Primary processes in the photosensitized redox reaction of dimers of thiacarbocyanine dyes

The kinetics and the mechanism of the reaction of donor (ascorbic acid) oxidation by electron acceptors (methylviologen and p-nitroacetophenone) photosensitized by dimers of sulfoalkyl-9-ethylthiacarbocyanine dyes (Dye1, Dye2, and Dye3) were studied in aqueous solutions. Dimers of the dyes (dianions) are capable of transition to the triplet state that is mainly quenched by acceptors to form radical anions of dimers, which are unstable and dissociate within 10–12 μs into the monomer (anion) and its radical (the limiting reaction stage). The presence of a donor in the dye-acceptor mixture leads to one-electron reduction of the monomer radical to its anion followed by the dimerization reaction. The results of the analysis of the experimental data obtained by the laser photolysis technique are in good agreement with the calculated kinetic curves for the formation and the decay of the dimer radical anions.     

Triplet states of 3,3′-alkylsubstituted thiacarbocyanine dimers and dimeric complexes with cucurbit[8]uril in water

Alkylsubstituted thiacarbocyanines (3,3′-diethylthiacarbocyanine, D1, and 3,3′-disulfopropylthiacarbocyanine, D2), existing in water as monomers and dimers, manifest the ability to transition to the triplet state. The spectrum of triplet-triplet (T–T) absorption of the D2 dimers is shifted in the range higher than 590 nm by 20 nm to the red in comparison with the T–T spectrum of monomers. The D1 dimers in the presence of cucurbit[8]uril form a dimeric complex with two bands in the differential absorption spectrum. The band at 550 nm belongs to the triplet-triplet absorption of the dimeric complexes, and the band in the range of 620–700 nm is the result of charge transfer in the triplet state. The rate constants of deactivation for these triplet states coincide.     

Photoprocesses in <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-ammonioalkyl derivatives of azacrown-containing styryl dyes and their complexes with metal perchlorates

Photophysical processes and photochemical reactions in the N-ammonioalkyl derivatives of the azacrown-containing styryl dyes and their complexes with lead and barium perchlorates in MeCN and CH₂Cl₂ were studied by ¹Н NMR spectroscopy, absorption spectroscopy, luminescence spectroscopy, laser kinetic spectroscopy, and quantum chemistry. Molecules of the styryl dyes and their complexes are able to undergo normal (fast) and delayed fluorescence and trans–cis-photoisomerization. The molecules in the triplet state participate in degradation processes of the electron excitation energy.     

Trans-cis photoisomerization and photoinduced electron transfer as competitive reactions of 9-etylthiacarbocyanine in binary mixtures

The effect of the composition of the dioxane-water mixture on the ability of 9-ethylthiacarbocyanine to participate in competitive reactions of trans-cis photoisomerization and photoinduced electron transfer was studied. An increase in the dioxane content in the range 0–50 vol % leads to a shift of the equilibrium between the dye dimers and monomers toward the monomers (cis-monomers), which is accompanied by a drop in the yield of the triplet dimer molecules, which appear under the action of a laser flash, and electron-transfer products that are formed via the triplet state of dimers in the presence of methylviologen. With growing the dioxane content in the range 50–80 vol %, a shift of the equilibrium between the cis-and trans-monomers toward the trans-monomers occurs, which is accompanied by an increase in the fluorescence intensity. At the dioxane content above 80 vol %, a further shift of the equilibrium toward the trans-monomers occurs, which is accompanied by a substantial increase in the fluorescence intensity and an appearance under the action of a laser flash of the band of the triplet-triplet absorption of the trans-monomer and the absorption band of the cis-monomer as a result of trans-cis photoisomerization. The trans-monomers in the triplet state participate in the electron-transfer reaction with methylviologen. The intersystem crossing process competes with fluorescence and the trans-cis isomerization reaction, which occurs via the excited singlet state of the trans-monomers.     

Photocleavage of dimers of coumarin and 6-alkylcoumarins

The cleavage of four coumarin dimers, the syn-head-to-tail (ht) dimer of parent coumarin (syn-ht-CC1), the anti- and syn-hh dimers of 6-methylcoumarin (anti-hh-CC2 and syn-hh-CC2, respectively) and the anti-hh dimer of 6-dodecylcoumarin (anti-hh-CC3), was studied by UV–vis and IR spectroscopy and HPLC upon direct 254 nm irradiation as well as sensitized excitation. The quantum yield of dimer splitting is Φ_sp = 0.1–0.3 in various solvents and the effects of structure and solvent polarity are small. In certain solvents some of the dimers produced CO₂ along with the monomers in the splitting reaction. Electron transfer from dimers to the triplet state of sensitizers, such as benzophenone or 9,10-anthraquinone, was observed in acetonitrile.     

Effect of Poly(methacrylic acid) on Photoinduced Processes with Cyanine Dyes in Aqueous Solutions

The cyanine dyes thiamonomethinecyanine (I), thiacarbocyanine (II), and thiadicarbocyanine (III) in an aqueous poly(methacrylic acid) (PMA) solution form different molecular species: monomers anchored to PMA, dimers, and H aggregates, in proportions determined by the [dye]/[PMA] concentration ratio. Each molecular species is characterized by its own probabilities of radiative and nonradiative transitions: the absence of photoisomerization for I–IIIdimers and H aggregates, the absence of fluorescence for H aggregates of IIand III, the capability of transition to a triplet state for PMA-anchored monomers I–III, and considerable enhancement of intersystem crossing to the triplet state for the dimers of II.     

UV–Vis spectra and structure of acid-base forms of dimethylamino- and aminoazobenzene

The changes in the UV–Vis absorption spectra of dimethylaminoazobenzene (DAB) in the cellulose triacetate (CTA) matrix during the absorption of gaseous hydrogen chloride and protonation of DAB in weakly and strongly acid solutions of hydrochloric and sulfuric acids were studied. The yellow-orange color of DAB and its analog aminoazobenzene (AAB) was shown to be due to the dimers, whose structure involves phenylaminyl type cations formed due to the promotion of the sp ² electrons of the azo groups to the Rydberg R _3s orbitals of the azo groups and possessing Vis bands at 400–417 nm. The cations exist immanently as the dimers due to the Rydberg intermonomer bonds; the Vis bands of the dimers shifted toward 500–520 nm under the action of HCl (in CTA) and weakly acid media as a result of the formation of phenyl aminyl type pair cations, whose π* levels are split by Simpson’s mechanism, during the protonation of interrelated monomers. In the concentrated sulfuric acid, the Vis bands at 500–520 nm vanished because of the decomposition of the dimers into diprotonated monomers possessing Vis bands at 400–417 nm. The mechanism of transformations of chromogens responsible for the spectral transformation was given.     

Photoprocesses in aqueous solutions of 9-ethylthiacarbocyanine dyes in the presence of surfactants

The effect of cationic (CTAB), anionic (SDS) and neutral (Triton X-100) surfactants on the spectral and luminescence properties and photoreactions of three sulfopropyl-9-ethylthiacarbocyanine dyes (Dyes 1–3) was studied in aqueous solutions. In the absence of the surfactants, Dyes 1–3 occur in the form of an equilibrium mixture of cis-monomers and dimers. Neither monomers nor dimers are capable of fluorescence and cis-trans photoisomerization, and only the dimers experience intersystem crossing into the triplet state. In the presence of any of the surfactants at a concentration below the critical micelle concentration, the dimers undergo disaggregation; it is only in the presence of CTAB that the formation of a J-aggregate—which dissociates into monomers with an increase in the CTAB concentration—takes place. As the surfactant concentration increases, dye fluorescence appears, which is accompanied by a decrease in the yield of the dimer triplet state, and the amenability of the thiacarbocyanine monomers to cis-trans photoisomerization and transition to the triplet state is observed. The spectral effects observed are related to the conversion of the cis-form of the monomer to the trans-form upon solubilization of the dye molecules.     

Photochemical inactivation of trypsin

Abstract —The quantum yield for inactivation of aqueous trypsin fits the expression φ_f=Σ_rf_rφ‘_r, where f_r, is the fraction of incident light absorbed by residues of type r and the φ’_r are constants. The values φ‘_trp= 0.012, φ_tyr= 0.005 and φ’_eys= 0.10, obtained at pH 3 in the wavelength range 240–290 nm, are attributed to independent events by comparing with quantum yields of the initial photochemical products and permanent residue destruction. The proposed inactivating processes are photoionization of one essential tryptophyl residue, photolysis of one essential cystyl residue, and splitting of an essential cystyl residue induced by light absorption in a nearby tyrosyl residue. The initial photochemical process from pH 3–7 identified by flash photolysis is the ejection of electrons from approximately two tryptophyl residues, leading to the formation of the disulfide bridge electron adduct and the hydrated electron. It is proposed that one photoionized tryptophyl residue is permanently disrupted and the other is restored through a back reaction that leads to a damaged, active enzyme form. An enhanced inactivation quantum yield at flash photolysis light intensities is attributed to a biphotonic process. A model based on one-photon photoionization of tryptophan from a short-lived precursor of the fluorescent state and the biphotonic photoionization of tryptophan via the triplet state is consistent with the experimental results.     

Excitonic interactions in covalently-linked porphyrin dimers

We have studied the absorption spectra, emission spectra, and fluorescence excitation polarization spectra of a series of free base and diprotonated etioporphyrin-I dimers covalently linked through (CH₂)_n bridges, n = 0–8. The absorption spectra of the n = 0 and n = 1 dimer show red shifts, which are largest (≈15 mm) for the Soret band of the n = 0 dimer. The Soret bands of the diprotonated dimers n = 0–3 show splitting (≈500–1000 cm^?1) which can be interpreted by an exciton model assuming a reasonable geometry. The fluorescence spectra and quantum yields are similar to that of the monomer, except for the same red shift seen in absorption; however, the n = 0 diprotonated dimer shows an anomalo vibronic structure. The fluorescence excitation polarization spectra for the n = 0 and the n = 1 dimers differ substantially from the monomer; dimers n ? 3 have fluorescence excitation polarization spectra that suggest that some of the excitation stays localized in one moiety while the r hops to the dimer partner.     

DETECTION OF RADICAL ION INTERMEDIATES IN FLAVIN-PHOTOSENSITIZED PYRIMIDINE DIMER SPLITTING

Photosensitized splitting of cis-syn- and trans-syn-l,3-dimethyluracil dimers by 2′,3′,4′,5′-tetraacetylri-boflavin in acetonitrile containing a trace of perchloric acid was studied by laser flash photolysis. Protonation of the flavin prior to excitation resulted in excited singlet and triplet states that abstracted an electron from the dimers and yielded the protonated flavin radical (F1H₂′⁺), which was detected by absorption spectroscopy. Electron abstraction by the excited singlet state predominated over abstraction by the triplet state. Approximately one-third to one-half of the excited states quenched by the trans-syn dimer yielded F1H₂⁺, the balance presumably undergoing back electron transfer within the geminate radical ion pair generated by the initial electron transfer. A covalently linked dimer-flavin exhibited very inefficient flavin radical ion formation, consistent with the known low efficiency of dimer splitting in this system. These results constitute the first identification of a flavin radical ion intermediate in photosensitized pyrimidine dimer splitting.     

Specificity of the redox photoreaction of dimers of thiadicarbocyanine dyes

The primary steps of the redox reaction of dimers of the thiadicarbocyanine dye and its 5,5′-dichloro derivative in aqueous solutions were studied in the presence of 4-nitroacetophenone, ascorbic acid, or hydroquinone. In water the dye molecules (anion, M^?) mainly exist as dimers M₂ ^2?. The laser pulse irradiation (10 ns, 532 nm) results in the population of the lowest triplet level M₂ ^2?, whose depletion occurs due to both intersystem crossing to the ground state and photoinduced transition to the highest triplet state of the dimer followed by photoionization. Photoionization at low intensities of a laser pulse proceeds via the one-quantum mechanism going to the two-quantum mechanism with an increase in the laser pulse intensity. The photooxidation of the dimer in the lowest triplet state with 4-nitroacetophenone results in the formation of unstable radical anion M₂ ^?· that spontaneously dissociates to monomer M^? and radical M^· of the dye. In the presence of electron donors (ascorbic acid, hydroquinone), the dimers in the triplet state are not photoreduced, but the electron donors reduce M₂ ^?· and M^· to the dye dimer and monomer, respectively.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Ab initio</Emphasis> calculation of nitrogen oxide dimer structure and its anion-radical

A comparative quantum chemical analysis has been made for the most stable dimer of nitrogen oxide with the structure cis-ONNO in a singlet state ¹A₁ by ab initio method of SCF MO LCAO, allowing for electron correlation according to Meller-Plesset perturbation theory of the second order (MP2), and density functional technique (DFT). The computations by MP2 method show anion-radical (ONNO)^? to have a strong bond between nitrogen atoms (N-N 1.44 Å) in contrast to molecular weakly bound cis-dimer with equilibrium distance N-N 2.23 Å. Molecular orbital structure of the dimer and its anions was examined that made it possible to suggest a reason of preferable stabilization of nitrogen oxide dimer in the cis-form. Calculated high affinity to electron (E_a = ?1.55-?1.69 eV) for the molecular dimer ONNO (¹A₁) explains an intense strengthening of N-N bond in anion-radical and confirms the experimental data on a possibility of surface anion-π-radical formation on electron donor centers. The DFT computations indicate that this technique poorly reproduces the experimental geometry and electron structure of the cis-dimer ONNO having predicted a triplet ground state with the equilibrium distance N-N ≈2 Å instead of a singlet one with N-N 2.26 Å. The comparison between MP2 and DFT calculations for complex dimer ONNO with copper cation reveals the energy state of the complex (Cu-O₂N₂)⁺ corresponding to stabilization of anion-π-radical (N₂O₂)^? {term-³A₂, Cu(d)⁹-(ONNO)^?1} to be highly overestimated by DFT.     

Intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonding in solutions of <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-(2-hydroxy-3,8-diiodocyclooctyl)trifluoroacetamide and <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-(4-iodo-2,2,5,5-tetramethyltetrahydrofuran-3-yl)trifluoroacetamide

The methods of IR spectroscopy and quantum chemistry (B3LYP/DGDZVP) were applied to investigation of the types of self-associates formed in solutions of N-(2-hydroxy-3,8-diiodocyclooctyl)trifluoroacetamide and N-(4-iodo-2,2,5,5-tetramethyltetrahydrofuran-3-yl)trifluoroacetamide in CCl₄ by means of hydrogen bonding. The ОН group of N-(2-hydroxy-3,8-diiodocyclooctyl)trifluoroacetamide participates in the formation of intramolecular hydrogen bond ОH···О=С, while chain dimers are formed due to interactions between the NH and С=О groups of the neighboring molecules. Due to the formation of the intramolecular bond, the dimers of N-(2-hydroxy-3,8-diiodocyclooctyl)trifluoroacetamide are energetically less stable than the chain dimer of N-(4-iodo-2,2,5,5-tetramethyltetrahydrofuran-3-yl)trifluoroacetamide.     

Temperature dependence of the deactivation of electronically excited indazoles in solution

The T-T spectra, the triplet quantum yield φ_T and the fluorescence quantum yield φ_F of 2-tert. butyl-4-methylindazole and 1,3-dimethylindazole have been measured in the temperature range of +25° to −196°C in solvents of different viscosities. It could be shown that in all cases where photochemical reactions from the first excited singlet state are absent, the sum φ_F + φ_T equals unity within the limits of error.     

Primary Photophysical and Photochemical Processes in the Photolysis of 1,2-Dihydroquinolines in Different Solvents

The fluorescence lifetimes (τ_fl) of alkyl and alkoxy substituted dihydroquinolines (DHQ) were measured in hexane, isopropanol, methanol, and water. It was shown that τ_fl was determined by the solvent nature and weakly depended on substituents on the DHQ aromatic ring and heterocycle, with τ_fl being substantially lower in methanol than in the other solvents. The decrease in τ_fl in MeOH is caused by an increase in the rate constants of the photochemical reaction and nonradiative transitions in this solvent. The quantum yield of fluorescence in H₂O and MeOH, in which the photoinduced addition of the solvent molecules occurs, decreases with a decrease in the excitation wavelength within the limits of long-wavelength absorption band, thus providing strong evidence that the photochemical reaction proceeds from the unrelaxed excited state.     

Analysis of the Vibrational Structure of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>–π* Transition in the High-Resolution UV Absorption Spectrum of Methacryloyl Fluoride in the Gas Phase

The UV absorption spectrum of methacryloyl fluoride molecule in the gas phase is obtained in the wavenumber range of 32300–35900 cm^?1. The resolved vibrational structure of this spectrum consists of 153 absorption bands. The assignment of all bands has been made for the first time. Values ν_00trans = 35670.0 сm^?1 and ν_00cis = 35371.1 cm^?1 are determined. The fundamental frequencies for isomers in the S₀ and S₁ states are found. Several Deslandres Tables (DTs) are constructed for the torsional vibration of the s-trans- and s-cis-isomers of the investigated molecule using the NONIUS program. The origins in these DTs correspond to bands attributed to ν₀₀, and to the fundamental frequencies of each isomer in states S₀ and S₁. These DTs are used to determine harmonic frequencies ω_e, anharmonicity coefficients х₁₁, and the frequencies of torsional vibration 0–v transitions up to high values of vibrational quantum number v for s-trans- and s-cis-isomers in both electronic states. The frequencies of torsional vibrations for the s-trans-isomer and the s-cis-isomer in the S₀ state are ν″₁ = 80.9 сm^?1 and ν″₁ = 59.8 сm^?1, respectively. The frequencies for the s-trans- isomer and the s-cis-isomer in the S₁ state are ν′₁ = 134.1 сm^?1 and ν′₁ = 103.6 cm^?1, respectively.     

Absolute fluorescence quantum yields for vapour-phase benzene and naphthalene,and comments on the non-radiative processes

Optic—acoustic measurements have been employed in the determination of absolute quantum yields for benzene and naphthalene. Heat yields are measured by a method using oxygen quenching of both triplet and singlet states. For vibrationally relaxed excited singlet states the fluorescence quantum yields, φ^B_f, are 0.16 ± 0.02 and 0.79 ± 0.02 for benzene and naphthalene respectively. For 0.07 torr naphthalene at room temperature with 248 nm excitation, φ_f = 0.35 ± 0.03 and the quantum yield of internal conversion is less than 0.05. The decay of the highly vibrationally excited triplet state is dominated by vibrational relaxation for 0.07 torr naphthalene, but for benzene, even at high pressures, strong competition comes from an indirect coupling process to the ground state.     

Substituent effects in porphyrin dimer complexes studied by IR spectroscopy

A series of lanthanide porphyrin dimers have been synthesized and investigated with IR spectroscopic techniques. The spectra of the porphyrin dimers are compared not only with each other but also with those of their component monomer units. The experimental results exhibit that the IR spectra of the porphyrin dimers are closely related to those of their corresponding monomers. A detailed analysis of the IR spectra between the porphyrin dimers and monomers suggest that the dimer molecules can be treated as regular derivatives of metalloporphyrin monomers despite the symmetries of these two systems being different. The dimerization of the porphyrin rings only result in frequency shifts and intensity changes of the IR spectra. These shifts are attributed to the induced π–π interactions between these two macrocycles. The downshifts of the frequencies observed in Ce(OEP)₂ further indicate that the π–π interactions intrinsically decrease the bond strength of the entire molecule. Additionally, only the relative intensities instead of the frequencies of the ethyl vibrations in the region 2800–3000 cm⁻¹ are observed to be sensitive to the types and the positions of the substituent groups. These observations suggest that these ethyl vibrational modes of the OEP moiety can be used as characteristic bands to monitor subtle deformations of the porphyrin rings caused by the substituent groups in the dimer complexes.     

Determination of triplet quantum yields by laser flash absorption spectroscopy

A general method based on a relative actinometry using the laser flash spectroscopy technique has been developed for the determination of the quantum yield of triplet state formation φ,_T. φ,_T values for 17 aromatic compounds in cyclohexane or benzene at room temperature have been obtained in good agreement with previous measurements. Triplet-triplet extinction coefficients necessary for the φ,_T calculations and determined via energy transfer are also reported. Conditions of application and limitations of this method are outlined.