Low‐Threshold Wavelength‐Switchable Organic Nanowire Lasers Based on Excited‐State Intramolecular Proton Transfer

Coherent light signals generated at the nanoscale are crucial to the realization of photonic integrated circuits. Self‐assembled nanowires from organic dyes can provide both a gain medium and an effective resonant cavity, which have been utilized for fulfilling miniaturized lasers. Excited‐state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT), a classical molecular photoisomerization process, can be used to build a typical four‐level system, which is more favorable for population inversion. Low‐power driven lasing in proton‐transfer molecular nanowires with an optimized ESIPT energy‐level process has been achieved. With high gain and low loss from the ESIPT, the wires can be applied as effective FP‐type resonators, which generated single‐mode lasing with a very low threshold. The lasing wavelength can be reversibly switched based on a conformation conversion of the excited keto form in the ESIPT process.     

Organic Crystals with Near‐Infrared Amplified Spontaneous Emissions Based on 2′‐Hydroxychalcone Derivatives: Subtle Structure Modification but Great Property Change

A series of highly efficient deep red to near‐infrared (NIR) emissive organic crystals 1 – 3 based on the structurally simple 2′‐hydroxychalcone derivatives were synthesized through a simple one‐step condensation reaction. Crystal 1 displays the highest quantum yield (Φ_f) of 0.32 among the reported organic single crystals with an emission maximum (λ_em) over 710 nm. Comparison between the bright emissive crystals 1 – 3 and the nearly nonluminous compounds 4 – 7 clearly gives evidence that a subtle structure modification can arouse great property changes, which is instructive in designing new high‐efficiency organic luminescent materials. Notably, crystals 1 – 3 exhibit amplified spontaneous emissions (ASE) with extremely low thresholds. Thus, organic deep red to NIR emissive crystals with very high Φ_f have been obtained and are found to display the first example of NIR fluorescent crystal ASE.     

Excited‐State Intramolecular Proton Transfer: Photoswitching in Salicylidene Methylamine Derivatives

The effect of chemical substitutions on the photophysical properties of the salicylidene methylamine molecule (SMA) (J. Jankowska, M. F. Rode, J. Sadlej, A. L. Sobolewski, ChemPhysChem, 2012 , 13, 4287–4294) is studied with the aid of ab initio electronic structure methods. It is shown that combining π‐electron‐donating and π‐electron‐withdrawing substituents results in an electron‐density push‐and‐pull effect on the energetic landscape of the ground and the lowest excited ππ* and nπ* singlet states of the system. The presented search for the most appropriate SMA derivatives with respect to their photoswitching functionality offers an efficient prescreening tool for finding chemical structures before real synthetic realization.     

Excited‐State Proton Transfer and Intramolecular Charge Transfer in 1,3‐Diketone Molecules

The photophysical signature of the tautomeric species of the asymmetric (N,N‐dimethylanilino)‐1,3‐diketone molecule are investigated using approaches rooted in density functional theory (DFT) and time‐dependent DFT (TD‐DFT). In particular, since this molecule, in the excited state, can undergo proton transfer reactions coupled to intramolecular charge transfer events, the different radiative and nonradiative channels are investigated by making use of different density‐based indexes. The use of these tools, together with the analysis of both singlet and triplet potential energy surfaces, provide new insights into excited‐state reactivity allowing one to rationalize the experimental findings including different behavior of the molecule as a function of solvent polarity.     

Acid‐Induced Shift of Intramolecular Hydrogen Bonding Responsible for Excited‐State Intramolecular Proton Transfer

The significant progress recently achieved in designing smart acid‐responsive materials based on intramolecular charge transfer inspired us to utilize excited‐state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) for developing a turn‐on acid‐responsive fluorescent system with an exceedingly large Stokes shift. Two ESIPT‐active fluorophores, 2‐(2‐hydroxyphenyl)pyridine (HPP) and 2‐(2‐hydroxyphenyl)benzothiazole (HBT), were fused into a novel dye (HBT‐HPP) fluorescent only in the protonated state. Moreover, we also synthesized three structurally relevant control compounds to compare their steady‐state fluorescence spectra and optimized geometric structures in neutral and acidic media. The results suggest that the fluorescence turn‐on was caused by the acid‐induced shift of the ESIPT‐responsible intramolecular hydrogen bond from the HPP to HBT moiety. This work presents a systematic comparison of the emission efficiencies and basicity of HBT and HPP for the first time, thereby utilizing their differences to construct an acid‐responsive smart organic fluorescent material. As a practical application, red fluorescent letters can be written using the acid as an ink on polymer film.     

Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Labeled with an Excited‐State Intramolecular Proton Transfer Dye

Excited‐state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) is a particularly well known reaction that has been very little studied in magnetic environments. In this work, we report on the photophysical behavior of a known ESIPT dye of the benzothiazole class, when in solution with uncoated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles, and when grafted to silica‐coated iron oxide nanoparticles. Uncoated iron oxide nanoparticles promoted the fluorescence quenching of the ESIPT dye, resulting from collisions during the lifetime of the excited state. The assembly of iron oxide nanoparticles with a shell of silica provided recovery of the ESIPT emission, due to the isolation promoted by the silica shell. The silica network gives protection against the fluorescence quenching of the dye, allowing the nanoparticles to act as a bimodal (optical and magnetic) imaging contrast agent with a large Stokes shift.     

Excited‐State Intramolecular Proton Transfer in a Blue Fluorescence Chromophore Induces Dual Emission

Compared with green fluorescence protein (GFP) chromophores, the recently synthesized blue fluorescence protein (BFP) chromophore variant presents intriguing photochemical properties, for example, dual fluorescence emission, enhanced fluorescence quantum yield, and ultra‐slow excited‐state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT; J. Phys. Chem. Lett., 2014 , 5, 92); however, its photochemical mechanism is still elusive. Herein we have employed the CASSCF and CASPT2 methods to study the mechanistic photochemistry of a truncated BFP chromophore variant in the S₀ and S₁ states. Based on the optimized minima, conical intersections, and minimum‐energy paths (ESIPT, photoisomerization, and deactivation), we have found that the system has two competitive S₁ relaxation pathways from the Franck–Condon point of the BFP chromophore variant. One is the ESIPT path to generate an S₁ tautomer that exhibits a large Stokes shift in experiments. The generated S₁ tautomer can further evolve toward the nearby S₁/S₀ conical intersection and then jumps down to the S₀ state. The other is the photoisomerization path along the rotation of the central double bond. Along this path, the S₁ system runs into an S₁/S₀ conical intersection region and eventually hops to the S₀ state. The two energetically allowed S₁ excited‐state deactivation pathways are responsible for the in‐part loss of fluorescence quantum yield. The considerable S₁ ESIPT barrier and the sizable barriers that separate the S₁ tautomers from the S₁/S₀ conical intersections make these two tautomers establish a kinetic equilibrium in the S₁ state, which thus results in dual fluorescence emission.     

Tailoring Fluorescence Emission of Diketopyrrolopyrrole Dyes by an Aggregation‐induced Emission Coupled Excited‐state Intramolecular Proton Transfer Process

Two diketopyrrolopyrrole derivatives ( DPP1 and DPP2 ) are used for generating multiple luminescent colors (yellow–orange–red–deep red) in solution, nanoparticle, aggregate and solid states through an aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) coupled excited‐state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) process. They are potentially useful for bioimaging due to their good biocompatibility and large Stoke shifts.     

Templated‐Assembly of CsPbBr3 Perovskite Nanocrystals into 2D Photonic Supercrystals with Amplified Spontaneous Emission

Perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) have revolutionized optoelectronic devices because of their versatile optical properties. However, controlling and extending these functionalities often requires a light‐management strategy involving additional processing steps. Herein, we introduce a simple approach to shape perovskite nanocrystals (NC) into photonic architectures that provide light management by directly shaping the active material. Pre‐patterned polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) templates are used for the template‐induced self‐assembly of 10 nm CsPbBr₃ perovskite NC colloids into large area (1 cm²) 2D photonic crystals with tunable lattice spacing, ranging from 400 nm up to several microns. The photonic crystal arrangement facilitates efficient light coupling to the nanocrystal layer, thereby increasing the electric field intensity within the perovskite film. As a result, CsPbBr₃ 2D photonic crystals show amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) under lower optical excitation fluences in the near‐IR, in contrast to equivalent flat NC films prepared using the same colloidal ink. This improvement is attributed to the enhanced multi‐photon absorption caused by light trapping in the photonic crystal.     

N−H‐Type Excited‐State Proton Transfer in Compounds Possessing a Seven‐Membered‐Ring Intramolecular Hydrogen Bond

A series of compounds containing 5‐(2‐aminobenzylidene)‐2,3‐dimethyl‐3,5‐dihydro‐4H‐imidazol‐4‐one ( o ‐ABDI ) as the core chromophore with a seven‐membered‐ring N?H‐type intramolecular hydrogen bond have been synthesized and characterized. The acidity of the N?H proton and thus the hydrogen‐bond strength can be fine‐tuned by replacing one of the amino hydrogen atoms by a substituent R, the acidity increasing with increasing electron‐withdrawing strength of R, that is, in the order H<COCH₃<COPh<Tosyl<COCF₃. The tosyl and trifluoroacetyl derivatives undergo ultrafast, irreversible excited‐state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) that results in proton‐transfer emission solely in the red region. Reversible ESIPT, and hence dual emission, involving the normal and proton‐transfer tautomers was resolved for the acetyl‐ and benzyl‐substituted counterparts. For o ‐ABDI , which has the weakest acidity, ESIPT is prohibited due to its highly endergonic reaction. The results clearly demonstrate the harnessing of ESIPT by modifying the proton acidity and hydrogen‐bonding strength in a seven‐membered‐ring intramolecular hydrogen‐bonding system. For all the compounds studied, the emission quantum yields are weak (ca. 10^?3) in dichloromethane, but strong in the solid form, ranging from 3.2 to 47.4 %.     

A Strap Strategy for Construction of an Excited‐State Intramolecular Proton Transfer (ESIPT) System with Dual Fluorescence

An amine‐embedded flexible alkyl strap has been incorporated into an emissive boryl‐substituted dithienylpyrrole skeleton as a new entity of excited‐state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) chromophores. The π‐electron system shows a dual emission, which covers a wide range of the visible region depending on the solvent polarity. The incorporation of the aminoalkyl strap as well as the terminal boryl groups efficiently stabilize the zwitterionic excited‐state species resulting from the ESIPT even in an aqueous medium.     

Efficient Red‐Emissive Organic Crystals with Amplified Spontaneous Emissions Based on a Single Benzene Framework

Red‐emissive fluorophores generally consist of large π‐extended systems and thus encounter the problem of serious fluorescence quenching in the solid state. A series of structurally simple compounds 2,5‐bis(alkylamino)terephthalates 1 a – c are reported that consist of a very small π‐system (only a single benzene) but display efficient red emission in crystals. Crystal 1 a having a molecular weight of only 252 g mol⁻¹ shows red emission with the maximum of 620 nm and a fluorescence quantum yield of 0.40. The unique emission property of crystal 1 a is mainly because of the planarization of skeleton dominated by the strong intramolecular hydrogen bonds and the packing structure with negligible π–π interactions contributed by the mini π‐system. Moreover, besides efficient red emission, high crystallinity with co‐planar facets endows crystal 1 a with significant amplified spontaneous emission.     

Spiroconjugated Intramolecular Charge‐Transfer Emission in Non‐Typical Spiroconjugated Molecules: The Effect of Molecular Structure upon the Excited‐State Configuration

A set of terfluorenes and terfluorene‐like molecules with different pendant substitutions or side groups were designed and synthesized, their photophysical properties and the excited‐state geometries were studied. Dual fluorescence emissions were observed in compounds with rigid pendant groups bearing electron‐donating N atoms. According to our earlier studies, in this set of terfluorenes, the blue emission is from the local π–π* transition, while the long‐wavelength emission is attributed to a spiroconjugation‐like through‐space charge‐transfer process. Herein, we probe further into how the molecular structures (referring to the side groups, the type of linkage between central fluorene and the 2,2′‐azanediyldiethanol units, and—most importantly—the amount of pendant groups), as well as the excited‐state geometries, affect the charge‐transfer process of these terfluorenes or terfluorene‐like compounds. 9‐(9,9,9′′,9′′‐tetrahexyl‐9H,9′H,9′′H‐[2,2′:7′,2′′‐terfluoren]‐9′‐yl)‐1,2,3,5,6,7‐hexahydropyrido[3,2,1‐ij]quinolone (TFPJH), with only one julolidine pendant group, was particularly synthesized, which exhibits complete “perpendicular” conformation between julolidine and the central fluorene unit in the excited state, thus typical spiroconjugation could be achieved. Notably, its photophysical behaviors resemble those of TFPJ with two pendant julolidines. This study proves that spiroconjugation does happen in these terfluorene derivatives, although their structures are not in line with the typical orthogonal π fragments. The spiroconjugation charge‐transfer emission closely relates to the electron‐donating N atoms on the pendant groups, and to the rigid connection between the central fluorene and the N atoms, whereas the amount of pendant groups and the nature of the side chromophores have little effect. These findings may shed light on the understanding of the through‐space charge‐transfer properties and the emission color tuning of fluorene derivatives.     

The Quest of Excited‐State Intramolecular Proton Transfer via Eight‐Membered Ring π‐Conjugated Hydrogen Bonding System

Searching for eight‐membered ring π‐conjugated hydrogen bonding (8‐MR H‐bonding) systems with excited‐state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) property is seminal and synthetically challenging. In this work, a series of π‐conjugated molecules ( 8‐HB‐1 , 8‐HB‐L1 and 8‐HB‐2 ) potentially possessing 8‐MR H‐bonding are strategically designed, synthesized and characterized. The configurations of these three potential molecules are checked by their X‐ray structures, among which 8‐HB‐L1 (a structurally locked 8‐HB‐1 core chromophore) is proved to be an 8‐MR H‐bonding system, whereas 8‐HB‐1 and 8‐HB‐2 are too sterically hindered to form the 8‐MR intramolecular H‐bond. The ESIPT property of 8‐HB‐L1 is confirmed by the dual fluorescence consisting of normal and proton‐transfer tautomer emissions. The insight into the ESIPT process of 8‐HB‐L1 is provided by femtosecond fluorescence upconversion measurements together with computational simulation. The results demonstrate for the first time a successful synthetic route to attain the 8‐MR H‐bonding molecule 8‐HB‐L1 with ESIPT property.     

Gelation‐Induced Enhanced Fluorescence Emission from Organogels of Salicylanilide‐Containing Compounds Exhibiting Excited‐State Intramolecular Proton Transfer: Synthesis and Self‐Assembly

Self‐assembly structure, stability, hydrogen‐bonding interaction, and optical properties of a new class of low molecular weight organogelators (LMOGs) formed by salicylanilides 3 and 4 have been investigated by field‐emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), UV/Vis absorption and photoluminescence, as well as theoretical studies by DFT and semiempirical calculations with CI (AM1/PECI=8) methods. It was found that salicylanilides form gels in nonpolar solvents due to π‐stacking interaction complemented by the presence of both inter‐ and intramolecular hydrogen bonding. The supramolecular arrangement in these organogels predicted by XRD shows lamellar and hexagonal columnar structures for gelators 3 and 4 , respectively. Of particular interest is the observation of significant fluorescence enhancement accompanying gelation, which was ascribed to the formation of J‐aggregates and inhibition of intramolecular rotation in the gel state.     

An Efficient Visible and Near‐Infrared (NIR) Emitting SmIII Metal–Organic Framework (Sm‐MOF) Sensitized by Excited‐State Intramolecular Proton Transfer (ESIPT) Ligand

We report herein an unprecedented example of a luminescent Sm^III metal–organic framework (Sm‐MOF), in which both the visible and near‐infrared (NIR) emissions of Sm³⁺ ions are able to be sensitized by an excited‐state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) ligand. Due to the solvent‐mediated interchange between enol and keto excited states of the ligand and subsequent energy transfer rate to Sm³⁺ ions, the luminescent decay lifetime of the Sm‐MOF can be tuned in different solvent‐grinding systems.     

Intramolecular Cyclization of Carbonate and Thiocarbonate Derivatives of myo‐Inositol in the Solid State: Implications for Acyl Group Transfer Reactions in Molecular Crystals

Racemic 4‐O‐phenoxycarbonyl and 4‐O‐phenoxythiocarbonyl derivatives of myo‐inositol orthoformate undergo thermal intramolecular cyclization in the solid state to yield the corresponding 4,6‐bridged carbonates and thiocarbonates, respectively. The thermal cyclization also occurs in the solution and molten states, but less efficiently, suggesting that these cyclization reactions are aided by molecular pre‐organization, although not strictly topochemically controlled. Crystal structures of two carbonates and a thiocarbonate clearly revealed that the relative orientation of the electrophile and the nucleophile in the crystal lattice facilitates the intramolecular cyclization reaction and forbids the intermolecular reaction. The correlation observed between the chemical reactivity and the non‐covalent interactions in the crystal of the reactants provides a way to estimate the chemical stability of analogous molecules in the solid state.     

A p‐Hydroxyphenacyl–Benzothiazole–Chlorambucil Conjugate as a Real‐Time‐Monitoring Drug‐Delivery System Assisted by Excited‐State Intramolecular Proton Transfer

Among the well‐known phototriggers, the p‐hydroxyphenacyl (pHP) group has consistently enabled the very fast, efficient, and high‐conversion release of active molecules. Despite this unique behavior, the pHP group has been ignored as a delivery agent, particularly in the area of theranostics, because of two major limitations: Its excitation wavelength is below 400 nm, and it is nonfluorescent. We have overcome these limitations by incorporating a 2‐(2′‐hydroxyphenyl)benzothiazole (HBT) appendage capable of rapid excited‐state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT). The ESIPT effect also provided two unique advantages: It assisted the deprotonation of the pHP group for faster release, and it was accompanied by a distinct fluorescence color change upon photorelease. In vitro studies showed that the p‐hydroxyphenacyl–benzothiazole–chlorambucil conjugate presents excellent properties, such as real‐time monitoring, photoregulated drug delivery, and biocompatibility.     

Excited‐State Double Proton Transfer in Model Base Pairs: The Stepwise Reaction on the Heterodimer of 7‐Azaindole Analogues

A four fused‐ring system 11‐propyl‐6H‐indolo[2,3‐b]quinoline ( 6 HIQ ) is strategically designed and synthesized; it possesses a central moiety of 7‐azaindole ( 7AI ) and undergoes excited‐state double proton transfer (ESDPT). Despite a barrierless type of ESDPT in the 6 HIQ dimer, femtosecond dynamics and a kinetic isotope effect provide indications for a stepwise ESDPT process in the 6 HIQ/7AI heterodimer, in which 6 HIQ (deuterated 6 HIQ ) delivers the pyrrolyl proton (deuteron) to 7AI (deuterated 7AI ) in less than 150 fs, forming an intermediate with a charge‐transfer‐like ion pair, followed by the transfer of a pyrrolyl proton (deuteron) from cation‐like 7AI (deuterated 7AI ) to the pyridinyl nitrogen of the anion‐like 6 HIQ (deuterated 6 HIQ ) in ～1.5±0.3 ps (3.5±0.3 ps). The barrier of second proton transfer is estimated to be 2.86 kcal mol^?1 for the 6 HIQ/7AI heterodimer.