Photoaddition of water and alcohols to the anthracene moiety of 9-(2'-hydroxyphenyl)anthracene via formal excited state intramolecular proton transfer

The title compound undergoes efficient photoaddition of a molecule of a hydroxylic solvent (H(2)O, MeOH, (Me)(2)CHOH) across the 9- and 10-positions of the anthracene moiety to give isolable triphenylmethanol or triphenylmethyl ether type products. The reaction is believed to proceed via a mechanism involving water-mediated formal excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) from the phenolic OH to the 10-position of the anthracene ring, generating an o-quinone methide intermediate that is observable by nanosecond laser flash photolysis, and is trappable with nucleophiles. A "water-relay" mechanism for proton transfer seems plausible but cannot be proven directly with the data available. Irradiation in deuterated solvents led to incorporation of one deuterium atom at the methylene position in the photoaddition product, and partial deuterium exchange of the 10-position of recovered starting material, consistent with the proposed formal excited state proton transfer mechanism. The deuterium exchange and photoaddition reach maximum quantum efficiency at approximately 5 M water (in CH(3)CN or CH(3)OH), with no reaction observed in the absence of a hydroxylic solvent, demonstrating the sensitivity of this type of ESIPT to solvent composition.     

Excited-state intramolecular proton transfer in o-hydroxybiaryls: a new route to dihydroaromatic compounds

An excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) from the phenol OH to the 7'-carbon on the naphthyl ring in o-(1-naphthyl)phenol (3) and 1-(1'-naphthyl)-2-naphthol (4) leads to efficient (Phi = 0.1-0.2) formation of the corresponding dihydrobenzoxanthenes (5 and 7) via quinone methide intermediates. This new reaction represents a clean, efficient, and high-yielding route to benzoxanthenes and dihydrobenzoxanthenes. A related ESIPT of similar efficiency has been detected at the 2'-aromatic position in these systems, by deuterium labeling studies.     

Very Efficient Generation of Quinone Methides through Excited State Intramolecular Proton Transfer to a Carbon Atom

Irradiation of 2-phenyl-1-naphthol (6) in CH(3) CN/D(2) O (3:1) leads to very efficient incorporation of deuterium at the ortho-positions of the adjacent phenyl ring (overall Φ=0.73±0.07), along with minor incorporation at the naphthalene positions 5 and 8. These finding are explained by excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) from the phenolic OH group to the corresponding carbon atoms, the main pathway giving rise to quinone methide (QM) 7, which has been characterized by LFP (τ≈20?ns; 460?nm). The ESIPT reaction paths have been explored with the second order approximate coupled cluster (CC2) method. In nonprotic solvents the ESIPT from the naphthol O-H to the ortho-position of the phenyl ring proceeds in a barrierless manner along the (1) L(a) energy surface via a conical intersection with the S(0) state, delivering 7. In aqueous solvent, clusters with H(2) O are formed wherein proton transfer (PT) to solvent and a H(2) O-mediated relay mechanism gives rise to naphtholates and QMs. The results are compared with 2-phenylphenol (3) that also undergoes barrierless ESIPT giving a QM via a conical intersection. However, due to an unfavorable conformation in the ground state, the quantum efficiency for ESIPT of 3 is significantly lower (Φ for D-exchange=0.041). These results show that ESIPT from phenol to carbon need not be an intrinsically inefficient process.     

Effect of alkyl substituents on excited state intramolecular proton transfer dynamics of jet-cooled bis(benzoxazolyl)phenoles

Structural factors affecting the dynamics of the excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) are studied for alkyl derivatives of 2,5-bis(2-benzoxazolyl)phenol. Two fluorescence bands with equal decay times are observed in solution, while only one--emitted by the phototautomer--in supersonic jet. All evidence indicates the existence of a potential barrier in the S(1) state. Upon deuteration of the OH group the laser induced fluorescence (LIF) excitation spectra become much sharper as a result of slowing down the proton transfer reaction. Two conformers (rotamers) of each compound in the ground state were detected using hole burning technique. With a help of theoretical calculations three vibrations were identified as the most active ones in reducing the distance between two heavy atoms, N and O, involved in H-bond formation. The widths of (0,0) transitions in LIF excitation spectra decrease with increasing size or number of alkyl substituents at terminal aromatic rings. The corresponding calculated rate constants of ESIPT reaction ( approximately 10(12) s(-1)) decrease approximately three times upon the substituent effect. In contrast, model compound 2,5-bis(2-benzoxazolyl)-4-methoxyphenol (BBMP) with OCH(3) parasubstituent in central ring slows down the ESIPT reaction to such an extent that double, primary and phototautomeric, fluorescences coexist.     

Excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) from phenol OH (OD) to adjacent “aromatic” carbons in simple biphenyls

This work reports results of further studies on a new class of excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT), from phenol OH to adjacent aromatic carbon atoms of suitably designed biphenyl systems. For this purpose, a number of 2-phenylphenols 3–6 with methyl and methoxy substituents on the adjacent proton accepting phenyl ring were synthesized. In particular, we were also interested in studying the effect of an acetyl (ketone) substituent on the proton accepting ring (biphenyl 7) and the effect on the photochemistry when the ketone is reduced to alcohol (biphenyl 8). All compounds except for 7 were found to undergo deuterium exchange (Ф_ex = 0.019–0.079) primarily at the 2′-position on photolysis in 1:3 D₂O–CH₃CN. This is consistent with a reaction mechanism involving initial ESIPT from the phenol OH to the 2′-position of the adjacent phenyl ring, to generate a biphenyl quinone methide intermediate which rapidly tautomerizes back to starting material. Biphenyl 8 also undergoes a competing photosolvolysis reaction (overall loss of water). Both photosolvolysis and ESIPT reactions react via isomeric quinone methide intermediates and are best interpreted as arising from an excited singlet state that possesses a large degree of charge transfer character, from the phenol ring to the attached phenyl ring. The failure of 7 to react may be due to two possible reasons: (i) high intersystem crossing rate to a non-polarized triplet excited state and/or (ii) a polarized singlet state that is now much more basic at the carbonyl oxygen. The results are consistent with qualitative examination of calculated HOMOs and LUMOs (AM1).     

Fluorescence sensing of anions based on inhibition of excited-state intramolecular proton transfer

Condensation of 2-(2'-aminophenyl)benzoxazole with p-toluenesulfonyl chloride and phenyl isocyanate yields two new anion sensors (TABO and PUBO), which can undergo excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) upon excitation. For the acid receptor TABO, the ESIPT process can be readily disturbed by basic anions such as F-, CH3COO-, and H2PO4- by deprotonating the sulfonamide unit, whereas in the case of PUBO, a good hydrogen-bonding donor, the ESIPT process is inhibited either by the fluoride-induced deprotonation of the urea unit or by the formation of a strong CH3COO--urea intermolecular hydrogen bond complex, and these two types of inhibition mechanisms consequently result in different ratiometric responses. But other anions with less hydrogen-bonding acceptor abilities cannot inhibit the ESIPT. Interestingly, the different inhibition abilities of F-, CH3COO-, and H2PO4- produce different spectral behaviors in PUBO, so this new sensor successfully distinguishes the subtle difference in these three anionic substrates of similar basicity and surface charge density.     

Structural tuning intra- versus inter-molecular proton transfer reaction in the excited state

A series of 2-pyridyl-pyrazole derivatives 1-4 possessing five-membered ring hydrogen bonding configuration are synthesized, the structural flexibility of which is strategically tuned to be in the order of 1 > 2 > 3 > 4. This system then serves as an ideal chemical model to investigate the correlation between excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) reaction and molecular skeleton motion associated with hydrogen bonds. The resulting luminescence data reveal that the rate of ESIPT decreases upon increasing the structural constraint. At sufficiently low concentration where negligible dimerization is observed, ESIPT takes place in 1 and 2 but is prohibited in 3 and 4, for which high geometry constraint is imposed. The results imply that certain structural bending motions associated with hydrogen bonding angle/distance play a key role in ESIPT. This trend is also well supported by the DFT computational approach, in which the barrier associated with ESIPT is in the order of 1 < 2 < 3 < 4. Upon increasing the concentration in cyclohexane, except for 2, the rest of the title compounds undergo ground-state dimerization, from which the double proton transfer takes place in the excited state, resulting in a relatively blue shifted dimeric tautomer emission (cf. the monomer tautomer emission). The lack of dimerization in 2 is rationalized by substantial energy required to adjust the angle of hydrogen bond via twisting the propylene bridge prior to dimerization.     

Theoretical study of benzotriazole UV photostability: ultrafast deactivation through coupled proton and electron transfer triggered by a charge-transfer state

A theoretical CASSCF study of the reaction path for excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) for a model system derived from the UV absorber 2-(2'-hydroxyphenyl) benzotriazole without the fused benzo ring on the triazole has been carried out. A planar reaction path can be optimized but is shown to have no physical significance. The true reaction path involves twisted geometries. Adiabatic proton transfer is triggered by a charge-transfer from the phenol to the triazole group, and is followed by radiationless decay at the keto form. Along the nonplanar reaction path, there is a coupled proton and electron transfer in a manner similar to tryptophan. This rationalizes unexpected experimental results on the effect of electron withdrawing substituent groups on the photostability. The coupled proton and electron transfer is followed by a barrierless relaxation in the ground state to recover the enol form. An alternative photostabilization pathway from a phenyl localized state has also been documented and is similar to the channel 3 decay pathway in benzene photochemistry. Additionally, a long-lived intermediate for a twisted intramolecular charge-transfer (TICT) state has been identified as the species potentially responsible for the increase of blue fluorescence in strongly polar media.     

Thermodynamics of rhodium hydride reactions with CO, aldehydes, and olefins in water: organo-rhodium porphyrin bond dissociation free energies

Tetra(p-sulfonato-phenyl) porphyrin rhodium hydride ([(TSPP)Rh-D(D2O)](-4)) (1) reacts in water (D2O) with carbon monoxide, aldehydes, and olefins to produce metallo formyl, alpha-hydroxyalkyl, and alkyl complexes, respectively. The hydride complex (1) functions as a weak acid in D2O and partially dissociates into a rhodium(I) complex ([(TSPP)Rh(I)(D2O)](-5)) and a proton (D+). Fast substrate reactions of 1 in D2O compared to reactions of rhodium porphyrin hydride ((por)Rh-H) in benzene are ascribed to aqueous media promoting formation of ions and supporting ionic reaction pathways. The regioselectivity for addition of 1 to olefins is predominantly anti-Markovnikov in acidic D2O and exclusively anti-Markovnikov in basic D2O. The range of accessible equilibrium thermodynamic measurements for rhodium hydride substrate reactions is substantially increased in water compared to that in organic media through exploiting the hydrogen ion dependence for the equilibrium distribution of species in aqueous media. Thermodynamic measurements are reported for reactions of a rhodium porphyrin hydride in water with each of the substrates, including CO, H2CO, CH3CHO, CH2=CH2, and sets of aldehydes and olefins. Reactions of rhodium porphyrin hydrides with CO and aldehydes have nearly equal free-energy changes in water and benzene, but alkene reactions that form hydrophobic alkyl groups are substantially less favorable in water than in benzene. Bond dissociation free energies in water are derived from thermodynamic results for (TSPP)Rh-organo complexes in aqueous solution for Rh-CDO, Rh-CH(R)OD, and Rh-CH2CH(D)R units and are compared with related values determined in benzene.     

Kinetics of gas-phase hydrogen/deuterium exchange and gas-phase structure of protonated phenylalanine, proline, tyrosine and tryptophan

Site-specific rate constants for the gas-phase hydrogen/deuterium (H/D) exchange of four, three, five and five hydrogen atoms in protonated phenylalanine (Phe), proline (Pro), tyrosine (Tyr) and tryptophan (Trp), respectively, were determined from matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (MALDI-FTICRMS) experiments with D(2)O, D(2)S, and CH(3)OD as deuterating agents. No H/D exchange was observed with D(2)S. For exchange with both CD(3)OD and D(2)O, which is about ten times slower in the latter, results indicate for all compounds protonation of the alpha-amino group in agreement with theoretical results. Also, with both reagents, all compounds exchange at the COOH site more than ten times faster than at the protonation site, with OH and NH sites of Tyr and Trp, respectively, exchanging slowest. The observation of H/D exchange despite the high differences in proton affinities between the amino acids and deuterating agent exceeding 200 kJ mol(-1) is in agreement with lowering of the barrier for proton transfer through hydrogen bonding proposed by Lebrilla and coworkers.     

Excited-state intramolecular proton transfer in 2,4,5-triarylimidazole molecules

Excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) in the 2,4,5-triarylimidazole molecules was studied by spectral-luminescent technique. For 4,5-diphenyl-(2-hydroxyphenyl)imidazoles, the ESIPT occurs in both liquid and glassy matrices at 77 K. For 4,5-diphenyl-(2-hydroxynaphthyl)imidazole, the ESIPT requires rotation of molecular fragments and is not observed at 77 K.     

Methyl and phenyl substitution effects on the proton affinities of hydrides of first and second row elements and substituent effects on the proton affinities of ring carbons in benzene: a DFT study

Theoretical calculations using B3LYP density functional theory (DFT) with the 6-311++G(d,p) basis set have been performed to determine proton affinities (PAs) of a series of H-X compounds and the corresponding methyl- (H(3)C-X) and phenyl- (Ph-X) substituted derivatives with a variety of proton acceptor atoms, such as C, O, N, F, Si, P, S, Cl, etc. Our results illustrate an interesting substituent effect on PAs. The PAs of ring carbon atoms for a series of monosubstituted benzene molecules (Y-C(6)H(5); Y = F, Cl, CH(3), OCH(3), NH(2), PH(2), OH, SH, SiH(3), CN, CF(3), and NO(2)) have also been estimated. Correlations between proton affinities of H-X, H(3)C-X, and Ph-X and substituent effects on the PAs of the ring carbon atoms for a series of monosubstituted benzene molecules have been studied. It has been observed that substituent effects on the PAs of the ring carbon atoms follow a good Hammett-type correlation.     

Novel reactivity of ruthenium alkylidenes in protic solvents: degenerate alkylidene proton exchange.

A novel organometallic transformation is reported in which the alkylidene protons of water-soluble ruthenium alkylidenes 1 and 2 undergo nondestructive, degenerate exchange with solvent-derived deuterons in perdeuterated protic solvents such as D(2)O and CD(3)OD. Deuterated alkylidene complex (1-D) was isolated from a solution of alkylidene 1 in D(2)O, and the new alkylidene was fully characterized by (1)H, (2)H, (13)C, and (31)P NMR spectroscopy and fast-atom bombardment mass spectroscopy (FAB-MS). The rate of alkylidene proton exchange for this transformation was found to correlate with the bulk dielectric constant of the solvent or solvent mixtures employed. The data support a mechanism for proton exchange involving the dissociation of a chloride ion from the ruthenium metal center. The rate of alkylidene H/D exchange for alkylidene 2 was faster than the rate of exchange for alkylidene 1, demonstrating that relative rates of exchange are influenced by the electron densities at the metal centers of these complexes. Several additional ruthenium alkylidenes were found to undergo analogous alkylidene H/D exchange reactions, including parent alkylidene (Cy(3)P)(2)Cl(2)Ru=CHPh (3) in CD(2)Cl(2)/CD(3)OD mixtures. These data suggest that this novel reactivity may be general for an entire class of ruthenium alkylidenes provided that protic species are available in solution and that the dielectric constant of the reaction medium is sufficiently high to ionize the halide ligands.     

Excited state (formal) intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) in p-hydroxyphenyl ketones mediated by water

Evidence is presented that show p-hydroxyphenyl ketones 6–8 undergo excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT, via the singlet excited state), mediated by water, which formally transfers the phenol proton to the carbonyl oxygen of the ketone. ESIPT was not observed in neat CH₃CN. The ESIPT process in aqueous media generates the corresponding p-quinone methides 9–11 (and the corresponding conjugate bases (phenolate ions) 12–14), as detected by laser flash photolysis (LFP). It competes effectively with intersystem crossing to the excited triplet state. The respective p-methoxyphenyl ketones 15 and 16 failed to undergo the reaction consistent with the expected lack of proton transfer in these systems. Results for the biphenyl ketone 8 indicate that formal ESIPT can also take place over an extended range, suggesting that the process is likely general for all p-hydroxyaromatic ketones which opens up the possibility for designing photoswitchable processes based on this general phenomenon.     

Synthesis of imidazole‐containing conjugated polymers bearing phenol unit as side group and excited state intramolecular proton transfer‐mediated fluorescence

Dibromobenzimidazole and dibromoimidazole bearing hydroxyl group‐protected phenol unit ( 1 and 2 ) were prepared and they showed an intramolecular hydrogen bonding between ether oxygen and amino proton of imidazole. The palladium‐catalyzed Suzuki coupling polymerization of 1 and 2 with benzene bis(boronic acid) derivatives gave soluble polymers ( 3 and 4 ), where the molecular weights were limited probably due to the coordination ability of imidazole to palladium metal. The phenol hydroxyl groups were subsequently deprotected using BBr₃ to obtain 3 ′ and 4 ′. From the ¹H NMR spectra, the complete conversion to the hydroxyl group and the formation of another type of intramolecular hydrogen bonding between hydroxyl proton and imine nitrogen were confirmed. In the UV and PL spectra of 3 ′ and 4 ′, the excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) occurred to shift the emission spectra toward lower energy region compared to 3 and 4 . Especially, the PL spectrum of 3 ′ demonstrated large stokes shift (145 nm) in THF solution. The ESIPT‐mediated fluorescence was influenced by the addition of methanol and trifluoroacetic acid, which inhibited the formation of intramolecular hydrogen bonding. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 4822–4829, 2009     

Pendant bases as proton relays in iron hydride and dihydrogen complexes

The complex trans-[HFe(PNP)(dmpm)(CH(3)CN)]BPh(4), 3, (where PNP is Et(2)PCH(2)N(CH(3))CH(2)PEt(2) and dmpm is Me(2)PCH(2)PMe(2)) can be successively protonated in two steps using increasingly strong acids. Protonation with 1 equiv of p-cyanoanilinium tetrafluoroborate in acetone-d(6) at -80 degrees C results in ligand protonation and the formation of endo (4a) and exo (4b) isomers of trans-[HFe(PNHP)(dmpm)(CH(3)CN)](BPh(4))(2). The endo isomer undergoes rapid intramolecular proton/hydride exchange with an activation barrier of 12 kcal/mol. The exo isomer does not exchange. Studies of the reaction of 3 with a weaker acid (anisidinium tetrafluoroborate) in acetonitrile indicate that a rapid intermolecular proton exchange interconverts isomers 4a and 4b, and a pK(a) value of 12 was determined for these two isomers. Protonation of 3 with 2 equiv of triflic acid results in the protonation of both the PNP ligand and the metal hydride to form the dihydrogen complex [(H(2))Fe(PNHP)(dmpm)(CH(3)CN)](3+), 11. Studies of related complexes [HFe(PNP)(dmpm)(CO)](+) (12) and [HFe(depp)(dmpm)(CH(3)CN)](+) (10) (where depp is bis(diethylphosphino)propane) confirm the important roles of the pendant base and the ligand trans to the hydride ligand in the rapid intra- and intermolecular hydride/proton exchange reactions observed for 4. Features required for an effective proton relay and their potential relevance to the iron-only hydrogenase enzymes are discussed.     

Size-restricted proton transfer within toluene-methanol cluster ions

To understand the interaction between toluene and methanol, the chemical reactivity of [(C6H5CH3)(CH3OH) n=1-7](+) cluster ions has been investigated via tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry and through calculations. Collision Induced Dissociation (CID) experiments show that the dissociated intracluster proton transfer reaction from the toluene cation to methanol clusters, forming protonated methanol clusters, only occurs for n = 2-4. For n = 5-7, CID spectra reveal that these larger clusters have to sequentially lose methanol monomers until they reach n = 4 to initiate the deprotonation of the toluene cation. Metastable decay data indicate that for n = 3 and n = 4 (CH3OH)3H(+) is the preferred fragment ion. The calculational results reveal that both the gross proton affinity of the methanol subcluster and the structure of the cluster itself play an important role in driving this proton transfer reaction. When n = 3, the cooperative effect of the methanols in the subcluster provides the most important contribution to allow the intracluster proton transfer reaction to occur with little or no energy barrier. As n >or= 4, the methanol subcluster is able to form ring structures to stabilize the cluster structures so that direct proton transfer is not a favored process. The preferred reaction product, the (CH3OH)3H(+) cluster ion, indicates that this size-restricted reaction is driven by both the proton affinity and the enhanced stability of the resulting product.     

Interannular proton exchange and fragmentation of carbonyl-protonated benzophenones

Benzopbenones a initially protonated at the carbonyl group were prepared by electron-impact induced dissocation of 1,1-diphenylpropanols (compounds 1-5). These protonated ketones decompose in the ion source and the second field-free region of a reversed geometry mass spectrometer by proton migration to one of the phenyl groups and subsequent elimination of benzene. In the case of derivatives substituted by methoxy groups and trifluoromethyl groups respectively, the proton migrates predominantly to the more bask benzene ring, resulting in the elimination of anisole in the former case and of benzene in die latter case. A study of protonated benzopbenones labelled at the phenyl ring and at the carbonyl group shows that only a few interannular H/D exchange steps precede the fragmentation. This is observed not only for metastable ions in the magnetic sector instilment but also for ions of long lifetimes investigated by Fourier-transform-ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) Spectrometry. This is in contrast to the arene elimination from protonated 1,ω-dipbenylalkanes and related polyphenylalkanes which fragment by complete positional exchange of all hydrogen atoms at the aromatic rings. The special behaviour of protonated benzophenones is attributed to a low barrier for the decomposition of a chemically activated arenium ion b, which arises from the initial proton transfer. Once b is formed, it decomposes quickly without much interannular proton exchange.     

Ion-molecule reactions of [C,H(3), S](+) ions and evidence for long-lived triplet CH(3)S(+)

Gas-phase [C, H(3), S](+) ions obtained by electron impact from (CH(3))(2)S at 14 eV undergo two distinct low-pressure ion-molecule reactions with the parent neutral: proton transfer and charge exchange. The kinetics of these reactions studied by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) techniques clearly suggests the [C, H(3), S](+) species to be a mixture of isomeric ions. While proton transfer is consistent with reagent ions displaying the CH(2)SH(+) connectivity, the observed charge exchange strongly argues for the presence of thiomethoxy cations, CH(3)S(+), predicted to be stable only in the triplet state. Charge exchange reactions are also observed in the reaction of these same [C, H(3), S](+) ions with benzene, toluene and phenetole. For these substrates, the CH(2)SH(+) ions can promote proton transfer and electrophilic methylene insertion in the aromatic ring with elimination of H(2)S. The results obtained for the different substrates suggest that the fraction of long-lived fraction of thiomethoxy cations obtained at 14 eV by electron ionization of dimethyl sulfide amounts to ~(22 -/+ 4)% of the [C, H(3), S](+) fragments.     

Comprehensive studies on an overall proton transfer cycle of the ortho-green fluorescent protein chromophore

Initiated by excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) reaction, an overall reaction cycle of 4-(2-hydroxybenzylidene)-1,2-dimethyl-1H-imidazol-5(4H)-one (o-HBDI), an analogue of the core chromophore of the green fluorescent protein (GFP), has been investigated. In contrast to the native GFP core, 4-(4-hydroxybenzylidene)-1,2-dimethyl-1H-imidazol-5(4H)-one (p-HBDI), which requires hydrogen-bonding relay to accomplish proton transfer in vivo, o-HBDI possesses a seven-membered-ring intramolecular hydrogen bond and thus provides an ideal system for mimicking an intrinsic proton-transfer reaction. Upon excitation, ESIPT takes place in o-HBDI, resulting in a ～600 nm proton-transfer tautomer emission. The o-HBDI tautomer emission, resolved by fluorescence upconversion, is comprised of an instantaneous rise to a few hundred femtosecond oscillation in the early relaxation stage. Frequency analysis derived from ultrashort pulse gives two low-frequency vibrations at 115 and 236 cm(-1), corresponding to skeletal deformation motions associated with the hydrogen bond. The results further conclude that ESIPT in o-HBDI is essentially triggered by low-frequency motions and may be barrierless along the reaction coordinate. Femtosecond UV/vis transient absorption spectra also provide supplementary evidence for the structural evolution during the reaction. In CH(3)CN, an instant rise of a 530 nm transient is resolved, which then undergoes 7.8 ps decay, accompanied by the growth of a rather long-lived 580 nm transient species. It is thus concluded that following ESIPT the cis-proton transfer isomer undergoes cis-trans-isomerization. The results of viscosity-dependent dynamics are in favor of the one-bond-flip mechanism, which is in contrast to the volume-conserving isomerization behavior for cis-stilbene and p-HBDI. Further confirmation is given by the picosecond-femtosecond transient IR absorption spectra, where several new and long-lived IR bands in the range of 1400-1500 cm(-1) are assigned to the phenyl in-plane breathing motions of the trans-proton transfer tautomer. Monitored by the nanosecond transient absorption, the 580 nm transient undergoes a ～7.7 μs decay constant, accompanied by the growth of a new ～500 nm band. The latter is assigned to a deprotonated tautomer species, which then undergoes the ground-state reverse proton recombination to the original o-HBDI in ～50 μs, achieving an overall, reversible proton transfer cycle. This assignment is unambiguously supported by pump-probe laser induced fluorescence studies. On these standpoints, a comparison of photophysical properties among o-HBDI, p-HBDI, and wild-type GFP is discussed in detail.