Quantum-chemical investigation of the distribution of the electron density in asymmetric polymethine dyes

It has been shown with the use of the HMO, PPP, and CNDO/2 approximations that the distribution of the electron density in asymmetric polymethine dyes at the ends of the polymethine chain is determined mainly by the electron-donor ability of the nearby terminal groups, whereas in the middle their influence becomes weaker as the chain becomes longer. The asymmetry of the dyes causes a decrease in the alternation of the charges on the atoms and an increase in the alternation of the bond populations. These phenomena are most clearly displayed in the SCF approximations, which always emphasize alternation. The closer are the electron-donor properties of the terminal groups and the longer is the polymethine chain, the smaller is the difference in the distribution of the electron density near the terminal residues in asymmetric and symmetric dyes.Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Éksperimental'naya Khimiya, Vol. 22, No. 3, pp. 347–351, May–June, 1986.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">meso</Emphasis>-substituted polymethine dyes as efficient spectral and fluorescent probes for biomacromolecules

It is shown that meso-substituted polymethine dyes are promising spectral and fluorescent probes for biomacromolecules. Some dyes are recommended for application in real biological objects and were used for analysis of extracellular media of the eye.     

Study of protein coatings cross-linked via the free-radical mechanism on magnetic nanoparticles by the method of spectral and fluorescent probes

Magnetite nanoparticles have been obtained with stable coatings formed from bovine and human serum albumins. The coatings are fixed by free-radical cross-linking of the proteins with the use of their ability to form interchain covalent bonds under the action of free radicals, which are generated with participation of transition metals present on nanoparticle surface. The method of spectral and fluorescent probes has been employed for the first time to describe the properties of coatings with the use of various dyes. It has been shown that, when studying the adsorption and free-radical cross-linking of proteins on nanoparticles, it is reasonable to use polymethine and squarylium dyes for estimating the functional properties of the proteins forming the coatings. It has been found that as many as 50% of molecules forming an albumin coating crosslinked via the free-radical mechanism retain their capability of bonding to a fluorescent dye. It has been concluded that the proteins occurring in the structure of the coatings retain their functional properties.     

Thiapyrylocyanines

The reaction of thiaflavones with methylmagnesium iodide has yielded 4-methylthiaflavylium salts, from which a number of symmetrical and unsymmetrical polymethine dyes have been obtained. The thiaflavylocyanines have considerably deeper colors than the flavylocyanines. The thiaflavylium styryl dyes, like the flavylium analogs, have negative deviations. It follows from the results on the deviations that in the polymethine dyes the thiaflavylium nucleus behaves as less basic than the flavylium nucleus.     

Structure and fluorescence properties of indole cyanine and merocyanine dyes with partially locked polymethine chain

The fluorescent properties of a series of symmetric cationic cyanine dyes and merocyanines with trimethylene bridge connecting N-atom of the indole residue with α-position of the polymethine chain have been explored in detail. It is shown that the constraining group influences their fluorescent properties both by steric and electronic effects. It revealed an essential decrease of the fluorescence quantum yields of the constrained symmetric cyanine dyes in comparison with those of their analogues without bridge group in their chromophore. This effect diminishes essentially at polymethine chain lengthening. In the case of merocyanines the bridge group can cause a decrease as well a substantial increase of their fluorescence quantum yields depending on their type of solvatochromism and solvent polarity. The conclusions made on the basis of the experimental data are in good agreement with the results of semiempirical quantum-chemical calculations.     

Formation of frontier orbitals and the nature of electron transitions in dication-polyenes,analogs of cyanine dyes

By spectral and quantum chemical methods the nature of the electron transitions in three types of linear conjugated compounds including polyenes, their dications, and polymethine cations containing indolenine and 2,6-diphenylthiopyrylium residues as terminal groups were studied. It was shown that in going from neutral molecules to polymethine cations and polyene-dications a regular downward shift of the energy gap occurred and the decrease in interaction of orbitals of the terminal donor residues. Due to that the electron transitions in polyene dications are degenerate and have high energy in contrast to the deeply colored dications of polymethine dyes.     

Mass spectrometry of polymethine dyes

The mass spectra of some unsubstituted (in the heteroresidues and polymethine chain) thiacarbo- and polycarbocyanines were investigated. It was ascertained that the first act of disintegration of the dye molecules is splitting out of an alkyl halide ion to give an anhydro base ion. Some regularities between the structure of the dyes and the fragmentation of the anhydro ions obtained from them are exposed. The peculiarities of the dissociative ionization of the dye molecules as the polymethine chain is lengthened are shown.     

Effect of electron-donating ability of terminal groups of cationic polymethine dyes on thermal polymerization of methyl methacrylate in solution

Thermal polymerizability of methyl methacrylate solution was examined in dimethylformamide in the presence of cationic symmetric and asymmetric polymethine dyes with different terminal electron-donating groups by dilatometric method. It was found that the polymethine dyes according to the electronic structure can initiate or inhibit the polymerization of methyl methacrylate both in the presence of standard initiator, azoisobutyronitrile, and in its absence by a radical mechanism. It was shown that the initiating ability was weakened with altering an electron-donating activating ability of terminal groups of dyes from the average level in both directions of its increasing or decreasing. The transition from symmetric to asymmetric dyes in the same structural type is accompanied by a loss of initiating ability. Based on the comparison of experimental kinetic data of polymerization of methyl methacrylate in the presence of dyes and quantum chemical calculations of electronic structure for dyes it was demonstrated that a HOMO energy value of an initiating dye must be higher and that of an inhibiting dye, lower than the methyl methacrylate value.     

Principles of molecular design of binuclear polymethine systems

The electronic nature of reaction centers of reactants in the formation of polymethine compounds has been analyzed, and it has been established that the polymethine structures, depending on the combination of parity of the external polymethine chain and the signs of the electron-donor strength of the terminal heterocyclic nuclei, can be divided into two classes: classical polymethine dyes and generalized Hünig systems. In the generalized Hünig systems, the dependence of the charge distribution and bond orders in the polymethine chain on the difference in basicities of the terminal nuclei should be the opposite of the known relationships in a number of classical polymethine dyes.Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Éksperimental'naya Khimiya, Vol. 26, No. 3, pp. 307–314, May–June, 1990.     

Deeply colored anionic polymethine dyes derived from bis(2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5-octafluoropentyl) 9 H-fluorene-2,7-disulfonate

Anionic symmetric polymethine dyes have been synthesized based on bis(2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5-octafluoropentyl) 9H-fluorene-2,7-disulfonate, which exhibit intensive absorption in the near IR region of the spectrum: pentamethine with an open polymethine chain (⋉_max = 790 nm) and nonamethine with six- and five-membered saturated rings at δ-positions of the chain (@#@ ⋉_max = 1044 and 1086 nm, respectively). To make comparisons, anionic dyes with analogous structure of the polymethine chain, viz., 1,3-dimethylbarbituric and 1,3-diethylthiobarbituric acid derivatives, have been also synthesized. Quantum chemical analysis of the electron structure of the dyes has been performed. Their solvatochromism in polar solvents depends weakly on electrophilicity and nucleophilicity of the medium and is primarily determined by universal interactions. This is the reason that they, in contrast to cationic dyes, retain a high selectivity of absorption (sharp absorption bands) and universal contour of electronic bands in strong polar solvents even with the long polymethine chain. Special solvatochromic effects of the anionic dyes in weakly polar media have been revealed and interpreted. The role of a counterion in these effects has been analyzed.     

Selenonaphtheno[2,3-d]thiazole derivatives as polymethine dyes

New polymethine dyes — selenonaphtheno[2,3-d]thiazole derivatives — were synthesized. It is shown that all of the synthesized dyes which have a selenonaphtheno[2,3-d]thiazole residue are more deeply colored than the corresponding 6,7-benzobenzothiazole and thionaphtheno[2,3-d] thiazole derivatives.Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 4, pp. 459–461, April, 1971.     

Spiro-Azoles Thiazolidinone in the Synthesis of Polymethine Cyanine Dyes

A series of some spiro azoles (pyrazolone, oxazolone, and/or imidazolone) inconjucton with heterocyclic thiazolidinone derivatives were prepared as starting materials in the synthesis of polymethine cyanine dyes. Reaction of spiro 2-formyl (oxime) azoles thiazolidinone derivatives with equi- and/or molar ratios of 2(4)-methyl substituted heterocyclic quaternary salts afforded the corresponding compound pentamethine, aza-mero cyanine, and azapentamethine cyanine dyes respectively. Elemental analyses, IR, 1 H-NMR, and mass-spectra identified the new spiro heterocyclic compounds and polymethine cyanine dyes. The visible absorption spectra of all new polymethine cyanine dyes were investigated.     

Effective length of benzannellated terminal groups in polymethine dyes

The effect of benzannellation on the effective length of the terminal groups was studied by the method of asymptotic nonbonding MOs in the approximation of dyes with an extremely long polymethine chain. Both alternant and nonalternant conjugated hydrocarbon systems were examined. The variation of the effective length in relation to the number of added benzene rings was investigated. It was shown that the effect of annellation can be assessed by using the concept of equivalent terminal groups and the theory of perturbations in the asymptotic nonbonding MOs of polymethine dyes. Examples of the extension of the obtained relationships to heterocyclic terminal groups are given. The proposed approach makes it possible to interpret the cases where benzannelation is accompanied by a hypsochromic effect.Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Eksperimental'naya Khimiya, Vol. 26, No. 2, pp. 142–148, March–April, 1990.     

Shape and localization of soliton waves in the triplet excited state of polymethine dyes

A quantum-chemical study was carried out on the shape and localization of solitons in polymethine dyes in the triplet excited state. The transition of ions of polymethine dyes to this state was shown to give rise to two-component electron density waves of opposite spin being in the opposite phase and, as a result, waves of alternating spin density appear as well as bond length waves with three minima. Two of these minima are linked to separate components of electron density soliton waves, while the third minimum localized in the center of the conjugation chain corresponds to a soliton wave of the total charge. It was established that the soliton waves are asymmetric due to a different number of electrons with spin and spin , especially in ions with a short chain. The introduction of terminal groups enhances the asymmetry and this effect depends significantly on the type of terminal group.     

Reaction of 3-formylchromone with methyl- and methylene-active azocycles

The reaction of 3-formylchromone with quaternary salts of nitrogen heterocycles containing active methyl or methylene groups was investigated. It is shown that the compounds obtained can be used in the synthesis of merocyanine dyes containing an o-hydroxybenzoyl substituent in the polymethine chain. Dicarbocyanines with such a substituent were not isolated, evidently because of the high electrophilicity of the polymethine chain and the ease of formation of a six-membered heteroring.Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 9, pp. 1271–1275, September, 1990.     

Synthesis of thiapenta- and thiahexacarbocyanine dyes from alkoxy-substituted polymethine salts with dimethylamine residues

The possibility of the use of alkoxypolymethine salts with dimethylamine residues to obtain thiapenta- and thiahexacarbocyanine dyes is demonstrated. The synthesis of a number of meso-alkoxythiapentacarbocyanines that contain various condensed rings in the 12 and 14 positions of the polymethine chain was realized, and their photographic properties were investigated. It was established that the dyes obtained are effective infrachromatic sensitizers. The electronic absorption spectra of the synthesized compounds were measured.Deceased.Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 12, pp. 1631–1636, December, 1981.     

Ratiometric analysis of fluorescence lifetime for probing binding sites in albumin with near-infrared fluorescent molecular probes

A number of diseases have been linked to abnormal conformation of albumin, a major extracellular protein in blood. Current protein structural analysis requires pure isolated samples, thereby limiting their use for albumin analysis in blood. In this study, we report a new approach for high-throughput structure-related analysis of albumin by using the fluorescence lifetime properties of near-infrared (NIR) polymethine dyes. Based on molecular modeling, polymethine dyes are bound to two binding sites with different polarities on albumin. As a result, an NIR molecular probe exhibits two distinct lifetimes with two corresponding fluorescent fractional contributions. The distribution of fractional contributions along with individual fluorescence lifetimes represents unique parameters for characterizing albumin architecture by ratiometric analysis. After screening a small library of NIR polymethine dyes, we identified and used a polymethine dye with optimal fluorescence lifetime properties to assess structure-related differences in commercially available bovine serum albumin as model systems. The results show that changes in the lifetime of NIR dyes reflect the perturbation of the tertiary structures of albumin and that albumin prepared by different methods has slightly altered tertiary structures. Because of the reduced absorption of light by blood in the NIR region, the method developed can be used to determine structural changes in albumin in whole blood without prior isolation of the pure protein.     

Fluorescence lifetime properties of near-infrared cyanine dyes in relation to their structures

Structurally diverse near-infrared (NIR) absorbing polymethine dyes were prepared and their fluorescence lifetimes (FLT) were evaluated in relation to their structural features. Comparative FLT analysis based on the modification of methine chain length and heterocyclic system showed that indolium or benzo[e]indolium heptamethine dyes exhibited longer FLT than the benzo[c,d]indolium trimethine dye. Modification of heterocyclic system alone with an intact chain length showed that indolium-based heptamethine dyes showed approximately 30% longer FLT than the benzo[e]indolium-based dyes. In general, the FLT of polymethine dyes increased from polar to non-polar solvents. In addition, correlation study between the theoretical and the experimental FLT for indocyanine green (ICG) suggests that the lack of structural rigidity for these cyanine dyes is primarily responsible for the loss of the excited state energy via non-radiative pathway.     

Polymethine dyes — julolidine derivatives

It is shown that 9-formyljulolidine reacts with phosphorus oxychloride with splitting out of the formyl group to give a symmetrical diphenylmethane dye. A comparison of data from the absorption spectra of polymethine dyes that are derivatives of dimethylaniline and julolidine indicates that the latter has greater electron-donor character.Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 4, pp. 450–452, April, 1982.     

Photoinduced electron transfer in ion pairs of cation-anion polymethine dyes

Photoinduced electron transfer in ion pairs of cation-anion polymethine dyes was studied by flash photolysis. The formation of radicals, which are the products of photoinduced transfer of an electron from an anion to a cation in the ion pairs, was observed during photoexcitation of a number of cation-anion dyes in nonpolar and some weakly polar solvents (in particular, in toluene and chloroform). Photoinduced electron transfer is also observed during triplet sensitization of ion pairs of the cation-anion dyes. The redox potentials of the cations and anions constituting the dyes were measured; the radical yields were compared with the free energies of photoinduced electron transfer. Photoinduced electron transfer in the systems under study was compared with similar process in cyanineborate ion pairs.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 5, pp. 878–884, May, 1995.The authors thank I. Ya. Levitin for help in measuring redox potentials.This work was financially supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (Project No. 93-03-4217).