Energy harvesting in synthetic dendritic materials

In the past two decades dendrimers have emerged as a distinctive branch of macromolecular chemistry. Tailoring of dendrimer structure yields precise placement of chromophores that can serve as energy harvesters, mimicking photosynthesis. The unique architecture afforded by dendrimers allows for multiple energy harvesters which can transfer their energy to a single core. These materials can have impact in optoelectronic applications such as organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). This chapter reviews artificial energy-harvesting systems that employ a dendritic architecture, emphasizing the energy transfer characteristics that these dendrimers provide rather then their synthesis.