Absorption and fluorescent spectral studies of imidazophenazine derivatives

Absorption and fluorescent spectra as well as fluorescence polarization degree of imidazo-[4,5-d]-phenazine (F1) and its two modified derivatives, 2-trifluoridemethylimidazo-[4,5-d]-phenazine (F2) and 1,2,3-triazole-[4,5-d]-phenazine (F3), were investigated in organic solvents of various polarities and hydrogen bonding abilities. Extinction coefficients of F2 and F3 are increased, their fluorescence Stokes shifts are reduced in comparison with those for unmodified imidazophenazine. For F3 a red shift of the longwave absorption band is observed by 15-20 nm. Modifications of imidazophenazine have led to a sufficient increase of fluorescence polarization degrees that enables to use F2 and F3 as promising fluorescent probes with polarization method application. The configuration, atomic charge distribution and dipole moments of the isolated dye molecules in the ground state were calculated by the DFT method. The computation has revealed that ground state dipole moments of F1, F2, and F3 differ slightly and are equal to 3.5, 3.2, and 3.7D, respectively. The changes in dipole moments upon the optical excitation for all derivatives estimated using Lippert equation were found to be Deltamu = 9 D. The energies of the electronic S1<--S0 transition in solvents of different proton donor abilities were determined, and energetic diagram illustrating the substituent effect was plotted. For nucleoside analogs of these compounds, covalently incorporated into a nucleotide chain, we have considered a possibility to use them as fluorescent reporters of hybridization of antisense oligonucleotides, as well as molecular anchors for its stabilization.     

Electrochromism and Solvatochromism

The position and the intensity of electronic bands are influenced by an electric field. Pronounced changes in the position of absorption bands are mainly due to the dipole moment of the molecule in the ground state and the change in the dipole moment during the excitation process, and pronounced changes in intensity are due to the field dependence of the transition moment, which can be described by the transition polarizability. The effect of an external electric field on the optical absorption (electrochromism) of suitable molecules can be used to determine the dipole moment in the ground state, the change in dipole moment during the excitation process, the direction of the transition moment of the electronic band, and certain components of the transition polarizability tensor. These data largely determine the strong solvatochromism (solvent-dependence of the position and intensity of electronic bands), which is observed in particular with molecules having large dipole moments. Smaller contributions to solvatochromism result from dispersion interactions, which predominate in the case of nonpolar molecules. The models developed have been experimentally checked and verified by a combination of electro-optical absorption measurements (influence of an external electric field on absorption) and investigation of the solvent-dependence of the electronic bands.     

Stark effects in gas-phase electronic spectra. Dipole moment of aniline in its excited S(1) state

Measurements of the Stark effect on the rotationally resolved S(1)<--S(0) fluorescence excitation spectrum of aniline are reported, providing quantitative information about the degree of charge transfer in the electronic transition. We find that mu(a)(S(1)) = 2.801 +/- 0.007 D, a value that is approximately 150% larger than the ground state, mu(a)(S(0)) = 1.129 +/- 0.005 D. The enhanced value of the dipole moment in the S(1) state is attributed to more efficient electron donation by the quasi-planar amino group to the aromatic ring.     

The electronic spectra and excited state dipole moment of 2-fluoropyridine

The electronic absorption spectrum in the vapour state and in solution in different solvents in the region 3000–1900 Å and the fluorescence and phosphorescence emission spectra in ethanol or cyclohexane at 77 K have been studied for 2-fluoropyridine and analysed. Two systems of absorption band corresponding to the π→π* transition II and π→π* transition III have been observed and the excited state dipole moments have been determined from the solvent-induced shifts of the electronic absorption bands. The half-life of phosphorescence in cyclohexane at 77 K is found to be 3.5 s.     

Vibronic absorption, fluorescence, and phosphorescence spectra of psoralen: a quantum chemical investigation

Excited state potential energy hypersurfaces of 7H-furo[3,2-g][1]benzopyran-7-one (psoralen) have been explored employing (time-dependent) Kohn-Sham density functional theory. At selected points, we have determined electronic excitation energies and electric dipole (transition) moments utilizing a combined density functional/multireference configuration interaction method. Spin-orbit coupling has been taken into account employing an efficient, non-empirical spin-orbit mean-field Hamiltonian. Franck-Condon factors have been computed for vibrational modes with large displacements in the respective Dushinsky transformations. The simulated band spectra closely resemble experimental band shapes and thus validate the theoretically determined nuclear structures at the S(0), S(1), and T(1) minima. In the S(1) (pi(HOMO)-->pi*(LUMO)) state, the lactone bond of the pyrone ring is significantly elongated. From excited vibrational levels of the S(1) state a conical intersection between a (pi-->sigma*) excited state and the electronic ground state may be energetically accessible. Fast non-radiative decay via this relaxation pathway could explain the low fluorescence quantum yield of psoralen. The T(1) (pi(HOMO-1)-->pi*(LUMO)) exhibits a diradicaloid electronic structure with a broken C(5)-C(6) double bond in the pyrone ring. A variational multireference spin-orbit configuration interaction procedure yields a phosphorescence lifetime of 3 s, in excellent agreement with experimental estimates.     

Photodynamics of polyene-polymethine transformations and spectral fluorescent properties of merocyanine dyes

Absorption and fluorescence spectrum band moments (center of gravity, width, asymmetry, excess, and fine structure) have been determined in a wide range of solvents with different polarities for inverse solvatochromic di-, tetra-, and hexamethinemerocyanines derived from 1,3-diphenyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-benzimidazole. Juxtaposition of the quantum-chemically calculated (by the semiempirical AM1 method) charges, bond orders, and dipole moments of the merocyanine molecules in the ground and excited singlet states with the experimentally observed spectral fluorescent characteristics suggests that the molecular electronic structure in the two states can vary from a nonpolar polyene via a polymethine to a charge-separated polyene, depending on the length of the polymethine chain and the medium polarity. As shown, solvatofluorochromism gives rise to smaller spectral band shifts than those of solvatochromism. This effect is attributable to weaker intermolecular solute-solvent interactions in the fluorescent excited state due to the more equalized charges as compared to those of the ground state. A lack of mirror symmetry of the absorption and fluorescence spectra has been revealed for di- and tetramethinemerocyanines (broadened fluorescence bands) as well as for hexamethinemerocyanines (narrowed fluorescence bands); the two cases are accounted for by the different behavior of vibronic and intermolecular interactions in the course of absorption and emission. As found for merocyanines, the electronic structure of their fluorescent state approaches the cyanine limit and the ground state becomes increasingly polyene-like with lengthening of the polymethine chain. A close vicinity of the excited state to the cyanine limit causes a dramatic increase in fluorescence quantum yields and a decrease in Stokes shifts observed for higher merocyanine vinylogues.     

Electronic structure and optical properties of an alternated fluorene-benzothiadiazole copolymer: interplay between experimental and theoretical data

The donor-acceptor copolymer containing benzothiadiazole (electron acceptor), linked to functionalized fluorene (electron donor), [poly[9,9-bis(3'-(tert-butyl propanoate))fluorene-co-4,7-(2,1,3-benzothiadiazole)] (LaPPS40), was synthesized through the Suzuki route. The polymer was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, gel permeation chromatography, NMR, thermal analysis, cyclic voltammetry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV-vis spectrometry, and photophysical measurements. Theoretical calculations (density functional theory and semiempirical methodologies) used to simulate the geometry of some oligomers and the dipole moments of molecular orbitals involved were in excellent agreement with experimental results. Using such data, the higher energy absorption band was attributed to the π-π* (S(0) → S(4)) transition of the fluorene units and the lower lying band was attributed to the intramolecular (ICT) (S(0) → S(1)) charge transfer between acceptor (benzothiadiazole) and donor groups (fluorene) (D-A structure). The ICT character of this band was confirmed by its solvatochromic properties using solvents with different dielectric properties, and this behavior could be well described by the Lippert-Mataga equation. To explain the solvatochromic behavior, both the magnitude and orientation of the dipole moments in the electronic ground state and in the excited state were analyzed using the theoretical data. According to these data, the change in magnitude of the dipole moments was very small for both transitions but the spatial orientation changed remarkably for the lower energy band ascribed to the ICT band.     

Revisiting the photophysical properties and excited singlet-state dipole moments of several coumarin derivatives

The solvent effects on the electronic absorption and fluorescence emission spectra of several coumarins derivatives, containing amino, N,N-dimethyl-amino, N,N-diethyl-amino, hydroxyl, methyl, carboxyl, or halogen substituents at the positions 7, 4, or 3, were investigated in eight solvents with various polarities. The first excited singlet-state dipole moments of these coumarins were determined by various solvatochromic methods, using the theoretical ground-state dipole moments which were calculated by the AM1 method. The first excited singlet-state dipole moment values were obtained by the Bakhshiev, Kawski-Chamma-Viallet, Lippert-Mataga, and Reichardt-Dimroth equations, and were compared to the ground-state dipole moments. In all cases, the dipole moments were found to be higher in the excited singlet-state than in the ground state because of the different electron densities in both states. The red-shifts of the absorption and fluorescence emission bands, observed for most compounds upon increasing the solvent polarity, indicated that the electronic transitions were of π-π* nature.     

Localized emitting state and energy transfer properties of quadrupolar chromophores and (multi)branched derivatives

In order to better understand the nature of intramolecular charge and energy transfer in multibranched molecules, we have synthesized and studied the photophysical properties of a monomer quadrupolar chromophore with donor-acceptor-donor (D-A-D) electronic push-pull structure, together with its V-shaped dimer and star-shaped trimers. The comparison of steady-state absorption spectra and fluorescence excitation anisotropy spectra of these chromophores show evidence of weak interaction (such as charge and energy transfer) among the branches. Moreover, similar fluorescence and solvation behavior of monomer and branched chromophores (dimer and trimer) implies that the interaction among the branches is not strong enough to make a significant distinction between these molecules, due to the weak interaction and intrinsic structural disorder in branched molecules. Furthermore, the interaction between the branches can be enhanced by inserting π bridge spacers (-C═C- or -C≡C-) between the core donor and the acceptor. This improvement leads to a remarkable enhancement of two-photon cross-sections, indicating that the interbranch interaction results in the amplification of transition dipole moments between ground states and excited states. The interpretations of the observed photophysical properties are further supported by theoretical investigation, which reveal that the changes of the transition dipole moments of the branched quadrupolar chromophores play a critical role in observed the two-photon absorption (2PA) cross-section for an intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) state interaction in the multibranched quadrupolar chromophores.     

Structural changes accompanying excited-state electron transfer in meta- and para-dialkylaminopyridines

The electronic structure of the lowest excited singlet states and molecular geometries of a series of dialkylaminopyridines (DAAPs) representing electron donor–acceptor systems were studied by photostationary and time-resolved UV–vis spectroscopic methods and quantum chemical calculations. The comparative studies allow us to rationalize dual luminescence of 4-DAAPs in terms of the TICT state model—the analysis of the electronic transition dipole moments indicates a nearly orthogonal conformation of the fluorescent ICT states. Introduction of the amino group at meta position as in 3-diisopropylaminopyridine completely changes photophysics of these pyridine derivatives: (i) the Franck-Condon excited state initially reached upon excitation and the solvent equilibrated fluorescent state are most probably of the same nature (both excited states do not correspond to a full separation of charges) and (ii) the electronic structure and geometry of the fluorescent CT states of m-DIAP are solvent dependent.     

Molecular conformation of pyridinic aromatic esters : I. Electronic absorption spectra and dipole moments of the phenylic and pyridin1c esters of the benzoic- and pyridine-carboxylic acids

Nine pyridine aromatic ester derivatives have been prepared, six of which were previously unreported. The electronic absorption spectra have been determined in methanol and cyclohexane solution and band assignment is briefly discussed. The dipole moments were measured in benzene at 25 °C and are compared with values calculated using a vectorial model. Comparison suggests the most probable conformation of derivatives which have the nitrogen either in ortho or meta position in one or both rings of the molecule.     

The electronic absorption spectrum and excited state dipole moment of 3-fluoropyridine

The electronic absorption spectrum of 3-fluoropyridine in the vapour state and in solutions in different solvents in the region 3000-1900 Å has been measured and analysed. Three systems of absorption bands; n→π* transition I, π→π* transition II and π→π* transition III are identified. The oscillator strength of the absorption band systems due to the π→π* transition II and π→π* transition III and the excited state dipole moments associated with these transitions have been determined by the solvent-shift method.     

Dual Solvatochromism of Neutral Red

Abstract— The effect of solvent polarity on the electronic absorption and fluorescence properties of neutral red (NR), a phenazine-based dye of biological importance has been investigated in several neat and mixed solvents. An unusual dual solvatochromic behavior has been observed that reveals the existence of two closely spaced electronic excited states in NR. In low-polarity solvents the fluorescence of the NR is mainly emitted from the localized excited state, whereas in high-polarity solvents the emission from the charge transfer state dominates. The dipole moments of the localized and charge transfer states of NR have been estimated from the solvatochromic shifts. The dipole moment of the localized excited state (4.8 D) is only slightly higher than that of the ground state (2.0 D), while that of the charge transfer state is drastically higher (17.5 D). Fluorescence quantum yields and the life-times of NR have been determined in different solvents and correlated with the solvatochromic shifts.     

New fluorescent 2-(5-acetoacetyl-2-furyl)-benzazoles with prochiral methylene group protons

New fluorescent benzazoles containing prochiral protons in the methylene group have been synthesized. Their spectral-absorption and fluorescent properties have been investigated. Quantum yields of fluorescence were 0.39–0.55. The long-wave absorption band and the emission band in the spectra of the obtained acetoacetyl furylbenzazole derivatives are caused by electronic transition with charge transfer between the benzazole and acetoacetylfuryl fragments.     

2-Aminopurine excited state electronic structure measured by stark spectroscopy

2-Aminopurine (2AP) is an adenine analogue that has a high fluorescence quantum yield. Its fluorescence yield decreases significantly when the base is incorporated into DNA, making it a very useful real-time probe of DNA structure. However, the basic mechanism underlying 2AP fluorescence quenching by base stacking is not well understood. A critical element in approaching this problem is obtaining an understanding of the electronic structure of the excited state. We have explored the excited state properties of 2AP and 2-amino,9-methylpurine (2A9MP) in frozen solutions using Stark spectroscopy. The experimental data were correlated with high level ab initio (MRCI) calculations of the dipole moments, mu0 and mu1, of the ground and excited states. The magnitude and direction of the dipole moment change, Deltamu01 = mu1 - mu0, of the lowest energy optically allowed transition was determined. While other studies have reported on the magnitude of the dipole moment change, we believe that this is the first report of the direction of Deltamu, a quantity that will be of great value in interpreting absorption spectral changes of the 2AP chromophore. Polarizability changes due to the transition were also obtained.     

Dimers of dipyrrometheneboron difluoride (BODIPY) with light spectroscopic applications in chemistry and biology.

A ground-state dimer (denoted D(I)) exhibiting a strong absorption maximum at 477 nm (epsilon = 97 000 M(-1)cm(-1)) can form between adjacent BODIPY groups attached to mutant forms of the protein, plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1). No fluorescence from excited D(I) was detected. A locally high concentration of BODIPY groups was also achieved by doping lipid phases (micelles, vesicles) with BODIPY-labeled lipids. In addition to an absorption band located at about 480 nm, a new weak absorption band is also observed at ca. 570 nm. Both bands are ascribed to the formation of BODIPY dimers of different conformation (D(I) and D(II)). Contrary to D(I) in PAI-1, the D(II) aggregates absorbing at 570 nm are emitting light observed as a broad band centered at about 630 nm. The integrated absorption band of D(I) is about twice that of the monomer, which is compatible with exciton coupling within a dimer. The F?rster radius of electronic energy transfer between a BODIPY excited monomer and the ground-state dimer (D(I)()) is 57 +/- 2 A. A simple model of exciton coupling suggests that in D(I) two BODIPY groups are stacked on top of each other in a sandwich-like configuration with parallel electronic transition dipoles. For D(II) the model suggests that the S(0) --> S(1) transition dipoles are colinear. An explanation for the previously reported (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1994, 116, 7801) exceptional light spectroscopic properties of BODIPY is also presented. These are ascribed to the extraordinary electric properties of the BODIPY chromophore. First, changes of the permanent electric dipole moment (Delta(mu) approximately -0.05 D) and polarizability (-26 x 10(-40) C m(2) V(-1)) between the ground and the first excited states are small. Second, the S(0) <--> S(1) electronic transition dipole moments are perpendicular to Delta(mu).     

Intramolecular charge-transfer mechanism in quinolidines: the role of the amino twist angle

Quantum-chemical calculations with the approximate coupled-cluster singles-and-doubles model CC2 have been carried out for 1-tert-butyl-6-cyano-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline (NTC6). For this molecule dual fluorescence was experimentally observed, raising the discussion about the importance of the amino twist angle for this process. The calculations suggest that both the ground state and the normal fluorescent state are significantly twisted by 30 degrees -40 degrees and that the molecule is flexible enough to move into an even stronger twisted conformation (60 degrees -70 degrees ) in its intramolecular charge-transfer (ICT) state which is responsible for the anomalous fluorescence band. Such a conformation both minimizes the total energy in the S1 state and maximizes the dipole moment. The barrier from the normal fluorescent state to the ICT state region is very small. Comparison to the situation in the 1-methyl-derivative NMC6 suggests that a large alkyl substituent makes the preferably planar normal fluorescent state energetically unfavorable compared to the ICT state and thus promotes the occurrence of dual fluorescence.     

Chiroptical properties of an optically pure dicopper(I) trefoil knot and its enantioselectivity in luminescence quenching reactions

Chiroptical spectroscopy is used to investigate the properties of an optically pure dinuclear copper(I) trefoil knot. For the metal-to-ligand charge tranfer (MLCT) transition in the visible region (520 nm), the electric and magnetic transition dipole moments are determined from absorption and circular dichroism spectra: 2.8 Debye and 0.5 Bohr magneton (muB). Circular polarization in the luminescence (CPL) of the knot is determined and this allows the electric and magnetic transition dipole moments in emission to be calculated: 0.02 Debye and 0.003 muB. The large difference between the moments in absorption and emission shows that the emission observed does not originate directly from the 1MLCT state. Given the low probability for radiative decay we assign the long-lived emitting excited state to a 3MLCT state. The copper(I) trefoil knot is found to quench the emission from TbIII and EuIII(dpa)3(3)-(dpa = pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylate) with a bimolecular rate constant of 3.2 and 3.3 x 10(7)M(-1)S(-1), respectively, at room temperature in water-acetonitrile (1:1 by volume). Experimental results indicate that the (lambda)-knot preferentially quenches the lambda enantiomer of the lanthanide complex with an enantioselectivity (ratio of quenching rate constants for lambda and lambda: kqlambda/kqdelta) of 1.012+/-0.002 for EuIII and 1.0180+/-0.003 for TbIII.     

Spectroscopic consequences of a mixed valence excited state: quantitative treatment of a dihydrazine diradical dication

A model for the quantitative treatment of molecular systems possessing mixed valence excited states is introduced and used to explain observed spectroscopic consequences. The specific example studied in this paper is 1,4-bis(2-tert-butyl-2,3-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]oct-3-yl)-2,3,5,6-tetramethylbenzene-1,4-diyl dication. The lowest energy excited state of this molecule arises from a transition from the ground state where one positive charge is associated with each of the hydrazine units, to an excited state where both charges are associated with one of the hydrazine units, that is, a Hy-to-Hy charge transfer. The resulting excited state is a Class II mixed valence molecule. The electronic emission and absorption spectra, and resonance Raman spectra, of this molecule are reported. The lowest energy absorption band is asymmetric with a weak low-energy shoulder and an intense higher energy peak. Emission is observed at low temperature. The details of the absorption and emission spectra are calculated for the coupled surfaces by using the time-dependent theory of spectroscopy. The calculations are carried out in the diabatic basis, but the nuclear kinetic energy is explicitly included and the calculations are exact quantum calculations of the model Hamiltonian. Because the transition involves the transfer of an electron from the hydrazine on one side of the molecule to the hydrazine on the other side and vice versa, the two transitions are antiparallel and the transition dipole moments have opposite signs. Upon transformation to the adiabatic basis, the dipole moment for the transition to the highest energy adiabatic surface is nonzero, but that for the transition to the lowest surface changes sign at the origin. The energy separation between the two components of the absorption spectrum is twice the coupling between the diabatic basis states. The bandwidths of the electronic spectra are caused by progressions in totally symmetric modes as well as progressions in the modes along the coupled coordinate. The totally symmetric modes are modeled as displaced harmonic oscillators; the frequencies and displacements are determined from resonance Raman spectra. The absorption, emission, and Raman spectra are fit simultaneously with one parameter set. The coupling in the excited electronic state H(ab)(ex) is 2000 cm(-1). Excited-state mixed valence is expected to be an important contributor to the electronic spectra of many organic and inorganic compounds. The energy separations and relative intensities enable the excited-state properties to be calculated as shown in this paper, and the spectra provide new information for probing and understanding coupling in mixed valence systems.