Electron Transport across Vesicle Bilayers Sensitized by Pyrenes: Design and Syntheses of Unsymmetrically Substituted Bifunctional Pyrenes Acting as Excellent Sensitizers

An electron transport from an electron donor entrapped into inner waterpool to an electron acceptor in outer aqueous solution across vesicle bilayers was sensitized by pyrene derivatives incorporated in the vesicle walls, although the sensitizer ability was very dependent on the substituent group on the pyrenyl ring. The newly designed pyrenes having both a hydrophilic group linked by short methylene chain and a hydrophobic long alkyl group were found to act as excellent sensitizers.