Photophysical properties of borondipyrromethene analogues in solution

The photophysical properties of seven new 8-(p-substituted)phenyl analogues of 4,4-difluoro-3,5-dimethyl-8-(aryl)-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene (derivatives of the well-known fluorophore BODIPY) in several solvents have been studied by means of absorption and steady-state and time-resolved fluorimetry. For each compound, the fluorescence quantum yield and lifetime are lower in solvents with higher polarity owing to an increase in the rate of nonradiative deactivation. Increasing the electron withdrawing strength of the p-substituent on the phenyl group in position 8 also leads to lower fluorescence quantum yields and lifetimes. When the p-substituent on the phenyl group in position 8 is a tertiary amine [8-(4-piperidinophenyl), 8-(4-N,N-dimethylaminophenyl), and 8-(4-morpholinophenyl)], the low quantum yields of these compounds in more polar solvents can be rationalized by the inversion of the energy levels of an apolar, highly fluorescent and a polar, nonfluorescent excited state, where charge transfer from the tertiary amine to the BODIPY unit occurs. These amine analogues can be protonated at low pH in aqueous solution. Fluorescence titrations yielded pK(a) values of their conjugate ammonium salts which are in agreement with the electron donating tendency of the amine group: piperidino (4.15) > dimethylamino (2.37) > morpholino (1.47), with the pK(a) values in parentheses. The rate constant of radiative deactivation (k(f)) is the same for all compounds in all solvents studied (k(f) = 1.4 x 10(8) s(-1)).     

Solvent-dependent photophysical properties of borondipyrromethene dyes in solution

Four fluorescent dyes derived from 4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene (BODIPY) with unusual substituents (chloro, methoxy, and malonate) at the 3,5-positions have been synthesized by a novel nucleophilic substitution reaction of 3,5-dichloroBODIPY. Their solvent-dependent photophysical properties have been investigated by means of UV/Vis absorption, steady-state and time-resolved fluorimetry. For each compound, the fluorescence quantum yield and lifetime are lower in solvents with higher polarity due to an increase in the rate of nonradiative deactivation. The fluorescence rate constants are in the (1.6–2.0) × 10⁸ s⁻¹ range. The borondipyrromethene derivatives show small Stokes shifts (between 440 and 490 cm⁻¹) and narrow absorption (FWHM between 710 and 820 cm⁻¹) and emission bands.     

Photophysical properties of BODIPY-derived hydroxyaryl fluorescent pH probes in solution.

The photophysical properties of five fluorescent pH probes derived from 4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene with phenolic or naphtholic subunits at position 8 and with substituents having different electron driving forces at positions 3 and 5 have been investigated in several organic solvents, by means of absorption, steady-state, and time-resolved fluorimetry. For each compound, the fluorescence quantum yield and lifetime are lower in solvents with higher polarity, owing to an increase in the rate of nonradiative deactivation. The rate constants for radiative deactivation, k(f), are nearly constant for all dyes in all solvents studied [k(f)=(1.7+/-0.2)x10(8) s(-1)]. In aqueous solution, these probes undergo a reversible protonation-deprotonation in the near-neutral to basic pH range, producing intensity increases with lower pH. The pK(a) values of the indicators are between 7.5 and 9.3, depending on the substitution pattern on positions 3, 5, and 8. The difference between the absorption and excitation spectra as a function of pH is indicative of the presence of two species in aqueous solution: the phenol- or naphthol-based indicator and its conjugate base.     

Immobilization of a fluorescent dye in Langmuir-Blodgett films

We immobilized a hemicyanine dye, Di-8-ANEPPS, in ordered thin films of an organic matrix, dihexadecyl phosphate (DHP), and we transferred the mixed monolayers onto solid support by the Langmuir-Blodgett technique. We used gold and quartz slides and indium tin oxide (ITO) evaporated on glass slides as substrates. The multilayers formation was confirmed by ellipsometric and contact angle measurements. The optical response of the nanostructures was investigated collecting UV-Vis absorption and fluorescence emission intensity profiles.     

Thermo and pH sensitive fluorescent polymer sensor for metal cations in aqueous solution

A new monomeric fluorophore N‐acryl‐N'‐(quinolin‐8‐yl)thiourea (AQT) was synthesized. Free radical copolymerization was carried out in order to prepare a water‐soluble fluorescent copolymer, based on N‐isopropylacrylamide. The fluorescent characteristic of the aqueous solutions of copolymers was investigated both in varied pH and in the presence of metal cations. The polymer‐ contained AQT was found to be a selective chemosensor for Ni, Pb, Co ions especially for Co ion. The obtained copolymers show thermo‐sensitive lower critical solution temperature (LCST) ranging from 32.5 to 37.5°C with varied ratios of AQT, N, N‐dimethylacrylamide and N‐isopropylamide. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis and solvent-dependent photophysics of a novel fluorescent triazole-coumarin-based dye

Synthesis of a new coumarin-triazole-based dye and its photophysical parameters such as absorption, fluorescence emission, and fluorescence quantum yield were investigated. Studies have shown that the present dye has symmetry with a mirror image, especially in the ethanol solvent, with respect to the absorption and fluorescence spectra. As a result of the UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopy techniques used, it was determined that absorption and emission spectra were shifted to the red with increasing solvent polarity. In addition, the spectral data of the synthesized compound exhibited that the stokes shifts are small, usually less than 50 nm, and the quantum yields are significantly high. In accordance with the results obtained, it can be stated that this novel dye synthesized here can offer an insight into application in sensor applications as analytical or biosensors, optoelectronic devices, and medicine industry.     

Salicylaldehyde hydrazones as fluorescent probes for zinc ion in aqueous solution of physiological pH

Salicylaldehyde hydrazones of 1 and 2 were synthesized and their potential as fluorescent probes for zinc ion was investigated in this paper. Both of the probes were found to show fluorescence change upon binding with Zn²⁺ in aqueous solutions, with good selectivity to Zn²⁺ over other metal ions such as alkali/alkali earth metal ions and heavy metal ions of Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺ and Hg²⁺. They showed 1:2 metal-to-ligand ratio when their Zn²⁺ complex was formed. By introducing pyrene as fluorophore, 2 showed interesting ratiometric response to Zn²⁺. Under optimal condition, 2 exhibited a linear range of 0-5.0 μM and detection limit of 0.08 μM Zn²⁺ in aqueous buffer, respectively. The detection of Zn²⁺ in drinking water samples using 2 as fluorescent probe was successful.     

Gelation of a highly fluorescent urea-functionalized perylene bisimide dye

[structure: see text] A urea-containing tetraphenoxy-substituted perylene bisimide has been synthesized, and its gelation ability has been studied. This functional dye forms fluorescent organogels in toluene and tetrachloromethane through self-assembly by hydrogen-bonding and pi-pi-stacking interactions. AFM and confocal laser scanning microscopy reveal the formation of fiberlike aggregates.     

Dual-mode tunable viscosity sensitivity of a rotor-based fluorescent dye

The design and fabrication of new type viscosity sensor on molecular scale will enrich the detection means in both physical and life sciences. In this work, a rotor-containing fluorescent dye was prepared, which can reveal a typical viscosity-sensitive behavior due to the environment-induced non-radiative decay. The viscosity-sensitive behavior of this dye could be tunable (locked and activated) in aqueous environment, either with the reversible light-driven trans/cis-photoisomerization of the cyanostilbene moiety, or with the reversible assembly/disassembly process of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) to the rotor part. Such dual-mode tunable viscosity sensitivity can be well distinguished by fluorescent spectra. A slope method, on double-logarithmic plots of the fluorescent signal to the corresponding environmental viscosity, makes a quantitative estimation to the tunable viscosity sensitivity, featuring the ‘Activated’ and the ‘Locked’ state in this molecular-scale viscometer.     

Synthesis and photophysical properties of borondipyrromethene dyes bearing aryl substituents at the boron center

Several borondipyrromethene (Bodipy) dyes bearing an aryl nucleus linked directly to the boron center have been prepared under mild conditions. The choice of Grignard or lithio organo-metallic reagents allows the isolation of B(F)(aryl) or B(aryl)2 derivatives; where aryl refers to phenyl, anisyl, naphthyl, or pyrenyl fragments. A single crystal, X-ray structure determination for the bis-anisyl compound shows that the sp3 hybridized boron center remains pseudo-tetrahedral and that the B-C bond distances are 1.615 and 1.636 A. All compounds are electrode active but replacement of the fluorine atoms by aryl fragments renders the Bodipy unit more easily oxidized by 100 mV in the B(F)(aryl) and 180 mV in the B(aryl)2 compounds whereas reduction is made more difficult by a comparable amount. Strong fluorescence is observed from the Bodipy fluorophore present in each of the new dyes, with the radiative rate constant being independent of the nature of the aryl substituent. The fluorescence quantum yields are solvent dependent and, at least in some cases (aryl = anisyl or pyrenyl), nonradiative decay from the first-excited singlet state is strongly activated. There is no indication, however, for population of a charge-transfer state, in which the aryl substituent acts as donor and the Bodipy fragment functions as acceptor, that is strongly coupled to the ground state. Instead, it is conjectured that nonradiative decay involves a conformational change driven by the solvophobic effect. Thus, the rate of nonradiative decay in any given solvent increases with increasing surface accessibility (or molar volume) of the aryl substituent. Intramolecular energy transfer from pyrene or naphthalene residues to Bodipy is quantitative.     

Silica passivation efficiency monitored by a surface-bound fluorescent dye

A new method for evaluating surface passivation of silicon surfaces using a strongly adsorbing and fluorescing perylenediimide (PDI) dye is reported. Silanes containing differing reactive groups delivering a trimethylsilyl moiety were investigated for their ability to passivate glass surfaces, both from solution and in the vapor phase, as a function of temperature and concentration. Among the silanizing agents used in this study were 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexamethyldisilazane ( HMDS), allyltrimethylsilane ( TMS-A), chlorotrimethylsilane ( TMS-Cl), N-(trimethylsilyl)imidazole ( TMS-Im), and N, N-dimethylaminotrimethylsilane ( TMS-DMA). Surface coverage was determined using fluorescence intensity. The highest surface coverage films were obtained on glass treated with HMDS vapor at 280 degrees C or with solutions of TMS-Im or TMS-DMA at 105 degrees C. These studies provide important insight into the optimal methods for surface passivation.     

Force field‐dependent solution properties of glycine oligomers

Molecular simulations can be used to study disordered polypeptide systems and to generate hypotheses on the underlying structural and thermodynamic mechanisms that govern their function. As the number of disordered protein systems investigated with simulations increase, it is important to understand how particular force fields affect the structural properties of disordered polypeptides in solution. To this end, we performed a comparative structural analysis of Gly₃ and Gly₁₀ in aqueous solution from all atom, microsecond molecular dynamics (MD) simulations using the CHARMM 27 (C27), CHARMM 36 (C36), and Amber ff12SB force fields. For each force field, Gly₃ and Gly₁₀ were simulated for at least 300 ns and 1 μs, respectively. Simulating oligoglycines of two different lengths allows us to evaluate how force field effects depend on polypeptide length. Using a variety of structural metrics (e.g., end‐to‐end distance, radius of gyration, dihedral angle distributions), we characterize the distribution of oligoglycine conformers for each force field and show that each sample conformation space differently, yielding considerably different structural tendencies of the same oligoglycine model in solution. Notably, we find that C36 samples more extended oligoglycine structures than both C27 and ff12SB. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Solvent dependent photoisomerization of polyene nitriles

The initial product ratios of several polyene nitriles, which do not have low lying n,π* states, are reported. The solvent dependent chemistry has been discussed in conjunction with the well known retinal chemistry.     

Adsorption kinetics of a fluorescent dye in a long chain fatty acid matrix

This work reports the adsorption kinetics of a highly fluorescent laser dye rhodamine B (RhB) in a preformed stearic acid (SA) Langmuir monolayer. The reaction kinetics was studied by surface pressure-time (π-t) curve at constant area and in situ fluorescence imaging microscopy (FIM). Increase in surface pressure (at constant area) with time as well as increase in surface coverage of monolayer film at air-water interface provide direct evidence for the interaction. ATR-FTIR spectra also supported the interaction and consequent complexation in the complex films. UV-vis absorption and Fluorescence spectra of the complex Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films confirm the presence of RhB molecules in the complex films transferred onto solid substrates. The outcome of this work clearly shows successful incorporation of RhB molecules into SA matrix without changing the photophysical characteristics of the dye, thus making the dye material as LB compatible.     

Resonance energy transfer from a fluorescent dye to a metal nanoparticle

A quantum mechanical theory of the rate of excitation energy transfer from a fluorescent dye molecule to the surface plasmonic modes of a spherical metal nanoparticle is presented. The theory predicts the distance dependence of the transfer rate to vary as 1/d(sigma), with sigma=3-4 at intermediate distances, in partial agreement with the recent experimental results. F?rster's 1/d(6) dependence is recovered at large separations. The predicted rate exhibits nontrivial nanoparticle size dependence, ultimately going over to an asymptotic, a(3) size dependence. Unlike in conventional fluorescence resonance energy transfer, the orientational factor is found to vary between 1 and 4.     

Optical and thermal properties of intelligent pH indicator films based on chitosan/PVA and a new xanthylium dye

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - Intelligent food packaging systems register and monitor food quality through data carriers, sensors or indicators. Food spoilage often leads to pH...     

Novel coumarin-based fluorescent pH indicators,probes and membranes covering a broad pH range

A new family of coumarin-based pH indicators was synthesized. They are sensitive to pH in either weakly acidic or weakly basic solution. The indicators possess moderate to high brightness, excellent photostability and compatibility with light-emitting diodes. The indicators were covalently immobilized on the surface of amino-modified polymer microbeads which in turn were incorporated into a hydrogel matrix to obtain novel pH-sensitive materials. When a mixture of two different microbeads is used, the membranes are capable of optical pH sensing over a very wide range comparable to the dynamic range of the glass electrode (pH 1–11). A new family of coumarin-based pH indicators is synthesized for the use in either weakly acidic or weakly basic solution. The indicators possess moderate to high brightness, excellent photostability and compatibility with light-emitting diodes. Novel pH-sensitive materials are obtained by covalent immobilization of the indicators on the surface of amino-modified polymer microbeads which in turn are incorporated into a hydrogel matrix. Sensing of pH over a very wide range also becomes possible.     

Spectroscopic studies of a near-infrared absorbing pH sensitive carbocyanine dye

Near-infrared dyes can be derivatized with appropriate functional groups for use as analytical probes for numerous applications. A dye derivatized with pH-sensitive functional groups may show spectral changes when the pH of its environment is changed. These dyes are valuable to the researcher since they absorb and fluoresce at long wavelengths where interference is minimal and their absorption maxima permit the use of semiconductor lasers. In this paper we have evaluated the sensitivity to pH of a bis-carboxylic acid derivative of a near infrared dye to illustrate its potential as a probe for determining pH. The dye has an absorption maximum at 795 nm in aqueous solution, a region where several commercially available laser diodes have their output maximum. The analytical utility of near-infrared laser diodes for pH determination has also been evaluated.     

离子对内电子转移型染料阴离子-翁盐阳离子光敏体系中的溶剂效应和结构效应

本文研究了溶剂效应和结构效应对染料碘翁盐光物理, 光化学性质的影响。观察到在溶剂中离子对可以各种形式存在, 如紧密离子对、溶剂分隔离子对或溶剂化的自由离子, 溶剂的极性不仅影响各种存在形式的光谱性质, 而且影响它们之间的平衡关系, 进而影响离子对体系的物理化学性质。染料母核和碘翁阳离子的结构均对离子对体系的性质有影响。光诱导电子转移反应的热力学驱动力越大, 反应速度越快。用分子模拟技术(Molecular Modeling)对离子对体系的立体结构进行了研究, 为理解离子对体系的各种物理化学行为提供了重要的参考。