Synthesis and studies on spectroscopic as well as electron donating properties of the two alkoxy benzo[b]thiophenes

Synthesis, characterization, steady state and time resolved, using time correlated single photon counting as well as laser flash photolysis techniques, spectroscopic investigations were made for two alkoxy benzo[b]thiophene molecules: 5-methoxy benzo[b]thiophene (5MBT) and 5-methoxymethyl benzo[b]thiophene (5MMBT). In both non-polar n-heptane (NH) and polar acetonitrile (ACN) solvents and at ambient temperature the electronic absorption spectra of these thiophenes exhibit different band systems whose assignments were made from the measurements of the steady state excitation polarization spectra. Steady state fluorescence spectra of these molecules in the different polarity solvents show the presence of non-specific interactions. From the redox properties of the benzothiophenes, measured by cyclic voltammetry, their electron donating properties were observed in the presence of the well-known electron acceptor 9cyanoanthracene (9CNA). Further, detailed studies by laser flash photolysis techniques show that ion-recombination mechanism predominates after the initial excitation of the acceptor moiety using the third harmonic of Nd:YAG laser. This recombination together with the external heavy atom effect (the donor containing 'sulphur' atom) appears to be responsible for the formation of the triplet of the monomeric acceptor 9CNA. From the steady state experiments it is shown that both in non-polar NH and highly polar ACN the quenching in the fluorescence emission of 9CNA in the presence of the benzothiophene donors is brought about primarily by the external heavy atom effect and in ACN, although the presence of the photoinduced ET reaction is confirmed, this process seems, from the observed bimolecular dynamic quenching rate, kq to be significantly masked by the external heavy atom effect.     

Primary electron-transfer dynamics in 2-phenylindole-9-cyanoanthracene system. A comparative study with 2-methylindole

Electrochemical measurements by cyclic voltammetry predict the possibility of occurrence of photoinduced electron-transfer (PET) reactions between the ground state of 2-phenylindole (2PI) (electron donor) and the excited singlet of 9-cyanoanthracene (9CNA) molecule acting as an electron acceptor. However, 2PI should be expected to behave as a relatively weaker electron donating agent than the structurally related donor 2-methylindole (2MI) as it possesses higher oxidation potential value. Both steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopic measurements in the polar acetonitrile (ACN) and ethanol (EtOH) solvents show that the fluorescence quenching phenomenon of 9CNA in presence of 2PI is primarily due to the involvement of dynamic process which in high probability should be PET. Nevertheless, in less polar tetrahydrofuran (THF) medium, the quenching of 9CNA results from the combined effect of dynamic and static modes. The transient absorption spectra, measured by using nanosecond laser flash photolysis, of 9CNA in presence of 2PI exhibit the signature of the bands of the anionic species of 9CNA, cation of the donor 2PI and the contact neutral radical. Observations of the transient absorption at the different delays infer that ion-recombination mechanism is responsible for production of the monomeric triplets of both 9CNA and 2PI. From the transient absorption decays in ACN medium, it has been demonstrated that the diffusional separation of ions from geminate ion-pair is facilitated in the case of 2MI-9CNA pair whereas for 2PI-9CNA system the energy wasting charge recombination dominates over the process of charge dissociation. From the above observations, the possibility of developing much potential photosynthetic model compounds with the donor 2MI, rather than with the other donor 2PI molecule has been hinted.     

Laser Flash Photolysis of 2,2'-Dithiobls(pyridine N-oxide): Reactivity of N-Oxypyridyl-2-thio Radical

Abstract— Reaction kinetics of radicals produced by the nanosecond laser flash photolysis of 2,2'-dithiobis(pyridine N -oxide) and related compounds have been studied. The transient absorption band at 360 nm was attributed to the radical in which the unpaired electron mainly localizes on the S atom ( N -oxypyridyl-2-thio radical). The reactivities of the radical for conjugated dienes are lower than those of the pyridyl-2-thio radical, suggesting that a considerable unpaired electron density on the S atom delocalizes onto the N -oxypyridine moiety. The addition reaction rate of the radical to the conjugating diene was accelerated with hydrogen-bonding solvents and with addition of the cation, which may stabilize the N+-O^- canonical structure, increasing the unpaired electron density on the S atom. By the photolysis of N -hydroxypyridine-2-thione, the N-O bond was predominantly dissociated producing a pyr-idyl-2-thio radical. By the photolysis of its anion, photoejection took place followed by the N-O bond fission, yielding pyridine-2-thione.     

Excited states quenching of phenosafranine dye by electron donors

The quenching of the excited singlet and triplet states of phenosafranine by aromatic amines, methoxybenzenes and triethanolamine was investigated in acetonitrile and methanol. The rate constants for the aromatic quenchers present a typical dependence of an electron transfer process with the one-electron redox potential of the donor. A Rehm–Weller correlation is obtained with the driving force. The fitting parameters are very similar in both solvents. The electron transfer nature of the quenching reaction is further confirmed by the detection of the radical cations of the quenchers and the semireduced form of the dye in laser flash photolysis experiments. The absorption coefficients of the transient species were estimated, and the quantum yield of the charge separation process was determined.     

Laser techniques in the study of drug photochemistry

This review describes the application of different laser time-resolved techniques, such as time-resolved fluorescence, phosphorescence and laser flash photolysis, to elucidate the mechanism of drug photodegradation. The assignment of transient species based on their luminescence or absorption spectra and based on their reactivity to various quenchers is illustrated. The mathematical expressions used in fitting measured transient decays over time are also discussed. Practical situations found in the literature and relevant to drug photodegradation illustrate different examples. The importance of laser power, concentration and absorbance of the ground state, as well as other parameters intrinsic to laser techniques are discussed.     

A laser flash photolysis study of curcumin in dioxane-water mixtures.

Curcumin [bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1,6-heptadiene-3,5-dione] was studied by means of UV-VIS absorption spectroscopy and nanosecond laser flash photolysis in 1,4-dioxane-water mixtures in a series of dioxane-water volume ratios. The transient characteristics were found to be dependent on the amount of water. In pure dioxane the triplet state of the molecule in its enolic form was detected (lambda(max) = 720 nm, tau = 3.2 micros), whereas upon water addition, the diketo form was found to prevail, because of the perturbation of intramolecular H-bonded structure. This led to hydrogen abstraction from dioxane by curcumin triplet state and the formation of the corresponding ketyl radical (lambda(max) = 490 nm, tau approximately 10 micros). Laser flash photolysis measurements, carried out in solvents of different polarity and proticity (benzene, cyclohexane and various alcohols), allowed the transient assignments to be confirmed, supporting our interpretation.     

Photophysics and photochemistry of 1-nitropyrene

1-Nitropyrene (1NPy) is the most abundant nitropolycyclic aromatic contaminant encountered in diesel exhausts. Understanding its photochemistry is important because of its carcinogenic and mutagenic properties, and potential phototransformations into biologically active products. We have studied the photophysics and photochemistry of 1NPy in solvents that could mimic the microenvironments in which it can be found in the atmospheric aerosol, using nanosecond laser flash photolysis, and conventional absorption and fluorescence techniques. Significant interactions between 1NPy and solvent molecules are demonstrated from the changes in the magnitude of the molar absorption coefficient, bandwidth at half-peak, oscillator strengths, absorption maxima, Stokes shifts, and fluorescence yield. The latter are very low (10 (-4)), increasing slightly with solvent polarity. Low temperature phosphorescence and room temperature transient absorption spectra demonstrate the presence of a low energy (3)(pi,pi*) triplet state, which decays with rate constants on the order of 10 (4)-10 (5) s (-1). This state is effectively quenched by known triplet quenchers at diffusion control rates. Intersystem crossing yields of 0.40-0.60 were determined. A long-lived absorption, which grows within the laser pulse, and simultaneously with the triplet state, presents a maximum absorption in the wavelength region of 420-440 nm. Its initial yield and lifetime depend on the solvent polarity. This species is assigned to the pyrenoxy radical that decays following a pseudo-first-order process by abstracting a hydrogen atom from the solvent to form one the major photoproducts, 1-hydroxypyrene. The (3)(pi,pi*) state reacts readily ( k approximately 10 (7)-10 (9) M (-1) s (-1)) with substances with hydrogen donor abilities encountered in the aerosol, forming a protonated radical that presents an absorption band with maximum at 420 nm.     

Photochemistry and photopolymerization activity of novel perester derivatives of fluorenone: a conventional and laser flash photolysis study

The photochemistry of three novel t-butylperester derivatives of fluorenone was examined and compared with unsubstituted fluorenone and a mono-t-butylperester of benzophenone using both conventional microsecond and nanosecond laser flash photolysis. On conventional microsecond flash photolysis in 2-propanol, all four fluorenone compounds gave transient absorption in the region 300–400 nm due to a ketyl radical formed from the abstraction of a hydrogen atom from the solvent by the upper excited triplet n—π* state of the fluorenone chromophore. This assignment was confirmed by a pH-dependent study on the transient absorption spectra. The nitro-t-butylperester derivative of fluorenone gave additional absorption above 400 nm due to species associated with the nitro group. No evidence for benzoyloxy radical formation could be found in non-hydrogen-atom-donating solvents with microsecond flash photolysis which is associated with homolysis of the perester groups. On nanosecond laser flash photolysis of the fluorenone compounds at 355 nm excitation in acetonitrile and hexa-fluorobenzene, transient absorptions were observed in the region 320–640 nm due to the corresponding triplet states. All the t-butylperester derivatives showed residual absorbances at longer time delays which were tentatively assigned to the corresponding benzoyloxy radicals produced by homolysis of the perester groups. In contrast, the mono-t-butylperester of benzophenone, included for comparison only, showed very weak transient absorption in the region 320–640 nm compared with that of the strong triplet of benzophenone under the same excitation conditions. The triplet absorptions and lifetimes of the fluorenone compounds were correlated with their photopolymerization activities in bulk methylmethacrylate monomer. In oxygenated solutions, the triplet absorptions of fluorenone and benzophenone were effectively quenched; however, long-lived transient growths were observed for all the t-butylperester derivatives. The intensities of these novel transient absorptions appear to correlate with the total number of t-butylperester groups in the fluorenone molecule and tentative assignments are discussed.     

Photophysical Properties of the Cationic Form of Neutral Red

Abstract— Photophysical properties of the cationic form of neutral red (NRH⁺), a phenazine-based dye of biological importance, have been investigated in several protic and aprotic solvents using optical absorption, steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence and picosecond laser flash photolysis techniques. Absorption and fluorescence characteristics of the dye in protic solvents indicate the existence of intermolecular hydrogen bonding between the NRH⁺ and solvent molecules in the ground state as well as in the excited state. Measurements of the fluorescence lifetime in normal and heavy water also support the formation of intermolecular hydrogen bonding. Time-resolved transient absorption spectra obtained in the picosecond laser flash photolysis experiments show only the absorption band due to the S_n← S₁ absorption. The picosecond transient absorption results do not indicate any spectral shifts attributable to the hydrogen bond formation dynamics between the excited NRH⁺ and the protic solvent molecules. It is inferred that the hydrogen bonding dynamics are much faster than the time resolution of our picosecond setup (∼35 ps).     

Effects of liquid crystal environment on the spectroscopic and photophysical properties of well-known reacting systems 2,3-dimethylindole (DMI) and 9-cyanoanthracene (9CNA)

Electrochemical and steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopic studies on a disubstituted indole, 2,3-dimethylindole (DMI), and well-known electron acceptor 9-cyanoanthracene (9CNA) in liquid crystal (LC) 4-(n- pentyl)-4'-cyanobiphenyl (5CB) environment demonstrate entirely different spectroscopic and photophysical behaviors from those observed earlier by our research group with the same reacting systems in isotropic media n-heptane and acetonitrile (ACN). From the UV-vis absorption spectral measurements of the donor DMI in the presence of the acceptor 9CNA in liquid crystal medium (in 5CB) in various temperatures above the nematic-isotropic phase transition from 308 to 313 K (pseudo-ordered domain), it was observed that the lower energy lying absorption band of DMI situates in a longer wavelength region than the corresponding band observed in isotropic medium n-heptane or ACN. The possibility of the photochromic effect is discussed. In this band, the degree of mixing of the two closely spaced electronic states (1)L(a) (S(2)) and (1)L(b) (S(1)) of DMI was very prominent in the ordered LC environment (5CB) whereas in isotropic medium the dominant contribution for the formation of the lower energy band system primarily originates from the (1)Lb (S(1)) state, as evidenced from the steady-state polarization measurements. Both steady-state fluorescence quenching and time-resolved fluorescence studies clearly demonstrate in favor of the presence of only the static mode in LC environment. The situation differs in isotropic media where the dynamic process possesses the key role in the quenching mechanism. Expectedly, the transient absorption measurements by the nanosecond laser flash photolysis technique show a lack of formation of transient ionic species in the pseudo-ordered domain of 5CB. On the contrary, in isotropic solvents n-heptane and ACN, the transient absorption spectra measured by the same nanosecond laser flash photolysis technique exhibit the broad band of 9CNA radical anion at around 560 nm (9CNA-) and the band of neutral radical of DMI at 540 nm. It is inferred that the charge-separation reactions occurring within the present intermolecular systems could be stopped significantly by changing the nature of the environment from the isotropic to the LC's pseudo-ordered domain which situates closely above the nematic (N)-isotropic (I) phase transition temperature. From the steady-state and time-resolved investigations, it is revealed that, due to the hysteresis phenomenon, the nematic phase properties persist over a wide temperature range well within pseudo-ordered domain to some extent into the isotropic phases. The investigations with the different donor-acceptor inter- and intramolecular systems in 5CB and some other LC's environment are underway.     

Photochemistry of CS2/Cl complexes—combined pulse radiolysis–laser flash photolysis studies

Complexes of chlorine atoms and carbon disulfide (CS₂) were produced by pulse radiolysis of CS₂ in halocarbons and photochemical reactions were studied by laser flash photolysis. Excitation of CS₂/Cl complexes resulted in rapid and permanent photobleaching. The photobleaching of CS₂/Cl complexes is due to intermolecular chlorine atom abstraction in CCl₄ with a quantum yield of 0.04, while that ascribed to hydrogen atom abstraction in 1,2-dichloroethane has a quantum yield of 0.21. The effects of additives are discussed based on the bond dissociation energy.     

Intermolecular electron transfer from excited benzophenone ketyl radical

The electron transfer from the benzophenone ketyl radical in the excited state (BPH(.-)(D(1))) to several quenchers (Qs) was investigated using nanosecond/picosecond two-color two-laser flash photolysis and nanosecond/nanosecond two-color two-laser flash photolysis. The electron transfer from BPH(.-)(D(1)) to Qs was confirmed by the transient absorption and fluorescence quenching measurements. The intermolecular electron-transfer rate constants were determined using the Stern-Volmer analysis. The driving force dependence of the electron-transfer rate was revealed.     

水相中四氯化碳的激光闪光光解研究

利用激光闪光光解技术研究了水相中四氯化碳光分解和光氧化的微观机制,并且指证了水相中四氯化碳受光激发所产生的瞬态光谱中的一些瞬态物种的特征吸收峰。并对这些瞬态物种的行为和归宿进行了研究。研究表明在248nm激光作用下,四氯化碳受光激发将分解为CCl~3^.自由基和Cl^.自由基。CCl~3^.自由基在无氧/有氧条件下的反应途径是不同的:在无氧条件下CCl~3^.自由基将进行偶合反应生成更难于降解的C~2Cl~6;而在有氧条件下CCl~3^.自由基则与O~2反应生成CCl~3O~2^.自由基,而CCl~3O~2^.自由基最终转变为COCl~2,这意味着光氧化能够有效地降解CCl~4。Cl^.自由基基本上不受氧气存在的影响,其归宿是与水分子发生电荷转移反应。     

Rate constants for 1,5- and 1,6-hydrogen atom transfer reactions of mono-, di-, and tri-aryl-substituted donors, models for hydrogen atom transfers in polyunsaturated fatty acid radicals

Rate constants for 1,5- and 1,6-hydrogen atom transfer reactions in models of polyunsaturated fatty acid radicals were measured via laser flash photolysis methods. Photolyses of PTOC (pyridine-2-thioneoxycarbonyl) ester derivatives of carboxylic acids gave primary alkyl radicals that reacted by 1,5-hydrogen transfer from mono-, di-, and tri-aryl-substituted positions or 1,6-hydrogen transfer from di- and tri-aryl-substituted positions to give UV-detectable products. Rate constants for reactions in acetonitrile at room temperature ranged from 1 x 10(4) to 4 x 10(6) s(-1). The activation energies for a matched pair of 1,5- and 1,6-hydrogen atom transfers giving tri-aryl-substituted radicals were approximately equal, as were the primary kinetic isotope effects, but the 1,5-hydrogen atom transfer reaction was 1 order of magnitude faster at room temperature than the 1,6-hydrogen atom transfer reaction due to a less favorable entropy of activation for the 1,6-transfer reaction. Solvent effects on the rate constants for the 1,5-hydrogen atom transfer reaction of the 2-[2-(diphenylmethyl)phenyl]ethyl radical at ambient temperature were as large as a factor of 2 with the reaction increasing in rate in lower polarity solvents. Hybrid density functional theory computations for the 1,5- and 1,6-hydrogen atom transfers of the tri-aryl-substituted donors were in qualitative agreement with the experimental results.     

Primary photoreactions of the 3',5'-dimethoxybenzoin cage and determination of the release rate in polar media

3',5'-dimethoxybenzoin (DMB) is an important photoremovable protecting group. The primary photoreactions of DMB acetate and fluoride following photoexcitation by a subpicosecond laser flash were investigated by pump-probe spectroscopy. The primary photoproduct is identified as a preoxetane biradical intermediate that decays by different pathways depending on solvent polarity. In polar solvents (acetonitrile, water), the biradical decays by releasing acetate or fluoride with a lifetime of about 2 ns. Thus, DMB is an excellent protecting group for the investigation of fast processes such as protein folding.     

A LASER FLASH PHOTOLYSIS STUDY OF PYRENE-1-ALDEHYDE. INTERSYSTEM CROSSING EFFICIENCY, PHOTOREACTIVITY AND TRIPLET STATE PROPERTIES IN VARIOUS SOLVENTS

Abstract— Triplet-and singlet-related photoprocesses of pyrene-1-aldehyde (PA) in various solvents have been investigated in detail using 337.1 and 355 nm laser flash photolysis in conjunction with time-correlated determination of fluorescence lifetimes (τ_F) and steady-state photochemical and absorption-emission spectral measurements. In benzene, the lowest triplet of PA (43 < E_T < 46 kcal/mol) has a lifetime of about 50 µs (τ_T) and displays the absorption maximum at 443 nm with a maximum extinction coefficient (ε_max) of 21000 M ^-1cm^-1; the corresponding ketyl radical has a sharp absorption maximum at 428 nm (ε_max≥ 25000 M ^-1cm^-1). The quantum yields (φ_T) of lowest triplet occupation are high in nonprotic solvents (0.6–0.8), decrease in protic solvents (alcohols) as the polarity of the latter is increased, and maintain a complementary relationship with the quantum yields (φ_F) of fluorescence. Quantum yields (φ_PC) of loss of PA due to photoreactions in some solvents have also been determined under conditions of steady irradiation at 366 nm; φ_PC is in the range 0.1–0.2 in electron-rich olefinic solvents such as cyclohexene and tetramethylethylene. These results concerning τ_F, τ_T, φ_F. φ_T and φ_PC as well as the effects of 1,2,4-trimethoxybenzene and 2,5-dimethyl-2,4-hexadiene as quenchers for fluorescence, triplet yield, and photochemistry are discussed in the light of possible state orders for PA in polar and nonpolar environments.     

Alpha-carbonyl substituent effect on the lifetimes of triplet 1,4-biradicals from Norrish-Type-II reactions

Triplet 1,4-biradicals were generated by Norrish-Type-II hydrogen transfer from alpha-heteroatom-substituted beta-branched butyrophenones 1-6 and detected by laser flash absorption measurements. For three oxy-substituted compounds 2-4 (R(alpha)=OH, OCOMe, OCOOEt) comparable lifetimes were determined in acetonitrile (roughly 1.5 micros). In benzene, divergent trends were observed: for the hydroxy compound 2 a lower lifetime of 790 ns was determined, whereas for 3 and 4 the lifetimes increased to 4.9 micros. Photolyses of the alpha-amino-substituted compounds 1 and 6 resulted in transient species with significant lower lifetimes (for 1 160 ns in benzene and 450 ns in acetonitrile; for 6 <100 ns in both solvents). The mesyloxy substrate 5 undergoes rapid C-O bond cleavage upon photolysis and no transient triplet species were detected. Computational (UB3 LYP/6-31G* and natural don orbital (NBO) analyses) results supported the assumption of a negative hyperconjugative interaction strongly stabilizing alpha-oxy-substituted over alpha-amino-substituted radicals.     

Photochemistry of 2-alkoxymethyl-5-methylphenacyl chloride and benzoate

Irradiation of 2-(alkoxymethyl)-5-methyl-alpha-chloroacetophenones (1a-c) and 2-(methoxymethyl)-5-methylphenacyl benzoate (1d) in dry, nonnucleophilic solvents afforded 3-alkoxy-6-methylindan-1-ones (3a-c) in very high chemical yields. 3-Methylisobenzofuran-1(3H)-one (2) was, however, isolated as a major photoproduct in the presence of trace amounts of water. Quenching experiments and laser flash spectroscopy revealed that the indanone derivatives 3 are formed by 1,5-hydrogen migration from the lowest triplet excited state of the acetophenones 1 and cyclization of the resulting photoenols. In contrast, production of the lactone 2 in wet solvents was found to result from two consecutive photochemical transformations. The photoenols produced by photolysis of 1a-c add water as a nucleophile to form 2-acetyl-4-methylbenzaldehyde (4), which is further converted to 2 via a second, singlet state photoenolization process. Exhaustive photolysis of 1a in methanol produced the acetal 2-(dimethoxymethyl)-5-methylacetophenone (7a) as the exclusive product. The remarkable selectivity of these photoreactions may well be useful in synthetic organic chemistry.     

Studies on photoinduced H-atom and electron transfer reactions of o-naphthoquinones by laser flash photolysis

The quenching of the triplets of 1,2-naphthoquinone (NQ) and 1,2-naphthoquinone-4-sulfonic acid sodium salt (NQS) by various electron and H-atom donors was investigated by laser flash photolysis measurement in acetonitrile and benzene. The results showed that the reactivities and configurations of 3NQ* (3NQS*) are governed by solvent polarity. All the quenching rate constants (kq) measured in benzene are larger than those in acetonitrile. The SO3Na substituent at the C-4 position of NQS makes 3NQS* more reactive than 3NQ* in electron/H-atom transfer reactions. Large differences of kq values were discovered in H-atom transfer reactions for alcohols and phenols, which can be explained by different H-abstraction mechanisms. Detection of radical cations of amines/anilines in time-resolved transient absorption spectra confirms an electron transfer mechanism. Triplets are identified as precursors of formed radical anions of NQ and NQS in photoinduced reactions. The dependence of electron transfer rate constants on the free energy changes (DeltaG) was treated by using the Rehm-Weller equation. For the four anilines with different substituents on the para or meta position of amidocyanogen, good correlation between log kq values with Hammett sigma constants testifies the correctness of empirical Hammett equation. Charge density distributions, adiabatic ionization/affinity potentials and redox potentials of NQ (NQS) and some quenchers were studied by quantum chemistry calculation.     

Lightfastness and spectroscopic properties of n-substituted 1-aminoanthraquinones

The fluorescence spectra and quantum yields of 1-acetylamino-, 1-monochloroacetylamino-, 1-benzoylamino- and 1-anilinoanthraquinones have been recorded in a variety of solvents. The dyes have also been examined using microsecond flash photolysis in ethyl acetate and 2-propanol. Fluorescence is observed from all the dyes except the 1-anilino derivative. On flash photolysis, all the dyes give strong transient absorption in 2-propanol whereas no transient absorption is observed in ethyl acetate. Interestingly, the 1-anilino derivative gives a very strong transient absorption due to the semiquinone radical (QH·) whereas the other three dyes give a strong transient absorption due to the radical anion (Q·⁻. These results are discussed in relation to the lightfastness of the dyes on polyester and nylon fibres.