Study of the diffusion of pyrene in silicone polymer coatings by steady state fluorescence technique: effects of pyrene concentration

The concentration dependence of the diffusion coefficient of pyrene in single component and two-component room temperature curing silicone polymer coatings is investigated by the steady state fluorescence technique by measuring the pyrene excimer fluorescence intensity. At pyrene concentrations lower than 10 mM, the intensity of excimer fluorescence is proportional to the concentration and at higher concentrations it deviates from this trend due to concentration quenching. Thermal aging studies show that this concentration quenching can be removed by thermal annealing and the excimer emission intensity approaches the value expected from the trend at lower concentrations. The diffusion coefficient of pyrene at low concentrations in silicone polymer coatings is obtained using the approximate solution of one-dimensional diffusion equation. A modified approach is employed to estimate the diffusion coefficient at higher pyrene concentrations. In this method, the excimer intensity and time scale are shifted, respectively to I_max the maximum value of excimer intensity attained during annealing and t_max, the time taken to reach this. The estimated diffusion coefficients at different pyrene concentrations show a negligible dependence on pyrene concentration in both types of polymers. These results are attributed to the high structural mobility of silicone polymer chains due to their molecular structure.     

Molecular dynamics of polystyrene model molecules: Solvent effects on intramolecular excimer formation in 2,4-diphenylpentanes

Intramolecular excimer formation in 2,4-diphenylpentanes has been examined in a homologous series of alkanes, in ethanol and in mixtures of ethanol, ethylene glycol and glycerol. The ratio of the emission intensities of dimer and monomer (I_D/I_M) is not affected in low viscosity solvents but, above 4 cP, viscosity effects are discernible and a relationship of the form I_D/I_M = Aη^?2 is obeyed. In methylene chloride, only the dl molecule exhibits a decrease of the efficiency of excimer sampling. The temperature dependence of I_D/I_M in isooctane and methylene chloride has been interpreted in terms of the activation energy of the excimer sampling.     

Ternary diffusion coefficients of diethanolamine and N-methyldiethanolamine in aqueous solutions containing diethanolamine and N-methyldiethanolamine

Ternary diffusion coefficients of diethanolamine (DEA) and N-methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) in aqueous solutions containing DEA and MDEA using the Taylor dispersion technique have been measured for temperatures (303.2, 313.2, and 323.2 K). The systems studied were aqueous solutions containing total amine concentrations of 2.5 and 4.0 kmol m⁻³, each having four different amine molar ratios. The density and viscosity of the blended amine solutions were also measured. The mutual diffusion coefficients of aqueous DEA and aqueous MDEA solutions were also reported. The main diffusion coefficients (D₁₁ and D₂₂) and the cross-diffusion coefficients (D₁₂ and D₂₁) were reported as function of temperature and concentration of alkanolamines. The limiting conditions for the main diffusion coefficients and the cross-diffusion coefficients were discussed at first, and a comparison between the ratios of the cross-diffusion coefficients to the main diffusion coefficients for DEA and MDEA was made. The dependence of the main diffusion coefficients on the viscosity of solutions was also investigated.     

Emission studies of pyrene solutions

Emission spectra of pyrene in hexane have been obtained over a temperature range (from 130 to 260 K) that has not been explored before for concentrations ranging from 10^?4 mole/? to 2 × 10^?2 mole/?. A conventional and new approximation which does not depend on the experimental set-up response functions has been used for evaluating pyrene excimer association energy W_DM and other pyrene parameters. In both methods W_DM agrees quite satisfactorlly, at all concentrations used, with that reported in the literature and obtained by other techniques. However, both approximation fail to yield the right values of the rate parameters at concentrations ? 2 g/?. This set the upper limit of sample solubility to be at C = 2g/? for our range of temperature. Furthermore, the new approximation can probably be used at higher concentration (for higher range of temperature) and even may be used for other organic molecules. There was also no difference in the ratio of the excimer (I_D) to monomer (I_M) quantum yields when an intense laser beam was used as a source of excitation rather than a super-pressure Hg-lamp. This suggested that the concentrations we used might not be large enough. As a result, the laser beam would not create enough density of excited molecules to affect the ratio of I_D/I_M.     

Diffusion coefficients of metal acetylacetonates in supercritical carbon dioxide

Binary diffusion coefficients, D₁₂, of the metal acetylacetonates, palladium(II) acetylacetonate and cobalt(III) acetylacetonate, were measured from 308.2 to 343.2 K over the pressure range from 9 to 40 MPa at infinite dilution in supercritical carbon dioxide using the chromatographic impulse response method. The effects of pressure, temperature, density, and viscosity on D₁₂ values were examined. It was observed that the D₁₂ values of palladium(II) acetylacetonate and cobalt(III) acetylacetonate were larger than those of lipids with similar molecular weights, such as arachidonic acid and monoolein, respectively. Furthermore, the measured D₁₂ data of each metal acetylacetonate were well correlated by the hydrodynamic equation D₁₂/T as a function of carbon dioxide viscosity.     

Magnetic field dependence of delayed fluorescence of pyrene in solution

The magnetic field effect on the intensities of monomer (I_M) and excimer (I_D) delayed fluorescence of pyrene has been found to be identical. This result suggests a common spin-selective step in the processes giving rise to I_M and I_D, and is discussed in the light of previously proposed mechanisms. An unusual solvent effect is found on the I_M (I_D) versus field strength curves. This is attributed to photochemical doublet-radical formation. Doublet-radical formation affects the field dependence of I_M and I_D through spin selectivity in the triplet quenching reaction.     

Unique photochemical behavior of novel tetracationic pyrene derivative on the clay surface

Novel tetracationic pyrene derivative (1,3,6,8-tetrakis(N-methylpyridinium-4-yl)pyrene, Py⁴⁺) was synthesized. Photochemical properties such as fluorescence quantum yield and fluorescence lifetime were observed for Py⁴⁺ and Py⁴⁺/clay complexes. Judging from Lambert-Beer plot analysis, Py⁴⁺ molecules adsorb on the clay surface without aggregation up to 69% versus cation exchange capacity of the clay. Py⁴⁺ molecule emits strong fluorescence from an excited state of monomer, while the emission from excimer was not detected, in spite of high density adsorption condition on the solid surface. It is supposed that strong interaction between host and guest by the ‘Size-Matching Effect’ inhibits the formation of excimer on the clay surface.     

Scale-invariant cluster structure of the chemical network of epoxy-phenol polymer

The concentration dependences of the relative viscosity of a mixture of precondensates of epoxy-4,4′-isopropylidenediphenol and phenol-formaldehyde resins in a Cellosolve solution were examined. The surface tension curves at the solution-air interface at concentrations c = 0.5–45 % were obtained. The optimal concentration modes of preparation of coatings from solutions of precondensates of the resin mixture were calculated on the basis of the cluster model. Using electron microscopy with silver chloride surface decoration, the cluster structure parameters of the chemical network of the epoxy-phenol polymer were determined for coatings with high protective performance.     

Characterization of the ground state pyrene complex in ethylene-propylene copolymer solutions

Pyrene-labeled functionalized ethylene-propylene (EP) copolymer was prepared by grafting 1-pyrenebutyrylhydrazine onto EP copolymer through maleic anhydride pendants. The EP copolymer contained 60 mol % ethylene; its weight-average molecular weight (M^w) was 148,000. The pyrene-labeled amide functionalized EP copolymer, PA-EP(60/40), was made to simulate the amine functionalized EP copolymers that are commonly used as dispersant additives in motor oils. UV absorption spectra, fluorescence emission and excitation spectra, and fluorescence decay profiles of the pyrene were studied to determine the copolymer conformation and dynamics in methylcyclohexane and tetrahydrofuran (THF). The pyrene fluorescence characteristics of PA-EP(60/40) were highly dependent on the solvent. The dependence of fluorescence emission intensity on the excitation wavelength was large in methylcyclohexane and moderate in THF. A frequency shift of about 2 nm was observed between the excitation spectrum obtained with the emission line at 377 nm and that at 550 nm in the methylcyclohexane solutions, but no shift was found in the corresponding tetrahydrofuran solutions. The ratios of the preexponential factors (a₂₁/a₂₂) of the excimer decays obtained in both methylcyclohexane and THF solutions were different from ?1.0. However, the deviation of the excimer formation process from the Birks scheme is small in THF but large in methylcyclohexane. In addition, the Huggins constants obtained from intrinsic viscosity measurements of the PA-EP(60/40) copolymer solutions suggest that copolymer aggregation occurs in methylcyclohexane but not in THF. H-bonding between two pyrene-containing pendants is apparently the main driving force for the formation of the ground state pyrene complex. THF is found to be effective in inhibiting the H-bonding formation. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

The electrogenerated chemiluminescence of pyrene and some related compounds

The characteristics of the electrogenerated chemiluminescence in dimethylformamide of pyrene, 1,2-benzpyrene, 3,4-benzpyrene and dibenzo[a,lpyrene, dibenzo[a,i]pyrene, dibenzo [a,h]pyrene and dibenzo [b,l]pyrene generated with optimum conditions of applied potential are described. The appearance of emission at wavelengths longer than those expected from the excited singlet state of the hydrocarbons may be attributed to decomposition products. Pyrene and 3,4-benzpyrene exhibit long wavelength emission, however, which it is suggested may be due to excimer formation.     

Fluorescent visualization of the conformational change of aromatic amide or urea induced by N-methylation

The conformational change of amide structure of benzanilide or urea structure of N,N′-diphenylurea induced by methylation of the secondary nitrogen was visualized by introduction of pyrene moieties on the benzene ring. In contrast to the extended trans-form of secondary amide and urea, which showed monomer fluorescence emission of pyrene, the corresponding N-methylated compounds exist in cis-form, which exhibited excimer emission.     

A concept to explain the variation of the triplet zero-field splitting parameters with the structure of aromatic hydrocarbons in terms of local benzenoid characteristics

The zero-field splitting (ZFS) parameters D and E of the lowest electronically excited triplet state T₁ of a series of systematically selected pyrene derivatives have been determined by ODMR techniques. With this class of compounds as an example we intended to gain some insight into the variation of the ZFS-parameters with the structure and topology of aromatic hydrocarbons. The variation of the experimental ZFS-parameters could be explained in terms of the dipole—dipole model together with criteria describing the local benzene likeness of single C₆-rings in the molecule. For these the character orders according to Polansky were calculated on an MO-basis and the local benzenoid indices according to Randi? on a graph-theoretical basis. As these quantities for the local aromaticity were in accordance with Clar's qualitative sextet concept a qualitative principle could be formulated explaining the variation of the D-parameter with molecular structure. This principle correctly describes all known D-parameters of aromatic molecules measured so far. So for the first time, a clear and consistent explanation for the variation of D with molecular structure can be given. Also for the E-parameter a connection with molecular structure could be established; it could be demonstrated in which way the criteria of local aromaticity mentioned can be applied to decide on the sign of E. For the acene-analogue pyrene derivatives linear correlations could be established between the averaged local quantities and the ZFS-parameters D and E. These correlations allow a quantitative determination of the ZFS-parameters of further analogue pyrene compounds. Also for other series of aromatic hydrocarbons such correlations could be found as shown for the polyacene series as an example. For the latter also a strong similarity to the series of the acene-analogue pyrene derivatives was found. D- and E-values are given for the six molecules pentacene to decacene. These were calculated from both the correlation with the character orders and that with the Randi?-indices, and the result of both methods are compared.     

Measurement of the infinite dilution diffusion coefficients of small molecule solvents in silicone rubber by inverse gas chromatography

The infinite dilution diffusion coefficients of n-hexane, n-heptane and n-decane in crosslinked silicone rubber with different crosslinking agent concentrations were measured in the temperature range of 348.15 K-368.15 K by inverse gas chromatography. The crosslinked silicone rubber was obtained by dissolving PDMS prepolymer, crosslinking agent and catalyst in n-heptane solvent and characterized by FTIR spectra. The Van Deemter equation was used to determine diffusion coefficients from the variation in chromatographic peak width with carrier gas flow rate. The good linear relation indicated the Van Deemter equation used in this work was reliable. The influences of small molecule solvent, crosslinking agent concentration and temperature on the infinite dilution diffusion coefficient were investigated. The results showed that the infinite dilution diffusion coefficient decreased with an increasing number of CH₂ group in the alkane series. The increase in crosslinking agent concentration resulted in decrease of the infinite dilution diffusion coefficient. The infinite dilution diffusion coefficient increased with the rising of temperature. The interdependence on the infinite dilution diffusion coefficient and temperature accorded with Arrhenius equation well. Diffusion constant and activation energy obtained from the Arrhenius equation provided straight lines with the specific critical volume and crosslinking agent concentration.     

Dual pyrene-labeled pyrrolidinyl peptide nucleic acid as an excimer-to-monomer switching probe for DNA sequence detection

The unique ability of pyrene to form excimers with distinct emission characteristic from monomer offers an attractive means to signal the interactions between biomolecules. In this work, dual pyrene-labeled pyrrolidinyl peptide nucleic acid probe with a d-prolyl-2-aminocyclopetanecarboxylic acid α,β-dipeptide backbone (acpcPNA) was designed as an excimer-to-monomer switching probe for DNA sequence detection. In single stranded state, the excimer emission at 470 nm was mainly observed in the fluorescence spectrum. In the presence of DNA target, the hybridization resulted in separation of the two pyrene units, therefore the spectrum displayed increased monomer emission at 380 nm with concomitant decreased excimer emission. Switching ratio, which is defined as the ratio of the monomer to excimer in the double stranded form [F₃₈₀/F₄₇₀(ds)] divided by the same value obtained from the single stranded form [F₃₈₀/F₄₇₀(ss)], was used to describe the performance of the probes. Switching ratios in the range of 5–30 were observed with various dual pyrene-labeled acpcPNA probes bearing pyrenebutyryl label attached five-base apart. Practically no excimer-to-monomer switching behavior was observed with DNA targets carrying a single mismatched base as shown by the small switching ratios of ∼1.     

Electrogenerated chemiluminescence. Effect of a magnetic field on the delayed fluorescence and ECL of several systems involving excimers or exciplexes

The use of magnetic field effects in delayed fluorescence (DF) and electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) studies to obtain information about the involvement of triplet state species in reactions leading to the production of monomeric and dimeric (excimer or exciplex) excited states is described. In the room temperature DF of pyrene and 1,2-benzanthracene, identical field effects are observed for monomer and excimer emission, in agreement with a mechanism involving a common intermediate produced on triplet-triplet annihilation (TTA), and different than previous DF results for 1,2-benzanthracene solutions at low temperatures. The ECL of the pyrene/N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine (TMPD) system also shows monomer and excimer emissions identically affected by magnetic field and in agreement with an ECL mechanism involving TTA. In the ECL of the S-methylanthracene (MA)/tri-p-tolylamine (TPTA) system, a field effect is observed for both the ¹MA^* and longer wavelength emission. In this case, however, a smaller effect is observed for the longer wavelength emission. A mechanism based on TTA to form ¹MA^* and some direct formation of exciplex on electron transfer is proposed.     

Unique blue shift due to the formation of static pyrene excimer: highly selective fluorescent chemosensor for Cu

New binaphthyl derivatives bearing pyrene groups have been synthesized and studied as fluorescent chemosensors for Cu²⁺ ions. A unique blue shift along with fluorescent enhancement in pyrene excimer emission was observed, which were induced by the formation of a static pyrene excimer.     

Self-assembling behavior of binary mixture of hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene derivatives with different molecular symmetry

The self-assembly and mesophase behavior of a series of mixtures of hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene (HBC) derivatives carrying alkyl chains of different lengths at different positions and thus of different molecular symmetry (C₁- and D_3h-symmetry) were examined by powder X-ray diffractometry, UV–vis spectrometry, photoluminescence, polarizing optical microscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry. Significant reduction of isotropic phase transition temperature/clearing temperature was observed compare to single component symmetric analogues. The chain length modulates the mesophase behavior existed in the mixture. In particular, with long dodecyl groups, the mixture exhibited excimer/exciplex formation as well as aggregation induced emission phenomena in the non-polar solvent of hexane. Formation dynamics of intermolecular excimer/exciplex was studied by nuclear magnetic resonance and UV–vis spectroscopic method.     

Inclusion of the concentration dependence of the diffusion coefficient in the sand equation

The applications of the Sand equation in potentiometry of electrode and membrane systems for precise measurements of the transition time (τ) have been determined. An approach was suggested for choosing the diffusion coefficient of electrolyte (D) in the case when the concentration changes from its value in the agitated solution (where D = D_b) to the nearly zero value at the surface (D = D₀ corresponds to an infinitely dilute solution), D_b and D₀ being substantially different. The Nernst–Planck–Poisson nonstationary equations were numerically solved in a one-dimensional system including an ion-exchange membrane and two adjacent diffusion layers (for the electrode–solution system, the result is a particular case). An effective value D_ef was found, whose substitution in the Sand equation gave τ identical to that obtained by numerical solution. The neglect of the concentration dependence D(с) can lead to a nonadequate determination of the ion transport numbers in the membrane.     

Fluorescence probes study on the mixed cationic-anionic surfactant solutions

Pyrene andp-N,N-dimethylaminostyrylphenylmalononitrile are used as the fluorescence probes to study the micro environment and observe the excimer formation of pyrene in sodium alkylcarboxylate and alkyltrimethyl ammonium bromide mixed solutions. The micro polarity, micro-dielectric constants and micro viscosity of the self-organized assemblies in the mixed cationi-anionic surfactant solution were compared before and after sonication, which may form different organized assemblies (micelle or vesicle). The micelle and vesicles have almost the same polarity for the probing molecules whereas the microviscosity differs. The variation of fluorescence quenching curves also shows the different effect of the change of assembly forms (micelles to vesicles). Thus some novel physicochemical properties about the micro environment of the cationic-anionic surfactant assemblies were found from this report.