STEADY-STATE FLUORESCENCE METHOD FOR EVALUATING EXCITED STATE PROTON REACTIONS: APPLICATION TO FLUORESCEIN

Abstract Fluorescein is a complex fluorophore in the sense that it displays four prototropic forms (cation, neutral, monoanion and dianion) in the pH range 1–9. In experiments with fluorescein-labeled proteins we have sometimes observed complex nanosecond emission kinetics, which could be due to conversion of the excited monoanion into the excited dianion through an excited state proton exchange with a proton acceptor in the labeled protein. However, the literature is ambiguous on whether this possible excited state proton reaction of fluorescein does occur in practice. In this article we describe a general steady-state fluorescence method for evaluating excited state proton reactions of simple as well as complex pH-sensitive fluorophores and apply it to evaluate excited state proton reactions of fluorescein. The method depends on finding a buffer that can serve as an excited state proton donor-acceptor but does not significantly perturb ground state proton equilibrium and especially does not form ground (or excited state complexes) with the fluorophore. Our results show that the excited monoanion-dianion proton reaction of fluorescein does occur in the presence of phosphate buffer, which serves as a proton donor-acceptor that does not significantly perturb ground state proton equilibria. The reaction becomes detectable at phosphate buffer concentrations greater than 20 mM and the reaction efficiency increases with increase in phosphate buffer concentrations. The reaction is most clearly demonstrated by adding phosphate buffer to a solution of fluorescein at constant pH 5.9 with preferential excitation of the monoanion. Under these conditions, the excited monoanion converts to the dianion during its lifetime. The conversion is detected experimentally as an increase in dianion and decrease in monoanion fluorescence intensities with increase in phosphate buffer concentration. The absorption spectrum is not significantly perturbed by the increase in phosphate buffer concentration. To quantitate the reaction, we have recorded titration graphs of fluorescence intensity versus pH for fluorescein solutions at low (5 mM) and high buffer (1 M) concentrations with preferential excitation of the monoanion and preferential detection of the dianion emission. We have also developed theoretical expressions that relate fluorescence intensity to pH in terms of the concentration of the four prototrophic forms of fluorescein, extinction coefficients, fluorescence efficiencies and ground and excited state pK_a. The theoretical expressions give very good fits to the experimental data and allow evaluation of fundamental parameters such as pK_a and fluorescence efficiencies. The analysis of the experimental data shows that the excited monoanion-dianion reaction does not significantly occur at 5 mM phosphate buffer concentration. However, at 1 M buffer concentration the reaction is sufficiently fast that it practically achieves equilibrium during the lifetimes of the excited fluorescein monoanion and dianion. The pK_a* of the excited monoanion-dianion proton reaction is around 6.3. The results and methods presented here should be useful in the development and testing of pH-sensitive labeling fluorophores and fluorescent indicators.     

Deprotonation and protonation of hydroxyphenanthroperylenes

Summary Ground and excited state deprotonation and protonationpK _a values of hydroxyanthraquinones, hydroxyanthrones, hydroxyphenanthroperylenes, and the natural pigments hypericin and pseudohypericin were determined by means of spectrophotometric titrations and Förster cycle calculations. It was concluded that there is a strong intramolecular excited state proton transfer in the hydroxyanthraquinones and hydroxyanthrones due to a reversion of acidity and basicity of the hydroxyl and carbonyl groups in the excited state. However, in the hydroxyphenanthroperylene and the natural pigment excited states the order of basicity and acidity of these two functional groups remain unchanged. The site of deprotonation in hypericin and pseudohypericin was deduced by comparison between thepK _a values of suited model compounds and these pigments to be the hydroxyl group in position 3 or 4, respectively.

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Deprotonierung und Protonierung von Hydroxyphenanthroperylenen

Zusammenfassung Die Deprotonierungs- und Protonierungs-pK _a-Werte im Grundzustand und im angeregten Zustand von Hydroxyanthrachinonen, Hydroxyanthronen, Hydroxyphenanthroperylenen und den natürlichen Pigmenten Hypericin und Pseudohypericin wurde durch spektrophotometrische Titrationen und Förster-Zyklus-Rechnungen bestimmt. Bei den Hydroxyanthrachinonen und Hydroxyanthronen wurde auf Grund der Umkehr von Acidität und Basizität der Hydroxy- und Carbonylgruppen im angeregten Zustand auf einen starken intramolekularen Protonentransfer im angeregten Zustand geschlossen. Bei den Hydroxyphenanthroperylenen und den natürlichen Pigmenten bleiben die Aciditäts- und Basizitätsverhältnisse der beiden funktionellen Gruppen jedoch unverändert. Aus dem Vergleich derpK _a-Werte geeigneter Modellverbindungen mit Hypericin und Pseudohypericin wurde auf eine Deprotonierung der Hydroxylgruppe in Position 3 bzw. 4 geschlossen.

     

Kinetic Evidence for Methanol Trimer Assisted Proton Transfer: Transient Absorption Study on Excited Triplet State of 4-Hydroxy-4′-nitrobiphenyl

Hydroxyaromatic compounds have a wide range of applications in catalytic synthesis and biological processes due to their enhanced acidity upon photo-excitation. Most hydroxyaromatic compounds with a medium excited state acidity are unable to deprotonate in non-aqueous solvents such as alcohol due to their short-lived excited singlet states. The nitro group in 4-hydroxy-4'-nitrobiphenyl (NO₂-Bp-OH) increases the spin-orbit coupling between excited singlet states and the triplet state, resulting in ultrafast intersystem crossing and the formation of the long-lived lowest excited triplet state (T₁) with a high yield. Using transient absorption spectroscopy and kinetic analysis, we discover that, despite its moderate acidity, the T₁ state of NO₂-Bp-OH (³NO₂-Bp-OH) is able to transfer proton to methanol. Following the formation of the hydrogen-boned complex between ³NO₂-Bp-OH and three methanol molecules in a consecutive process, proton transfer occurs very fast. This finding suggests that the long lifetime of the photoacid excited state allows for the formation of alcohol oligomer with sufficient basicity to induce photoacid deprotonation.     

Solvent- andpH-dependence of the absorption and fluorescence spectra of harman: Detection of three ground state and four excited state species

ThepH-dependence of the absorption and fluorescence spectra of the alkaloid harman has been investigated. Three species, namely the cation, the neutral molecule and the anion have been found in absorption, whilst four species, namely the cation, the neutral molecule, the anion and the zwitterion were detected by fluorimetry. The zwitterion must be formed by a double proton transfer during lifetime of the excited state. Fluorescence quantum yields are entirely different for the various species, being highest for the cation ( _f in 1N sulfuric acid 0.89).Unlike quinine sulfate the fluorescence of harman cation is not quenched by chloride ion, which suggests its use as a fluorescence standard superior to quinine.The ground statepK _a 's of harman are 7.37 and 14.6, the excieted statepK _a 's, as calculated from theFörster-Weller-equation, are 12.0 and 8.65. Thus the observed zwitterion fluorescence is predicted from the calculations.Dedicated to Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c.O. Kratky on the occasion of his 80th birthday.     

Theoretical Study of Structure,Energetic, Hydrogen Bonds Strength and Intramolecular Proton Transfer of 2‐(2‐R (ROH,NH2, SH) Phenyl (or Pyridyl)) Benzoxazoles (or Benzothiazoles)

The ground‐ and excited‐state intramolecular proton transfer processes of 2‐(2‐R (R?OH, NH₂, SH) phenyl (or pyridyl)) benzoxazoles (or benzothiazoles) are investigated by the DFT methods. The calculated results indicate that in the ground state there is a high correlation (R=0.9950) between the proton transfer barrier and the intramolecular hydrogen bonds (IMHB) strength. The increase of the strength of IMHB in the proton transfer processes leads to a larger barrier contributions. Intramolecular proton transfer process pathway is along with the minimal difference of change value in the IMHB angle. In the excited‐state, there is a similar relationship between the IMHB and the barrier.     

Modulation of Excited‐State Proton Transfer of 2‐(2′‐Hydroxyphenyl)benzimidazole in a Macrocyclic Cucurbit[7]uril Host Cavity: Dual Emission Behavior and pKa Shift

The effect of the macrocyclic host, cucurbit[7]uril (CB7), on the photophysical properties of the 2‐(2′‐hydroxyphenyl)benzimidazole (HPBI) dye have been investigated in aqueous solution by using ground‐state absorption and steady‐state and time‐resolved fluorescence measurements. All three prototropic forms of the dye (cationic, neutral, and anionic) form inclusion complexes with CB7, with the largest binding constant found for the cationic form (K≈2.4×10⁶ M ^?1). At pH≈4, the appearance of a blue emission band upon excitation of the HPBI cation in the presence of CB7 indicates that encapsulation into the CB7 cavity retards the deprotonation process of the excited cation, and hence reduces its subsequent conversion to the keto form. Excitation of the neutral form (pH≈8.5), however, leads to an increase in the keto form fluorescence, indicating an enhanced excited‐state intramolecular proton‐transfer process for the encapsulated dye. In both the ground and excited states, the two pK_a values of the HPBI dye show upward shifts in the presence of CB7. The prototropic equilibrium of the CB7‐complexed dye is represented by a six‐state model, and the pH‐dependent changes in the binding constants have been analyzed accordingly. It has been observed that the calculated pK_a values using this six‐state model match well with the values obtained experimentally. The changes in the pK_a values in the presence of CB7 have been corroborated with the modulation of the proton‐transfer process of the dye within the host cavity.     

Quinoline Photobasicity: Investigation within Water-Soluble Light-Responsive Copolymers

Quinoline photobases exhibit a distinctly higher pK_a in their electronically excited state than in the ground state, thereby enabling light-controlled proton transfer reactions, for example, in molecular catalysis. The absorption of UV light translates to a pK_a jump of approximately 10 units, as established for small-molecule photobases. This contribution presents the first synthesis of quinoline-based polymeric photobases prepared by reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization. The integration of quinolines as photobase chromophores within copolymers offers new possibilities for light-triggered proton transfer in nanostructured materials, that is, in nanoparticles, at surfaces, membranes and interfaces. To exploit the light-triggered reactivity of photobases within such materials, we first investigated how the ground- and excited-state properties of the quinoline unit changes upon polymer integration. To address this matter, we combined absorption and emission spectroscopy with time-resolved transient-absorption studies to reveal photoinduced proton-transfer dynamics in various solvents. The results yield important insights into the thermodynamic and kinetic properties of these polymeric quinoline photobases.     

Acid-Base Properties of the Ground and Excited States of Ruthenium(II) Tris(4′-methyl-2,2′-bipyridine-4-carboxylic Acid)

The acid dissociation constant, pK_a, for the ground and excited states of ruthenium tris(4′-methyl-2,2′-bipyridine-4-carboxylic acid) complex have been measured. The ground state pK_a obtained from the pH titration curve of the complex absorption at 454 nm was 2.5. The lifetimes of the excited-state for deprotonated and protonated ruthenium complexes are 595 and 150 ns, respectively. The excited-state pK_a* is obtained from the emission titration curve at 630 nm and corrected for the excited-state lifetime to be 4.2. The increase of 1.7 pH units in the acid dissociation constant in the excited-state indicates that the ligand is much more basic in the excited-state. This result confirms the MLCT assignment for the lowest electronic transition of [Ru(mbpyCOOH)₃]²⁺.     

Studies on curcumin and curcuminoids. XXXIV. Photophysical properties of a symmetrical, non-substituted curcumin analogue

Curcumin is the main constituent of curry. In its ground state it shows chemo-preventive, chemo-therapeutic, anti-inflammatory and immune stimulating effects, and it is considered as a drug or drug model in the treatment of AIDS and cystic fibrosis. Further biological activity is induced in curcumin by light exposure: cytotoxicity is enhanced and photosensitized antibacterial effects are achieved. For the curcumin cis enol conformer, the fastest deactivation mechanism of the first excited singlet state is an excited-state intra-molecular proton transfer, which brings curcumin back to the ground state. This mechanism, as well as reketonization, interaction with the solvent and photodegradation, compete with the phototherapeutic action. The native compound curcumin carries phenolic hydroxyl and methoxy groups that influence the molecular charge distribution and hence the excited-state intra-molecular proton transfer rate in an unpredictable way. In this work we study static and time-resolved spectroscopic properties of a non-substituted curcuminoid that lacks both the phenolic hydroxyl and the phenolic methoxy groups. The photophysical properties of this compound are compared to those of native curcumin, in order to provide a rationale to the design of curcuminoids with molecular structures optimized for a photosensitizer.     

Photophysical and Photochemical Studies of Pyridoxamine

The absorption and fluorescence emission of pyridoxamine were studied as function of pH and solvent properties. In the ground state, pyridoxamine exhibits different protonated forms in the range of pH 1.5–12. Fluorescence studies showed that the same species exist at the lowest singlet excited state but at different pH ranges. The phenol group is by ca. 8 units more acidic in the excited state than in the ground state. On the other hand, the pyridine N‐atom is slightly more basic in the lowest excited state than in the ground state. Excitation spectra and emission decays in the pH range of 8–10 indicate the protonation of the pyridine N‐atom by proton transfer from the amine group, in the ground and singlet excited states. Spectroscopic studies in different solvents showed that pyridoxamine in the ground or excited states exhibits intramolecular proton transfer from the pyridine N‐atom to the phenol group, which is more favorable in solvents of low hydrogen‐bonding capacity. The cationic form with the protonated phenolic group, which emits at shorter wavelength, is the dominant species in nonprotic solvents, but, in strong proton‐donor solvents, both forms exist. The fluorescence spectra of these species exhibit blue shift in protic solvents. These shifts are well‐correlated with the polarity and the H‐donor ability of the solvent.     

Effects of Substituents on Metastable‐State Photoacids: Design,Synthesis, and Evaluation of their Photochemical Properties

Recently, metastable‐state photoacids have been widely used to control proton transfer in numerous chemical and biological processes as well as applications with visible light. Generally, substituents have a great influence on the photochemical properties of molecules, which will further affect their applications. Yet, the effects of substituents on metastable‐state photoacids have not been studied systematically. In this work, 16 metastable‐state photoacid derivatives were designed and synthesized on the basis of substituents having a large range of σ–π electron–donor–acceptor capabilities. The effects of substituents on the color display [or maximum absorption band(s)], solubility, pK_a values, dark/photoacidity, photosensitivity, and relaxation kinetic(s) were investigated in detail. This study will be helpful for the targeted design and synthesis of promising photoacids and the application of their photocontrolled proton‐release processes in functional materials/devices.     

Controlling Light-Induced Proton Transfer from the GFP Chromophore

Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) is known to undergo excited-state proton transfer (ESPT). Formation of a short H-bond favors ultrafast ESPT in GFP-like proteins, such as the GFP S65T/H148D mutant, but the detailed mechanism and its quantum nature remain to be resolved. Here we study in vacuo, light-induced proton transfer from the GFP chromophore in hydrogen-bonded complexes with two anionic proton acceptors, I⁻ and deprotonated trichloroacetic acid (TCA⁻). We address the role of the strong H-bond and the quantum mechanical proton-density distribution in the excited state, which determines the proton-transfer probability. Our study shows that chemical modifications to the molecular network drastically change the proton-transfer probability and it can become strongly wavelength dependent. The proton-transfer branching ratio is found to be 60 % for the TCA complex and 10 % for the iodide complex, being highly dependent on the photon energy in the latter case. Using high-level ab initio calculations, we show that light-induced proton transfer takes place in S₁, revealing intrinsic photoacid properties of the isolated GFP chromophore in strongly bound H-bonded complexes. ESPT is found to be very sensitive to the topography of the highly anharmonic potential in S₁, depending on the quantum-density distribution upon vibrational excitation. We also show that the S₁ potential-energy surface, and hence excited-state proton transfer, can be controlled by altering the chromophore microenvironment.     

EXCITED STATES OF SIX-MEMBERED N-HETEROCYCLES. FLUORESCENCE, PHOSPHORESCENCE AND ACID—BASE EQUILIBRIA OF ELECTRONICALLY EXCITED PHENAZINE

Abstract— An account of a systematic study of the acid-base equilibria of phenazine in the two lowest excited (π,π) states is presented. Pure electronic levels of the free base and of both its protonated forms have been located by spectroscopic methods. Fluorescence, phosphorescence and corresponding absorption spectra have been measured. The O-O energies of the free base, of the singly-protonated species and of the doubly protonated form in the lowest triplet state (³L_α(π, π)) are: 15, 475 cm^-1, 14, 175 cm^-1 and about 9300cm^-1, respectively. This last value has been estimated from the experimentally determined S-T splitting in the other two forms. Corresponding energies of the lowest singlet state (^IL_α(π,π)) are: 23,500 cm^-1, 21,250cm^-1 and 17,300 cm^-1. The fluorescence of the free base has been found in polar as well as in non-polar solvents and has been checked by the fluorescence excitation spectrum. Fluorescence quantum yields for the free base have been measured: 8.6 times 10^-4 and 3.0 × 10^-5 in ethanol and hexane solutions, respectively. Emission in ethanol has been ascribed to (π,π), that in hexane —to (π, π). fluorescence. The changes of pK_α's under excitation, calculated from the Forster's cycle, are equal: δpK_a¹=+2.8±0.3; δpK_a¹¹?+10±1.5 in the lowest (π, π) triplet state and δpK_a¹=+4.8±0.5; δpK_a¹¹=+8.4 ± 0.5 in the lowest (π,π) singlet state. The δpK_a¹¹ in the triplet state is at least as high as that in the ¹L_a(π, π) state. P P P calculations of the electronic levels and of the molecular diagrams have been performed. The energies obtained exceed experimental values by not more than 0.5 eV. An increase of the net charge on nitrogen δp under excitation has been found to be +50, +70 and +19 per cent in the ¹L_a, ¹L_b and ³L_a states, respectively. A good correlation has been found between δpK_a¹ and δp in both excited states, which have been studied experimentally.     

Quantum-chemical investigation of the dependence of pK a on the calculated energy of proton removal for certain derivatives of indole and phenol

The total energies of derivatives of N-hydroxyindole, indole, and phenol, and of their corresponding anions have been estimated with the aid of ab initio calculations on the 3-21G basis. The energies of proton removal were calculated from the difference in total energies of the appropriate anions and molecules. By comparing the calculated energies of proton removal with experimental values of pK_a (acidity characteristic) a practically linear dependence was shown for the acidity characteristic on the energy of proton removal for the series of compounds investigated. An empirical formula has been proposed expressing the dependence of pK_a on the energy of proton removal, which makes it possible to predict pK_a in this series by carrying out calculations of the energy of proton removal (transfer). __________ Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 1, pp. 47–50, January, 2006.     

Visible‐Light‐Responsive Reversible Photoacid Based on a Metastable Carbanion

A new photoacid that reversibly changes from a weak to a strong acid under visible light was designed and synthesized. Irradiation generated a metastable state with high C?H acidity due to high stability of a trifluoromethyl‐phenyl‐tricyano‐furan (CF₃PhTCF) carbanion. This long‐lived metastable state allows a large proton concentration to be reversibly produced with moderate light intensity. Reversible pH change of about one unit was demonstrated by using a 0.1 mM solution of the photoacid in 95 % ethanol. The quantum yield was calculated to be as high as 0.24. Kinetics of the reverse process can be fitted well to a second‐order‐rate equation with k=9.78×10² M ^?1 s^?1. Response to visible light, high quantum yield, good reversibility, large photoinduced proton concentration under moderate light intensity, and good compatibility with organic media make this photoacid a promising material for macroscopic control of proton‐transfer processes in organic systems.     

Ground and lowest excited triplet state dissociation constants of the 5-, 6- and 7-mononitro-8-quinolinols. Spectroscopic evidence for intramolecular hydrogen bonding in the lowest triplet state of 7-nitro-8-quinolinol

Abstract— The dissociation constants of 5-nitro-8-quinoIinol, 6-nitro-8-quinolinol and 7-nitro-8-quinolinol have been determined for the ground states of the molecules by potentio-metric titration, and for the lowest triplet states from the shifts of the O—O bands of phosphorescence occurring upon dissociation. The ground-state dissociation constants of the phenolic groups are found to be typical of ortho, meta, and para nitro phenols. The phosphorescences of all prototropic species derived from the 6-isomer appear to be anomalous and their origin is unknown. The anomalously low acidity of the neutral species of the 7-isomer in its triplet state, relative to that of the neutral species of the 5-isomer in its triplet state, is attributed to intramolecular hydrogen bonding in the lowest triplet sfate of the 7-isorner, between the phenolic proton and the 7-nitro group. The magnitudes of the two triplet-state disSociation constants of both the 5 and 7 isomers suggest that the predominant uncharged species in fluid solutions containing the triplet-state molecules are the excited zwitterions.     

Azomethine ylide-formation from N-phthaloylglycine by photoinduced decarboxylation: A theoretical study

In this work, we report the first CASPT2//CASSCF study of the mechanism of the photodecarboxylation of N-phthaloylglycine. The charge transfer excited state S CT ( 1∏∏*) is initially populated upon irradiation at 266 nm. As a result of a fast internal conversion to the lowest excited singlet state S CT-N ( 1∏∏*), this state becomes a favorable precursor state for proton transfer, which triggers decarboxylation. Actually, the excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) and decarboxylation processes proceed in an asynchronous concerted way. The ESIPT process is accomplished in the S CT-N ( 1∏∏*) state, but the CO 2 molecule is finally formed in the ground state via the S CT /S 0 conical intersection. Azomethine ylide is formed in the ground state as a complex with CO 2 . A barrier of ~15 kcal/mol indicates that azomethine ylide is stable in the ground state, which is consistent with the experimental findings. This work provides mechanistic details about the formation of azomethine ylide by photoreaction of N-phthaloylglycine.     

Beiträge zur Chemie der Pyrrolpigmente, 51. Mitt.: Phytochrommodellstudien: Zur Deprotonierung von 3,4-Dihydropyrromethenonen und 2,3-Dihydrobilatrienen-abc

3,4-Dihydropyrromethenones and 2,3-dihydrobilatrienes-abc are deprotonated with a characteristicpK _a value of about 11–12 at the NH of the saturated lactam ring. This deprotonation step depends on the availability of stabilisation by hydrogen bonding and charge delocalisation. This was deduced bypK _a measurements of 20 derivates bearing methyl groups at certain N-positions to block deprotonation selectively. Moreover, a¹H-NMR shift criterion was established to detect the deprotonation site. Fluorescence data are given for several 2,3-dihydrobilatrienes-abc; a crossover of relative acidity and basicity in the excited state was observed in the case of a “normal” 2,3-dihydrobilatriene-abc by applying aFörster cycle.     

Excited-state proton transfer kinetics of carbazole

Rate constants for the excited-state proton transfer reaction of carbazole in aqueous alkaline solution have been determined using picosecond single photon counting. Fluorescence decay measurements show that the back reaction is slow compared to the fluorescence decay time and therefore equilibrium is not attained in the excited state. The validity of a pK value for the lowest excited state determined from steady-state fluorescence measurements assuming equilibrium is discussed. It is concluded that the thermodynamic pK^* value for carbazole is 10.98.