Push-Pull Fluorophores Based on Imidazole-4,5-dicarbonitrile: A Comparison of Spectral Properties in Solution and Polymer Matrices

Spectral properties of novel type of fluorophores consist of a π-conjugated system end-capped with an electron-donating N,N-dimethylaminophenyl group and an electron-withdrawing imidazole-4,5-dicarbonitrile moiety were examined. An additional π-linker separating these two structural units comprises simple bond (B1P), phenyl (B2B), styryl (B3S) and ethynylphenyl (B4A) moieties. The absorption and fluorescence spectra were taken in cyclohexane, chloroform, acetonitrile, methanol and in polymer matrices such as polystyrene, poly(methyl methacrylate) and poly(vinylchloride). The longest-wavelength absorption band was observed in the range of 300 to 400 nm. Intense fluorescence with quantum yields of 0.2 to 1.0 was observed in cyclohexane, chloroform and in polymer matrices within the range of 380 to 500 nm. The fluorescence was strongly quenched in neat acetonitrile and methanol. The fluorescence lifetimes are in the range of 1–4 ns for all measured fluorophores. The large Stokes shift (4,000 to 8,000 cm⁻¹) indicates a large difference in the spatial arrangement of the chromophore in the absorbing and the emitting states. The observed fluorescence of all fluorophores in chloroform was quenched by 1-oxo-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-hydroxy piperidine by the diffusion-controlled bimolecular rate (cca 2 × 10¹⁰ L mol⁻¹ s⁻¹). Polar solvents such as acetonitrile and methanol quenched the fluorescence as well but probably via a different mechanism.     

Preparation and Spectral Characterization of Fluorescence Probes Based on 4-N,N-Dimethylamino Benzoic Acid and Sterically Hindered Amines

The adducts of simple chromophore 4-N,N-dimethylamino benzoic acid with 2,2,6,6-tetrametyl-4-hydroxy- or 4-amino-piperidine were examined as fluorescence probes (spin double sensors) to monitor radical processes. The links in the adducts were either an ester or amide group, and the sterically hindered amines were in the form of -NH, -NO? and -NOR. The spectral properties of the three related derivatives (esters or amides) were quite similar. The maxima of the absorption spectra were in the range of 295-315?nm, and the maximum of fluorescence was located in the range of 330-360?nm, depending on the polarity of the solvent. In polar solvents, a red-shifted fluorescence band at 460-475?nm was observed. The fluorescence of these derivatives was rather weak as compared to anthracene under the same conditions. The Stokes shift was large, as high as 6,000?cm(-1), indicating the formation of a twisted intra-molecular charge transfer (TICT) state. No large differences in Stokes shifts were observed in polymer matrices of poly(methyl methacrylate), polystyrene and poly(vinyl chloride). The extent of intramolecular quenching was expressed as Φ(NX)/Φ(NO) (X?=?H, NOR) and was in the range of 1-3 in solution and as high as 8 in polymer matrices. The low efficiency of intramolecular quenching limits the application of these new adducts as fluorescence probes for the monitoring of radical processes in solution but favors their application in polymer matrices.     

Novel Quadruple Fluorescence Properties of Two Benzoylthiourea Isomers

Two benzoylthiourea isomers, N-2-flurobenzoy-N'-4- (N,N-dimethyl)amidophenylthiourea (2FBDAPT) and N-4-fluro-benzoy-N'-4- (N,N-dimethyl)amidophenylthiourea (4FBDAPT) were determined by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and X-ray diffraction. It was found that intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonds played an important role in determining their conformations. Electronic spectra of the two compounds were investigated by UV absorption and steady-state fluorescence methods. The intermolecular hydrogen bond between the title compounds and methanol molecules caused the long wavelength absorption bands in methanol to weaken and vanish indeed. Quadruple fluorescence bands in ultraviolet and visible region were observed in the studied solvents upon the variable excitation wavelength. As same as Azumaya's suggestions for benzanilide (BA), F4 fluorescence bands with the maximum wavelength (λ(max)) between 546?nm and 622?nm were characteristic of TICT fluorescence. F3 bands of λ(max) from 434?nm to 483?nm were explained by the ESIPT model of the S1 state of the thiol tautomer to the S1 state of the keto tautomer. The new proposition was that F2 bands with λ(max) at about 365?nm were attributed to ESIPT from the S1 state of the thiol tautomer to the S0 state of the enol tautomer. And F1 fluorescence emissions with λ(max) at about 310?nm originated from the local S1 transitions of the enol tautomer. All experimental results were supported by MP2, CASSCF and CASPT2 quantum chemical calculations.     

Synthesis and Characterization of New Y-shaped Fluorophores with an Imidazole Core

Four new y-shaped fluorophores of 4- {4,5-[2,2'-Bis(2,4,6-trimethoxyphenyl)vinyl]-1-H-imidazole-2-yl}benzonitrile 1a, 2-phenyl-{4,5-[2,2'-Bis(2,4,6-trimethoxyphenyl)vinyl]-1-H-imidazole} 1b, 2- (9-anthryl)-{4,5-[2,2'-Bis(2,4,6-trimethoxyphenyl)vinyl] }-1-H-imidazole 1c and 2- (4-nitrophenyl) - {4,5-[2,2'-Bis(2,4,6-trimethoxyphenyl)vinyl] -1-H-imidazole 1d which bear an imidazole core, were synthesized for the first time via intermediate 1,6-Bis(2,4,6-trimethoxyphenyl)hexa-1,5-diene-3,4-dion with different aldehydes. The structures of the new derivatives were confirmed by (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR and FT-IR. The optical properties such as absorption and emission maxima, Stokes' shift and quantum yield values were investigated in solvents of toluene, tetrahydrofuran and acetonitrile. The products show intense emission maxima in the range of 440-630?nm. The imidazole derivatives exhibited excellent photostabilities.     

Kamlet-Taft and Catalan Studies of Some Novel Y-Shaped Imidazole Derivatives

Some novel Y-shaped imidazole derivatives were developed and characterized by NMR and mass spectral techniques. The photophysical properties of these imidazole derivatives were studied in several solvents. The Kamlet-Taft and Catalan’s solvent scales were found to be the most suitable for describing the solvatochromic shifts of the absorption and fluorescence emission. The adjusted coefficient representing the electron releasing ability or basicity of the solvent, C _β or C _SB has a negative value, suggesting that the absorption and fluorescence bands shift to lower energies with the increasing electron-donating ability of the solvent. This effect can be interpreted in terms of the stabilization of the resonance structures of the chromophore. The observed lower fluorescence quantum yield may be due to an increase in the non-radiative deactivation rate constant. This is attributed to the loss of planarity in the excited state provided by the non co-planarity of the cinnamaldehyde ring attached to C(2) atom of the imidazole ring. Such a geometrical change in the excited state leads to an important Stokes shift, reducing the reabsorption and reemission effects in the detected emission in highly concentrated solutions.     

Spectral features of impurity luminescence in uniaxial polymer films and nematic glasses

A study is conducted of the static shift and the splitting of the photoluminescence and electroluminescence polarized bands of uniaxial impurity molecules, embedded into uniaxial polymer films with axial or in-plane orientation of the impurity subsystem or into the vitreous phase of a nematic liquid crystal. Dependences of the band shift and the splitting on the type of alignment of impurity molecules, the polarization of transition moments in absorption and emission, and the host-impurity anisotropic interactions of different ranks are established. For both types of host matrices, characteristic features of orientational statistics of impurity molecules at a high degree of orientation ordering are studied. These features are revealed in a qualitative difference between the dependences of positions and splittings of polarized impurity fluorescence bands on the order parameter of the impurity molecules axially ordered in stretched polymer films and relevant dependences in nematic glasses. Specific features of the polarized impurity-related photoluminescence and electroluminescence in the matrices under study, observed experimentally, are interpreted.     

Synthesis, Crystal Structure, Kamlet-Taft and Catalan Solvatochromic Analysis of Novel Imidazole Derivatives

Novel imidazole derivatives were synthesized and its crystal structure has been studied by single crystal XRD analysis. The photophysical properties of these imidazole derivatives were studied in several solvents, which include a wide range of apolar, polar and protic media. The observed lower fluorescence quantum yield may be due to an increase in the non-radiative deactivation rate constant. This is attributed to a loss of planarity in the excited state provided by the non co-planarity of the aryl rings attached to C(2) and N(1) atoms of the imidazole ring. Such a geometrical change in the excited state leads to an important Stokes shift, reducing the reabsorption and reemission effects in the detected emission in highly concentrated solutions. The highest fluorescence quantum yield of the imidazole derivatives are observed in polar media.     

Excitation-wavelength Dependent Fluorescence of Ethyl 5-(4-aminophenyl)-3-amino-2,4-dicyanobenzoate

The excitation wavelength dependence of the steady-state and time-resolved emission spectra of ethyl 5-(4-aminophenyl)-3-amino-2,4-dicyanobenzoate (EAADCy) in tetrahydrofuran (THF) at room temperature has been examined. It is found that the ratio of the fluorescence intensity of the long-wavelength and short-wavelength fluorescence bands strongly depends on the excitation wavelength, whereas the wavelengths of the fluorescence excitation and fluorescence bands maxima are independent on the observation/excitation wavelengths. The dynamic Stokes shift of fluorophore in locally excited (LE) and intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) states has been studied with a time resolution about 30 ps. The difference between Stokes shift in the LE and ICT states was attributed to the solvent response to the large photoinduced dipole moment of EAADCy in the fluorescent charge transfer state. On this base we can state that, the relaxation of the polar solvent molecules around the fluorophore was observed.     

Temporal dependences of dipole moments of prodan molecules

The fluorescence spectra of 6-propyl-2-dimethylaminonaphtalene (prodan), 1-(phenylamino)naphthalene (1-PAN), and 3-aminophthalimide are measured in glycerol with a picosecond resolution. The instantaneous fluorescence spectra and the correlation functions of the time-dependent Stokes shift of the fluorescence spectra of the two latter probes are used to find the time dependence of the dielectric response function of glycerol, which is necessary for calculating the charge transfer kinetics in prodan molecules. Based on the solvatochromism theory and using the experimental dependences of the time-dependent shift of the fluorescence bands for prodan molecules, which are characterized by efficient charge transfer in the excited electronic state, the kinetics of the electric dipole moment of the first singlet state is calculated.     

2(水杨醛缩苯胺)-(1,10-邻菲罗啉)合钙的光谱特性

合成了一种新型的蓝光发射材料2(水杨醛缩苯胺)-(1,10-邻菲罗啉)合钙,并利用红外光谱、X射线衍射谱、DSC热分析、UV-vis吸收谱、荧光激发光谱和荧光发射光谱研究了其结构、晶态、热稳定性以及光学特性,分析了它的能态结构和发光机理。结果表明,2(水杨醛缩苯胺)-(1,10-邻菲罗啉)合钙的热稳定性较高,是一种多晶粉末发光材料,禁带宽度2.93eV,在紫外光的激发下,固态荧光发射峰在449.7nm处,在乙醇溶液体系中的荧光发射峰在491nm处,均为蓝色荧光,色纯度高,荧光量子效率高,其荧光发射主要来源于长波吸收带,最大波长吸收带对荧光发射贡献最大。     

Optical study of ZnP2 nanoparticles in zeolite Na-X

Nanoparticles of the II-V semiconductor (ZnP₂) were prepared and investigated. ZnP₂ nanoparticles were incorporated into zeolite Na-X matrix. Absorption, diffuse reflection (DR) and photoluminescence (PL) spectra of ZnP₂ nanoparticles were measured at the temperature of 77 K. Five bands B₁-B₅ are observed in both the DR and PL spectra demonstrating the blue shift from the line of free exciton in bulk crystal. We attribute the B₁-B₅ bands to five stable nanoparticles with size less than the size of zeolite Na-X supercage. We observed Stokes shift of the PL bands with respect to the absorption bands. This dependence of this Stokes shift on the particle size is nonmonotonic.     

TDDFT Calculations of Electronic Spectra of Benzoxazoles Undergoing Excited State Proton Transfer

Energies and oscillator strengths of vertical transitions for various rotameric and tautomeric species of 2-(2′-hydroxyphenyl)benzoxazole (HBO), 2,5-bis(2-benzoxazolyl)phenol (DBP) and 2,5-bis(2-benzoxazolyl)hydroquinone (BBHQ) have been calculated in the ground and first excited states with the use of TDDFT methods. The TDDFT results demonstrate good correspondence to the frequencies of absorption and fluorescence bands of the benzoxazoles reported for measurements in supersonic jets and solution, but fail to predict relative energies of the enol and keto tautomers of DBP and BBHQ in the excited state. Low intensity of the fluorescence bands attributed to the conformations of HBO and DBP that do not undergo excited state proton transfer is shown to be caused by low concentrations of the conformations in the ground state. For the three compounds large-amplitude twisting of the keto tautomer is found to be one of radiationless processes resulting in decrease of the fluorescence with a large Stokes shift.     

Optimization in Solvent Selection for Chlorin e6 in Photodynamic Therapy

The photophysical properties of chlorin e6 (Ce6) in twelve different protic, aprotic and non-polar solvents were investigated using ultraviolet–visible and fluorescence spectroscopic methods. Solvatochromic effects were determined by the changes in quantum yield, Stokes shift, fluorescence half-life and excited state dipole moments of Ce6 in the different solvents. The absorption shifts observed in different solvents were further analyzed using the Kamlet-Abboud-Taft model and the nature of solute-solvent interactions between Ce6 and different protic and aprotic solvents was elucidated. The quantum yields were found highest in protic solvents (except water), followed by aprotic and non-polar solvents. Solvent polarity parameters showed a linear increasing trend with Stokes shift and fluorescence half-life, which indicated the presence of Ce6-solvent interaction. Using the Kamlet-Abboud-Taft model, a direct correlation between the solvent polarity parameters and absorption shift was observed, which substantiated the existence of Ce6-solvent interaction by hydrogen bond formation. The excited state dipole moments in specific protic and aprotic solvents were found to be higher than the ground state dipole moments, implying a more polar nature of Ce6 during excited state transition.     

Dynamics of Solvent Controlled ESIPT of π-Expanded Imidazole Derivatives - pH Effect

A set of π-expanded imidazole derivatives employing excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) was designed and synthesized. The relationship between the structure and photophysical properties were thoroughly elucidated by comparing with the analogue blocked with ESIPT functionality. The compound possessing an acidic NH function as part of an intramolecular hydrogen bond system has much higher fluorescence quantum yield and Stokes shift and the π-expansion strongly influences the optical properties. The occurrence of ESIPT for imidazole tosylamide derivatives were less affected by the hydrogen-bonding ability of the solvents compared to the unprotected amine. The low pKa values for the monocation ? neutral equilibrium indicate the presence of intramolecular hydrogen bonding between the amino proton and tertiary nitrogen atom.     

Spatial and orientational ordering of charge-transfer excitons at intense pumping. Absorption and fluorescence spectra

The non-linear properties of charge-transfer exciton dynamics at intense pumping are investigated. The shift of an absorption band of an arbitrary cell, induced by the electric field of the available excitons, results in spatial and orientational ordering of the excitons. The side bands appear in the absorption and fluorescence spectra.     

Absorption and Fluorescence Characteristics of Some 2-Aryl-and 2-Heteroaryl-benzothiazoles in Different Solvents and at Various pH Values

The parameters characterizing the absorption and fluorescence of seven 2-substituted benzothiazoles in different solvents and at various acid/base concentrations were studied. It was found that both the kind of substituent and the solvent polarity influenced the changes of the spectral properties of the examined molecules. 2-Aryl substituted benzothiazoles exhibit larger Stokes shifts than 2-heteroaryl derivatives. The linear relationship between solvent polarity and pH values against Stokes shift and fluorescence sensitivity, respectively, was observed. The mostly fluorescent compound was 2-(2-benzofuryl)benzothiazole.     

氢键效应对2,3-二氢-3-酮基-1H-吡啶并[3,2,1-kl]吩噻嗪光物理性质的影响

利用含时密度泛函理论(TDDFT)方法和飞秒时间分辨的瞬态吸收光谱技术对2,3-二氢-3-酮基-1H-吡啶并[3,2,1-kl]吩噻嗪(PTZ4)和3-酮基-1H-吡啶并[3,2,1-kl]吩噻嗪(PTZ5)这两种荧光探针分子的光物理性质进行了研究. TDDFT结果表明PTZ4和PTZ5在甲醇溶液形成了氢键络合物导致它们吸收峰的红移. PTZ4分子在基态有四种稳定构型,其在四氢呋喃溶液中的双荧光峰正是来自于四种构型下的内部电荷转移态. PTZ4分子在四氢呋喃和甲醇溶液中的瞬态吸收光谱表明,从局域态到转移态的弛豫时间常数在四氢呋喃中为16.0 ps,在甲醇中为7.5 ps;PTZ4分子在甲醇中的激发态寿命为53.8 ps,而这种超短的寿命可能是由于PTZ4分子在激发态时形成的面外型氢键络合物导致的.     

DMANS在聚合物中的荧光性质

本文研究了DMANS(4-二甲胺基-4′-硝基二苯乙烯)在聚苯乙烯和改性聚苯乙烯中的荧光性质。测量了两类样品的吸收光谱、荧光光谱、荧光强度和荧光寿命,讨论了介质对荧光性质影响的机理。     

Single molecule lifetime fluctuations reveal segmental dynamics in polymers

We present a single molecule fluorescence study that allows one to probe the nanoscale segmental dynamics in amorphous polymer matrices. By recording single molecular lifetime trajectories of embedded fluorophores, peculiar excursions towards longer lifetimes are observed. The asymmetric response is shown to reflect variations in the photonic mode density as a result of the local density fluctuations of the surrounding polymer. We determine the number of polymer segments involved in a local segmental rearrangement volume around the probe. A common decrease of the number of segments with temperature is found for both investigated polymers, poly(styrene) and poly(isobutylmethacrylate). Our novel approach will prove powerful for the understanding of the nanoscale rearrangements in functional polymers.     

Solvent and pH Effects on the Fluorescence of 7-(Dimethylamino)-2-Fluorenesulfonate

A novel water-soluble solvatochromic molecule, 7-(dimethylamino)-2-fluorenesulfonate (2,7-DAFS), was prepared by a three-step reaction from 2-nitrofluorene in good overall yield. The pH and solvent effects on the UV-VIS absorption and fluorescence spectra of 2,7-DAFS have been studied. Protonation of the dimethylamino group switches the absorption from intramolecular charge-transfer (ICT) to π → π* transition. The ground state pKa value of 2,7-DAFS was determined as 4.51. The fluorescence spectrum of the excited basic form, *(DAFS), shows a structureless single band with a large Stokes shift, whereas that of the acidic form, *(⁺HDAFS), exhibits a structured band with a small Stokes shift. The emission intensities of the basic and acidic forms versus pH/Ho plots show stretched sigmoidal curves and indicate that (1) the rate of deprotonation of *(⁺HDAFS) is comparable to the fluorescence decay of the species, and (2) the efficient proton-induced quenching of *(DAFS) fluorescence occurs. The pKa* was estimated as −1.7 from the fluorescence titration curve. The fluorescence maximum of *(DAFS) is blue-shifted as the polarity of solvent decreases. However, no clear dependency of the emission intensity and spectral half width, and thus fluorescence quantum yield, on the solvent polarity was revealed. It appears that the fluorescence sensitivity of 2,7-DAFS is 15 ∼ 25 times greater than the sensitivity of a widely utilized fluorescent probe, 5-(dimethylamino)-1-naphthalenesulfonate. This higher sensitivity, together with the ease of derivatization, would provide the fluorene-based fluorescent molecules significant advantages for a variety of applications.