SPECTRAL ANALYSES OF LOW LEVEL CHEMILUMINESCENCE OF A SHORT LIFETIME USING A HIGHLY SENSITIVE POLYCHROMATIC SPECTROMETER INCORPORATING A TWO DIMENSIONAL PHOTON-COUNTING TYPE DETECTOR

Abstract— Spectral analyses of low level chemiluminescence were carried out by using a newly developed polychromatic spectrometer in which a diffracted photon emission was detected simultaneously using a two dimensional photon-counting device. The spectrometer was sensitive in the 400–800 nm wavelength range. Low level chemiluminescence generated in a 1 nM luminol solution could be detected as a spectrum, showing a peak at 430 nm. Short lifetime photon emission from singlet oxygen showed only two peaks at around 630 and 700 nm in this highly time-resolved spectroscopy. Lipid peroxidation of linoleic acid by the lipoxygenase emitted a low intensity peak centered at 440 nm, but singlet oxygen emission arising from the decomposition of lipid peroxide was not observed. An injured cotyledon of a soybean seedling gave a broad emission centered at 725 nm in the absence of hydrogen peroxide, while in its presence a different emission peak appeared at a shorter wavelength (515 nm). Oxygenated, fluorescent components in the soybean seedling may be the emitting species. Singlet oxygen and triplet carbonyl groups were shown to be unlikely sources of the emission.     

THE PEROXIDASE/OXIDASE ACTIVITY OF SOYBEAN LIPOXYGENASE – II. TRIPLET CARBONYLS AND RED PHOTOEMISSION DURING POLYUNSATURATED FATTY ACID AND GLUTATHIONE OXIDATION

During the aerobic reaction of soybean lipoxygenase with polyunsaturated fatty acids (linoleic, linolenic, and arachidonic acid) oxygen uptake is followed by excited carbonyl photoemission. The chemiluminescence yield of phi cl = 10(-10) photons/O2 molecule consumed is enhanced 2-3 orders of magnitude by the carbonyl sensitizers 9,10-dibromo-anthracene-2-sulfonate (kET tau 0 = 10(4) M-1; phi cl = 10(-8) photons/O2) and chlorophyll-a (kET tau 0 = 10(6) M-1; phi cl = 10(-7) photons/O2), respectively. alpha,beta-Saturated triplet excited carbonyls as from 1,2-dioxetane cleavage are discussed to arise from a secondary peroxidase/oxidase reaction with aldehydes formed in the course of enzymic lipid peroxidation. When 1 mM glutathione is added to the aerobic lipoxygenase/arachidonate reaction, carbonyl emission (375-455 nm) is replaced by intense red bands (630-645 nm and 695-715 nm) resembling the characteristic spectrum of (1 delta g)O2-singlet oxygen dimol-emission. The quantum yield (phi cl = 10(-8) photons/O2) remains unaffected by chlorophyll indicating that the red emission is independent of excited carbonyls. The effect of GSH is attributed to dioxetane interception and subsequent glutathione peroxidation generating 1O2 by electron transfer from the superoxide anion radical to a peroxysulfenyl radical.     

ON THE ORIGIN OF LASER-SPECIFIC LUMINESCENCE UPON PULSED-LASER EXCITATION OF BENZOPHENONES IN FREONS†

–Excimer laser excitation (308 nm) of benzophenone in Freon-113, as well as in Freon-11, results in an intense emission with λ_max at approx. 530 nm in addition to triplet phosphorescence. This emission is shown to result from an excited free radical bearing the diphenylmethylene moiety which is generated in a two-photon process and which luminesces upon sensitization by the benzophenone triplet. On the basis of its spectroscopic properties and the chemical nature of the system, it is suggested that the fluorescer in this system may be the hypochlorite radical, Ph₂COCl.     

FLUORESCENT POLYENE ALIPHATICS AS SPECTROSCOPIC AND MECHANISTIC PROBES FOR BACTERIAL LUCIFERASE: EVIDENCE AGAINST CARBONYL PRODUCT FROM ALDEHYDE AS THE PRIMARY EXCITED SPECIES

The fluorescent α-parinaric acid (α-PAC) and β-parinaric acid (β-PAC) were converted to the corresponding aldehydes and alcohols all of which exhibited absorption and fluorescence properties closely resembling those of the parent acids. α-PAC and β-PAC each binds to luciferase in competition with aldehyde. The hydrophobic nature of the aldehyde site was indicated by the enhanced fluorescence quantum yields of the bound α-PAC and β-PAC. These two polyene acids and the β-parinaryl alcohol were shown to stabilize the luciferase flavin-peroxide intermediate. α-Parinaraldehyde (α-PAD) and bt-parinaraldehyde (β-PAD) were active substrates for Vibrio harveyi and Vibrio fischeri luciferases and, for the former enzyme, exhibited K_m, values similar to and quantum yields about20–30% as those for decanal and dodecanal. For the V. harveyi luciferase with reduced FMN as a co-substrate, the α-PAD- or β-PAD-initiated luminescence was indistinguishable from the normal emission obtained with octanal (γ_max 495 nm) showing no additional 430-nm component correlatable with emission from excited α-PAC or β-PAC. In reactions using reduced 2-thioFMN for V. harveyi luciferase or reduced FMN for V. fischeri luciferase plus yellow fluorescent protein, the replacement of octanal by β-PAD again resulted in no additional 430-nm emission. The lack of any emission correlatable with excited α-PAC, β-PAC, or equivalent carbonyl product was not due to the quenching of the polyene moiety by chemical transformation, binding to luciferase, or a 100% energy transfer to the flavin 4a-hydroxide emitter. These results strongly favor singlet state of flavin 4a-hydroxide rather than singlet or triplet carbonyl product from aldehyde as the primary excited species in the normal luciferase reaction in the absence of any additional fluorescent protein.     

The first observation of the effect of dendritic structure to produce the triplet excited state of the core stilbene by dendron excitation

We report that both singlet and triplet energy transfers in stilbene-cored benzophenone dendrimers (trans-BPST) took place quite efficiently. On excitation (290 nm) of stilbene group, the intramolecular singlet energy transfer from the excited core stilbene to the benzophenone part (99.7%) was confirmed by quenching of the fluorescence from the core stilbene. The benzophenone in the excited singlet state is known to undergo intersystem crossing to give its excited triplet state quantitatively. However, the very weak phosphorescence from benzophenone part in trans-BPST was observed even at 77 K. The phosphorescence intensity of trans-BPST is only 1% of that of model compound (4-methylbenzophenone) at 77 K. During the irradiation, the absorption spectra also changed due to the trans-cis isomerization. This is probably due to the ultrafast triplet energy transfer from the benzophenone to produce the triplet state stilbene.     

A novel sensitized chemiluminescence: Infrared emissions from thiazine dyes sensitized by singlet oxygen

An unusual infrared chemiluminescence emission (8130Å) of methylene blue, and other thiazine dyes, sensitized by singlet molecular oxygen is reported. This chemiluminescence does not correspond to the ordinary fluorescence of the dye and cannot be explained by previously proposed mechanisms for singlet oxygen sensitized emissions of dyes. From energetic considerations singlet molecular oxygen in its ¹Σ_g⁺ state is postulated as the sensitizing agent for the thiazine dye chemiluminescences. Schemes in which ¹Σ_g⁺ oxygen transfers electronic excitation energy (a) to the lowest triplet state of the dye, (b) to a combined multiplicity state of the lowest triplet state of the dye, and triplet molecular oxygen, or (c) to a charge-transfer state between the dye and oxygen, are compared. The chemiluminescence of methylene blue in aqueous solution may be used as a luminescent probe for ¹Σ_g⁺ oxygen.     

Photochemistry synthesis. Part 1: Syntheses of xanthine derivatives by photolysis of 1-(5′-oxohexyl)-3,7-dimethyl-3,7-dihydro-1H-purine-2,6-dione (pentoxifylline): an ambident chromophore

We investigated the use of photochemistry to make novel derivatives of pentoxifylline. Under conditions that favour singlet excited states, we obtained 1-allyl-3,7-dimethyl-3,7-dihydro-1H-purine-2,6-dione, (R^∗,R^∗)-(±)-1-{[2-hydroxy-2-methylcyclobutyl]methyl}-3,7-dimethyl-3,7-dihydro-1H-purine-2,6-dione and 1-(5-hydroxyhexyl)-3,7-dimethyl-3,7-dihydro-1H-purine-2,6-dione. Naphthalene or molecular oxygen increases the yields and triplet sensitisers (acetophenone, benzophenone and acetone) decrease the yields. Efficient intramolecular triplet energy transfer from the carbonyl to the xanthine moiety allows the carbonyl moiety to react from a singlet excited state only. In solvents with an α-hydroxyalkyl hydrogen under conditions that favour triplet excited states, we obtained 8-substituted pentoxifylline derivatives: 8-(1-hydroxy-1-methylethyl)-3,7-dimethyl-1-(5-oxohexyl)-3,7-dihydro-1H-purine-2,6-dione in isopropanol, 8-(1-hydroxymethyl)-3,7-dimethyl-1-(5-oxo-hexyl)-3,7-dihydro-1H-purine-2,6-dione in methanol and 8-(1-hydroxyethyl)-3,7-dimethyl-1-(5-oxohexyl)-3,7-dihydro-1H-purine-2,6-dione in ethanol. The xanthine moiety reacts from a triplet state via a radical mechanism and yields are considerably improved by the addition of catalytic amounts of di-tert-butyl peroxide.     

Photochemistry of abnormal nucleic acid constituents. VI. On the photochemical reaction mechanism of 6-azauracil

Abstract— The photohydration reaction of 6-azauracil has been investigated in the presence of paramagnetic ions, at different pH and in the presence of benzophenone, acetophenone and acetone as sensitizers. Paramagnetic ions inhibit photohydrate formation and there is a linear relation between the magnetic moment of the added metal ions and the half lifetime of the photoreaction. By reactivation experiments it was shown that the hydration reaction is mainly quenched. From the pH dependence of the photoreaction of 6-azauracil and its N-methyl-derivatives it follows that the properties at the N₃-atom are important. Thus, the reaction was decreased strongly if the N₃-position is protonated, while methyl substitution at the same position causes an increase. The small differences between the pKs of the ground state and the photochemical ly active state as well as the quenching experiments indicate that the triplet state is involved in the hydration reaction. Strong evidence for this was also the triplet-triplet transfer which increases in going from benzophenone to acetophenone and acetone. Thus the photochemically active state of 6-azauracil leading to hydration differs from that of uracil where the hydrate forming reaction occurs via the excited singlet state.     

ENZYMATIC GENERATION OF TRIPLET BIACETYL

Abstract The horseradish peroxidase-catalyzed aerobic oxidation of 3-methylacetoacetone yields biacetyl, partly in the electronically excited triplet state. This is indicated by the chemiluminescence spectrum, which corresponds to the phosphorescence spectrum of biacetyl, by the time course of the chemiluminescence emission which accompanies oxygen depletion, and by quenching studies with the sorbate ion.     

Density functional theory study of 1,2‐dioxetanone decomposition in condensed phase

The decomposition of 1,2‐dioxetanone into a CO₂ molecule and into an excited state formaldehyde molecule was studied in condensed phase, using a density functional theory approach. Singlet and triplet ground and excited states were all included in the calculations. The calculations revealed a novel mechanism for the chemiluminescence of this compound. The triplet excitation can be explained by two intersystem crossings (ISCs) with the ground state, while the singlet excitation can be accounted by an ISC with the triplet state. The experimentally verified small excitation yield can then be explained by the presence of an energy barrier present in the potential energy surface of the triplet excited state, which will govern both triplet and singlet excitation. It was also found that the triplet ground state interacts with both the triplet excited and singlet ground states. A MPWB1K/mPWKCIS approach provided results in agreement with the existent literature. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Oxygen Quenching of nπ* Triplet Phenyl Ketones: Local Excitation and Local Deactivation

We have studied the charge‐transfer‐induced deactivation of nπ* excited triplet states of benzophenone derivatives by O₂(³Σ), and the charge‐transfer‐induced deactivation of O₂(¹Δ_g) by ground‐state benzophenone derivatives in CH₂Cl₂ and CCl₄. The rate constants for both processes are described by Marcus electron‐transfer theory, and are compared with the respective data for a series of biphenyl and naphthalene derivatives, the triplet states of which have ππ* configuration. The results demonstrate that deactivation of the locally excited nπ* triplets occurs by local charge‐transfer and non‐charge‐transfer interactions of the oxygen molecule with the ketone carbonyl group. Relatively large intramolecular reorganization energies show that this quenching process involves large geometry changes in the benzophenone molecule, which are related to favorable Franck‐Condon factors for the deactivation of ketone‐oxygen complexes to the ground‐state molecules. This leads to large rate constants in the triplet channel, which are responsible for the low efficiencies of O₂(¹Δ_g) formation observed with nπ* excited ketones. Compared with the deactivation of ππ* triplets, the non‐charge‐transfer process is largely enhanced, and charge‐transfer interactions are less important. The deactivation of singlet oxygen by ground‐state benzophenone derivatives proceeds via interactions of O₂(¹Δ_g) with the Ph rings.     

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.     

Triplet state properties and triplet-state-oxygen interactions of some linear and angular furocoumarins

Linear and angular furocoumarins with conjugated external carbonyl substituents show higher triplet and singlet oxygen yields than the corresponding unsubstituted molecules. The efficiency of the oxygen quenching process to yield singlet oxygen is also higher for these substituted molecules. These changes are interpreted in terms of the "proximity effect" associated with two nearly degenerate n pi* and pi pi* excited states, and variations in the excess energy following furocoumarin triplet quenching by ground state triplet oxygen to yield singlet oxygen.     

Nonempirical Investigation of Equilibrium Geometry and Electronic Structure of Kynurenine and 3-Hydroxykynurenine Molecule

By Hartree-Fock-Roothaan method with complete geometry optimization in the basis 6-31G* ab initio calculations of equilibrium geometry and electronic structure were performed for kynurenine C₁₀H₁₂N₂O₃ and 3-hydroxykynurenine C₁₀H₁₂N₂O₃ molecules in the singlet ground state and the first triplet excited state. The molecules in the triplet state can react at the oxygen of the carbonyl group adjacent to the aromatic ring by quite different pathway compared to the molecules in the ground singlet state.     

Triplet Excited States and Singlet Oxygen Production by Analogs of Red Wine Pyranoanthocyanins

During the maturation of red wines, the anthocyanins of grapes are transformed into pyranoanthocyanins, which possess a pyranoflavylium cation as their basic chromophore. Photophysical properties of the singlet and triplet excited states of a series of synthetic pyranoflavylium cations were determined at room temperature in acetonitrile solution acidified with 0.10 mol dm^?3 trifluoroacetic acid (TFA, to inhibit competitive excited state proton transfer) and at 77 K in a rigid TFA‐acidified isopropanol glass. In solution, the triplet states of these pyranoflavylium cations are efficiently quenched by molecular oxygen, resulting in sensitized formation of singlet oxygen, as confirmed by direct detection of the triplet‐state decay by laser flash photolysis and of singlet oxygen monomol emission in the near infrared. The strong visible light absorption, the relatively small singlet‐triplet energy differences, the excited state redox potentials and the reasonably long lifetimes of pyranoflavylium triplet states in the absence of molecular oxygen suggest that they might be useful as triplet sensitizers and/or as cationic redox initiators in polar aprotic solvents like acetonitrile.     

Optical and ODMR Studies of Luminescent Halo(dimethylphenylphosphine)gold(I) Crystals

Crystals of {(Me(2)PhP)AuX}(n) (Me = methyl; Ph = phenyl; X = Cl, Br, I; n = 2, 3) show emission from two excited states. Both states are assigned a triplet multiplicity, on the basis of their lifetimes and zero-field splittings. The structured, higher energy emission originates at approximately 360 nm and has the greater relative intensity at low temperatures. It is assigned as intraligand phosphorescence from a phenyl-localized (3)pipi state. The unstructured, lower energy emission has a peak wavelength that varies in the range 630-730 nm. It is assigned as phosphorescence from the triplet state due to the gold-based sigma(p) <-- sigma(s,d) excitation. The corresponding singlet state is observed at 290-310 nm. The results of SCF-Xalpha-SW calculations on the model complexes H(3)PAuX and (H(3)PAuX)(2) are also presented.     

Photopolymerization of 7,7′-coumarinyl polymethylene dicarboxylates: Fluorescence and kinetic study

All eight 7,7′-(4-methylcoumarinyl) polymethylene dicarboxylates (3, 4) containing terminal photoreactive coumarin chromophores show strong fluorescence intensities at room temperature in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and CH₂Cl₂. After irradiation with 350 nm light for 2 h, the fluorescence characteristics of the dicarboxylates reveal their photopolymerization paths. On irradiation of the unsubstituted dicarboxylates (3) in DMSO, singlet excited state excimers are formed, leading to syn head-to-head coumarin dimer configuration. However, for all dicarboxylates in CH₂Cl₂, the dimerization of the coumarin chromophore proceeds via a triplet excited state in the presence of benzophenone to form the anti-configuration photoproducts. Further confirmations of the reaction mechanism are made by kinetic studies. At high concentration, photopolymerization of 7,7′-(4-methylcoumarinyl) polymethylene dicarboxylate (4c) obeys zero-order and first-order kinetics for coumarin chromophore and benzophenone, respectively. This is a powerful proof of the proposed mechanism of a triplet excited state reaction. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35 : 2999–3008, 1997     

Chemiluminescence upon Photooxidation of 4,4"-Diazidodiphenyl with Molecular Oxygen

It was found that irradiation of the solution of 4,4"-diazidodiphenyl in ethyl alcohol with UV-light at a wavelength longer than 280 nm in the presence of dissolved oxygen resulted in appearance of post-luminescence. The luminescence intensity increases with increasing the oxygen concentration; the luminescence virtually disappears after purging the solution with argon. The observed emission of light was attributed to chemiluminescence of the products of photooxidation of 4,4"-diazidodiphenyl. The rate dependence of the afterglow shows two maxima. The first is observed immediately after cessation of the UV irradiation of the solution and its transfer to a photometric cell. The intensity of the corresponding chemiluminescence decreases by an exponential law with _e= 5 s. The second maximum appears after a certain time interval after the first one. Addition of a triplet sensitizer (Michler's ketone) to the reaction mixture results in quenching of the chemiluminescence from the photooxidation products, whereas the addition of substances that stabilize electrophilic species in the singlet state leads to an increase in the chemiluminescence intensity. It was suggested that the chemiluminescence resulted from reactions involving the singlet nitrene adduct with oxygen.     

Two-step photoactivation of hematoporphyrin by excimer-pumped dye-laser pulses

The selective excitation of high lying singlet or triplet states of hematoporphyrin has been achieved using high peak-power nanosecond pulses generated by excimer-pumped dye lasers. The interaction involves two steps: a pulse at 630 nm raises the molecules to the S1 state and a second one, at 481 nm, further excites them either to a higher singlet state if shed simultaneously or to a triplet state higher in energy than T1 if it arrives delayed with respect to the pulse at 630 nm by a time interval longer than the S1 lifetime. Photodegradation of L-tryptophan (100 microM in 30vol.%methanol-70vol.% buffer, pH 7.4) sensitized by 21 microM hematoporphyrin is reported. While a pure type-II mechanism, which obeys the time-intensity reciprocity law up to peak-intensity values of about 20 MW cm-2, is photosensitized by pulses at 630 nm, strong non-linearities are found for pulsed irradiation at both 630 nm and 481 nm, i.e. when the sensitizer is pumped to high lying singlet states and when it is pumped to high lying triplet states. The dependence of the subsequent reactions on the presence of oxygen and their competition with the photodynamic action has been investigated; in particular, a pathway was observed in which an electron was photoejected from a hematoporphyrin high energy triplet, showing maximum efficiency when the pulses were delayed by 16.4 ns.     

PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTIONS OF AROMATIC KETONES WITH NUCLEIC ACIDS AND THEIR COMPONENTS I—. PURINE AND PYRIMIDINE BASES AND NUCLEOSIDES*.

Abstract— The photochemical reactions of benzophenone and acetophenone with purine and pyrimidine derivatives in aqueous solutions have been investigated by flash photolysis and steady-state experiments. Upon excitation of these two ketones in aqueous solutions, two transient species are observed: molecules in their triplet state and ketyl radicals. The triplet state lifetimes are 65 μsec for benzophenone and 125 μsec for acetophenone. The ketyl radicals disappear by a second order reaction, controlled by diffusion. In the presence of pyrimidine derivatives, the triplet state is quenched and the ketyl radical concentration is decreased without any change in its kinetics of disappearance. Ketone molecules in their triplet state react with purine derivatives leading to an increase in the yield of ketyl radicals due to H-atom abstraction from the purines. Steady-state experiments show that benzophenone and acetophenone irradiated in aqueous solution at wavelengths longer than 290 nm undergo photochemical reactions. The rate of these photochemical reactions is increased in the presence of pyrimidine derivatives and even more in the presence of purine derivatives. Following energy transfer from the triplet state of benzophenone to diketopyrimidines, cyclobutane dimers are formed. The energy transfer rate decreases in the order orotic acid > thymine > uracil. Benzophenone molecules in their triplet state can also react chemically with pyrimidine derivatives to give addition photoproducts. All these results are discussed with respect to photosensitized reactions in nucleic acids involving ketones as sensitizers.