Modeling of dual fluorescence kinetics for 9-anthryl-substituted oligothiophenes

Expressions for time-dependent level populations in four- and five-level molecular models are obtained for the case of radiative and nonradiative decay from an initially populated state corresponding to the highest energy of the molecule. The two lowest energy levels in the models are assigned to vibrational levels of a molecular subsystem in the ground state; the others, to levels of the molecule in the excited electronic state. Examples of applying the obtained expressions to establish the formation mechanism for dual fluorescence pulses that accompany the phototransfer of a H-bond proton and other conformational transformations of molecules are presented.     

Effect of a protein on the light energy conversion in dual fluorophore-nitroxide probes studied by ESR and fluorescence spectroscopy

Probing biological environment with dual fluorophore-nitroxide (FN) molecules in which fluorophore is tethered with nitroxide, a fluorescence quencher, opens unique opportunities to study molecular dynamics and micropolarity of the medium which affect intramolecular fluorescence quenching (IFQ), electron transfer, photoreduction and light energy conversion. In such molecules, the excited fragment of the chromophore can serve as an electron donor, and the nitroxide fragment as an electron acceptor. The same groups allow monitoring of molecular dynamics and also make it possible to measure micropolarity of the medium in the vicinity of the donor (by fluorescence technique) and acceptor (by electron spin resonance [ESR]) moieties. In the present work, two dual dansyl-nitroxide probes were incorporated in a binding site of bovine serum albumin. Their interactions with the protein, mobility, and photoreduction, as well as micropolarity of the media, have been studied by ESR and fluorescence methods. IFQ and spectral relaxation shift of the dansyl fragment have been monitored by time-resolved fluorescence technique. In parallel, computational studies on intramolecular dynamics of the FN probe were performed. On the basis of the Marcus model of the electron transfer between the excited dansyl fluorophore (donor) and nitroxide group (acceptor) and our experimental data, the mechanism of the electron transfer in the dual molecules incorporated into bovine serum albumin was established. It was shown that dual FN molecules in the protein meet main requirements for an efficient light energy conversion system.     

Determination of the stern-volmer constant in quantum systems with dual fluorescence

The mathematical relations describing the properties of the steady-state spontaneous emission of quantum systems with dual fluorescence under conditions of dynamic quenching of excited states by foreign impurities are analyzed. The direct dependence of the intensity and yield of the photoproduct fluorescence on the quencher concentration is not simple and cannot serve as a convenient base for determining the Stern-Volmer constant. It is shown that, in the case of a kinetic character of product formation, the fluorescence intensity ratio of the initial dye and its photoproduct linearly increases with the quencher concentration. The relation obtained can be used to determine the constant of bimolecular quenching of the excited states of reaction products. This conclusion is based on the analysis of the experimental fluorescence spectra of 3-hydroxyflavone, obtained upon excitation in the region of the S ₁ absorption band under conditions of dynamic quenching by potassium iodide. This analysis can be applied to a wide range of luminophores with photoreactions accompanied by dual fluorescence (charge transfer, proton transfer, phosphorescence, complexation, etc.).     

Dynamic fluorescence quenching and the highest excited states of molecules

The dynamic fluorescence quenching in organic molecules, or quenching of the second kind according to Vavilov’s classification, is an efficient method of investigating excited states in solutions and is widely used in various fields. The effect of quenching on the intensity of the fluorescence from the first and higher singlet states of organic molecules is studied. The results may serve as a basis for determining the nature of the short-wavelength luminescence and can be used to distinguish the S _n fluorescence from the comparably intense luminescence of impurities, which is a very important problem when investigating such emissions. A method for obtaining dynamic quenching by specially chosen quenchers is proposed. The method is based on an experimentally found strong increase in the constants of bimolecular collisions of luminophore and quencher molecules when the luminophore is excited through the highest singlet states.     

Dynamic quenching of the dual fluorescence of molecules

Mathematical relations describing the properties of spontaneous steady-state dual fluorescence under conditions of dynamic quenching of excited states by foreign impurities are derived. It is shown that, in the case of a kinetic character of the reaction, the initial form of the dye and its photoproduct are quenched, the intensity ratio of the fluorescence bands of the initial form and the product linearly increasing with the quencher concentration. Analysis performed is applicable to a wide range of photoreactions accompanied by the dual fluorescence (charge transfer, proton transfer, complexation, etc.). The properties of the fluorescence, absorption, and dual fluorescence excitation for 3-hydroxyflavone in acetonitrile under conditions of dynamic quenching by the TEMPO spin quencher with a concentration below 1.25 × 10^?2 M are studied. 3-Hydroxyflavone is characterized by the excited-state intramolecular proton transfer and by the fluorescence spectrum consisting of two well-spaced bands. The observed dependences of the intensity of both fluorescence bands on the quencher concentration correspond to the theoretical conclusions. The Stern-Volmer constants calculated from the experimental data on the assumption of diffusion quenching of the excited states are 858 and 1141 M^?1 for the normal and tautomeric fluorescence bands, respectively. The experimental results reveal the kinetic character of the excited-state proton transfer in 3-hydroxyflavone in acetonitrile.     

Fluorescence quenching as a method of identification of the character of photoreactions in excited states of molecules

We consider the steady-state monochromatic excitation of a luminophore that has fluorescent products. We consider how the fluorescence of singlet states is affected by different means of quenching highlying excited states such as quenching with impurities, temperature quenching, and shortening the lifetime with induced transitions in the light field. We show that the use of different methods of fluorescence quenching opens new possibilities for studying photoreactions that proceed via excited singlet states. Our consideration concerns a wide range of primary photoprocesses, such as electron density redistribution (internal electron transfer) in the excited state, protolytic reactions, intramolecular proton transfer (phototautomerization), hydrogen bond formation, intermolecular relaxation of molecules in solutions, and formation of excimers and exciplexes. The obtained relations have been used to analyze experimental fluorescence spectra of solutions of some organic compounds, including derivatives of 3-hydroxyflavone and 3-aminophthalimide, subjected to quenching by different methods.     

水溶性苝系衍生物荧光探针识别金属离子的光物理机制计算研究

随着人们对荧光化合物电子光谱和光物理行为的深入研究,在利用荧光分子作为探针,检测各种不同体系的状态及其变化等方面都有了巨大的进展。其中,N,N′-二天冬氨酸铵盐-3,4,9,10-四羧酸二酰亚胺(PTCDA)是一种水体环境中选择性好灵敏度高的典型荧光分子探针。本文用密度泛函理论对PTCDA的光物理机制进行研究。计算了PTCDA分子在理想状态下的最优构型,电荷布居和激发光谱。根据计算结果,拟合此苝系衍生物激发态与Cu2+结合前后的吸收光谱,与Cu2+结合前后,吸收光谱峰形相似,加铜后整体吸收峰位发生了红移,有猝灭变色现象。通过与实验值的对比,计算所得分子构型合理有效,激发光谱谱峰位置切合实际。分析得出：PTCDA分子对二价铜离子有较好荧光探测活性,其光信号响应机制属于分子内电荷转移(ICT)机制。当分子接收二价铜离子时,吸收光谱谱峰位置红移,分子内电荷转移方向和强度均发生变化,既有猝灭信号,也有光的颜色变化信号,是一种具有猝灭与变色双信号的荧光探针材料,具有很大的开发潜力。所做工作只是用量子化学计算方法在分子荧光探针领域进行光物理响应机制分析的初步探索,可以为该领域提供系统而有价值的理论参考。     

Tautomer contributions to the near UV spectrum of guanine: towards a refined picture for the spectroscopy of purine molecules

By using depopulation laser techniques, like IR-UV population labeling coupled to mass-selected R2PI detection, we confirm that four tautomers are responsible for the near UV spectroscopy (310-280 nm) of guanine: two enol and two keto forms, each pair having a 7NH and a 9NH form. Besides the UV spectroscopy of each tautomer, additional information on the excited state nature and dynamics is obtained from fluorescence studies. In particular, the quenching of fluorescence beyond 285 nm, the existence of a background absorption, as well as the existence of a strongly red-shifted component in the fluorescence emission provides evidence for a strong electronic mixing in the excited state together with an efficient non-radiative process. The details of these features are found to be tautomer-dependent. Comparison of the present results with literature data on other purine molecules, like adenine or 9-substituted guanines, enables us to propose a new insight on the spectroscopy and dynamics of the purine molecules. First, a large variability of the tautomer distribution in the gas phase is found within the purine family, in particular a molecular change, as simple as a 9-methylation on guanine, can reduce the tautomer distribution to a single species (enol form). Since the absorption spectrum is tautomer-dependent as well as substituent-dependent, it turns out that the tautomer population is one of the major parameters that control the overall shape of the UV spectrum. Second, the excited state model, often evoked in the literature, which involves electronic coupling between excited states of different natures, namely ππ^* and nπ^* states, might account for the present fluorescence measurements on guanine, providing an extensive excited state electronic mixing is assumed for these systems. Received 24 June 2002 Published online 13 September 2002     

The formation of O(3s3S0) and N(3s4P) by photodissociation of NO

The dissociation of NO molecules to excited atomic states by dispersed synchrotron radiation (700 Å – 800 Å) is investigated by observing vuv-fluorescence (1050 Å – 1400 Å) of the fragments. The atomic levels are populated by predissociation of high-lying molecular states.     

Effect of temperature on the dynamic quenching of the dual fluorescence of molecules

The properties of the dual fluorescence of 3-hydroxyflavone in acetonitrile are studied under conditions of dynamic quenching by the spin quencher TEMPO in the temperature range from 20 to 80°C. 3-Hydroxyflavone is characterized by the intramolecular excited state proton transfer and its spectrum consists of two well-spaced fluorescence bands belonging to the normal and tautomeric forms. The fluorescence was selectively excited at wavelengths of 290, 304, and 340 nm, belonging to different absorption bands of the luminophore. The character and degree of the temperature quenching of the fluorescence depend on the excitation wavelength and are considerably different for normal and tautomeric fluorescence bands. The Stern-Volmer constants for both forms, calculated from the experimental data on the assumption of the diffusion mechanism of quenching of the excited states, increase with temperature. Both in the pure solutions and in the solutions with the quencher, the intensity ratio of the fluorescence of the initial form and the product increases with heating in the entire temperature range from 20 to 80°C for all the above excitation wavelengths. Original Russian Text ? V.I. Tomin, 2008, published in Optika i Spektroskopiya, 2008, Vol. 104, No. 6, pp. 926–933.     

Phosphorescence of Pyrene Molecules in the Agar Solid Matrix at Room Temperature

The processes of energy deactivation of excited pyrene molecules in the agar-agar matrix are investigated by the methods of stationary and pulsed fluorometry. It is demonstrated that the monomeric shape of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon molecules is retained in the aqueous agar-agar sol due to the adsorption of these molecules on polyvinylpyrrolidone macromolecules. The incorporation of lead ions into agar leads to quenching of fluorescence of pyrene excimers and intensification of phosphorescence of their monomers. The lifetimes of triplet pyrene states are determined based on the kinetics of phosphorescence decay after pulsed photoexcitation. It is demonstrated that the rate constant of deactivation of triplet pyrene states increases as the oxygen concentration above the sample surface increases.     

Determination of the diffusion and viscosity coefficients from the properties of dual fluorescence of molecules in solutions

We have proposed and substantiated an approach that makes it possible to determine the diffusion and microviscosity coefficients in solutions from characteristics of the dual fluorescence of molecular probes. This approach uses the Stern-Volmer constants obtained upon fluorescence dynamic quenching in solutions. The relations that follow from the balance equations in terms of the formalism of two-level reactions in the excited state for the case of photoreactions of the kinetic character yield the dependences of the intensity ratio of the fluorescence bands of the normal form and tautomer on the degree of quenching. In accordance with these dependences, the dynamic quenching of the diffusion character (including the temperature quenching) changes the intensity distribution, and, based on these dependences, the Stern-Volmer constants and the bimolecular quenching constants can be determined, from which, using appropriate models, the diffusion and viscosity coefficients can be found. The merit of the method is its simplicity and availability, since it is based on the use of the data of steady-state measurements of fluorescence spectra with widespread standard instruments.     

Fluorescence quenching in bichromophoric systems with nonconjugated chromophores: 5-substituted derivatives of l,3,5-triaryl-2-pyrazoline

The spectral and fluorescent properties of l,3,5-triphenyl-2-pyrazoline derivatives with acceptor substituents in benzene ring in the 5 position of the pyrazoline cycle were investigated. The corresponding pyrazoline derivative, in which phenyl radical in the 5 position is replaced by a fragment with an extended conjugated system-2.5-diphenyloxazolyl-was studied as well. The noticeable decrease in fluorescence quantum yield in comparison with the nonsubstituted molecule is characteristic of the compounds studied, which belong to the broader class of bichromophoric molecules with nonconjugated chromophores. The existence of excited states of “ mixed ” or “cross” (charge transfer) type, formed with participation of occupied molecular orbitals of one chromophoric fragment and vacant molecular orbitals of another, is typical of such a bichromophoric system. On the basis of our experimental and theoretical data, the assumption was made that the fluorescence quenching in the investigated bichromophoric molecules could be connected with the thermal population of the excited states of “mixed” type.     

Creation and manipulation of coherences in molecules with a pulsed magnetic field

We demonstrate the application of a pulsed magnetic field for the creation and manipulation of coherences in molecular systems, using quantum beat spectroscopy for the detection of the dynamics of the molecular superposition states. In all cases, the experiments are performed on energy levels in electronically excited states of the (jet-cooled) CS₂ molecule populated by a short laser pulse. In the basic experiment, following excitation of initially degenerate Zeeman sublevels under zero field conditions with suitable laser polarization, quantum beats are generated at the moment the magnetic field is switched on, even when the field is delayed by several excited state lifetimes. By quenching of the field, it is shown that the molecule may be “frozen” in any superposition state of the participating sublevels. Using a combination of static and pulsed fields with different orientations, the molecule can be prepared in a more general state, described by coherences among all Zeeman substrates. This is achieved by choosing an appropriate time delay for the switched field, without any change to the geometrical parameters of the experiment such as laser polarization or detection direction. Numerical simulations of these dynamical coherence phenomena have been performed to support assignment and interpretation of the experimental results. Received: 8 April 1998 / Accepted: 3 June 1998     

Specific features of the time dependence of intensity of differently polarized fluorescence components of bichromophore molecules caused by radiative dissipative interaction between their chromophores

Specific features of the time dependence of the intensity of differently polarized fluorescence components of a single bichromophore molecule and a monomolecular layer of such molecules are found. These features are related to the radiative dissipative interaction between chromophores of the molecule. The most prominent feature is the fall to zero of the intensity of fluorescence polarized perpendicular to polarization of the exciting light pulse at certain orientations of molecules with respect to the propagation direction of the light pulse. The complete quenching of this fluorescence component occurs when the excited-state population of an initially unexcited chromophore in molecules where only one of the two chromophores was excited reaches a maximum. As a result, the time dependence of the anisotropy of fluorescence of such molecular layers is described by hyperbolic secant with a maximum equal to unity at the quenching moment.     

Electronic energy exchange in high-temperature air

Kinetic processes with the participation of electronic states of atoms and molecules in air behind the shock wave front were analyzed. All metastable levels of molecular and atomic oxygen and nitrogen and nitrogen oxide molecules situated below the dissociation energy were analyzed. In high-temperature air, atom and molecule electronic states are formed in dissociation and recombination, electronic energy exchange in collisions of particles, and chemical exchange reactions. The formation of excited electronic states in the recombination of atoms and isoenergy vibrational energy transfer from highly excited vibrational levels into electronic energy is the fastest process. The quenching of metastable particles occurs in collisions between particles, dissociation and recombination, and chemical exchange reactions. A database on electronic energy exchange rate constants in high-temperature air is presented.     

Excited state dynamics of new-type thermally activated delayed fluorescence emitters: theoretical view of light-emitting mechanism

Excited state dynamics of two new-type thermally activated delayed fluorescence emitters (DABNA-1 and DABNA-2) synthesised based on multiple resonance effect is studied based on first-principles calculation, and their light-emitting mechanism is explored. The excited state dynamics combing with the adiabatic energy structure of several low-lying excited states indicates that three lowest triplet states are involved in the light-emitting process. The analysis of reorganisation energy indicates different performances for two molecules in solvent and in film. Our theoretical work provides rational explanation for experimental results, and also gives clear picture for light-emitting mechanism of these new-type molecules.     

Determination of the rate constant of oxygen quenching of the excited states of molecules from the singlet oxygen luminescence

We have pioneered a method of determining the rate constant of quenching of the excited electronic states of molecules by molecular oxygen from measurements of the kinetics of photosensitized luminescence of singlet molecular oxygen (^lδ_g). The method can be used in the case where the lifetime of the excited electronic state in an air-saturated solution is comparable with or larger than the luminescence time of the singlet molecular oxygen in the given solvent. It is shown that this situation is implemented on quenching, by molecular oxygen, of the excited triplet states associated with the biopolymers of tetrapyrrole molecules in aqueous (H₂O and D₂O) solutions. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 67, No. 3, pp. 401–404, May–June, 2000.     

Quenching of excited complexes by Fe-octaethylporphin in triplet-triplet annihilation of Mg-phthalocyanine in liquid solutions

The effect of triplet-state quenchers on the kinetics of triplet-triplet annihilation (TTA) of Mg-phthalocyanine (Mg-Phc) is studied. It is found that the rate constant of triplet-state quenching caused by TTA increases with increasing concentration [Q] of quenchers. The maximum values of the relaxation parameter of triplet states are proportional to [Q]². The experimental data correspond to TTA with the formation of TT complexes from molecules in triplet states. The proportionality of the decay rate of TT complexes into molecules in the ground state to [Q]² suggests that two quenching molecules are required for quenching one TT complex. It seems that the complex contains two locally excited triplet states of individual molecules. The spin correlation time in the triplet state seems to be longer than the average lifetime of complexes (≤10^?4 s). The quenching probability of triplet states in complexes (caused, in particular, by the energy of charge transfer) is lower than the probability of intermolecular triplet energy transfer to the quencher levels.