Heterosupramolecular Chemistry: Self‐Assembly of an Electron Donor (TiO2 Nanocrystallite)‐Acceptor (Viologen) Complex

A TiO2 nanocrystallite has been modified to recognise and selectively bind, by complementary hydrogen bonding, a uracil substrate incorporating a viologen moiety. Band-gap excitation of the self-assembled donor (TiO2 nanocrystallite)-acceptor (viologen) complex results in electron transfer. Some implications of these findings for the self-assembly of functional nanostructures containing both condensed phase and molecular components are considered.