An Argon–Oxygen Covalent Bond in the ArOH+ Molecular Ion

The OH⁺ cation is a well‐known diatomic for which the triplet (³Σ^?) ground state is 50.5 kcal mol^?1 more stable than its corresponding singlet (¹Δ) excited state. However, the singlet forms a strong donor–acceptor bond to argon with a bond energy of 66.4 kcal mol^?1 at the CCSDT(Q)/CBS level, making the singlet ArOH⁺ cation 3.9 kcal mol^?1 more stable than the lowest energy triplet complex. Both singlet and triplet isomers of this molecular ion were prepared in a cold molecular beam using different ion sources. Infrared photodissociation spectroscopy in combination with messenger atom tagging shows that the two spin isomers exhibit completely different spectral signatures. The ground state of ArOH⁺ is the predicted singlet with a covalent Ar?O bond.     

pH DEPENDENCE OF SINGLET OXYGEN PRODUCTION IN AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS USING THIAZINE DYES AS PHOTOSENSITIZERS

Abstract— The production of singlet oxygen by thiazine dye photosensitization, as measured by the rate of photooxidation of tryptophan, was found to be very sensitive to changes of pH in the range 5–9. For methylene blue in aerated solutions, the production of ¹O₂* is approximately five times more efficient in basic than in acidic medium. This was shown to be related to the p K 's of the triplet dyes, by evaluating the yields of ¹O₂* from the lifetimes and the quenching rate constants for the two ionic species of sensitizer triplets measured by laser flash photolysis. Changes in the quenching rate constants of the thiazine triplet states can be correlated with the triplet energies.     

Non-adiabatic unimolecular dissociation of polyatomic molecules. II. The thermal dissociation of nitrous oxide

The theory presented in part I of this series is applied to the non-adiabatic spin-forbidden thermal dissociation N₂O(¹Σ⁺)→N₂(¹Σ⁺_g)+O(³P) as a test case. The molecular model is multidimensional and includes all vibrational modes of the molecule. Specifically considered is the fact that the initial singlet state of N₂O is linear and the final triplet state is bent. The best available data are used for describing the intersection of singlet and triplet potential energy surfaces. Calculated microcanonical rate constants are averaged over Boltzmann distribution of energies and compared with k_co, the high-pressure rate constant deduced from experiment. The agreement between theory and experiment is satisfactory. Analysis of the calculations shows that the driving force for the N₂O dissociation is the flow of energy into the bending vibrations. This is because the bendings have very different equilibrium angles in the initial and final states.     

Transitory forms of carotenoids: triplet state and radical cation

Abstract— Reactions between toluidine blue (a thiazine dye) and carotenoids (β-carotene and zeaxanthine) were studied by flash photolysis, in ethanolic solutions. Two types of reactions were evidenced:

• 1 a triplet-triplet energy transfer from the triplet state of monoprotonated toluidine blue to the carotenoid whose triplet state decays rapidly (t_1/2= 5μsec).
• 2 an electron transfer from the carotenoid to the mono- and bi-protonated triplet states of toluidine blue. This produces a radical-cation of the carotenoid (Car⁺) which decays slowly (t_1/2? 200 μsec) and has a strong absorption band around 900 nm.

     

Spectroscopy of Ethylenedione

The long sought‐after, intrinsically short‐lived molecule ethylenedione (OCCO) was observed and investigated by anion photoelectron spectroscopy. The adiabatic electron affinity of its quasi‐bound ³Σ_g^? state is 1.936(8) eV. The vibrational progression with a 417(15) cm^?1 frequency observed within the triplet band corresponds to a trans‐bending mode. Several dissociative singlet states are also observed, corresponding to two components of the ¹Δ_g state and the ¹Σ_g⁺ state. The experimental results are in agreement with theoretical predictions and constitute the first spectroscopic observation and characterization of this elusive compound.     

Spectroscopy of Ethylenedione

The long sought‐after, intrinsically short‐lived molecule ethylenedione (OCCO) was observed and investigated by anion photoelectron spectroscopy. The adiabatic electron affinity of its quasi‐bound ³Σ_g⁻ state is 1.936(8) eV. The vibrational progression with a 417(15) cm⁻¹ frequency observed within the triplet band corresponds to a trans‐bending mode. Several dissociative singlet states are also observed, corresponding to two components of the ¹Δ_g state and the ¹Σ_g⁺ state. The experimental results are in agreement with theoretical predictions and constitute the first spectroscopic observation and characterization of this elusive compound.     

Singlet oxygen in the environmental sciences

This review of the part played by the singlet states of molecular oxygen in the environment deals with atmospheric aspects. There are five bound excited states of molecular oxygen that correlate with two ground state, ³P, oxygen atoms. Of these, three are singlets, although the other two states (triplets) are closely associated with singlet oxygen processes, especially in the mesosphere. A weakly bound quintet state has been invoked, as well, in explaining some aspects of the physical chemistry of the singlet species. Of the three singlet states, the a¹Δ_g is the most familiar. It has a low excitation energy, a long radiative lifetime, and is rather resistant to collisional deactivation in the gas phase. As a consequence, its chemistry has been susceptible to detailed study in the laboratory. These investigations, coupled with estimates of production rates, suggest that O₂(a¹Δ_g) is probably not important in initiating much chemical change in the lower atmosphere, at least in the gas phase; excited molecules dissolved in water droplets may promote chemical change under special circumstances. In the stratosphere and mesosphere, each of the bound excited states gives rise to characteristic emission features of the airglow, both by day and by night. The observational data, obtained from the ground, and from balloons, high-flying aircraft, rockets and satellites is surveyed as a background to examining the chemical and photochemical mechanisms by which the different states become excited. These mechanisms clearly differ by day and by night, and they also depend on the altitude from which the emission comes. The most intense feature of the oxygen dayglow, the Infrared Atmospheric Band, comes from O₂(a¹Δ_g) that is produced in the photolysis of ozone. Because dayglow measurements are sometimes used to derive ozone concentrations and altitude profiles in the atmosphere, the efficiency of production of the species in the photolysis of ozone is examined critically, and some unexpected laboratory findings are reported. The b¹Σ⁺ _g state of oxygen is excited during the day largely by resonance scattering, although some is also populated by energy transfer from O(¹D) to O₂. At night, recombination of O(³P) atoms is the most likely source of excitation of all the states of oxygen. Laboratory experiments that bear on these processes are reviewed, and theoretical estimates of the partitioning of recombination events between the different states are presented. Direct recombination into the a¹Δ_g and b¹Σ⁺ _g states is unlikely to be efficient enough to produce the observed concentrations of these species, and some indirect process is thus implicated. Laser excitation experiments show that quenching of the three higher excited (ungerade) states of oxygen by O₂ and, especially, N₂, can generate O₂(b¹Σ⁺ _g) with high efficiency; similar experiments demonstrate explicitly that the quenching of O₂(b¹Σ⁺ _g) by the atmospheric gases yields O₂(a¹Δ_g). A consistent excitation scheme for the nightglow emissions is presented; this scheme also pays attention to the “auroral green” line produced by the ¹S state of atomic oxygen, the intensities of which in the atmospheres of Earth and Venus provide some clues about the excitation of the molecular states. Finally, the laboratory studies are shown to indicate that the formation of excited molecular oxygen from vibrationally rich hydroxyl (OH) radicals is unlikely to be of major importance in the atmosphere.     

PHOTODYNAMIC DAMAGE TO EGG LECITHIN LIPOSOMES*

Abstract— Egg lecithin liposomes were lysed by singlet oxygen (¹O*₂) generated by red light irradiation of oxygenated methylene blue (MB⁺) and by superoxide (O^?₂) generated by blue-green irradiation of oxygenated riboflavin (RF) in the presence of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) or reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH). The MB⁺/O₂ sensitized process is more efficient in alkaline solutions, attributed to the stabilization of the triplet state di-cation. The small increase of the lysis efficiency from pH4 to pH9 for the RF/EDTA/O₂ system suggests that HO^?₂ may be more damaging than O^?₂. Estimates based on large-target reaction kinetics indicate that ¹O*₂ is about 200 times more effective than superoxide for inducing liposome lysis. Similar experiments with saturated 1 -α-phosphatidylcholine dipalmitoyl liposomes showed no photosensitized lysis for either system.     

Room-Temperature Near-Infrared Metastable Species Measured by Phase-Sensitive Lock-in and Fourier Transform Techniques

An ultrasensitive detecting system coupled with either a lock-in or Fourier transform technique has been used to detect near-infrared (1000-2500 nm) metastable species in room temperature solutions. These species include O₂(¹Δ_g), O₂(¹σ⁺_g), the solvent induced satellite peak of molecular singlet oxygen (¹Δ_g) emission, and the triplet state of bis(triisobutylsiloxy)silicon-2,-3-naphthalocyanine (SilNC). Using the O₂(¹Δ_g) emission in benzene as a standard, the quantum yield and radiative decay rate of SiINC triplet state have been determined. Depending on types of spectral acquisition, special techniques such as phase-distinguishing and step scan capabilities were utilized. Their advantages and disadvantages are discussed.     

Singlet Sigma: The "Other" Singlet Oxygen in Solution

The lowest excited electronic state of molecular oxygen, O₂(a^1-DL_g), is often called simply singlet oxygen. This singlet delta state is an acknowledged and well-studied intermediate in many solution-phase photosystems. However, the second excited electronic state of oxygen, O₂(b¹δ_g+), is also a singlet. It has recently become possible to monitor this singlet sigma state in solution, which, in combination with studies of the singlet delta state, contributes to a better understanding of a variety of general problems in chemistry.     

A theoretical comparison of the lowest-lying singlet and triplet states of H2CBe and of HCBeH

The low-lying singlet and triplet states of H₂CBe and HCBeH are examined using ab inito molecular orbital theory. In agreement with earlier results, the lowest-lying structure of H₂CBe has C_2v symmetry and is a triplet with one π electron (³ B₁). The results presented here suggest that the lowest-energy singlet structure is the (¹B₁) open-shell singlet, also with C_2v symmetry, at least 2.5 kcal/mol higher in energy. The singlet C_2v structure with two π electrons (¹A₁) is 15.9 kcal/mol higher than ³B₁. All of these structures are bound with respect to the ground state of methylene and the beryllium atom. In HCBeH, linear equilibrium geometries are found for the triplet (³Σ) and singlet (¹Δ) states. The triplet is more stable than the singlet (¹Δ) by 35.4 kcal/mol, and is only 2.9 kcal/mol higher in energy than triplet H₂ CBe. Since the transition structure connecting these two triplet molecules is found to be 50.2 kcal/mol higher in energy than H₂ CBe, both triplet equilibrium species might exist independently. The harmonic vibrational frequencies of all structures are also reported.     

Photosensitization mechanisms in photopolymer coating film containing photoinitiators sensitized by aminochalcone‐type dye for computer‐to‐photopolymer plate

Photosensitization mechanisms in photopolymer coating film containing an aminochalcone‐type dye sensitizer and a radical generating reagent, sensitizer dyes, (E)‐3‐(9‐julolidinyl)‐1‐phenyl‐2‐propen‐1‐one (A), (E)‐2‐(9‐julolidinyl)‐methylene‐1‐indanone (B), 9‐benzoyl‐2,3,6,7‐tetrahydro‐1H,5H‐benzo[i,j]‐furano‐[3,2‐g]quinolizine (C), 4‐(dimethylamino) chalcone (D) and a radical‐generating reagent, 2,4,6‐tris (trichloromethyl)‐1,3,5‐triazine (TCT), were investigated by laser flash photolysis using a total reflection cell. Weak fluorescence and strong broad triplet absorption were detected. The fluorescence was statically quenched by TCT at quenching distances (R_f) of 15, 14, 20 and 14 Å for A, B, C and D as well as the triplet initial absorption, at quenching distances (R_t) of 16, 16, 16 and 14 for A, B, C and D, similar to the fluorescence quenching distances. The triplet decay time of the dyes was inefficiently quenched by TCT with the rate constants (k _q) of 1.9, 3.1, 0.7 and 1.0×10⁵ mol⁻¹/dm³/s for A, B, C and D. The sensitivity of photopolymers containing a sensitizer dye and a TCT was obtained at an excitation of 488 nm corresponding to the emission peaks of argon ion laser of 1.1, 0.2, 0.54 and 9.1 mJ cm² for A, B, C and D. The results indicated that the static sensitization process from the fluorescent singlet excited state of the dyes to the ground state of TCT was predominant, and the high sensitivity for A and B was caused by the high absorbance at 488 nm and that for C by the high fluorescent quenching distance. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A novel sensitized chemiluminescence flow injection system for the determination of adriamycin and mitomycin

A novel chemiluminescence (CL) method was established for two anticancer drugs, adriamycin (ADM) and mitomycin (MMC), based on potassium permanganate oxidation in the presence of formaldehyde. The sensitized CL emission mechanism was developed by comparing the fluorescence emission with CL spectra. Illuminant was the singlet state bi-molecule oxygen, ¹O₂ ¹O₂ (¹Δ_g ¹Δ_g), from ¹O₂ (¹Δ_g) which was produced in the reaction system, and emitted CL spectra at 639 nm or 649 nm. The presence of formaldehyde may accelerate the generation of ¹O₂ (¹Δ_g) and sensitized CL emission. The optimum conditions for CL emission were investigated and optimized. The relationships between the relative CL intensity and the concentration of the studied analytes found to be linear. The detection limit was 3 × 10^?8 g ml^?1 for ADM and 3 × 10^?9 g ml^?1 for MMC. The relative standard deviations are 2.2% and 1.8% for determinations of ADM at 2.0 × 10^?6 g ml^?1 and MMC at 2.0 × 10^?7 g ml^?1, respectively. The proposed sensitized CL system was successfully applied to the determination of ADM and MMC in their injections with satisfactory results.     

The rotational excitation and population distribution of OH(A2Σ+) produced by electron impact on water

The rotational excitation and population distributions in OH(A²Σ⁺, υ′ = 0) have been determined by analyzing the OH(A²Σ⁺ → X²Π_i) emission spectrum. The spectrum results from the impact of mon-energetic electrons (0–100 eV) on water vapour. It is shown that these rotational distributions of the OH(A²Σ⁺) state depend on the electron impact energy and have contributions from singlet and triplet states of water. The contribution from each dissociative state of water can be described by a Boltzmann distribution, both in the case of rotational excitation and population.Three distribution parameters (“temperatures”) for rotational excitation are obtained, namely 13800 K and 2900 K for the singlet contributions and 4000 K for the triplet contribution. The corresponding distribution parameters for the rotational population are 30000, 3300, and 4800 K, respectively. The results are discussed in view of recent theoretical calculations on water energy levels.     

484—Photosensitive lipid membranes: Part II. The collodion-oleic acid,methylene blue sensitized membrane in aerated KCl solutions. Evidence for the intervention of singlet oxygen in the photoreaction mechanism

The photoresponse of lipid membranes of oleic acid, sensitized with methylene blue and immobilized by collodion, was examined in acrated, aqueous KCl solutions. Deposited on suitable metal electrodes, these membranes can reach considerable photovoltages, of the order of ?360 mV, depending mainly on the electrolyte concentration, the highest values being obtained with concentrated (2M) KCl solutions.In the presence of a typical singlet oxygen quencher, such as N₃Na, the photoresponse is diminished in a quantitative manner, whereas the presence of D₂O, as singlet oxygen lifetime promoter, increases the photoresponse in KCl 1 × 10^?1M solutions. Thus, the intervention of singlet oxygen in the photoreaction mechanism is indirectly proved.     

Aza‐BODIPY Derivatives: Enhanced Quantum Yields of Triplet Excited States and the Generation of Singlet Oxygen and their Role as Facile Sustainable Photooxygenation Catalysts

A new series of aza‐BODIPY derivatives ( 4 a – 4 c , 5 a , c , and 6 b , c ) were synthesized and their excited‐state properties, such as their triplet excited state and the yield of singlet‐oxygen generation, were tuned by substituting with heavy atoms, such as bromine and iodine. The effect of substitution has been studied in detail by varying the position of halogenation. The core‐substituted dyes showed high yields of the triplet excited state and high efficiencies of singlet‐oxygen generation when compared to the peripheral‐substituted systems. The dye 6 c , which was substituted with six iodine atoms on the core and peripheral phenyl ring, showed the highest quantum yields of the triplet excited state (Φ_T=0.86) and of the efficiency of singlet‐oxygen generation (Φ_Δ=0.80). Interestingly, these dyes were highly efficient as photooxygenation catalysts under artificial light, as well as under normal sunlight conditions. The uniqueness of these aza‐BODIPY systems is that they are stable under irradiation conditions, possess strong red‐light absorption (620–680 nm), exhibit high yields of singlet‐oxygen generation, and act as efficient and sustainable catalysts for photooxygenation reactions.     

Photophysical Behavior of Angelicins and Thioangelicins: Semiempirical Calculations and Experimental Study

The decay processes of the lowest excited singlet and triplet states of five methylated angelicins (4,6,4′-trimethyl-angelicin, MA, and four methylated thioangelicins, MTA; see Scheme 1) were investigated in live solvents by stationary and pulsed fluorometric and flash photolytic techniques. In particular, the solvent effects on absorption, fluorescence, quantum yields of fluorescence (φ_F) and triplet formation (φ_T), lifetimes of fluorescence (τ_F) and the triplet state (τ_T) and the quantum yields of singlet oxygen production (φ_Δ) were investigated. Semiempirical (ZINDO/S-CI) calculations were carried out to obtain information (transition probabilities and nature) on the lowest excited singlet and triplet states. The quantum mechanical calculations and the solvent effect on the photophysical properties showed that the lowest excited singlet state (S¹) is a partially allowed π,π* state, while the close-lying S₂ state is n,π* in nature. The efficiencies of fluorescence, S₁→T₁ intersystem crossing (ISC) and S₁→ S₀ internal conversion (IC) strongly depend on the energy gap between S₁, and S₂ and are explained in terms of the so-called proximity effect. In fact, for MA in cyclohexane, only the S₁→ S₀ internal conversion is operative, while in acetonitrile and ethanol, where the n.π* state is shifted to higher energy, the efficiencies of fluorescence and ISC increase significantly. The energy gap between S₁ and S₂ increases in MTA, where the furanic oxygen is replaced by a sulfur atom. Consequently, the solvent effect on the photophysical parameters of MTA is less marked than for MA; e.g. fluorescence and triplet-triplet absorption are also detectable in the nonpolar cyclohexane. The lowest excited singlet state of molecular oxygen O₂(¹D_g) was produced efficiently in polar solvents by energy transfer from the T₁ state of MA and MTA.     

The nature of molecular oxygen binding and activation in Mn-O2 complex

Non-empirical calculations of CASSCF energies, electric dipole moments, Einstein coefficients, matrix elements of the operator of spin-orbital interaction between states of different multiplicity in a model complex ^6,8[Mn-O₂] of C _2v symmetry have been made in 3-21G, 6-31G, 6-31G** basis sets. The crosssections of the potential energy surface (PES) of the ground and excited states were built. It is found that oxygen bonding to manganese is possible when excited atoms of manganese collide with molecular oxygen, singlet oxygen with Mn[⁶ S _5/2] atoms, or in a close contact O₂[X³Σ _g ^? ] + Mn[⁶ S _5/2] and is determined by charge transfer states ^6,8CTS(Mn⁺O ₂ ^? ). Mechanisms of singlet oxygen activation/deactivation are determined by a considerably increased probability of electric dipole transitions b ¹Σ _g ⁺ ?a ¹Δ_g, a ¹Δ_g?X³Σ _g ^? , b ¹Σ _g ⁺ ?X³Σ _g ^? induced in oxygen in the collision process.     

Solute re-encounter probabilities from dissociative oxciplex relaxation

Measurements of the quantum yield of self-sensitized 1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran peroxidation as a function of dissolved oxygen of added azulene concentrations indicate that oxygen quenching of the sensitizer singlet state produces both triplet and ground states of the sensitizer in addition to O₂(¹Δ_g) and O₂(³Σ^?_g). This partitioning of quenching products may be due to the competitive relaxation of the initially formed complex (oxciplex), or to sequential relaxation of different oxciplex states in which symmetry and spin barriers are negotiated by complex dissociation and re-encounter of the solute pair in the required configuration. The latter interpretation provides re-encounter probabilities for the processes M(T₁) + O₂(¹Δ_g) → M(T₁) + O₂(³Σ^?_g) and M(T₁) + O₂(³Σ^?_g) → M(S_o) + O₂(¹Δ_g) from which estimated rate constants are compatible with theoretical expectation.     

On xenon molecule excited state lifetimes

Time-resolved excitation spectra of xenon vapor in the 150 nm region are analysed in terms of four main fluorescence lifetimes corresponding to decays of four stable excited electronic states of the Xe dimer. The two shortest decay times, ≈ 2 ns and ≈ 60 ns, are assigned to the direct radiative relaxation of the two lowest excited ungerade states, (¹Σ⁺_u)0⁺_u and (³Σ⁺_u))1 u respectively. The two longest decay times, ≈ 150 ns and ≈ 500 ns, must correspond to the overall depopulation rates of the two lowest excited gerade states, (³Σ⁺_g)1g and (¹Σ⁺_g)0⁺_g, decaying into the gerade ground state by cascading down through the intermediate ungerade states.