very efficient. Upon excitation of the SubPc-part of the complex sequential ET and EET processes from SubPc to SiPc take place. The Por dye acts as a transfer bridge enabling these processes. The probability of ET is controlled by the linker between CD and SiPc. Charge recombination to the ground state occurs within 1.7 ns.

Plasmonic properties and the related novel applications are studied on various types of metallic nano-structures in one, two, or three dimensions. For 1D nanostructure, the motion of free electrons in a metal-film with nanoscale thickness is confined in its normal dimension and free in the other two. Describing the free-electron motion at metal-dielectric surfaces, surface plasmon polariton (SPP) is an elementary excitation of such motions and is well known. When further perforated with periodic array of holes, periodicity will introduce degeneracy, incur energy-level splitting, and facilitate the coupling between free-space photon and SPP. We applied this concept to achieve a plasmonic perfect absorber. The experimentally observed reflection dip splitting is qualitatively explained by a perturbation theory based on the above concept. If confined in 2D, the nanostructures become nanowires that intrigue a broad range of research interests. We performed various studies on the resonance and propagation of metal nanowires with different materials, cross-sectional shapes and form factors, in passive or active medium, in support of corresponding experimental works. Finite- Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) simulations show that simulated results agrees well with experiments and makes fundamental mode analysis possible. Confined in 3D, the electron motions in a single metal nanoparticle (NP) leads to localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) that enables another novel and important application: plasmon-heating. By exciting the LSPR of a gold particle embedded in liquid, the excited plasmon will decay into heat in the particle and will heat up the surrounding liquid eventually. With sufficient exciting optical intensity, the heat transfer from NP to liquid will undergo an explosive process and make a vapor envelop: nanobubble. We characterized the size, pressure and temperature of the nanobubble by a simple model relying on Mie calculations and continuous medium assumption. A novel effective medium method is also developed to replace the role of Mie calculations. The characterized temperature is in excellent agreement with that by Raman scattering. If fabricated in an ordered cluster, NPs exhibit double-resonance features and the double Fano-resonant structure is demonstrated to most enhance the four-wave mixing efficiency.