Higher triplet excited states of benzophenones and bimolecular triplet energy transfer measured by using nanosecond-picosecond two-color/two-laser flash photolysis

The lifetimes of benzophenone in the higher triplet excited state (BP(T(n))) and several BP derivatives in the T(n) states were measured directly to be tau(T(n))=37+/-7 ps and 20-33 ps, respectively, by using the nanosecond-picosecond (ns-ps) two-color/two-laser flash photolysis method. Based on the direct measurements of tau(T(n)) of BP(T(n)), the triplet energy transfer (TET) from BP(T(n)) to quenchers (Q), such as carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), benzene (Bz), and p-dichlorbenzene (DCB), was investigated. The fast TET from BP(T(n)) to Q can be attributed to the lifetime-dependent quenching process, according to the Ware theoretical model of the bimolecular energy transfer reaction. The contribution of the lifetime-dependent term on k(TET) was 27, 60, and 86% for CCl4, Bz, and DCB as the Q of BP(T(n)), respectively, indicating that the TET from BP(T(n)) to Q is influenced not only by tau(T(n)), but also by the size of Q.     

Excited states quenching of phenosafranine dye by electron donors

The quenching of the excited singlet and triplet states of phenosafranine by aromatic amines, methoxybenzenes and triethanolamine was investigated in acetonitrile and methanol. The rate constants for the aromatic quenchers present a typical dependence of an electron transfer process with the one-electron redox potential of the donor. A Rehm–Weller correlation is obtained with the driving force. The fitting parameters are very similar in both solvents. The electron transfer nature of the quenching reaction is further confirmed by the detection of the radical cations of the quenchers and the semireduced form of the dye in laser flash photolysis experiments. The absorption coefficients of the transient species were estimated, and the quantum yield of the charge separation process was determined.     

Diastereomeric discrimination in the lifetimes of Norrish Type II triplet 1,4-biradicals and stereocontrolled partitioning of their reactivity (Yang cyclization versus Type II fragmentation)

The stereochemistry at C2 and C3 carbons controls the partitioning of triplet 1,4-biradicals of ketones 2 among various pathways. Differences in the major reaction pathways, for example, cyclization (syn) and fragmentation (anti), adopted by the diastereomeric 1,4-radicals of ketones 2 have permitted unprecedented diastereomeric discrimination in their lifetimes to be observed by nanosecond laser flash photolysis. From quantum yield measurements and transient lifetime data, the absolute rate constants for cyclization and fragmentation of a pair of diastereomeric triplet 1,4-biradicals have been determined for the first time.     

Properties of excited ketyl radicals of benzophenone analogues affected by the size and electronic character of the aromatic ring systems

The properties of benzophenone ketyl radical analogues with large aromatic ring systems, such as naphthylphenylketone (2), 4-benzoylbiphenyl (3), and bis(biphenyl-4-yl)methanone (4), were investigated in the excited state by using nanosecond-picosecond two-color two-laser flash photolysis. Fluorescence and transient absorption spectra of ketyl radicals of 2-4 in the excited state were observed for the first time. The fluorescence and properties of the excited ketyl radicals were significantly affected by the size and electronic properties of the aromatic ring systems. The reactivity of the ketyl radicals in the excited state with several quenchers was examined and they were found to show reactivity toward N,N-diethylaniline. In addition, for the benzophenone ketyl radical, a unique quenching process of the radical in the excited state by the ground-state parent molecule was found. The factors regulating the fluorescence lifetime of the ketyl radicals in the excited state are discussed quantitatively.     

Influence of gaseous hydrogen on the hydrogen transfer reaction between phenanthrene and hydrogen donors

Transfer hydrogenation of phenanthrene was performed in the presence of superbases or strong acids and gaseous hydrogen. The influence of hydrogen on the yield of these reactions was discussed with respect to the mechanism of hydrogen transfer.     

Fluorescence Quenching of Benzaldehyde in Water by Hydrogen Atom Abstraction

We computed the mechanism of fluorescence quenching of benzaldehyde in water through relaxed potential energy surface scans. Time‐dependent density functional theory calculations along the protonation coordinate from water to benzaldehyde reveal that photoexcitation to the bright ππ* (S₃) state is immediately followed by ultrafast decay to the nπ* (S₁) state. Evolving along this state, benzaldehyde (BA) abstracts a hydrogen atom, resulting in a BAH^. and OH^. radical pair. Benzaldehyde does not act as photobase in water, but abstracts a hydrogen atom from a nearby solvent molecule. The system finally decays back to the ground state by non‐radiative decay and an electron transfers back to the OH^. radical. Proton transfer from BAH⁺ to OH^? restores the initial situation, BA in water.     

Evidence for static quenching of MLCT excited states by iodide

The metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (MLCT) excited states of Ru(deeb)(bpy)(2)(PF(6))(2) [where bpy is 2,2-bipyridine and deeb is 4,4'-(CO(2)CH(2)CH(3))(2)-2,2'-bipyridine] in acetonitrile or dichloromethane were found to be quenched by iodide at room temperature. The ionic strength dependence of the optical spectra gave evidence for ion pairing. Iodide is found to quench the photoluminescence (PL) intensity and influence the spectral distribution of the emitted light. A static component to the time-resolved PL quenching provided further evidence for ground-state adduct. Stern-Volmer analysis of the static component provided an estimate of the iodide-Ru(deeb)(bpy)(2)(2+) adduct equilibrium constant in dichloromethane, K(sv) = 40,000 M(-)(1). Transient absorption studies clearly demonstrate that an electron-transfer quenching mechanism is operative and that I(2)(-)(*) can be photoproduced in high yield, phi = 0.25. For Ru(bpy)(3)(PF(6))(2) in acetonitrile, similar behavior could be observed at iodide concentrations >100 times that required for dichloromethane.     

Photoorganocatalytic Hydroacylation of Dialkyl Azodicarboxylates by Utilising Activated Ketones as Photocatalysts

A fast and efficient visible‐light metal‐free hydroacylation of dialkyl azodicarboxylates is described. Among a variety of activated ketones, phenyl glyoxylic acid and its ethyl ester were identified as suitable photoorganocatalysts. A range of aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes were employed, thus leading to products in high to excellent yields.     

Head-to-tail interactions in tyrosine/benzophenone dyads in the ground and the excited state: NMR and laser flash photolysis studies

The formation of head-to-tail contacts in de novo synthesized benzophenone/tyrosine dyads, bp logical sum Tyr, was probed in the ground and excited triplet state by NMR techniques and laser flash photolysis, respectively. The high affinity of triplet-excited ketones towards phenols was used to trace the geometric demands for high reactivity in the excited state. A retardation effect on the rates with increasing hydrogen-bond-acceptor ability of the solvent is correlated with ground-state masking of the phenol. In a given solvent the efficiencies of the intramolecular hydrogen-atom-transfer reaction depend strongly on the properties of the linker: rate constants for the intramolecular quenching of the triplet state cover the range of 10(5) to 10(8) s(-1). The observed order of reactivity correlates to a) the probability of close contacts (from molecular-dynamics simulations) and b) the extent of the electronic overlap between the pi systems of the donor and acceptor moieties (from NMR). A broad survey of the NMR spectra in nine different solvents showed that head-to-tail interactions between the aromatic moieties of the bp logical sum Tyr dyads already exist in the ground state. Favourable aromatic-aromatic interactions in the ground state appear to correspond to high excited-state reactivity.     

C-O-bond cleavage of esters with a naphthyl group in the higher triplet excited state during two-color two-laser flash photolysis

A C-O-bond cleavage of esters having a naphthyl group, NpCO-OR and RCO-ONp (Np=alpha- and beta-naphthyl ((alpha)Np and (beta)Np, respectively), R=Ph and Me), was found during the two-color two-laser flash photolysis in acetonitrile. The C-O-bond cleavage occurred when NpCO-OR and RCO-ONp were excited to the singlet excited states (S1). On the other hand, no reaction occurred from the lowest triplet excited states (T1). When NpCO-OR(T1) and RCO-ONp(T1) were excited to the higher triplet excited states (Tn) using the second laser during the two-color two-laser flash photolysis, the C-O-bond cleavage occurred. The C-O-bond cleavage quantum yield (Phi) was estimated from the plots of the T1-state esters disappeared within a laser flash versus the second laser intensities. The C-O-bond cleavage in (beta)NpCO-OPh(Tn) occurred more efficiently than in (alpha)NpCO-OPh(Tn) and that in PhCO-O(beta)Np(Tn) occurred more efficiently than in PhCO-O(alpha)Np(Tn). The Phi value for ester with Ph and beta-Np groups was larger than that for ester with Ph and alpha-Np groups. The Phi value for MeCO-O(alpha)Np(Tn) was similar to those for PhCO-ONp(Tn), while that for MeCO-O(beta)Np(Tn) was much smaller than those for PhCO-ONp(Tn) and MeCO-O(alpha)Np(Tn). On the other hand, no C-O-bond cleavage was observed in NpCO-OMe(Tn). The Phi value depended on the characters of the groups (Np, Ph, and Me) on the ester. Whether R is Ph or Me with or without pi electron, respectively, is important for the C-O-bond cleavage. In other words, electronic delocalization of the T(n) state including Np and ester groups is necessary for the occurrence of the C-O-bond cleavage in NpCO-OR(Tn) and RCO-ONp(Tn).     

Photo-oxidation poly(butadiene); quenching of excited states by nitroxides

The phosphorescence from three model bicyclic enones and those formed in thermally oxidized poly(butadiene) has been shown to be quenched efficiently by a nitroxide [3,3,4,4-tetramethyldiazetine N,N′-dioxide] in CH₂Cl₂:tetrahydrofuran glass at 77K. The Perrin model for static quenching was applied, and the interchromophoric distance for half-quenching found to be ～ 12 A. At room temperature the nitroxide additive inhibited the formation of volatile products from thermally oxidized poly(butadiene) films: results also obeyed the Perrin relationship, pointing to a quenching mechanism of photostabilization. By contrast, a commercial hindered amine stabilizer was found not to act as a quencher of phosphorescence at 77K, and to have a concentration dependence for the reduction in volatile product formation at 298K in PBD films different from the nitroxide, indicating different mechanisms of action.     

Intramolecular electron transfer between tyrosine and tryptophan photosensitized by a chiral pi,pi* aromatic ketone

The photochemical reaction of Trp and Tyr and related peptides with Suprofen (SUP) as sensitizer in H2O/CH3CN (28:1 v/v) solutions has been studied by time-resolved spectroscopy. The results show that SUP induces oxidation of both Trp and Tyr, as well as intramolecular-ET reactions in the related peptides. The influence of photosensitizer configuration on the involved processes has been studied by using the enantiomerically pure compounds. A significant chiral recognition is observed in which the concentration of the radicals formed after triplet quenching depends on the configuration of the chiral center; the quenching process is higher when using the (R)-SUP enantiomer.     

The fate of oxygen in the quenching of excited singlet states

Measurement of the efficiency of rubrene-sensitizied photooxidation of 1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran imply that direct formation of singlet oxygen via oxygen quenching of excited rubrene singlets is inefficient. This contrasts with recent publications based upon studies of self-sensitized rubrene photooxidation. The observed inefficiency can be rationalized in terms of the spin-allowed decay of an initially formed ³(T₁ + ¹Δ) complex state to a lower energy ³(T₁ + ³Σ) state prior to complex dissociation.     

Stereoselectivity of the Hydrogen‐Atom Transfer in Benzophenone–Tyrosine Dyads: An Intramolecular Kinetic Solvent Effect

To be or not to be solvated is the decisive parameter that controls the photoinduced hydrogen‐atom transfer in diastereomeric ketone/phenol dyads. A kinetic solvent effect that refers to hydrogen bonding between the phenol and the solvent is suggested to be the main source of the stereoselective discrimination in the hydrogen transfer (see figure).