Tetrachromophoric Systems Based On Rigid Tetraphenylmethane (TPM) and Tetraphenylethylene (TPE) Scaffolds

Tetraphenylmethane (TPM) and tetraphenylethylene (TPE) are among the most common rigid molecular architectures able to spatially arrange four peripheral functional groups. The aim of this Review is to provide a thorough description of the properties that supramolecular systems consisting of four chromophores (common supramolecular motifs, ligands, redox centers and conventional luminophores such as polypyridyl ligands, viologens, and azobenzene units) attached to TPM and TPE cores can show. Specifically, the photophysical properties of these molecules as well as the electronic interactions of the chromophores either in the ground or in the excited states will be highlighted and discussed, outlining the relationship among cores and outer subunits. In this Review, multichromophoric systems based on tetraphenylmethane and tetraphenylethylene rigid scaffolds are described, discussing their application in supramolecular systems along with modifications in photophysical and redox properties of the appended peripheral functional units.