Effect of surfactants on the aggregation of pyronin B and pyronin Y in aqueous solution

Molecular dynamics of pyronin B (PyB) and pyronin Y (PyY) in aqueous solution containing different surfactants were investigated by using absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy techniques. First, the interactions of PyB and PyY with the negatively charged surfactant sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) were investigated in the below and above critical micelle concentration (cmc). The H-aggregate formation of the dye compounds was observed for below the cmc of SDS surfactant. The absorbance of H-aggregate absorption band of PyB and PyY decreased according to the aggregate-monomer equilibrium by increasing SDS surfactant concentration towards the cmc. Therefore, equilibrium constants of the aggregate formation and oscillator strengths of monomer and aggregate of the dye compounds were calculated from spectral studies. Moreover, aggregate formation dynamics was discussed in terms of thermodynamic functions by using temperature studies. The interactions of PyB and PyY with the positively charged hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and neutral Triton X-100 (TX-100) were also studied and it was observed that there was no aggregate formation on the absorption and fluorescence spectra for below and above the cmc.     

A spectroscopic study of water-soluble pyronin B and pyronin Y in Langmuir-Blodgett films mixed with stearic acid

Mono and multilayer of water-soluble pyronin B (PyB) and pyronin Y (PyY) mixed with stearic acid (SA) have been incorporated in Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films. The surface pressure-area (π-A) isotherm studies pointed out that pure PyB and PyY are incapable of forming stable films at air-water interface and collapsed readily at low surface pressures. However, mixture of PyB or PyY with SA easily formed stable films at the air-water interface and they were easily transferred onto solid substrates. The average area per molecule of mixed films of PyB and PyY at the air-water interface was observed to decrease with increasing concentrations of PyB and PyY. The spectroscopic characteristics of PyB and PyY in chloroform, in SA containing chloroform and in LB films have also been investigated by using absorption and steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy techniques. The morphology of the LB film surfaces has been characterized by using atomic force microscopy (AFM).     

Gas Phase Oxygen Quenching Studies of Ketone Tracers for Laser-Induced Fluorescence Applications in Nitrogen Bath Gas

In this paper we report the quantitative oxygen quenching effect on laser-induced fluorescence of acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, and 3-pentanone at low pressures (～700 torr) with oxygen partial pressures up to 450 torr. Nitrogen was used as a bath gas in which these molecular tracers were added in different quantities according to their vapor pressure at room temperature. These tracers were excited by using a frequency-quadrupled, Q-switched, Nd:YAG laser (266 nm). Stern–Volmer plots were found to be linear for all the tracers, suggesting that quenching is collisional in nature. Stern–Volmer coefficients (k_sv) and quenching rate constants (k_q) were calculated from Stern–Volmer plots. The effects of oxygen on the laser-induced fluorescence of acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, and 3-pentanone were compared with each other. Further, the Smoluchowski theory was used to calculate the quenching parameters and compared with the experimental results.     

A study on the fluorescence quenching of 9-Aminoacridine by certain antioxidants

The fluorescence quenching of 9-Aminoacridine by certain estrogens and flavonoids in water was studied using absorption, steady state and time-resolved measurements. The bimolecular quenching rate constants for the chosen estrogens and flavonoids were found to be in the range of 3.2-9.2×10¹¹ and 0.36-14.46×10¹¹ M⁻¹s⁻¹, respectively. From lifetime measurement we observed that the quenching was mainly due to static mechanism through ground state complex formation. The binding constant (K) and the number of binding sites (n) were calculated based on the fluorescence quenching data. The free energy change (ΔG_et) for electron transfer process was calculated by Rehm-Weller equation.     

Photoinduced interaction between MPA capped CdTe QDs and certain anthraquinone dyes

Photoinduced interaction of mercapto propionic acid (MPA) capped CdTe quantum dots (QDs) with certain anthraquinone dyes namely alizarin, alizarin red S, acid blue 129 and uniblue has been studied by steady state and time resolved fluorescence measurements. Addition of anthraquinone dyes to CdTe QDs results in the reduction of electron hole recombination has been observed (i.e., fluorescence quenching). The Stern-Volmer constant (K_SV), quenching rate constant (k_q) and association constants (K) were obtained from fluorescence quenching data. The interaction of anthraquinone dyes with QDs occurs through static quenching was confirmed by unaltered fluorescence lifetime. The occurrence of electron transfer quenching mechanism has been proved by the negative free energy change (ΔG_et) obtained as per the Rehm-Weller equation.     

Electronic spectroscopy of N- and C-substituted chlorocarbazoles in homogeneous media and in solid matrix

Electronic spectra (absorption, fluorescence and phosphorescence emission spectra) of chlorocarbazoles 1a-e, 2a-b, 3a, 4a-b, 5a, 6a, 7a, 8a-c, 9a and 9b in acetonitrile and in solid matrix have been recorded at 298 and 77 K. The dynamic properties of the lowest excited singlet and triplet states in term of fluorescence and phosphorescence lifetime, τ_f and τ_p, fluorescence and phosphorescence quantum yield, φ_f and φ_p have been measured in the same experimental conditions and from these data the radiative and the radiationless rate constants (k_f⁰, k_isc, k_f⁰(77), k_isc(77), k_p⁰ and k_nr⁰) and the intersystem crossing quantum yield, φ_isc, were derived.The intramolecular heavy atom effect (HAE) on the spectroscopic data and photophysical rate constant was analyzed and the incorporation of chlorine atoms to the carbazole moiety proved their ability to quench the fluorescence emission by spin-orbital coupling.The values of the HOMO and LUMO energy, the oscillator strength (f) and the λ_max(abs) associated to the electronic transitions, the heat of formation of the chlorocarbazoles and the corresponding radical cation (ΔH_f and ΔH_f(RC)) and the adiabatic ionization potential (I_a) were also calculated by using the semiempirical PM3 method after HF/3-21G geometrical optimization, and were compared with the spectroscopic and photophysical data as well as with the one electron oxidation potential data (E_p/2).     

An investigation on fluorescence quenching of certain porphyrins by colloidal CdS

Certain porphyrin derivatives namely meso-tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP), meso-tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin (TCPP), meso-tetrakis(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin (TSPP) were examined as sensitizers for colloidal CdS. The interaction of these porphyrins and colloidal CdS were studied by absorption, infrared, steady state and time resolved fluorescence spectroscopy and transient absorption techniques. The apparent association constants (K_app) resulting from adsorption of porphyrins on CdS surface were calculated from both absorption and fluorescence studies and they agree well. Using all the spectroscopic measurements we confirmed that the interaction between porphyrins and colloidal CdS occurs through ground state complex formation and the quenching follows static mechanism.     

Features of the Quenching of the Triplet States of Water-Soluble Porphyrins by Molecular Oxygen

Using the methods of time-resolved absorption spectroscopy, we have investigated the features of quenching, by molecular oxygen, of the excited triplet states of water-soluble 5,10,15,20-tetrakis-(4-N-methylpyridyl)-porphyrin (H₂TMPyP) and 5,10,15,20-tetrakis-(4-sulfonatophenyl)-porphyrin (H₂TSPP) in water–ethanol solutions. It has been revealed that for both compounds the rate constant of quenching of the triplet states increases with increasing viscosity of the medium. Quenching of the excited triplet states of the dissociated (in water) and undissociated (in ethanol) forms of water-soluble porphyrins occurs with a different efficiency, and the rate constant of quenching the triplet states by molecular oxygen k _T thereby is higher for the dissociated form. It has been shown by means of mathematical modeling that the experimental results obtained can be described in terms of the change in the rate constants of intracomplex transitions in the porphyrin–oxygen collisional complex at varied solution viscosity and their difference for the dissociated and undissociated forms of water-soluble porphyrin.     

Role of charge-transfer complexes in oxygen quenching of excited states of anthracene derivatives in the gas phase

Oxygen quenching of excited triplet and singlet states of gas-phase anthracene and its derivatives that have similar energies of the lower triplet levels but widely different oxidation potentials (0.44 < E_ox < 1.89 V) was studied. Quenching rate constants for singlet (k_S^O2) and triplet (k_T^O2) states in addition to the fraction of oxygen-quenched singlet and triplet states q_{S 1}(T₁^O2 were determined from the decay rates, fluorescence intensities, and delayed fluorescence as functions of oxygen pressure. It was found that k_S^O2 values vary from 2·10⁴ (9,10-dicyanoanthracene) to 1.2·10⁷ sec⁻¹·torr⁻¹ (anthracene, 9-methylanthracene, 2-aminoanthracene) and k_S^O2 values from 5·10² to 1·10⁵ sec⁻¹·torr⁻¹. The k_S^O2 values for anthracene, 9-methylanthracene, and 2-aminoanthracene, which have fast rates of interconversion from S₁ to T₁, are close to the rate constants for gas-kinetic collisions and are independent of the oxidation potentials (E_ox). The quenching rate constants k_S^O2 for the other anthracene derivatives and k_T^O2 for all studied compounds decrease with increasing free energy of electron transfer ΔG_ET, which indicates the important role of charge-transfer interactions in the oxygen quenching of singlet S_1- and triplet T₁ states. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 75, No. 1, pp. 36–42, January–February, 2008.     

Spectroscopic Study of Porphyrin-Caffeine Interactions

The association between water-soluble porphyrins: 4,4′,4″,4?-(21?H,23?H-porphine-5,10,15,20-tetrayl)tetrakis-(benzoic acid) (H₂TCPP), 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-sulfonatophenyl)-21?H,23?H-porphine (H₂TPPS₄), 5,10,15,20-tetrakis[4-(trimethylammonio)phenyl]-21?H,23?H-porphine tetra-p-tosylate (H₂TTMePP), 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(1-methyl-4-pyridyl)-21?H,23?H-porphine tetra-p-tosylate (H₂TMePyP), the Cu(II) complexes of H₂TTMePP and H₂TMePyP, as well as chlorophyll a with caffeine (1,3,7-trimethylxanthine) has been studied analysing their absorption and emission spectra in aqueous (or acetone in case of chlorophyll a) solution. During the titration by caffeine the porphyrins absorption spectra undergo the evolution – the bathochromic effect can be observed as well as the hypochromicity of the Soret maximum. The association constants were calculated using curve-fitting procedure (K_AC of the order of magnitude of 10³?mol^-1). Whereas the emission spectra point at the presence of the fluorescence quenching effect testifying for the partial inactivation of the porphyrin molecule. The fluorescence quenching constants were calculated from Stern-Volmer plots. The results obtained show that caffeine can interact with water-soluble porphyrins and through formation of stacking complexes is able to quench their ability to emission.     

Interaction of the flavonoid hesperidin with bovine serum albumin: A fluorescence quenching study

The interaction between the flavonoid hesperidin and bovine serum albumin (BSA) was investigated by fluorescence and UV/Vis absorption spectroscopy. The results revealed that hesperidin caused the fluorescence quenching of BSA through a static quenching procedure. The hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions play a major role in stabilizing the complex. The binding site number n, and apparent binding constant K_A, corresponding thermodynamic parameters ΔG^o, ΔH^o, ΔS^o at different temperatures were calculated. The distance r between donor (BSA) and acceptor (hesperidin) was obtained according to fluorescence resonance energy transfer. The effect of Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, Ni²⁺, Co²⁺, and Mn²⁺ on the binding constants between hesperidin and BSA were studied. The effect of hesperidin on the conformation of BSA was analyzed using synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy and UV/Vis absorption spectroscopy.     

Oxygen fluorescence quenching studies with single tryptophan-containing proteins

The work of Lakowicz and Weber [Biochemistry 12, 4161 (1973)] demonstrated that molecular oxygen is a powerful quencher of tryptophan fluorescence in proteins. Here we report studies of the oxygen quenching of several proteins that have a single, internal tryptophan residue. Among these are apoazurin (Pseudomonas aeruginosa), asparaginase (Escherichia coli), ribonuclease T₁ (Aspergillus oryzae), and cod parvalbumin. Both fluorescence intensity and phase lifetime quenching data are reported. By comparison of these data we find that there is a significant degree of apparent static quenching in these proteins. The dynamic quenching rate constants,k _q, that we find are low compared to those for tryptophan residues in other proteins. For example, for apoazurin we find an apparentk _q of 0.59×10⁹ M ^–1 s^–1 at 25°C. This value is the lowest that has been reported for the oxygen quenching of tryptophan fluorescence.     

Quenching of ππ* triplet states of vaporous polycyclic aromatic compounds by oxygen

The oxygen quenching rate constants k _T ^O2 of the triplet state T ₁ of vapors of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with strongly different oxidation potentials 0.44 eV < E _OX < 1.61 eV and energies of the triplet levels 14800 cm^?1 < E _T < 24500 cm^?1 (anthracene, 2-aminoanthracene, 9-nitroanthracene, chrysene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene, and carbazole) are estimated from the measured dependences of the decay rates and intensities of delayed fluorescence on the oxygen pressure P _O2. It is found that the rate constants k _T ^O2 vary from 4 × 10³ (9-nitroanthracene) to 4 × 10⁵ s^?1 Torr^?1 (2-aminoanthracene) and increase with decreasing oxidation potentials E _OX of PAHs. The rate constants k _T ^O2 for vapors and solutions are compared. The dependences of k _T ^O2 on the free energy of two intermolecular processes, namely, triplet energy transfer to oxygen and electron transfer, are analyzed. It is shown that the rate constants k _T ^O2 increase with decreasing electron transfer free energy, which proves that, along with energy transfer, charge-transfer interactions contribute to the quenching of the triplet states of PAH vapors.     

Fluorescence quenching of fluorescein by Merocyanine 540 in liposomes

The fluorescence quenching of fluorescein (FL) by merociyanine 540 (MC540) was examined in L-egg lecithin phosphatidycholine (PC) liposomes using spectroscopic methods. The type of quenching mechanism (dynamic or static) was evaluated using the Stern-Volmer plots. Findings were also supported by the temperature studies and florescence decay measurements. The Stern-Volmer equation was utilized to calculate bimolecular quenching constants (K_q). Furthermore, the bimolecular quenching constant of the quencher in the liposomes (K_SV), partition coefficient (K_p), binding constant (K), and corresponding thermodynamic parameters ΔH, ΔS, and ΔG were calculated. The quenching property was also used in determining quantitatively (K_p) the partition coefficient of Merociyanini 540 in PC liposome.The obtained data indicated that static quenching occurred in the system and the K_SV values decreased with increasing lipid concentration. In addition, thermodynamic analysis suggested that van der Waals interactions and hydrogen bonding were the main acting forces between fluorescein and merociyanine 540 molecules in the medium.     

Study on the interaction between promethazine hydrochloride and bovine serum albumin by fluorescence spectroscopy

The interaction between promethazine hydrochloride (PMT) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) in vitro was investigated by means of fluorescence spectroscopy and absorption spectroscopy. The fluorescence of BSA was quenched remarkably by PMT and the quenching mechanism was considered as static quenching by forming a complex. The association constants K_a and the number of binding sites n were calculated at different temperatures. The BSA-PMT binding distance was determined to be less than 8 nm, suggesting that energy transfer from BSA to PMT may occur. The thermodynamic parameters of the interaction between PMT and BSA were measured according to the van’t Hoff equation. The enthalpy change (ΔH) and entropy change (ΔS) were calculated to be −23.62 kJ mol⁻¹ and −0.10 J mol⁻¹ K⁻¹, respectively, which indicated that the interaction of PMT with BSA was driven mainly by van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonds. The binding process was a spontaneous process in which Gibbs free energy change (ΔG) was negative. In addition, the results of synchronous fluorescence spectra and three-dimensional fluorescence spectra showed that binding of PMT with BSA can induce conformational changes in BSA.     

Fluorescence quenching of vaporous polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by oxygen

The fluorescence quenching by oxygen of vapors of nine polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with strongly different oxidation potentials 0.44 eV < E _ox < 1.61 eV (anthracene, 9-methylanthracene, 2-aminoanthracene, 9,10-dibromanthracene, pyrene, chrysene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene, and carbazole) is studied. From the dependences of the fluorescence decay rates and intensities on the oxygen pressure P _O2, the quenching rate constants k _S ^O2 for the excited singlet states S ₁ and the fraction f _S ^O2 of the S ₁ states quenched by oxygen are estimated. At P _O2 = 5 Torr, the k _S ^O2 constants vary from 1.2 × 10⁷ to 3.0 × 10⁵ s^?1 Torr^?1, while the fraction of the quenched excited singlet states changes from 0.1 (fluoranthene) to 0.7 (chrysene) and 0.8 (pyrene). The dependences of k _S ^O2 on the photophysical and electron-donor characteristics of the fluorescing compounds are analyzed. It is shown that, in the gas phase of anthracene and its derivatives, the magnitudes of k _S ^O2 are limited by the rate constants of gas-kinetic collisions k _gk and do not depend on the electron-donor characteristics of fluorophores, while the fraction of quenched states f _S ^O2 changes with the oxidation potential. For compounds with k _S ^O2 < k gk, both the rate constants k _S ^O2 and the fraction of quenched states f _S ^O2 depend on the E _ox of sensitizers, which demonstrates an important role played by the charge-transfer interactions in quenching of the S ₁ states. The dependence of the rate constants k _S ^O2 on the free energy of electron transfer ΔG _et is considered.     

Photochemical reactions of triplet benzophenone and anthraquinone molecules with amines in the gas phase

The intermolecular photoinduced reactions between triplet ketone molecules and aliphatic amines and pyridine are studied by the quenching of delayed fluorescence of anthraquinone and benzophenone vapors by diethylamine, dibutylamine, cyclohexylamine, triethylamine, and pyridine. In the temperature range 423–573 K, the delayed fluorescence quenching rate constants k _q are estimated from changes in the decay rate constant and the intensity of delayed fluorescence upon increasing pressure of bath gases. It is ascertained that, in the gas phase, the mixtures under study exhibit both a negative and a positive dependence of k _q on temperature, which indicates that some photoinduced reactions do not have activation barriers. The rate constant k _q is shown to increase with decreasing ionization potential of the electron donors. This points to the importance of interactions with charge transfer in the photoreaction of triplet ketone molecules with aliphatic amines and pyridine in the gas phase. The relationship between k _q and the change in the free energy ΔG upon the photoinduced intermolecular electron transfer, which is the primary stage of the photochemical reaction, is studied. It is shown that the dependence k _q (ΔG) for the donor-acceptor pairs under study is described well by the Marcus equation, in which the average vibrational energies of the donor and acceptor are taken into account for the estimate of ΔG.     

Complexation of bis‐crown stilbene with alkali and alkaline‐earth metal cations. Ultrafast excited state dynamics of the stilbene‐viologen analogue charge transfer complex

The complex formation of bis(18‐crown‐6)stilbene ( 1 ) and its supramolecular donor‐acceptor complex with N,N′‐bis(ammonioethyl) 1,2‐di(4‐pyridyl)ethylene derivative ( 2 ) with alkali and alkaline‐earth metal perchlorates has been studied using absorption, steady‐state fluorescence, and femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. The formation of 1 ?Mⁿ⁺ and 1 ?(Mⁿ⁺)₂ complexes in acetonitrile was demonstrated. The weak long‐wavelength charge‐transfer absorption band of 1 · 2 completely vanishes upon complexation with metal cations because of disruption of the pseudocyclic structure. The spectroscopic and luminescence parameters, stability constants, and 2‐stage dissociation constants were calculated. The initial stage of a recoordination process was found in the excited complexes 1 ?M⁺ and 1 ?(M⁺)₂ (M = Li, Na). The pronounced fluorescence quenching of 1 · 2 is explained by very fast back electron transfer (τ_et = 0.397 ps). The structure of complex 1 · 2 was studied by X‐ray diffraction; stacked ( 1 · 2 )_m polymer in which the components were connected by hydrogen bonding and stacking was found in the crystal. These compounds can be considered as novel optical molecular sensors for alkali and alkaline‐earth metal cations.     

Photophysical studies of xanthene dye in alkanols and in presence of inorganic ions

Eosin Y belongs to a xanthene group. It is an anionic fluorescent dye. The absorbance and fluorescence of Eosin Y have been investigated in a series of alkanols (methanol to propanol). When the solvents are added to the aqueous solution of Eosin Y (EY) the absorbance and fluorescence intensity are enhanced. The alkanols are found to affect the absorption and fluorescence spectra of the dye. On the basis of solvent adsorption model the binding constants of the dye with alkanols have been estimated. The interaction of solvent molecule with dye in aqueous solution is specific in nature. The fluorescence quenching of Eosin Y by the inorganic ions [Fe(CN)₆]⁻³, [Fe(CN)₆]⁻⁴ and Cl⁻ was also observed. The ions influenced the quenching process to different extents. The rate constants of quenching were calculated using the Stern-Volmer equation. The equilibrium constant of dye in presence of inorganic ions are determined by Scott equation.     

Comparative analysis of the influence of bulky β-alkyl substituents on fluorescent properties of some series of spatially distorted meso-phenyl substituted porphyrins

We present results of our systematic investigation and comparative analysis of the spectral-kinetic properties of absorption and fluorescence of two series of related planar porphyrins in liquid media at 293 K, in which deviations from the planarity are caused by contact steric interactions of eight peripheral β-pyrrole methyl (?CH₃) or ethyl (?C₂H₅) groups with a successively increasing number (from one to four) and varying position of meso-phenyl (Ph) substituents in the porphyrin macrocycle. It is substantiated that considerable differences between the spectral-kinetic properties of absorption and fluorescence of the octaethyl- and octamethylporphyrin molecules, which have the same number of meso-phenyl substituents, are caused by fundamentally different roles played by β-ethyl and β-methyl groups, which differ in volume and which determine differences in the character of steric interactions and the efficiency of the dynamic relaxation of the tetrapyrrole macrocycle. It is revealed that there is a difference between calculated f _theor and experimentally determined f _exp values of the fluorescence probability, which is caused by conformational rearrangements of spatially distorted porphyrin macrocycles in the S ₁ excited state, which reduce the oscillator strength and lower the energy of the long-wavelength transition S ₀ → S ₁. It is found that the chemical nature, the size, and the number of bulky -CH₃ or -C₂H₅ β-pyrrole groups affect weakly rate constants of fluorescence quenching by molecular oxygen and do not create noticeable steric hindrances for contact interactions of the oxygen molecule with the π-conjugated system of the tetrapyrrole macrocycle.