Structure and linear spectroscopic properties of near IR polymethine dyes

We performed a detailed experimental investigation and quantum-chemical analysis of a new series of near IR polymethine dyes with 5-butyl-7,8-dihydrobenzo[cd]furo[2,3-f]indolium terminal groups. We also synthesized and studied two neutral dyes, squaraine and tetraone, with the same terminal groups and performed a comparison of the spectroscopic properties of this set of “near IR” dyes (polymethine, squaraine, and tetraone) with an analogous set of “visible” dyes with simpler benzo[e]indolium terminal groups. From these measurements, we find that the dyes with dihydrobenzo[cd]furo[2,3-f]indolium terminal groups are characterized by a remarkably large shift ≈300 nm (≈200 nm for tetraone) of their absorption bands towards the red region. We discuss the difference in electronic structure for these molecules and show that the “near IR” dyes are characterized by an additional weak fluorescence band from the higher lying excited states connected with the terminal groups. Absorption spectra for the longest polymethines are solvent-dependent and are characterized by a broadening of the main band in polar solvents, which is explained by ground state symmetry breaking and reduced charge delocalization within the polymethine chromophore. The results of these experiments combined with the agreement of quantum chemical calculations moves us closer to a predictive capability for structure-property relations in cyanine-like molecules.     

新型BODIPY荧光染料的合成及光谱性质研究

传统的BODIPY荧光染料具有荧光量子效率高、摩尔消光系数大、紫外吸收和荧光发射峰窄等优点,然而这类荧光染料普遍存在荧光发射波长短和Stokes位移小的缺点,因而限制了它们在体内生物传感及成像方面的广泛应用。为了得到荧光发射波长较长和Stokes位移大的BODIPY荧光染料,以BODIPY母核为基本结构,通过在它的8位连接吸电子性质的酯基来增加分子内电荷转移程度,同时在其3,5位引入供电子的芳香取代基增加分子的π共轭结构,合成得到了一类8位酯基取代的新型BODIPY荧光染料。所得到的新型BODIPY荧光染料的化学结构经过1H NMR, 13C NMR和HR-MS得以确认。光谱测试结果表明,这类染料的紫外吸收光谱(λ_abs=536 nm)和荧光发射光谱(λ_em=592 nm)与普通的BODIPY相比都发生显著红移(80 nm),并且保持了较高的荧光量子效率(Ф=0.43)。此外,这类BODIPY荧光染料的紫外可见吸收光谱和荧光发射光谱几乎完全分开,Stokes位移长达60 nm,可以有效地避免自吸收和生物样品的背景干扰。密度泛函理论计算结果表明,这种相对较大的Stokes位移主要是由于染料分子在基态和激发态下不同的几何构型所造成的。该类化合物的光物理性能受溶剂的影响小,是一类性能优良的新型荧光染料。细胞成像结果表明,染料1具有良好的细胞渗透性和光稳定性,可以实现对细胞的荧光成像。     

Properties and the nature of electric-field-induced variations in optical absorption spectra of polymethine dyes in polymer matrices

The effect of a permanent electric field on the absorption spectra of ionic (cationic and anionic) and intraionic symmetric and asymmetric polymethine dyes in poly-N-epoxypropylcarbazole, polyvinylbutyral, and polystyrene polymer films is studied. It is found that the electric field causes an increase in absorption of symmetric dyes in the short-wavelength region and a decrease in their absorption in the long-wavelength region. Asymmetric dyes exhibit opposite properties. These properties are common for these groups of dyes irrespective of their chemical structure and ionic nature. They are retained both in photoconducting polymers and in polymers that are incapable of charge photogeneration. These effects also take place in liquid solutions, although in this case they are much weaker. Various mechanisms of the influence of an electric field on the spectra, such as the electron transfer, Stark and Kerr effects, intermolecular interactions, and dye isomerization, are discussed. It is shown that the spectral effects are caused by the redistribution of the electron density in a chromophore of the dye in the ground state resulting in a change in the probability of vibronic transitions.     

Merocyanines based on 1,3‐indanedione: electronic structure and solvatochromism

A series of merocyanines derived from 1,3‐indanedione and heterocycles of various electron‐donating properties was studied in detail. Their solvatochromic properties were explored in a wide range of solvent polarities to reveal the dependences of their chromacity and electronic structure on the key structural parameters – the properties of a donor heterocycle and the polymethine chain length. Also the dyes were studied by NMR spectroscopy and by quantum chemical calculations, both with the semiempirical AM1 and the non‐empirical density functional theory/B3LYP method. The solvatochromic properties of the explored dyes are rather close to those of merocyanines derived from malononitrile as acceptor group. Appreciable distinctions were observed only in protic ethanol; obviously, they are connected with the formation of solvent–solute H‐bonds in the case of 1,3‐indanedione derivatives. The electron‐acceptor properties of 1,3‐indanedione were found to be somewhat stronger in comparison with those of malononitrile even in aprotic solvents, contrary to the known literature data. Analysis of the merocyanines' molecular orbitals and simulation of their electronic spectra were carried out both in vacuum and in the solvent matrix, and the absorption electronic transitions were analyzed. Static nonlinear optical properties were calculated for both the new merocyanines and the corresponding cationic and anionic cyanine dyes. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Specific features of the two-photon absorption of cationic symmetric polymethine dyes

The two-photon absorption of a number of cationic symmetric polymethine dyes based on 3H-indolium and benzothiazolium is experimentally studied upon excitation by nanosecond radiation from a Nd:YAG laser (1064 nm, 12 ns). The two-photon absorption cross section of dye molecules is determined by the two-quantum standard method. The influence of the spectral-luminescent properties and structure of the polymethine dyes on the two-photon absorption cross section is discussed. It is shown that, upon excitation in the range of the long-wavelength band of the dyes studied (the S ₀ → S ₁ transition), the maximum of their two-photon absorption is blue shifted. The reasons for a considerable increase in the two-photon absorption of symmetric polymethine dyes upon their excitation in the range of the S ₂ state are discussed. Using the data of quantum-chemical calculations, it is shown that, along with changes in the selection rules for two-photon transitions, this increase is connected with an increase in the size of the delocalized π electron cloud of HOMOs involved in the S ₀ → S ₂ transition.     

Effect of Matrix Treatment on Spectroscopic Properties of HCl Catalysed Sol-Gel Glasses Containing Coumarin Laser Dyes

Coumarin 1, Coumarin 2 and Coumarin 120 are embedded in transparent sol-gel glass samples prepared by sol-gel process using dip method. The sol-gel matrix is given dip treatment with Methanol /Distilled Water (50/50vol) for 1 to 16h before dipping into dye solution. The effect of dipping time of matrix in Methanol/ Distilled Water on spectroscopic properties of coumarin dye doped glass samples has been studied. The Optical Density (OD) at absorption maximum wavelength and Fluorescence Intensity (FI) at fluorescence maximum wavelength of all coumarin dyes increase with the time of dipping of the sol-gel sample. These absorption/fluorescence properties of coumarin dyes in sol-gel glass matrices are compared with its respective properties in methanolic solution in acidic environment. The cause of these changes in OD/FI with dipping time is discussed by taking into account the absorption / fluorescence of dye in acidified methanol.     

Nitrogen laser excitation of polymethine dyes for emission wavelengths up to 9500 Å

We have pumped polymethine dyes with a nitrogen laser and achieved tunable infrared stimulated emission up to a wavelength of 9500 Å. The dye laser output decreases during operation due to destruction of lasing molecules; this is measured as a function of the number of exciting laser pulses.     

Solvent Effects on the Spectroscopic Properties of Styrylquinolinium Dyes Series

The study on the relationship between the structure and spectroscopic properties of styrylquinolinium dyes were carried out by measuring the electronic visible absorption, steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectra of quinoline based hemicyanine dyes. The influence of the solvent on absorption and emission spectra and the solvatochromic properties, observed for both ground and first excited states, for all the dyes were applied for the evaluation of their excited state dipole moments. The ground state dipole moments of dyes under the study were established by applying ab initio calculations. The measured, using solvatochromic methods, excited state dipole moments of tested hemicyanines are in the range from 5.38 to 18.90 D and the change in the dipole moments caused by excitation were found to differ from 1.88 to 6.64 D. It was observed that for all tested dyes the dipole moments of the excited states were higher than those of a ground states. The fluorescence lifetime measurements with picosecond resolution was performed for entire series of hemicyanine dyes possessing different dialkylamino groups attached to the phenyl ring. The average lifetimes of the dye fluorescence, determined from the measured data by multi-order exponential decay curve fitting, were in the range from about 120 to 1200 ps at the fluorescence peak wavelength. The fluorescence lifetime measurements were performed for dyes in ethyl acetate solutions. The time-resolved fluorescence spectra measurements allowed to propose the mechanism of the dyes excited states deactivation.     

Dye stability under excimer-laser pumping

The stability of polymethine dyes under XeCl laser excitation has been investigated. (For these dyes emitting in the ir the difference between absorbed and emitted photoenergy is 2 eV.) The stability was measured in an amplifier device operating in the saturated regime. While the influence on dye concentration is negligible, the fluence dependence shows the importance of two photon absorptions. A meausure for the stability is the number of photons which can be emitted per dye molecule before the dye solution has degraded to 50% of the initial value. This value is in the range of 150–280. The stability is clearly related to the formation of photoproducts absorbing at the pump and the laser wavelength. A model starting from the change in the dye solution absorption spectra is in very good agreement with the observed energy decays.     

The nature of electron transitions in anionic dioxaborines,derivatives of aminocoumarin

Combined quantum‐chemical and spectral studies of the features of electron transitions and absorption spectra of symmetrical and unsymmetrical polymethine dyes, derivatives of aminocoumarin, have been performed. It was established that the lowest two electron transitions are splitting transitions, involving solitonic level and two low positioned acceptor levels, in contrast to the cationic cyanine dyes, where two lowest transitions are connected with two splitting donor levels and solitonic level. The considerable interaction between two acceptor levels in symmetrical dyes provides an additional decrease of the first transition energy and hence leads to the relatively deep and intensive color, whereas the second transition with its negligible oscillator strength is practically unobserved. The higher electron transitions involve orbitals located mainly at the coumarin residue; the corresponding spectral bands appear in the short‐wavelength region. Introduction of dialkylamino group in coumarin heterocycle shifts bathochromically the long‐wavelength absorption band and considerably increases the intensity of S₀ → S₁ and S₀ → S₃ electron transitions. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On the nature of some biradicaloid and antiaromatic Vis/NIR‐chromophores

Dyes derived from the biradicalic oxyallyl and cyclopentadienylium were calculated by time‐dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) and the characteristics of the prominent low‐energy transitions revealed by graphical means. According to theoretical and experimental studies, 4‐aminophenyl‐substituted dyes absorb intensely at long wavelengths up to the near infrared. If the amino groups are removed the absorption wavelengths are changed little. As found in the previous studies on the squaraine and croconaine oxyallyl dyes, the substituents play only a minor role in the spectral excitation. Charge‐transfer‐type excitations do not occur between the donor aryl substituents and the central oxyallyl or cyclopentadienylium acceptor group. This behaviour is exceptional since donor–acceptor compounds tend to produce charge‐transfer‐ or polymethine‐type electronic transitions. The hitherto rarely used electron density difference (EDD) maps clearly unveiled the spectral excitation features. The spectral excitation of the title compounds is predominantly localized at the oxyallyl and cyclopentadienylium groups, respectively. Characteristics of simple chromophoric compounds and of conventional CT‐ and polymethine dyes are given for comparison. The biradicaloid character of these dyes is supported by the calculated low singlet–triplet splitting energies. Spin properties were characterized in terms of expectation values of the S²‐operator and antiaromatic properties in terms of nucleus‐independent chemical shifts (NICS). According to the ΔE_S/T and <S²> criteria compounds with the acyclic oxyallyl fragment are more biradicaloid. The parent compounds oxyallyl, thioxyallyl and cyclopentadienylium, display extremely large <S²> values. These compounds are triplets in the ground state. The absorption wavelengths of selected biradicaloid species were also calculated by the multi‐reference SORCI method. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Quantum-chemical study of relation of spectral and luminescent properties of positively solvatochromic malononitrile-based merocyanine dyes with their structure

The electronic structure, the spectra, and the efficiency of photophysical processes of energy deactivation are calculated by a semiempirical method for three positively solvatochromic merocyanine dyes with different polymethine chain lengths. The electronic structure and spectra calculated by different modifications of the INDO method at different molecular geometries are compared, and the optimum geometry of the isolated molecule is chosen. The absorption spectra of dyes are interpreted, including the short-wave-length bands related to transitions to highest excited states. The possibility of a specific electrophilic solvation of these compounds in the ground and fluorescent states, as well as the contribution of specific intermolecular interactions to the total interaction with the medium, is estimated. The role played by the trans-cis isomerization of isolated merocyanine molecules in the deactivation of their excited states is considered.     

Unusual temperature dependences of the photoconductivity and recombination luminescence of amorphous molecular semiconductors doped with ionic dyes

A nonexponential increase in photoconductivity with increasing temperature is discovered for poly(N-epoxypropylcarbazole) (PEPK) films doped with polymethine dyes. It is postulated that traps for nonequilibrium charge carriers form in these films during irradiation and are destroyed as the temperature is raised. Such traps are manifested by broadening of the high-temperature shoulder on the thermally stimulated luminescence (TSL) curves following the preliminary irradiation of PEPK films doped with polymethine and xanthene ionic dyes in the visible or UV range at 250–320 K and by the appearance of a new narrow TSL maximum near the preliminary irradiation temperature. These TSL features disappear after prolonged storage of the films in the dark or heating to higher temperatures. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 41, 203–209 (February 1999)     

The effect of an electrostatic field on the photoluminescence and photoconductivity of polymer films doped by cationic polymethine dyes with end groups with different electron-donating properties

The effect of an external electrostatic field on the photoluminescence spectra and photoconductivity of symmetric and asymmetric cationic polymethine dyes with end groups possessing different electron-donating properties (basicity) in polymer films based on photoconductive poly-N-epoxypropylcarbazole and nonphotoconductive polyvinylethylal is studied. It is found that application of an electric field to films can both decrease and increase their luminescence intensity. The strongest decrease in the luminescence intensity is observed for symmetric dyes in poly-N-epoxypropylcarbazole films with either a decrease in the electron-donating ability of the end groups or with a decrease in the length of the polymethine chain. Colored polyvinylethylal films exhibit both a negative and a positive effect of the field on the photoluminescence intensity. The character of changes in the luminescence spectra does not depend on the electron-donating ability of the end groups. The spectral effects are explained by a change in the probability of vibronic transitions due to the redistribution of the electron density in the chromophore of the dye in the ground and excited states in an external electric field.     

Anti-stokes fluorescence of polymethine dyes excited by a titanium-sapphire laser

Fluorescence of symmetric polymethine dye solutions (λ _abs ^max ≈ 700 nm) upon anti-Stokes excitation by cw radiation of a titanium-sapphire laser (781 nm) is first investigated. A series of six compounds with analogous composition and spectral and luminescent properties is investigated. It is demonstrated that in addition to the anti-Stokes component, the Stokes component with a maximum at 820 nm (referred to the H-aggregates of initial dyes) is observed in the fluorescence spectra of solutions of the examined molecules when dye concentration increases to 10⁻³ M. Dependences of the anti-Stokes and Stokes component intensities on the exciting radiation power are obtained that confirm a linear excitation character. On examples of xanthene and polymethine dyes, the use of organic fluorophors for anti-Stokes laser cooling and some other possible applications of the anti-Stokes fluorescence are discussed. __________ Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 3, pp. 63–70, March, 2007.     

Polymethine IR laser dyes for passive mode-locking of ruby lasers

Several polymethine IR laser dyes, in addition to the well known DDI and cryptocyanine, are found to be suitable for mode-locking of ruby lasers. While with DDI pulses as short as 12 psec are obtained these new mode-lockers generate pulses in the 40 to 100 psec range, presumably due to their longer recovery time of the ground-state absorption.     

Far Infrared and Laser-Raman Spectra of Tetracyano-Polymethine Anions

The investigation of the physico-chemical properties of photographic sensitizers involves “inter alia” the knowledge of their vibrational spectra.^1,2 Molecules such as carbocyanine dyes have these spectra tremendously complicated and the best approach to the problem has been the study of simplified model compounds with polymethine chains.³ As to the possible modification of the spectral pattern, when the adsorbed dye-silver halide complex is present, it may be presumed that much more information can be obtained from the far infrared region, where chain motions and lattice external modes are absorbing.     

Specific features of the radiative relaxation of excited states of polymethine dyes of different ionicity in films of photoconductive and nonphotoconductive polymers

The spectral and luminescent properties of film composites based on photoconductive poly-N-epoxipropylcarbazole and nonphotoconductive polyvinylbutyral with admixtures of cationic and anionic polymethine dyes, as well as the effect of an external magnetic field on these properties, are studied. It is found that the magnetic field affects the intensity and kinetics of the delayed fluorescence and recombination luminescence of the cationic dye in photoconductive films. This is explained by specific features of photogeneration of charge pairs, namely, by the participation of the singlet and triplet excited states of dye molecules in this process, as well as by the singlet-triplet conversion in dye molecules and photogenerated charge pairs.     

Photogeneration of electrons and holes in amorphous molecular semiconductors

This paper reports on the results of investigations into the photoconducting properties of amorphous molecular semiconductors based on films of two types: (i) poly(styrene) films doped with epoxypropylcarbazole (EPC) and a cationic polymethine dye (PD1) and (ii) poly(styrene) films doped with tetranitrofluorenone (TNF) and an anionic polymethine dye (PD2). Films of the first type possess p-type conductivity, whereas films of the second type exhibit n-type conductivity. It is found that, for films with n-type conductivity, unlike films with p-type conductivity, the activation energy of photogeneration of mobile charge carriers decreases with a decrease in the optical wavelength in the absorption range of the dyes. The possible mechanisms of the influence of the photoexcitation energy on the initial distance between charge carriers in electron-hole pairs are analyzed. The inference is made that, when the excess thermal energy of excited dye molecules dissipates at a low rate, the distance between the photogenerated electrons and photogeneration centers increases as compared to the distance between the photogenerated holes and photogeneration centers due to the electron-nucleus interaction.     

Gold nanocages as contrast agents for spectroscopic optical coherence tomography

We describe gold nanocages as a new class of potential contrast agent for spectroscopic optical coherence tomography (OCT). Monodispersed gold nanocages of an approximately 35 nm edge length exhibit strong optical resonance, with the peak wavelength tunable in the near-infrared range. We characterized the optical properties of the nanocage by using OCT experiments along with numerical calculations, revealing an absorption cross section approximately 5 orders of magnitude larger than conventional dyes. Experiments with tissue phantoms demonstrated that the nanocages provide enhanced contrast for spectroscopic as well as conventional intensity-based OCT imaging.