Dual-Fluorescence Probe of Environment Basicity (Hydrogen Bond Accepting Ability) Displaying no Sensitivity to Polarity

3-Hydroxyquinolones (3HQs) are a new class of water soluble dual fluorescence probes that can monitor both polarity and basicity (H-bond accepting ability) parameters. Both parameters play an important role in proteins and lipid membranes. Nevertheless, no method exists actually to measure the basicity parameter separately from the polarity. To achieve this aim, we synthesized 2-benzofuryl-3-hydroxy-4(1H)-quinolone (3HQ-Bf) and characterized its photophysical properties by UV, steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. Due to its extended conjugation and totally planar conformation, 3HQ-Bf is characterized by a high fluorescence quantum yield. In solution, this dye shows an excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) reaction resulting in two tautomer bands in the emission spectra. The ESIPT reaction can be considered as irreversible and is governed by rate constants from 0.6 to 8 × 10⁹ s⁻¹, depending on the solvent. The analysis of the spectral properties of 3HQ-Bf in a series of organic solvents revealed a marginal sensitivity to the solvent polarity, but an exquisite sensitivity to solvent basicity, as shown by the linear dependence of the logarithm of the emission bands intensity ratio, log(I_N*/I_T*), as well as the absorption or emission maxima wavenumbers as a function of the solvent basicity parameter. This probe may find useful applications through coupling to a protein ligand, for characterizing the H-bond acceptor ability at the ligand binding site as well as for studying the basicity changes of lipid membranes during their chemo- and thermotropic conversions.     

Membrane Dipole Potential as Measured by Ratiometric 3-Hydroxyflavone Fluorescence Probes: Accounting for Hydration Effects

We previously applied the electrochromic modulation of excited-state intramolecular proton-transfer (ESIPT) reaction for the design of novel 3-hydroxyflavone (3-HF) derivatives as fluorescent probes for measuring the dipole potential, Ψ_D, in lipid bilayers (Klymchenko et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 2003, 100, 11219). In the present work, this method was revisited to take into account the influence of the bilayer hydration on the emission ratiometric response of 3-HF probes. For this reason, it was necessary to deconvolute the whole fluorescence spectra into three bands corresponding to the non H-bonded forms, normal N^* and tautomer T^* forms, both participating to the ESIPT reaction, and to the H-bonded H–N^* form, excluded from this reaction. This allowed us to determine the pure N^*/T^* intensity ratio, without any contribution from the H–N^* form emission depending essentially on the bilayer hydration. This new approach allowed us to confirm the correlation we obtained between the response of 3-HF probes on dipole potential modifications and the corresponding response of the reference fluorescent probe di-8-ANEPPS, thus further confirming the potency of 3-HF probes as excellent emission ratiometric probes to measure dipole potential in lipid membranes.     

All-optical switchings of 3-hydroxyflavone in different solvents

3-hydroxyflavone （3-HF） is an organic molecule with an excited-stated intramolecular proton transfer （ESIPT） effect. All-optical switchings and beam deflections of 3-HF in three kinds of solvents （cyclohexane, ethanol and dimethyl sulfoxide） have been investigated by using the third-harmonic generation （355 nm） of a mode-locked Nd：YAG laser as a pump beam and a continuous-wave （cw） He-Ne laser （632.8 nm） as a probe beam. The nonlinear refractive indices of 3-HF in the three different solvents are determined by using the Z-scan technique under an ultraviolet （UV） pump beam at a wavelength of 355 nm. It has been found that the optical switching and beam deflection effects result from the change in refractive index of 3-HF under the irradiation of the pump beam. On the basis of the analyses of absorption spectra and fluorescence spectra, we conclude that the change in refractive index of 3-HF is due to not the thermal effect but the ESIPT effect of 3-HF under the pump beam. As the ESIPT is exceedingly fast, 3-HF might be an excellent candidate for high-speed optical switching.     

ESIPT reaction starting from S2 and S3 singlet states in 3-hydroxyflavone

Spectra fluorescence at excitation of emission within spectral intervals of S₃, S₂ and S₁ bands of absorption, and excitation at registration of fluorescence at maxima of blue and green bands of emission have been studied in 3-hydroxyflavone solution. A possibility of ESIPT reaction starting from S₃ and S₂ states of parent 3HF molecule was shown for the first time follows from observations of differences in excitation spectra of normal and tautomer forms of 3HF, and from different ratios of these forms intensities upon excitation in different ranges of UV spectra of absorption.     

Fluorescence Study of Intermolecular Interactions in Diluted Aqueous Solutions of Some Cationic Amphiphilic Polysaccharides

The intermolecular hydrophobic association in diluted aqueous solutions of some cationic amphiphilic polysaccharides was investigated using fluorescence techniques. Dextran and dextran carrying N-alkyl-N,N-dimethyl-N(2-hydroxypropylene) ammonium chloride groups as side chains were single labeled with pyrene or naphthalene. The intensity of the pyrene excimer peak and the ratio I₃/I₁ determined from the fluorescence emission spectra of pyrene-labeled amphiphilic polymer increased with increasing polymer concentration and were higher than in the solution containing pyrene-labeled dextran. Emission spectra of diluted solution (0.008–0.2 g/dl) containing mixtures of pyrene and naphthalene single-labeled amphiphilic polymers proved the occurrence of a nonradiative energy transfer between labels at very a low polymer concentration (<10^?2 g/dl). The energy transfer was not observed in mixtures of single-labeled unmodified dextran. All these results suggest that the intermolecular hydrophobic association of alkyl substituents takes place at a very low concentration of amphiphilic polymers.     

激发态质子转移分子2-(2'-羟基苯基)苯并噻唑在不同溶剂中的光谱特性

观测了2-(2’-羟基苯基)苯并噻唑(HBT)在不同极性溶剂中的吸收光谱和荧光光谱,详细研究了溶剂极性对HBT发生激发态分子内质子转移(ESIPT)影响的机制。吸收光谱表明在常态条件下,HBT在各种溶剂中都以烯醇式构型和酮式构型共同存在,但以烯醇式构型占绝大多数。荧光光谱表明在纯环己烷溶剂中,HBT被紫外光激发时,绝大多数烯醇式构型发生ESIPT转变为酮式构型,分子的ESIPT效率最大。在含有乙醇的极性溶剂中,HBT烯醇式会形成溶剂化的烯醇式构型,阻碍分子发生ESIPT反应。溶剂中乙醇含量愈多极性愈强,溶剂化烯醇式的成份就愈多,HBT的ESIPT效率就愈低。以400 nm光激发HBT溶液时,在510 nm处发现酮式构型荧光,从而确认了400 nm处的弱吸收是酮式构型的吸收;且在436和456nm处还有新的荧光峰,分析其可能来源于酮式构型去质子化阴离子的发射。     

激发态质子转移分子2-（2′-羟基苯基）苯并噻唑在不同溶剂中的光谱特性

观测了2-（2′-羟基苯基）苯并噻唑（HBT）在不同极性溶剂中的吸收光谱和荧光光谱,详细研究了溶剂极性对HBT发生激发态分子内质子转移（ESWT）影响的机制。吸收光谱表明在常态条件下,HBT在各种溶剂中都以烯醇式构型和酮式构型共同存在,但以烯醇式构型占绝大多数。荧光光谱表明在纯环己烷溶剂中,HBT被紫外光激发时,绝大多数烯醇式构型发生ESIPPT转变为酮式构型,分子的ESIPT效率最大。在含有乙醇的极性溶剂中,HBT烯醇式会形成溶剂化的烯醇式构型,阻碍分子发生ESIPT反应。溶剂中乙醇含量愈多极性愈强,溶剂化烯醇式的成份就愈多,HBT的ESIPT效率就愈低。以400nm光激发HBT溶液时,在510nm处发现酮式构型荧光,从而确认了400nm处的弱吸收是酮式构型的吸收;且在436和456nm处还有新的荧光峰,分析其可能来源于酮式构型去质子化阴离子的发射。     

Dynamic quenching of the multiband fluorescence of 3-hydroxyflavone

The properties of emission, absorption, and dual fluorescence excitation of 3-hydroxyflavone in acetonitrile are studied under the conditions of dynamic quenching by potassium iodide with concentrations up to 4 × 10^?2 M. The normal and tautomeric forms undergo quenching, which is more efficient for the tautomeric form. An interesting circumstance is that the absorption in the S ₀ → S ₁ and S ₀ → S ₂ singlet bands of the solution increases with increasing quencher concentration in the whole region of concentrations used, the steepest rise being recorded in the concentration region from 0 to 5 × 10^?3 M. The intensities and quantum yields of the two fluorescence bands show rather complicated nonlinear dependences on the quencher concentration. The long-wavelength fluorescence band, which belongs to the tautomeric form of 3-hydroxyflavone, is quenched considerably stronger. The experimental results reveal the kinetic character of the excited-state proton transfer in molecules of 3-hydroxyflavone in acetonitrile.     

Computational prediction on photophysical properties of two excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) fluorophores bearing the benzothiazole group

ABSTRACT

In this contribution, the photophysical properties of two excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) fluorophores of 2,6-dibenzothiazolyl-4-methylphenol (I) and 2-benzothiazolyl-6-(2-(benzothiazolyl)vinyl)-4-methylphenol (II) were studied by density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) methods at the PBE0 theoretical level. To probe into the origin of the absorption and emission bands observed experimentally, the absorption and emission spectra of I and II were simulated by the TD-PBE0/6-311?+?G(d,p) calculations. In addition, the photo-induced proton enol–keto tautomerization of the two targeted molecules was also explored. The present studies indicate that a good agreement is found between theoretical predictions and experimental data. Moreover, both of these molecules can undergo an ultrafast ESIPT process, which should be responsible for the single proton-transfer tautomer emission.     

Deactivation pathways of the electronic excitation of ions of lanthanide complexes in polymers with functional groups

Complexes Eu(TTA)₃phen and Eu(MBTA)₃phen, as well as complexes Tb(MBTA)₃phen and Tb(TTA)₃phen, which do not luminesce in solutions, are shown to luminesce in polymer films (TTA is thenoyltrifluoroacetone, MBTA is n-methoxybenzoyltrifluoroacetone, and phen is o-phenanthroline). Luminescence of complexes of Eu and Tb in films of a polymer, poly(methylene-bis-anthranilamide) 1,6-hexamethylenedicarboxylic acid (PAA-5), having a high concentration of functional anthranilate groups, is studied. From the behavior of the luminescence intensity (I _lum), the luminescence decay time, and the luminescence spectra of complexes of these lanthanides in polymer films, the following regular features were revealed. (i) During the film preparation at 90°C, Ln complexes are attached to PAA-5 via anthranilate groups. (ii) Irradiation of these films in the range of the absorption band of ligands (TTA or MBTA) leads to deactivation of the electronic excitation of ions according to the diketone detachment mechanism and to further binding of complexes to polymers. In this case, I _lum(Eu(III)) decreases because the introduction of anthranilate groups of the polymer into the first coordination sphere of Eu(III) complexes enhances the nonradiative deactivation of these ions, whereas I _lum(Tb(III)) increases since the introduction of these groups suppresses the nonradiative deactivation of Tb complexes through triplet states of ligands (TTA and MBTA). (iii) Upon storage of films in the dark (20°C), complexes detach themselves from the polymer and return to their initial structure. In PAA-5 films into which Eu and Tb complexes were simultaneously introduced, the color of the emission from the irradiation spot changes from red to green.     

Photoconductivity and photoluminescence in chemically deposited films of CdSSe:CdCl2,Ho

Results of the scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), optical absorption, photoconductivity (PC), and photoluminescence (PL) studies for the CdSSe:CdCl₂,Ho films are presented in this paper. The SEM studies of different CdSSe films show a layered growth structure. A crystalline nature of the films is observed in the XRD studies. The regions with stacking fault were also observed in the X-ray diffractograms. The optical absorption spectra of these films show variations corresponding to the band gaps and the grain-sizes obtained under various deposition conditions and also with annealing. The effect of flux, impurities and annealing on the saturated photo to dark current ratio I_pc/I_dc is observed in the PC rise and decay studies. The maximum value of I_pc/I_dc ∼10⁷ is obtained for the impurity doped annealed films. The PL emission spectra of CdSSe films show two emission peaks associated with the annihilation of free excitons and the transitions between shallow donor and deep acceptor states. In CdSSe:CdCl₂,Ho films, two PL emission peaks are observed at 495 nm and 545 nm corresponding to the transitions ⁵S₂→⁵I₈ and ⁵F₃→⁵I₈, respectively, in Ho. The effect of pH on PL and grain size is also included in the present studies.     

Interfacial properties of hybrid nanomaterials

A brief summary of our ongoing efforts to understand the surface properties of nanoparticles using fluorophores, namely pyrene alkanethiols, is presented. Excited state interactions were investigated by varying the length of the spacer group and the concentration of fluorophore. The flexible long alkyl chain tethering pyrene inAu-P2/Au-P3 allows free interaction between fluorophores resulting in excimer formation whereas the intermolecular interactions are limited in theAu-P 1 system due to the restriction imposed by the curvature of spherical gold nanoparticle. A gradual increase in the peak intensity ratio of III/I band of the normal fluorescence of pyrene was observed indicating that the surface of nanoparticle is more polar than the bulk solvent (toluene)     

Effect of temperature and dynamic fluorescence quenching on proton transfer in 3-hydroxyflavone

The effect of temperature and a fluorescence quencher on the properties of the excited states of 3-hydroxyflavone is considered. The absorption spectra and the spectra of dual fluorescence exited by electromagnetic radiation in the region of the S ₁ absorption band of 3-hydroxyflavone in acetonitrile are measured and analyzed in the temperature range of 20–80°C. The fluorescence lifetimes are also measured at different temperatures. As a quencher of excited states we used the TEMPO spin quencher. The analysis of the fluorescence parameters shows that the heating of the solution to 60°C leads to a considerable (by a factor of 1.24) increase in the proton-transfer rate for the first absorption band. The introduction of a quencher decreases the yield of the two fluorescence bands by the diffusion mechanism and increases the proton-transfer rate with respect to the rate in the pure solvent by a factor of 1.16 at room temperature and 1.65 at T = 80°C.     

Effects of gas composition on the growth of multi-walled carbon nanotube

This paper studies the effects of different gas compositions on the growth of multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) films by using an electron cyclotron resonance chemical vapor deposition (ECR-CVD) method. The Raman spectrum was employed to explore the composition of the MWCNT films grown under different mixtures of C₃H₈ and H₂. The results showed that the optimum relative intensity ratio of the D band to G band (i.e., I_D/I_G) is 2 for the cases considered in this study. In addition, the morphology and microstructure of the MWCNTs were examined by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and field emission gun transmission electron microscopy (FEG-TEM). Furthermore, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning thermal microscopy (SThM) were used to study the surface topography and thermal properties of the MWCNTs.     

Interaction of the excited state intramolecular proton transfer probe 3-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid with poly N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone polymer in water: An insight into the water structure in the binding region

The enhancement of the excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) emission of 3-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid (3HNA) in presence of poly N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone (PVP) has been investigated by time resolved fluorescence and anisotropy measurement. In other water soluble polymers and monomers there is no enhancement of the ESIPT emission of 3HNA. The microenvironment of the probe in PVP-water mixture is investigated by comparing the ESIPT emission of 3HNA in mixed solvents of acetonitrile-toluene. The anisotropy, rotational correlation time and the blue shift observed in the ESIPT emission in PVP-water mixture have been ascribed to both the polarity and the motional restriction of the probe imposed by the bound water region of PVP.     

Photoluminescence of a soluble polypyrrole based on N-vinylpyrrole

Photoluminescence of a novel polypyrrole based on N-vinylpyrrole was systematically observed in organic solutions. The polymer, which has a unique molecular structure, exhibited good photoluminescence in organic solutions. The emission peak of the polymer exhibited one strong green emission band at around 510 nm in common organic solutions. The maximum fluorescence quantum yield of the polymer was found to be 0.16 in NMP solution with fluorescein as standard. At the same concentration, the photoluminescence intensity increased in the order of CHCl₃, THF, DMSO, CH₂Cl₂ and NMP. The photoluminescence spectrum had a slight red shift as the polarity of the solvents increased. The photoluminescence intensity also increased with the polarity of the solvent, except DMSO. This is because of its hygroscopicity in air and its viscosity. In THF solutions, the photoluminescence intensity increased until the concentration reached a certain weight percent (3.0×10⁻² wt.%) and then decreased with higher concentrations. This was most likely due to quenching in the aggregate phase. Furthermore, iron ion was a quencher in the DMSO solution. In a mixed solvent system of DMSO and water, water showed a typical quenching effect.     

Monitoring the Phase Transition of C12E5/Water/Alkane Microemulsions Through Excimer Formation

The phase transition of microemulsions involving the nonionic surfactant C₁₂E₅ [C₁₂H₂₅(OCH₂-CH₂)₅OH], water, and alkanes (heptane, decane and tetradecane) has been investigated through the excimer formation of pyrene. On going to the microemulsion bicontinuous phase, by changing either composition or temperature, pronounced changes in the pyrene excimer-to-monomer fluorescence intensity ratio, I _E/I _M, are observed. Several differences in the steady-state emission spectra and in fluorescence decay curves show that as a probe pyrene is well suited to follow the transition from the water continuous to the oil continuous phase, through an intermediate bicontinuous (continuous in both water and oil) region. The results provide information about the different characteristics and structure of these three regions (water continuous, bicontinuous, and oil continuous) of the phase diagram for C₁₂E₅/water/alkane systems.     

Dipole Moments of 4′-Aminoflavonol Fluorescent Probes in Different Solvents

Electrooptical absorption measurements (EOAM) were used to measure the dipole moments of the normal form of 4-(dimethylamino)-3-hydroxyflavone (FME), and 4 N-(15-azacrown-5)-3-hydroxyflavone (FCR) in 1,4-dioxane, toluene, and cyclohexane. With these probes excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) takes place. For comparison, the dipole moments of 4-(dimethylamino)-3-metoxyflavone (FME3ME), for which ESIPT is lacking, were measured, too. For all three probes the ground (_g) and excited Franck-Condon state (_e^FC) electrical dipole moments are parallel to each other and also parallel to the transition dipole moment. The electrical dipole moments of FCR, FME, and FME3ME in their ground state have values within the range (12.0–17.7) × 10^–30 C m. Upon optical excitation, the dipole moments increase by (41.9–52.9) ×10^–30 C m. The value of the change of the dipole moment vector ^a with excitation to the Franck-Condon state and the value of the vector _e^FC for FCR and FME are practically independent on the solvent polarity. From this point of view and due to large values of the dipole moments FCR and FME are very promising probes for the investigation of the distribution of the local polarity in biological systems using site-selective excitation of the different sites. Our steady-state fluorescence studies on FME and FCR have demonstrated a high spectral sensitivity of the normal form to such solvent characteristics as polarity.     

Fluorescent probe based on proton transfer in 4′-(diethylamino)-3-hydroxyflavone: Spectral and luminescent characteristics upon selective excitation

The spectral characteristics of acetonitrile solutions of 4′-(diethylamino)-3-hydroxyflavone dye with dual fluorescence are studied under selective excitation. This dye is a structural analog of 3-hydroxyflavone and exhibits excited-state proton transfer, which, in contrast to 3-hydroxyflavone, has a thermodynamic rather than a kinetic character. The fluorescence spectra at different excitation photon energies and the excitation spectra of different fluorescence bands are studied. It is found that the intensity ratio of the normal and tautomeric fluorescence bands lying near 507 and 570 nm, respectively, depends on the excitation wavelength, namely, this ratio is 1.45 and almost does not change in the region of the main absorption band (370–420 nm), while, in the region of the second singlet band (near 280 nm), it decreases to 1.15. This can be explained by an increase in the probability of proton transfer with formation of a tautomeric form in the case of excitation into the second band. Another interesting feature is the existence of a latent third emission band peaked at 535 nm, which was found and reliably recorded upon excitation at wavelengths of 470–500 nm. Addition of water quenches this emission, which indicates that it belongs to the anionic form of the dye.     

Study on preparation and fluorescence characteristic of coordinated Eu2O3/polymer hybrid films

The cyclohexane solution of TTA (trifluorothenoyl-acetone), phen (8-hydroxylquinoline) and PS (polystyrene), the ethyl acetate solution of TTA, phen and PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate) were used as flowing liquid, the coordinated Eu₂O₃/polymer hybrid colloids were successively produced by focused pulsed laser ablation of Eu₂O₃ target in interface of solid and flowing liquid. As solvent in the hybrid colloids has volatilized, the coordinated Eu₂O₃/polymer hybrid films were obtained. The hybrid colloids and films were characterized by TEM, UV-vis spectrum, fluorescence spectrum, TG-FTIR and X-ray photoelectron spectrum. The results show the coordinated Eu₂O₃ nanoparticles with average size of less than 20 nm are surrounded by the three-dimensional network and are properly incorporated into the PMMA and PS matrix, the hybrid films can emit intense red light under ultraviolet radiation, and their emission fluorescence spectra display same characteristic emission peaks of Eu³⁺ ions. The Eu₂O₃ hybrid films have better thermo stability than the related pure polymers because of strong interaction between surface europium ions of the nanoparticles and polymer. Because the coordinated Eu₂O₃ nanoparticles were wrapped by polymer, they have higher chemical stability than the related europium complex.