CHICAGO, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Northwestern University (NU) researchers have developed a new low-cost, relatively simple strategy for designing materials used in live cell imaging, photodynamic therapy for cancer and night-vision technologies.

For these applications, the researchers use specialized materials that absorb and emit near-infrared light. Compared to visible light, near-infrared light can penetrate materials deeper with lesser scattering and cause lower levels of photodamage.

To develop these materials, researchers use a chemical synthesis process that modifies the molecular structure, which only needs to co-crystallize two different molecules, a convenient and efficient method based on supramolecular chemistry.

The method works by taking advantage of the charge transfers between two molecules, in which one molecule, a donor, donates electrons to another molecule, an acceptor. The two molecules can form two co-crystals with different donor-acceptor ratios.

"The two co-crystals assume distinct solid-state superstructures, crystal morphologies and optical properties, wherein one of them constitutes a unique material that exhibits two-photon absorption and near-infrared emission simultaneously," said Yu Wang, a postdoctoral fellow at NU and the paper's first author. "This work provides an ideal platform to uncover a superstructure-property relationship and gain a deeper understanding on the supramolecular material design."

"Our work simplifies the production process and lays a foundation for practical application," said Fraser Stoddart, senior author of the study and a Nobel Prize-winning chemist at NU's Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences. "This strategy will appeal to scientists working in a wide range of disciplines, from chemistry to crystal engineering to materials science."

The paper was published this week in the journal Nature Communications. Enditem

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