| Efficient charge transfer and energy storage and transfer have become increasingly important in many areas of research and development. This is especially true for the development of optoelectronic devices, molecular electronics, and solar voltaic cells. Characterization of the photophysical properties of new molecular systems for these applications has emerged as an important field of research. Many molecular building blocks have been developed and understanding the properties of these systems at a fundamental level is essential for their successful implementation. This dissertation focuses on experimental and theoretical studies of some of these newly-developed molecular systems. Oxygen substituted dihydrobenzvalene is studied theoretically for potential use in energy storage applications. Spectroscopic studies center around the study of newly-developed molecules based on perylene and thiophene derivatives for device applications including nonlinear optics, photovoltaic cells, and molecular electronics. The importance of the synergy between theory and experiment is also demonstrated in the area of chemical education. |
