Resonance hyper-Raman excitation profiles and two-photon states of a donor-acceptor substituted polyene

Resonance Raman and resonance hyper-Raman spectra and excitation profiles have been measured for a "push-pull" donor-acceptor substituted conjugated polyene bearing a julolidine donor group and a nitrophenyl acceptor group, in acetone at excitation wavelengths from 485 to 356 nm (two-photon wavelengths for the nonlinear spectra). These wavelengths span the strong visible to near-UV linear absorption spectrum, which appears to involve at least three different electronic transitions. The relative intensities of different vibrational bands vary considerably across the excitation spectrum, with the hyper-Raman spectra showing greater variation than the linear Raman. A previously derived theory of resonance hyper-Raman intensities is modified to include contributions from purely vibrational levels of the ground electronic state as intermediate states in the two-photon absorption process. These contributions are found to have only a slight effect on the hyper-Rayleigh intensities and profiles, but they significantly influence some of the hyper-Raman profiles. The absorption spectrum and the Raman, hyper-Rayleigh, and hyper-Raman excitation profiles are quantitatively simulated under the assumption that three excited electronic states contribute to the one- and two-photon absorption in this region. The transition centered near 400 nm is largely localized on the nitrophenyl group, while the transitions near 475 and 355 nm are more delocalized.     

Tunable resonance hyper-Raman spectroscopy of second-order nonlinear optical chromophores

Two-photon-resonant hyper-Raman spectra are reported for three "push-pull" conjugated organic chromophores bearing -NO(2) acceptor groups, two dipolar and one octupolar. The excitation source is an unamplified picosecond mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser tunable from 720 to 950 nm. The linear resonance Raman spectra of the same molecules are measured using excitation from the laser second harmonic. Excitation on resonance with the lowest-lying band in the linear absorption spectrum yields nearly identical resonance Raman and resonance hyper-Raman spectra. However, excitation into a region that appears to contain more than one electronic transition gives rise to different intensity patterns in the linear and nonlinear spectra, indicating that different transitions contribute differently to the one-photon and two-photon oscillator strength. The promise of the hyper-Raman technique for examining electronic transitions that are both one- and two-photon allowed is discussed.     

Resonance hyper-Raman scattering from conjugated organic donor-acceptor "push-pull" chromophores with large first hyperpolarizabilities

Resonance hyper-Raman spectra have been obtained using 1064 nm excitation for several electron donor-acceptor-substituted, pi-conjugated "push-pull" molecules that have large second harmonic hyperpolarizabilities. The hyper-Raman spectra are nearly identical to the resonance Raman spectra measured with 532 nm excitation. This indicates that both the second harmonic hyperpolarizability and the linear absorption are dominated by the same, single electronic transition that is both one- and two-photon allowed. Comparison of resonance Raman and resonance hyper-Raman spectra is proposed as an experimental test of the common two-electronic-state model for the first hyperpolarizability.     

Solvent effects on resonant first hyperpolarizabilities and Raman and hyper-Raman spectra of DANS and a water-soluble analog

The two-photon-resonant first hyperpolarizabilities associated with hyper-Rayleigh and hyper-Raman scattering are reported for 4-dimethylamino-4-nitrostilbene in 1,4-dioxane, dichloromethane, acetonitrile, and methanol, and for an ionic analog, 4-N,N-bis(6-(N,N,N-trimethylammonium)-hexyl)amino-4-nitrostilbene dibromide in methanol and water. Resonance Raman and hyper-Raman excitation profiles are also measured and modeled. The resonance Raman and hyper-Raman spectra show very similar relative intensities which do not vary much as the excitation frequency is tuned across the lowest-energy strong linear absorption band, suggesting that a single resonant electronic state dominates the one- and two-photon absorptions in this region. The absorption, resonance Raman, and hyper-Raman profiles can be simulated reasonably well with a common set of parameters. The peak resonant (absolute value of beta)2, measured by hyper-Rayleigh scattering, varies by about 50% over the range of solvents examined and shows a weak correlation with the linear absorption maximum, with the redder-absorbing systems exhibiting larger peak hyperpolarizabilities. The experimental hyper-Rayleigh intensities are higher than those calculated, possibly reflecting contributions from nonresonant electronic states.     

Resonance hyper-Raman spectra of zinc phthalocyanine

Hyper-Raman spectra were obtained for zinc phthalocyanine in a dilute pyridine solution at excitation wavelengths that are two-photon resonant with the one-photon-allowed B band (360-380 nm) as well as with the two-photon absorption near 440 nm reported by Drobizhev et al. ( J. Chem. Phys. 2006, 124, 224701 ). In both regions, the hyper-Raman spectra were very different from the linear resonance Raman spectra at the corresponding excitation frequencies. While the resonance Raman spectra show only g symmetry modes, almost all of the hyper-Raman frequencies can be assigned as fundamentals of E u symmetry that also are observed in the infrared absorption spectrum or E u symmetry combination bands. These results contrast sharply with previous observations of highly noncentrosymmetric push-pull conjugated molecules and are consistent with a structure for phthalocyanine in solution that is centrosymmetric or nearly so. The hyper-Raman spectra show different intensity patterns in the two excitation regions, consistent with different Franck-Condon and/or vibronic coupling matrix elements for the different resonant states.     

Hyper-Rayleigh and hyper-Raman scatterings with intermediate and two-photon resonances

The normally weak process of hyper-Raman scattering can be greatly enhanced when the excitation is two photon resonant with an electronic transition that is both one and two photon allowed. It might be expected to be further enhanced when a one-photon allowed transition provides an intermediate state resonance in the two-photon excitation step. The theory of this triply resonant process is developed for organic nonlinear chromophores. Experimental results are obtained for one donor-acceptor substituted push-pull chromophore in which the energy of the strongly allowed lowest-lying one-photon state may be tuned by varying the solvent without substantially affecting the two-photon resonant transition. Surprisingly, bringing the one-photon allowed state into resonance does not significantly increase the hyper-Rayleigh or hyper-Raman hyperpolarizabilities. Analysis of the resonance Raman, hyper-Rayleigh, and hyper-Raman profiles suggests that the triply resonant path does not make the dominant contribution to the hyperpolarizability in this system.     

Solvent effects on the resonance Raman and hyper-Raman spectra and first hyperpolarizability of N,N-dipropyl-p-nitroaniline

Linear absorption spectra, resonance Raman spectra and excitation profiles, and two-photon-resonant hyper-Rayleigh and hyper-Raman scattering hyperpolarizability profiles are reported for the push-pull chromophore N,N-dipropyl-p-nitroaniline in seven solvents spanning a wide range of polarities. The absorption spectral maximum red shifts by about 2700 cm(-1), and the symmetric -NO2 stretch shifts to lower frequencies by about 11 cm(-1) from hexane to acetonitrile, indicative of significant solvent effects on both the ground and excited electronic states. The intensity patterns in the resonance Raman and hyper-Raman spectra are similar and show only a small solvent dependence except in acetonitrile, where both the Raman and hyper-Raman intensities are considerably reduced. Quantitative modeling of all four spectroscopic observables in all seven solvents reveals that the origin of this effect is an increased solvent-induced homogeneous broadening in acetonitrile. The linear absorption oscillator strength is nearly solvent-independent, and the peak resonant hyperpolarizability, beta(-2omega;omega,omega), varies by only about 15% across the wide range of solvents examined. These results suggest that the resonant two-photon absorption cross sections in this chromophore should exhibit only a weak solvent dependence.     

Spectroscopy of UO(2)Cl(4)(2)(-) in basic aluminum chloride-1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride

The optical absorption, emission, FT Raman, one-photon excitation, two-photon excitation, and luminescence lifetime measurements are reported for UO(2)Cl(4)(2)(-) in 40:60 AlCl(3)-EMIC (where EMIC identical with 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride), a room-temperature ionic liquid. Comparison of the spectra with previous results from single crystals containing UO(2)Cl(4)(2)(-) allowed the characterization of four ground-state vibrational frequencies, two excited-state vibrational frequencies, and the location of eight electronic excited-state energy levels. The vibrational frequencies and electronic energy levels are found to be consistent with the UO(2)Cl(4)(2)(-) ion. Comparison of the one-photon and two-photon excitation spectra, and the relative intensities of the transitions in the emission spectrum indicate that the center of symmetry is perturbed by an interaction with the solvent.     

UV resonance raman investigation of electronic transitions in alpha-helical and polyproline II-like conformations

UV resonance Raman (UVRR) excitation profiles and Raman depolarization ratios were measured for a 21-residue predominantly alanine peptide, AAAAA(AAARA) 3A (AP), excited between 194 and 218 nm. Excitation within the pi-->pi* electronic transitions of the amide group results in UVRR spectra dominated by amide vibrations. The Raman cross sections and excitation profiles provide information about the nature of the electronic transitions of the alpha-helix and polyproline II (PPII)-like peptide conformations. AP is known to be predominantly alpha-helical at low temperatures and to take on a PPII helix-like conformation at high temperatures. The PPII-like and alpha-helix conformations show distinctly different Raman excitation profiles. The PPII-like conformation cross sections are approximately twice those of the alpha-helix. This is due to hypochromism that results from excitonic interactions between the NV 1 transition of one amide group with higher energy electronic transitions of other amide groups, which decreases the alpha-helical NV 1 (pi-->pi*) oscillator strengths. Excitation profiles of the alpha-helix and PPII-like conformations indicate that the highest signal-to-noise Raman spectra of alpha-helix and PPII-like conformations are obtained at excitation wavelengths of 194 and 198 nm, respectively. We also see evidence of at least two electronic transitions underlying the Raman excitation profiles of both the alpha-helical and the PPII-like conformations. In addition to the well-known approximately 190 nm pi-->pi* transitions, the Raman excitation profiles and Raman depolarization ratio measurements show features between 205-207 nm, which in the alpha-helix likely results from the parallel excitonic component. The PPII-like helix appears to also undergo excitonic splitting of its pi-->pi* transition which leads to a 207 nm feature.     

Initial excited-state structural dynamics of thymine are coincident with the expected photochemical dynamics

To explore the excited-state structural dynamics of thymine, a DNA nucleobase, we measured the resonance Raman spectra of thymine in aqueous solution at wavelengths throughout the lowest-energy absorption band. Self-consistent analysis of the resulting resonance Raman excitation profiles and absorption spectrum using a time-dependent wave packet formalism yielded the excited-state structural dynamics. The photochemically relevant C=C stretching and C-H deformation vibrational modes were found to exhibit maximum resonance Raman intensity and structural change upon photoexcitation for thymine, suggesting that the initial dynamics of thymine lie along the photochemical reaction coordinate.     

On mode mixing effects in absorption-emission spectra and resonance Raman excitation profiles

The Dushinsky effect is studied in absorption and fluorescence spectra and in resonance Raman excitation profiles of totally-symmetric fundamentals, overtones and combination bands. It is demonstrated that even for strong mode mixing the absorption or emission spectrum of a strongly allowed electronic transition can be analyzed in terms of displaced harmonic oscillators, but in that case the displacement parameters for the two spectra will be quite different. If no emission spectrum can be obtained, Raman excitation profiles of combination bands provide a sensitive probe of mode mixing.     

Surface-enhanced hyper-Raman spectra and enhancement factors for three SERS chromophores. SEHRS spectra on Ag films at pulse energies below 2 pJ

Hyper-Raman scattering, the nonlinear (two-photon excited) analogue of ordinary Raman scattering, is usually considered to be a weak process that requires high-energy pulsed laser excitation. The sensitivity can be improved greatly by making use of two-photon electronic resonance and/or electromagnetic field enhancement on metal nanoparticle surfaces. Here we demonstrate that hyper-Raman spectra can be obtained from organic dyes on silver colloidal nanoparticle films at laser powers below 1 mW of average power (pulse energies below 2 pJ). These results open the door to exploiting the potential advantages of hyper-Raman scattering for analytical applications.     

Resonant Raman spectra and first molecular hyperpolarizabilities of strongly charge-transfer molecules

The effect of vibrational structure on the frequency dependence of the first molecular hyperpolarizability of two thiophene-based charge-transfer chromophores is investigated. A time domain formulation is used to express the polarizability. The new expression includes the solvent-induced inhomogeneous distribution of electronic transition frequencies as well as the effect of the motion of solvent molecules that modulates the vibrational and electronic transition frequencies of the nonlinear optical molecule on which the first molecular hyperpolarizability depends. Resonance Raman scattering and one-photon absorption spectra of the chromophores are measured. By simultaneously fitting the experimental one-photon absorption spectrum and Raman cross sections of vibrational lines derived from resonance Raman scattering to a theoretical model, important parameters needed for the calculation of the first molecular hyperpolarizability are obtained. The first molecular hyperpolarizability is calculated as a function of frequency covering both nonresonance and two-photon resonance regions. The calculated result is compared with the measured hyperpolarizability as a function of frequency of the excitation laser. The resonance Raman-based analysis is shown to account reasonably well for the dispersion of the hyperpolarizability of the two charge transfer chromophores.     

Two-photon MPI spectroscopy of alkyl iodides

The two-photon resonant multiphoton ionization (MPI) spectra of methyl iodide, methyl iodide-d₃, ethyl, propyl, and butyl iodide are reported in the 49 000-55 000 cm^?1 region. Four separate transitions to excited states labeled Δ, Π, Σ, Π in increasing energy are expected in this range which result from the excitation of an iodine 5pπ electron to the 6s molecular Rydberg orbital. Two-photon spectroscopy with its different selection rules and unique dependence on the laser polarization is shown to significantly advance the understanding of these transitions. In particular, laser polarization studies identify a state which is strongly two-photon allowed but absent in the UV absorption spectrum as the Σ state. Rotational contours indicate a large geometry change takes place in this transition. The two Π states appear strongly in both the one-and two-photon spectrum. Polarization analysis confirms their electronic symmetry assignment in addition to distinguishing vibronic bands arising from nontotally symmetric vibrations. No evidence is found for the Δ state in the multiphoton ionization spectrum, due to either a small two-photon cross section or a low probability of ionization following the initial two-photon transition. Further complications and characteristics of single laser MPI spectroscopy in the study of two-photon absorption in methyl iodide and other fundamental molecules are discussed.     

Theoretical investigation of ground and excited states of the methylene amidogene radical (H(2)CN)

The excited states and the absorption spectrum of the methylene amidogene radical are studied by high-level ab initio calculations. The multireference configuration interaction method was used in combination with different basis sets and basis set extrapolation to compute equilibrium geometries, harmonic frequencies, and excitation energies of the four lowest doublet electronic states of the title species. Potential curves and transition dipole moment functions were determined along the normal mode coordinates of the electronic ground state. These functions were employed to determine vibronic absorption spectra. The intensities of dipole forbidden but vibronically allowed transitions were calculated by explicitly evaluating integrals over the vibrational wave functions and the transition dipole functions of the involved electronic states. By this method the oscillator strengths of the dipole allowed (2)A(1)<--(2)B(2) and the dipole forbidden (2)B(1)<--(2)B(2) bands were computed. It turns out that the dipole forbidden transition is two orders of magnitude weaker than the dipole allowed one. The 0-0 excitation energies are found to be 30 256 cm(-1) for the (2)B(1) state and 34,646 cm(-1) for the (2)A(1) state. From the combined results of the excitation energies and oscillator strengths it is concluded that the experimentally observed peaks must be due to the (2)A(1) state, in contradiction to earlier assignments.     

Density functional theory and Raman spectroscopy applied to structure and vibrational mode analysis of 1,1',3,3'-tetraethyl-5,5',6,6'-tetrachloro- benzimidazolocarbocyanine iodide and its aggregate

We have measured electronic and Raman scattering spectra of 1,1',3,3'-tetraethyl-5,5',6,6'-tetrachloro-benzimidazolocarbocyanine iodide (TTBC) in various environments, and we have calculated the ground state geometric and spectroscopic properties of the TTBC cation in the gas and solution phases (e.g., bond distances, bond angles, charge distributions, and Raman vibrational frequencies) using density functional theory. Our structure calculations have shown that the ground state equilibrium structure of a cis-conformer lies ～200 cm(-1) above that of a trans-conformer and both conformers have C(2) symmetry. Calculated electronic transitions indicate that the difference between the first transitions of the two conformers is about 130 cm(-1). Raman spectral assignments of monomeric- and aggregated-TTBC cations have been aided by density functional calculations at the same level of the theory. Vibrational mode analyses of the calculated Raman spectra reveal that the observed Raman bands above 700 cm(-1) are mainly associated with the in-plane deformation of the benzimidazolo moieties, while bands below 700 cm(-1) are associated with out-of-plane deformations of the benzimidazolo moieties. We have also found that for the nonresonance excited experimental Raman spectrum of aggregated-TTBC cation, the Raman bands in the higher-frequency region are enhanced compared with those in the nonresonance spectrum of the monomeric cation. For the experimental Raman spectrum of the aggregate under resonance excitation, however, we find new Raman features below 600 cm(-1), in addition to a significantly enhanced Raman peak at 671 cm(-1) that are associated with out-of-plane distortions. Also, time-dependent density functional theory calculations suggest that the experimentally observed electronic transition at ～515 nm (i.e., 2.41 eV) in the absorption spectrum of the monomeric-TTBC cation predominantly results from the π → π? transition. Calculations are further interpreted as indicating that the observed shoulder in the absorption spectrum of TTBC in methanol at 494 nm (i.e., 2.51 eV) likely results from the ν(") = 0 → ν' = 1 transition and is not due to another electronic transition of the trans-conformer-despite the fact that measured and calculated NMR results (not provided here) support the prospect that the shoulder might be attributable to the 0-0 band of the cis-conformer.     

Resonance Raman scattering of rhodamine 6G as calculated by time-dependent density functional theory: vibronic and solvent effects

The geometries, UV-vis absorption spectra, and resonance Raman (RR) intensities have been determined for the S1 and S3 excited states of rhodamine 6G (R6G) in vacuum and ethanol by means of DFT/TDDFT methodologies with the aim of better understanding the structures and properties of the excited states. The RR spectra have been simulated from the vibronic theory of RR scattering as well as within the short-time approximation, while the solvent effects have been modeled using the polarizable continuum model. The S1 and S3 states of R6G present UV-vis absorption bands with similar vibronic structure, i.e., a shoulder at smaller wavelengths, although this shoulder is relatively more intense and more sensitive to the solvent in the case of S3. These differences are corroborated by the larger geometry relaxations upon excitation for S3 and the fact that the charge transfer of S3 is reduced in ethanol. Moreover, the differences between S1 and S3 are magnified when considering the RR spectra. On one hand, the RR spectrum of R6G in resonance with the S0 --> S1 transition presents many transitions of which the relative intensities strongly vary when the excitation wavelength gets closer to the maximum of absorption. The RR spectrum of R6G in resonance with S1 is however little influenced by the solvent. On the other hand, the RR spectrum of R6G in resonance with the S0 --> S3 transition displays only a few bands, strongly depends on the solvent, and is little affected when changing the excitation wavelength within the limits of the absorption band. As a consequence, the short-time approximation is suitable to reproduce the RR spectrum of R6G in resonance with S3 for a broad range of excitation wavelengths, whereas the vibronic theory approach is needed for describing the RR spectrum of R6G in resonance with S1 close to resonance.     

Initial excited-state structural dynamics of 2'-deoxyguanosine determined via UV resonance Raman spectroscopy

The resonance Raman spectra of 2'-deoxyguanosine, a DNA nucleoside, were measured in aqueous solution at wavelengths throughout its 260 nm absorption band. Self-consistent analysis of the resulting resonance Raman excitation profiles and absorption spectrum using a time-dependent wave packet formalism with two electronic states yielded the initial excited-state structural dynamics in both states. The vibrational modes containing the N(7)═C(8) stretching and C(8)-H bending internal coordinates were found to exhibit significant initial structural dynamics upon photoexcitation to either state and are coincident with the photochemical reaction coordinate involving the formation of the 2'-deoxyguanosine cation radical.     

Hidden electronic excited state of enhanced green fluorescent protein

Precise two-photon absorption spectra of the green fluorescent protein (GFP) and the mutants sapphire-GFP (T203I) and enhanced GFP (S65T/F64L), as well as a model compound for the chromophore, 4'-hydroxybenzylidene-2,3-dimethylimidazolinone (HBDI) were measured by multiplex two-photon absorption spectroscopy. The observed TPA bands of the anionic forms of enhanced GFP and HBDI were significantly shifted to the higher energy compared with the lowest-energy bands in one-photon absorption spectra. This result indicated the existence of a hidden electronic excited state in the vicinity of the lowest excited singlet (S1) state of the anionic form of the GFP chromophore, which is the origin of the blue shift of the two-photon absorption spectra as well as two-photon fluorescence excitation spectra.     

Experimental and theoretical study of two-photon absorption in nitrofuran derivatives: Promising compounds for photochemotherapy

We report experimental and theoretical studies of the two-photon absorption spectrum of two nitrofuran derivatives: nitrofurantoine, (1-(5-nitro-2-furfurilideneamine)-hidantoine) and quinifuryl, 2-(5(')-nitro-2(')-furanyl)ethenyl-4-{N-[4(')-(N,N-diethylamino)-1(')-methylbutyl]carbamoyl} quinoline. Both molecules are representative of a family of 5-nitrofuran-ethenyl-quinoline drugs that have been demonstrated to display high toxicity to various species of transformed cells in the dark. We determine the two-photon absorption cross-section for both compounds, from 560 to 880 nm, which present peak values of 64 GM for quinifuryl and 20 GM for nitrofurantoine (1 GM = 1×10(-50)cm(4).s.photon(-1)). Besides, theoretical calculations employing the linear and quadratic response functions were carried out at the density functional theory level to aid the interpretations of the experimental results. The theoretical results yielded oscillator strengths, two-photon transition probabilities, and transition energies, which are in good agreement with the experimental data. A higher number of allowed electronic transitions was identified for quinifuryl in comparison to nitrofurantoine by the theoretical calculations. Due to the planar structure of both compounds, the differences in the two-photon absorption cross-section values are a consequence of their distinct conjugation lengths.