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Main Authors: Ronchi, Alessandra, Mamada, Masashi, Frigoli, Michel, Monguzzi, Angelo
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.01998
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author Ronchi, Alessandra
Mamada, Masashi
Frigoli, Michel
Monguzzi, Angelo
author_facet Ronchi, Alessandra
Mamada, Masashi
Frigoli, Michel
Monguzzi, Angelo
contents Photon upconverters are anti Stokes emitters capable of generating photons with higher energy than those absorbed. This behavior can be achieved through different mechanisms, which are extensively studied for applications in imaging, anticounterfeiting, information encryption and most importantly, solar energy technologies. Among these mechanisms, photon upconversion based on sensitized triplet-triplet annihilation (sTTA-UC) is particularly attractive because it operates under low intensity, incoherent light. In sTTA UC, two optically dark triplet states of a conjugated annihilator fuse upon collision to populate a higher energy fluorescent singlet, with the triplets initially generated via energy transfer from a lower energy sensitizer. Here we introduce a general molecular design strategy to maximize singlet generation through TTA. By selective substitution, we engineered a naphthalene derived annihilator with an excited state energy landscape that strongly favors singlet formation, achieving yields up to 0.83. When combined with an appropriate triplet sensitizer, the system delivers stable UV/visible upconversion peaking at 390 nm, with an absolute upconversion yield about 0.19 and an activation excitation intensity threshold lower than 0.1 suns under non-coherent broadband excitation fully compatible with the requirements of solar powered technologies.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_01998
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Excited states engineering maximizes singlet generation by triplet fusion in conjugated systems
Ronchi, Alessandra
Mamada, Masashi
Frigoli, Michel
Monguzzi, Angelo
Optics
Materials Science
Photon upconverters are anti Stokes emitters capable of generating photons with higher energy than those absorbed. This behavior can be achieved through different mechanisms, which are extensively studied for applications in imaging, anticounterfeiting, information encryption and most importantly, solar energy technologies. Among these mechanisms, photon upconversion based on sensitized triplet-triplet annihilation (sTTA-UC) is particularly attractive because it operates under low intensity, incoherent light. In sTTA UC, two optically dark triplet states of a conjugated annihilator fuse upon collision to populate a higher energy fluorescent singlet, with the triplets initially generated via energy transfer from a lower energy sensitizer. Here we introduce a general molecular design strategy to maximize singlet generation through TTA. By selective substitution, we engineered a naphthalene derived annihilator with an excited state energy landscape that strongly favors singlet formation, achieving yields up to 0.83. When combined with an appropriate triplet sensitizer, the system delivers stable UV/visible upconversion peaking at 390 nm, with an absolute upconversion yield about 0.19 and an activation excitation intensity threshold lower than 0.1 suns under non-coherent broadband excitation fully compatible with the requirements of solar powered technologies.
title Excited states engineering maximizes singlet generation by triplet fusion in conjugated systems
topic Optics
Materials Science
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.01998