Relationship between dynamic planarization processes and exciton delocalization in cyclic oligothiophenes

In cyclic molecular structures, while the effect of conformational disorder on exciton delocalization is well understood, the impact of dynamic planarization processes remains unclear due to a lack of detailed investigation on the associated exciton dynamics. Thus, we have investigated the exciton delocalization of π-conjugated linear and cyclic oligothiophenes in the course of dynamic planarization processes by time-resolved fluorescence spectra measurements and theoretical calculations. Especially, through a comparative analysis of linear and cyclic oligothiophenes, we found that the evolution of 0-0 and 0-1 vibronic bands is strongly related to the conformations of cyclic molecular systems, reflecting the extent of exciton delocalization. Collectively, we believe that our findings are applicable to various π-conjugated organic materials and will provide new insights into the relationship between exciton delocalization and cyclic molecular conformation.