Three-photon-induced fluorescence of diphenylhexatriene in solvents and lipid bilayers

We observed the emission of l,6-diphenyl-l,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) when excited with the fundamental output of a fs Ti:sapphire laser at 860 nm. The emission spectra of DPH were identical to that observed for one-photon excitation at 287 nm. The dependence of the DPH emission intensity on laser power was cubic, indicating three-photon excitation of DPH at 860 nm. At a shorter wavelength of 810 nm, the dependence on laser power was quadratic, indicating a two-photon process. At an intermediate wavelength of 830 nm the mode of excitation was a mixture of two- and three-photon excitation. At 830 nm the anisotropy is no longer a molecular parameter, and the mode of excitation and anisotropy of DPH depends on laser power. Frequency-domain anisotropy decays of DPH in triacetin revealed the same rotational correlation times for two- and three-photon excitation. However, the time 0 anisotropy of DPH was larger for three-photon excitation than for two-photon excitation. Steady-state anisotropy data for DPH-labeled membranes revealed the same transition temperature for one- and three-photon excitation. These anisotropy data indicate that membrane heating was not significant with three-photon excitation and that three-photon excitation may thus be of practical usefulness in fluorescence spectroscopy and microscopy of membranes.     

Spectral properties of several fluorene derivatives with potential as two-photon fluorescent dyes

Investigations of the absorption, steady-state fluorescence, excitation and excitation anisotropy properties of several fluorene derivatives, (7-benzothiazol-2-yl-9,9-didecylfluoren-2-yl)-diphenylamine, 9,9-didecyl-2,7-bis-(N,N-diphenylamino)fluorene and {4-[2-(7-diphenylamino-9,9-diethylfluoren-2-yl)vinyl]phenyl}phosphoric acid diethyl ester, in liquid solutions have been conducted. Spectral characteristics of these compounds, including fluorescence quantum yields, were measured in acetonitrile, methylene chloride, tetrahydrofuran and hexane at room temperature. Excitation anisotropy spectra provided a means to determine the nature of the short wavelength absorption bands as an electronic transition into a higher excited singlet state. It was found that excitation spectra in the short wavelength region do not correspond to the absorption bands that are correlated with the wavelength dependence of the fluorescence quantum yields. Major reasons of such spectral behavior are discussed.     

基于跃迁偶极矩取向特征研究乙醚溶液中分子的各向异性度

利用偏振荧光光谱和偏振激发光谱研究了乙醚溶液中荧光分子跃迁偶极距的取向特征.实验结果表明,在垂直线偏振光照射下,乙醚溶液发射出峰值位于305 nm的荧光谱,对应的最佳激励光波长为256 nm.由偏振激发光谱分析得到荧光体的吸收跃迁偶极矩和发射跃迁偶极矩间夹角α的变化规律,揭示了荧光去偏振过程：在粘性溶液中的荧光分子具有一定的偶极取向,α随激发光波长发生变化,当激发波长接近最佳激发光波长时,吸收跃迁偶极矩和发射跃迁偶极矩间趋于平行,荧光的退偏效果较弱,偏振度最大.研究结果能为分子空间取向特征的理论研究提供参考.     

Two photon-induced fluorescence intensity and anisotropy decays of diphenylhexatriene in solvents and lipid bilayers

We measured the fluorescence intensity and anisotropy decays of 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH)-labeled membranes resulting from simultaneous two-photon excitation of fluorescence. Comparison of these two-photon data with the more usual one-photon measurements revealed that DPH displayed identical intensity decays, anisotropy decays, and order parameters for one- and two-photon excitation. While the anisotropy data are numerically distinct, they can be compared by use of the factor 10/7, which accounts for the two-photon versus one-photon photoselection. The increased time 0 anisotropy of DPH can result in increased resolution of complex anisotropy decays. Global analysis of the one- and two-photon data reveals consistency with a single apparent angle between the absorption and the emission oscillators. The global anisotropy analysis also suggests that, except for the photoselection factor, the anisotropy decays are the same for one-and two-photon excitation. This ideal behavior of DPH as a two-photon absorber, and its high two-photon cross section, makes DPH a potential probe for confocal two-photon microscopy and other systems where it is advantageous to use long-wavelength (680- to 760-nm) excitation.     

Evidence for dual La and Lb emission in 5-methylindole

The steady-state fluorescence anisotropy of 5-methylindole is shown to depend on both excitation and emission wavelengths, at room temperature in glycerol. A simulation is presented that shows that this emission wavelength dependence of the anisotropy can be explained in terms of dual emission from both the L_a and the L_b transition moments of the indole ring. For such dual emission to occur, the lowest excited-state energy level of both of these oscillators must be very similar.     

Concentration dependence of photoluminescence properties in poly[(2-methoxy,5-octoxy)1,4-phenylenevinylene] thin films

Photoluminescence and selective excitation photoluminescence measurements at room temperature have been performed on poly[(2-methoxy,5-octoxy) 1,4-phenylenevinylene] (MO-PPV) thin films, which are prepared from MO-PPV chloroform solutions of different concentrations. The position of the S0→S1 absorption peak shows red-shift and broadened relative to that in an MO-PPV solution form due to the solidification effect, while no relative shifts between the absorption spectra of these film samples are observed. A long wavelength emission component near 630 nm has been identified as S2→S0 vibronic transition through the Gaussian decomposition method and confirmed by below-gap PL and selective-excitation PL experiments. This second vibronic component cannot be observed in the spectra of thick films. The PL efficiency of MO-PPV thin film is also investigated through comparison with that of an MEH-PPV thin film and explained by the side substituent effect.     

Molecular probe FET: Long-wavelength fluorescence excitation effect and proton transfer reaction

We studied the steady-state fluorescence spectra of solutions of FET (4′-(diethylamino)-3-hydroxyflavone) in acetonitrile that were excited at different temperatures by quanta with different energies located in the range of the main absorption band and in its long-wavelength wing. We found that, at room temperature, the emission intensity ratio of the bands of the normal and tautomeric forms, which are located at 505 and 570 nm, respectively, depends on the excitation wavelength. In the range of the main absorption band 300–360 nm, this ratio remains nearly the same, i.e., 1.45, while, upon excitation in the range of the long-wavelength wing 360–380 nm of the main band, it decreases to 1.33 at a wavelength of 460 nm. In this same range, a long-wavelength excitation effect that is unusual for liquid inviscid solvents at room temperature, i.e., a bathochromic shift of the entire short-wavelength emission band by 11 nm, manifests itself. We propose to explain these dependences using energy diagrams, which take into account the dependence of free energy on the orientational polarization of the polar solvent. The observed effect of the long-wavelength shift of the fluorescence spectrum with increasing excitation wavelength is explained in terms of the inhomogeneous broadening of electronic spectra of polar solutions, and it should be described using the scheme of energy states that takes into account sublevels of orientational broadening due to orientational dipole-dipole interactions of the fluorophore with nearest molecules of the polar solvent, as well as the relation between the fluorophore lifetime in the excited state and the dielectric relaxation time of solvent molecules in the field of the fluorophore dipole.     

Modulation of the proton transfer rate by excitation photons

The effect of the exciting photon energy on the excited state proton transfer in a dye with dual fluorescence—FET (4′-diethylamino)-3-hydroxyflavone)—is studied. The steady-state fluorescence spectra are studied upon selective excitation by photons with different energies in the region of the main absorption band, as well as at its long-wavelength wing, in the temperature range of 2–30°C. It is found that, at all temperatures, the ratio of the integral emission of the normal and tautomeric forms, which are observed at 480 and 570 nm, respectively, depends on the excitation wavelength; namely, this ratio noticeably decreases with increasing excitation wavelength in the region of the main absorption band and its long-wavelength wing at 390–440 nm, and the rate of this decrease depends on temperature. In the same region, the long-wavelength excitation effect, which is atypical for inviscid solvents at room temperature, is observed; i.e., a short-wavelength emission band is bathochromically shifted by 6–15 nm depending on temperature. This spectral shift is directly related to the inhomogeneous broadening of the electronic spectra of the normal FET form, which is very large due to a considerable (>10 D) difference in the dye dipole moments. Most probably, the excitation creates the possibility of emission from nonrelaxed nonequilibrium orientational sublevels because their lifetime becomes shorter due to the proton transfer reaction, the rate of which in acetonitrile is comparable with the rate of intermolecular orientational relaxation. It is proposed to explain these dependences using energy diagram taking into account the dependence of the free energy on the orientational polarization of the solvent.     

The Orientation of the Phosphorescence Dipole Moment of Erythrosine B Within Its Molecular Frame

For an unequivocal interpretation of time-resolved phosphorescence depolarization measurements on dye molecules in biophysical systems, the orientation of the transition dipole moments within the frame of the dye has to be known. The goal of this work is to find the orientation of the phosphorescence dipole moment of erythrosine B within its molecular frame. To this end, we first determine four difference angles, exciting a molecule in two of its absorption bands and measuring the fluorescence and phosphorescence anisotropy for each excitation wavelength. The next step is to position the transition dipole moments within the molecular frame, combining the results of angle-resolved fluorescence depolarization measurements with the measured difference angles. It is shown that the phosphorescence dipole moment is tilted out of the plane of the molecule. Additionally, we find that the phosphorescence dipole moment is located above the fluorescence dipole moment and not above the absorption dipole moment. This induces an extra difference angle between the absorption and the phosphorescence dipole moments which in the past has been interpreted erroneously as a larger tilt out of the plane of the molecule.     

Steady-State and Time-Resolved Fluorescence Polarization Behavior of Acenaphthene

Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence polarization studies have been carried out on acenaphthene (ACE) in low-temperature glass solutions and at room temperature. In the low-temperature glass the fluorescence polarization values vary considerably with both emission and excitation wavelength. There is a time dependence (on the nanosecond time scale) of the fluorescence anisotropy, r(t), at 77 K, which has a strong dependence upon the excitation and emission wavelengths. Under these conditions, the time-dependent decay of the anisotropy is not attributable to chromophoric motion. The observations are consistent with emission from two closely lying and interconverting excited states. Rate constants for the photophysical processes involved have been determined by fitting the data using a model proposed by Fleming et. al. The results are discussed with particular reference to the care required in using dynamic fluorescence polarization measurements to determine energy transfer rates in systems containing this chromophore.     

Excitation Wavelength Dependence of Dual Fluorescence of DMABN in Polar Solvents

Steady-state absorption, fluorescence excitation and emission spectra of 4-(N,N-dimethylamino)benzonitrile (DMABN) have been measured at room temperature in cyclohexane, 1,4-dioxane, dichloromethane, and acetonitrile solutions. The fluorescence spectra of DMABN are found to exhibit dual emission in 1,4-dioxane, dichloromethane, and acetonitrile solutions and single emission in cyclohexane solution. The effect of solvent polarity and excitation wavelength on the emission spectra has also been studied. The fluorescence excitation spectra of DMABN monitored at the emission bands are different. The presence of two different conformations of the same molecule in the ground state has lead to two close lying excited states; local excited (LE) and charge transfer (CT), and thereby results in the dual fluorescence of the compound. The experimental studies were supported by ab initio density functional theory (DFT) calculations performed at the B3LYP/6-31Gd level of theory. On the basis of the experimental results and our theoretical calculations, we suggest that there are two conformers of DMABN, which are stable in the ground state, equilibrated in solution at room temperature that give rise dual fluorescence upon excitation.     

Solvent effect on the steady-state fluorescence anisotropy of two-photon absorbing fluorene derivatives

The effect of solvent polarity on the fluorescence properties of several two-photon absorbing fluorene derivatives was investigated. A strong solvatochromic effect was observed for symmetrical fluorene compound, which can be explained by large changes in the quadrupolar moment under excitation. Limiting values of excitation anisotropy of the investigated fluorenes exhibited a dependence on solvent polarity, and the angles between the absorption and emission transition dipole moments decrease in polar solvents by more than a factor of two.     

Excitation-wavelength Dependent Fluorescence of Ethyl 5-(4-aminophenyl)-3-amino-2,4-dicyanobenzoate

The excitation wavelength dependence of the steady-state and time-resolved emission spectra of ethyl 5-(4-aminophenyl)-3-amino-2,4-dicyanobenzoate (EAADCy) in tetrahydrofuran (THF) at room temperature has been examined. It is found that the ratio of the fluorescence intensity of the long-wavelength and short-wavelength fluorescence bands strongly depends on the excitation wavelength, whereas the wavelengths of the fluorescence excitation and fluorescence bands maxima are independent on the observation/excitation wavelengths. The dynamic Stokes shift of fluorophore in locally excited (LE) and intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) states has been studied with a time resolution about 30 ps. The difference between Stokes shift in the LE and ICT states was attributed to the solvent response to the large photoinduced dipole moment of EAADCy in the fluorescent charge transfer state. On this base we can state that, the relaxation of the polar solvent molecules around the fluorophore was observed.     

LiYF4:Nd3+中脉冲光泵浦的上转换蓝光

本文报道利用578.4nm的脉冲光泵浦,在室温和77K下,观察到LiYF4:Nd3+单晶中的上转换蓝光。由发光强度与泵浦光强度平方的直线关系,确定此上转换过程是双光子过程.通过对吸收谱和激发谱以及衰减曲线的研究,确定其上转换激发机制为两步激发和能量传递上转换。     

An anomalous emission excited near the absorption edge of pyrene crystals

Emission spectra and decay times of the fluorescence excited at the absorption edge region in pyrene crystals were measured. At liquid nitrogen temperature, the fluorescence under the excitation at 390 nm is considered as the excimer emission and its band peak shifts a little to the short wavelength in comparison with that of the excimer emission under the excitation at 360 nm. The emission decay times under the excitation at the 390 nm and 360 nm are about 155 ns and 180 ns, respectively, at liquid nitrogen temperature. The former decay time changes its value abruptly near 127 K. This abrupt change of the decay time may be due to the phase transition in pyrene crystals.     

Solvent Polarity and Excitation Wavelength Dependence of the Dual Fluorescence in N,N-Diethyl-4-Nitrosoaniline

Dual fluorescence in N,N-Diethyl-4-nitrosoaniline (DENA) has been studied employing absorption, excitation and emission spectroscopic techniques and computational methods. The absorption and fluorescence spectra of DENA were measured in solvents of various polarities at room temperature. The emission spectra of DENA were found to exhibit a single emission band in non polar solvent (cyclohexane) and in a highly polar solvent (acetonitrile). In the contrary, two emission bands were observed in medium polar solvents (tetrahydrofuran, 1,2-dichloroethane and dichloromethane) whereby the short (local excited; LE) and long (charge transfer; CT) emission maxima correspond to the emission maxima of the compound observed in cyclohexane and acetonitrile solutions, respectively. Moreover, the two emission bands have shown strong excitation wavelength dependence, and area normalization resulted in an iso-emissive point. The two emission maxima were in addition found to correspond to two excitation maxima in 3D fluorescence spectra. Further, two minima were obtained in potential energy surface calculation of DENA. From the experimental and computational results it was concluded that the dual fluorescence may be attributed to the presence of two different ground state structural conformers of DENA in equilibrium that are stabilized through solute-solvent interaction.     

Spectroscopic and travelling-wave lasing characterisation of tetraphenylbenzidine and di-naphtalenyl-diphenylbenzidine

The organic light emitting diode (OLED) hole transport molecules N,N,N’,N’-tetraphenylbenzidine (TPB, triphenylamine dimer TAD or TPD) and N,N’-bis(2-naphtalenyl)-N,N’-bis(phenylbenzidine) (β-NPB, naphtyl-diphenylamine dimer β-NPD), dissolved in tetrahydrofuran (THF) and as neat film, are characterized by optical absorption and emission spectroscopy. The absorption and stimulated emission cross-section spectra, the fluorescence quantum distributions, fluorescence quantum yields, degrees of fluorescence polarization, and fluorescence lifetimes are determined. The lasing behaviour is studied by picosecond laser pulse excitation (excitation wavelength 347.15 nm, pulse duration 35 ps). The excited-state absorption at the pump laser wavelength is determined by saturable absorption measurement. Low-Q laser oscillation of TPB in THF is achieved by transverse pumping of the dye in a cell. The excited-state absorption of TPB in THF at the laser wavelength is extracted from the laser threshold. In TPB neat films, wave-guided travelling-wave lasing was obtained. No laser action was achieved for β-NPB because of small S₁-S₀ stimulated emission cross-section, and the presence of excited-state absorption in the fluorescence wavelength region. The TPB and β-NPB results are compared with the corresponding spectroscopic and lasing behaviour of the related methyl-substituted triphenylamine dimers, 3-methyl-TPD and 4-methyl-TPD, which are well established OLED hole transport materials.     

Polarized Fluorescence of Jet‐Cooled Indole

The polarization of indole fluorescence on excitation in the P, Q, and R branches of a purely electron transition has been investigated. Relations are given to calculate the fluorescence polarization with arbitrary orientation of the dipole moments of transitions with absorption and emission and with excitation in the Q branch of the vibronic line. The coincidence of the measured (7.3%) and calculated (7.7%) values of the polarization degree confirms the reported intramolecular orientation of the dipole moment of transition. The measured fluorescence polarization degree on nonselective excitation is about 3%.     

用光致荧光研究多碱阴极光电发射机理

本文介绍了多碱光电阴极的特点及其在微光像增强器中的应用,叙述了光致荧光的原理,探索了利用光致荧光方法来研究多碱阴极Na₂KSb膜层电子跃迁几率的方法,并测量了两个不同灵敏度多碱阴极的荧光谱及同一个多碱阴极在工作和非工作两种状态下的荧光谱.测试结果表明,多碱阴极的荧光强度与其电子跃迁的几率及阴极灵敏度成正比,同时多碱阴极在工作状态下,荧光强度比非工作状态下有所降低,原因是一部分跃迁电子逸出多碱阴极产生光电发射,而这部分电子不再回到基态,因此不再发出荧光.另外本文还测量了多碱阴极在不同波长激光激发条件下的荧光谱.结果表明,长波激发与短波激发相比,长波激发所获得的荧光强度更高,这说明长波激发产生跃迁电子的几率高,同时荧光谱峰值波长与激光波长的偏移较小,因此跃迁电子数多且能量损失小,有利于光电发射.将多碱阴极的荧光谱与多碱阴极的量子效率相比较,看出跃迁电子数量和所处能级这两个对光电发射过程有影响的关键因素中,能级因素对光电发射过程的影响更大.但对多碱阴极而言,由于短波激发时的电子跃迁几率低于长波激发时的电子跃迁几率,跃迁电子扩散过程中的能量损失较大,因此短波的量子效率随波长的增加而增加.实践证明,光致荧光是研究多碱阴极光电发射过程的一种有效手段,通过对多碱阴极荧光谱的研究,进一步揭示了多碱阴极的光电发射的机理,为进一步改进工艺和提高多碱阴极的灵敏度提供了重要的参考价值.     

环丙沙星的光谱性质、质子化作用与荧光量子产率

研究了环丙沙星(ciprofloxacin, CIP)在不同pH条件下的荧光光谱、紫外吸收光谱和质子化作用,测量了CIP在中性条件下的荧光量子产率。在H+浓度大于1 mol·L-1的HCl介质中,CIP分子(简写为HL)可以结合3个质子而以H₄L3+形式存在,有微弱的荧光,最大荧光发射波长(λ_ｍａｘ)为456 nm。在pH 0～2的酸性条件下,CIP主要以H₃L2+形式存在,λ_ｍａｘ为450 nm,荧光较弱,荧光强度随pH的升高而上升。在pH 2～4时,CIP主要以H₂L+形式存在,具有强荧光,λ_ｍａｘ仍为450 nm。当pH＞4时,λ_ｍａｘ逐步蓝移到414 nm,荧光强度随pH的升高而稍有降低,同时紫外吸收光谱也有明显变化,表明H₂L+随pH升高而失去质子,以双极离子HL形式存在。当pH＞8时,荧光强度随pH升高而减弱至消失,表明HL逐步失去质子,转化为无荧光的阴离子L-。在分子形态变化过程中,最大荧光激发波长始终在275 nm附近,但最大荧光发射波长有较大变化。在pH 7.0的缓冲溶液中,以硫酸奎宁为参比,测得CIP在最大荧光激发波长275 nm处的荧光量子产率为0.12。