Effect of temperature on symmetry breaking excited state charge separation: restoration of symmetry at elevated temperature

Abstract

With an increase in temperature, an unprecedented restoration of symmetry in the symmetry breaking excited state charge transfer is observed in a geminal pair of near-orthogonally connected perylenimide dimers. Such restoration of symmetry could be attributed to the interchromophoric planarization and/or loss of solvation asymmetry at elevated temperature resulting in enhanced fluorescence quantum yield.