Photophysics of phenylpyrrole derivatives and their acetonitrile clusters in the gas phase and in argon matrixes: simulations of structure and reactivity

Recent experiments on the dual fluorescence of phenylpyrrole (PP) and pyrrolobenzonitrile (PBN) in supersonic jets and in cryogenic matrixes are analyzed. The structures of the 1:1 clusters are calculated using ab initio, density functional theory (DFT) and molecular mechanics (MM) methods. In these calculations, the structures of PP and PBN in the ground state and in two possible minima on the charge-transfer excited state are taken from a recent theoretical analysis. The structures of PP and PBN clusters with a larger number of acetonitrile molecules are also calculated using the molecular mechanics method. It is shown that the fact that small PP:AN and PBN:AN clusters do not exhibit any charge-transfer (CT) type emission, whereas for PBN:AN(n) clusters (n > or = 4) CT emission is observed, can be understood on the basis of the calculated structures. The trapping of PP and of PBN in an argon matrix (neat and doped with acetonitrile) is simulated by a molecular dynamics procedure. The observation of locally excited (LE) fluorescence only from PP in neat argon, whereas from argon-trapped PBN both CT and LE emission bands are observed, is readily understood on the basis of these simulations. Moreover, the appearance of CT emission from PP-doped argon matrixes when acetonitrile is added is also explained, as well as the relatively small spectral shift observed upon addition of acetonitrile to PBN-doped argon matrixes.     

The fluorescence of 5-cyano-2-(1-pyrrolyl)-pyridine (CPP) in different solvents and in solid argon: An experimental and theoretical study

The fluorescence spectrum of 5-cyano-2-(1-pyrrolyl)-pyridine (CPP) was measured in several solvents as well as in an argon matrix. Based on comparison with other compounds and on ab initio calculations it is proposed that the fluorescence in the argon matrix and in non-polar solvents is due to two electronic excited states: one is of locally excited nature, the other a charge transfer (CT) state. In polar solvents the spectrum is dominated by the CT emission. The photo-physical behavior of CPP is discussed by comparison with that of other molecules exhibiting dual fluorescence and in view of a recent model developed for the benzene analog.     

Intramolecular charge transfer with the planarized 4-cyanofluorazene and its flexible counterpart 4-cyano-N-phenylpyrrole. Picosecond fluorescence decays and femtosecond excited-state absorption

The fluorescence spectrum of the rigidified 4-cyanofluorazene (FPP4C) in n-hexane consists of a dual emission from a locally excited (LE) and an intramolecular charge-transfer (ICT) state, with an ICT/LE fluorescence quantum yield ratio of Phi'(ICT)/Phi(LE) = 3.3 at 25 degrees C. With the flexible 4-cyano- N-phenylpyrrole (PP4C) in n-hexane, such an ICT reaction also takes place, with Phi'(ICT)/Phi(LE) = 1.5, indicating that for this reaction, a perpendicular twist of the pyrrole and benzonitrile moieties is not required. The ICT emission band of FPP4C and PP4C in n-hexane has vibrational structure, but a structureless band is observed in all other solvents more polar than the alkanes. The enthalpy difference Delta H of the LE --> ICT reaction in n-hexane, -11 kJ/mol for FPP4C and -7 kJ/mol for PP4C, is determined by analyzing the temperature dependence of Phi'(ICT)/Phi(LE). Using these data, the energy E(FC,ICT) of the Franck-Condon ground state populated by the ICT emission is calculated, 41 (FPP4C) and 40 kJ/mol (PP4C). These large values for E(FC,ICT) lead to the conclusion that with FPP4C and PP4C, direct ICT excitation, bypassing LE, does not take place. FPP4C has an ICT dipole moment of 15 D, similar to that of PP4C (16 D). Picosecond fluorescence decays allow the determination of the ICT lifetime, from which the radiative rate constant k'(f)(ICT) is derived, with comparable values for FPP4C and PP4C. This shows that an argument for a twisted ICT state of PP4C cannot come from k'(f)(ICT). After correction for the solvent refractive index and the energy of the emission maximum nu(max)(ICT), it appears that k'(f)(ICT) is solvent-polarity-independent. Femtosecond transient absorption with FPP4C and PP4C in n-hexane reveals that the ICT state is already nearly fully present at 100 fs after excitation, in rapid equilibrium with LE. In MeCN, the ICT state of FPP4C and PP4C is likewise largely developed at this delay time, and the reaction is limited by dielectric solvent relaxation, which shows that the ICT reaction is ultrafast, at the experimental time limit of 50 fs. PP4C and FPP4C have a similar planar ICT structure, without an appreciable twist of the pyrrole and benzonitrile subgroups. Their crystal structure is compared with calculations for the S0 ground state.     

Spectroscopic characterization of intramolecular charge transfer of sodium 4-(N,N-dimethylamino)naphthalene-1-sulfonate

In this paper, a new dual fluorescent N,N-dimethylaminonaphthalene derivative, sodium 4-(N,N-dimethylamino)naphthalene-1-sulfonate (SDMDNS), was reported. It was found that SDMDNS emits dual fluorescence only in highly polar solvent water but not in organic solvents such as methanol, dioxane and acetonitrile. Only a single broad band emission at ca. 420 nm was observed in the short wavelength region in organic solvents. The dual fluorescence of SDMDNS in water was found at 423 and 520 nm, respectively. Introduction of organic solvent as ethanol into aqueous solution of SDMDNS leads to blue shift of the long-wavelength emission, and this was evidently supported by introduction of cyclodextrin or surfactant in the aqueous solution. It indicates that a highly polar solvent was required to bring out dual fluorescence; furthermore, the short wavelength fluorescence is emitted from locally excited (LE) state and the long wavelength fluorescence is emitted from charge transfer (CT) state. The pH dependence of the dual fluorescence of SDMDNS demonstrates that the neutral form of the molecular has a higher ratio of CT band intensity to LE band. Temperature effect on the excited state of SDMDNS was also examined and gave stabilization enthalpy (-DeltaH ) of the CT reaction 8.7 kJ mol(-1).     

Dynamics of ultrafast intramolecular charge transfer with 1-tert-butyl-6-cyano-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline (NTC6) in n-hexane and acetonitrile

The intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) reaction of 1-tert-butyl-6-cyano-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline (NTC6) in n-hexane and acetonitrile (MeCN) is investigated by picosecond fluorescence experiments as a function of temperature and by femtosecond transient absorption measurements at room temperature. NTC6 in n-hexane is dual fluorescent from a locally excited (LE) and an ICT state, with a quantum yield ratio Phi'(ICT)/Phi(LE) of 0.35 at +25 degrees C and 0.67 at -95 degrees C, whereas in MeCN mainly an ICT emission is observed. From the temperature dependence of Phi'(ICT)/Phi(LE) for NTC6 in n-hexane, an LE/ICT enthalpy difference DeltaH of -2.4 kJ/mol is determined. For comparison, 1-isopropyl-6-cyano-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline (NIC6) is also investigated. This molecule does not undergo an ICT reaction, because of its larger energy gap DeltaE(S1,S2). From the molar absorption coefficient epsilonmax of NTC6 as compared with other aminobenzonitriles, a ground-state amino twist angle theta of approximately 22 degrees is deduced. The increase of epsilonmax between n-hexane and MeCN indicates that theta decreases when the solvent polarity becomes larger. Whereas single-exponential LE fluorescence decays are obtained for NIC6 in n-hexane and MeCN, the LE and ICT decays of NTC6 in these solvents are double exponential. For NTC6 in n-hexane at -95 degrees C, with a shortest decay time of 20 ps, the forward (ka=2.5x10(10) s(-1)) and backward (kd=2.7x10(10) s(-1)) rate constants for the LE<-->ICT reaction are determined from the time-resolved LE and ICT fluorescence spectra. For NTC6 in n-hexane and MeCN, the excited-state absorption (ESA) spectrum at 200 fs after excitation is similar to the LE(ESA) spectra of NIC6 and 4-(dimethylamino)benzonitrile (DMABN), showing that LE is the initially excited state for NTC6. These results indicate that the LE states of NTC6, NIC6, and DMABN have a comparable molecular structure. The ICT(ESA) spectrum of NTC6 in n-hexane and MeCN resembles that of DMABN in MeCN, likewise indicating a similar ICT structure for NTC6 and DMABN. From the decay of the LE absorption and the corresponding growing-in for the ICT state of NTC6, it is concluded that the ICT state originates from the LE precursor and is not formed by direct excitation from S0, nor via an S2/ICT conical intersection. The same conclusion was made from the time-resolved (picosecond) fluorescence spectra, where there is no ICT emission at time zero. The decay of the LE(ESA) band of NTC6 in n-hexane occurs with a shortest time tau2 of 2.2 ps. The ICT reaction is much faster (tau2 = 0.82 ps) in the strongly polar MeCN. The absence of excitation wavelength dependence (290 and 266 nm) for the ESA spectra in MeCN also shows that LE is the ICT precursor. With NIC6 in n-hexane and MeCN, a decay or growing-in of the femtosecond ESA spectra is not observed, in line with the absence of an ICT reaction involving an S2/ICT conical intersection.     

Solvent effect in an “isolated” solvated molecule in a free jet: Intramolecular charge-transfer state of solvated 9,9'-bianthryl

The fluorescence spectra of bare and solvated 9,9'-bianthryl were recorded in a free Jet. In the case of bare bianthryl, only the fluorescence from the locally excited (LE) state was observed, even on excitation to a high vibronic state. In contrast, the excitation of the 0-0 band of 9,9'-bianthryl solvated by acetone gave fluorescence from the charge-transfer (CT) state. The ratio of the intensity of the CT fluorescence to that of the LE fluorescence increases with increasing degree of solvation. Solvation by cyclohexane did not give CT fluorescence.     

Ultrafast intramolecular charge transfer with N-(4-cyanophenyl)carbazole. Evidence for a LE precursor and dual LE + ICT fluorescence

The photophysics of N-(4-cyanophenyl)carbazole (NP4CN) was investigated by using absorption and fluorescence spectra, picosecond fluorescence decays, and femtosecond transient absorption. In the nonpolar n-hexane as well as in the polar solvent acetonitrile (MeCN), a locally excited (LE) state is detected, as a precursor for the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) state. A LE → ICT reaction time τ(2) at 22 °C of 0.95 ps in ethyl cyanide (EtCN) and 0.32 ps in MeCN is determined from the decay of the LE excited state absorption (ESA) maximum around 620 nm. In the ESA spectrum of NP4CN in n-hexane at a pump-probe delay time of 100 ps, an important contribution of the LE band remains alongside the ICT band, in contrast to what is observed in EtCN and MeCN. This shows that a LE ? ICT equilibrium is established in this solvent and the ICT reaction time of 0.5 ps is equal to the reciprocal of the sum of the forward and backward ICT rate constants 1/(k(a) + k(d)). In the photostationary S(0) → S(n) absorption spectrum of NP4CN in n-hexane and MeCN, an additional CT absorption band appears, absent in the sum of the spectra of its electron donor (D) and acceptor (A) subgroups carbazole and benzonitrile. This CT band is located at an energy of ～4000 cm(-1) lower than for N-phenylcarbazole (NPC), due to the larger electron affinity of the benzonitrile moiety of NP4CN than the phenyl subunit of NPC. The fluorescence spectrum of NP4CN in n-hexane at 25 °C mainly consists of a structured LE emission, with a small ICT admixture, indicating that a LE → ICT reaction just starts to occur under these conditions. In di-n-pentyl ether (DPeE) and di-n-butyl ether (DBE), a LE emission is found upon cooling at the high-energy edge of the ICT fluorescence band, caused by the onset of dielectric solvent relaxation. This is not the case in more polar solvents, such as diethyl ether (DEE) and MeCN, in which a structureless ICT emission band fully overlaps the strongly quenched LE fluorescence. For the series of D/A molecules NPC, N-(4-fluorophenyl)carbazole (NP4F), N-[4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]carbazole (NP4CF), and NP4CN, with increasing electron affinity of their phenyl subgroup, an ICT emission in n-hexane 25 °C only is present for NP4CN, whereas in MeCN an ICT fluorescence is observed with NP4CF and NP4CN. The ICT fluorescence appears when for the energies E(ICT) of the ICT state and E(S(1)) of the lowest excited singlet state the condition E(ICT) ≤ E(S(1)) holds. E(ICT) is calculated from the difference E(D/D(+)) - E(A(-)/A) of the redox potentials of the D and A subgroups of the N-phenylcarbazoles. From solvatochromic measurements with NP4CN an ICT dipole moment μ(e)(ICT) = 19 D is obtained, somewhat larger than the literature values of 10-16 D, because of a different Onsager radius ρ. The carbazole/phenyl twist angle θ = 45° of NP4CN in the S(0) ground state, determined from X-ray crystal analysis, has become smaller for its ICT state, in analogy with similar conclusions for related N-phenylcarbazoles and other D/A molecules in the literature.     

EXCITED-STATE PROPERTIES OF THE ALTERNATING POLYNUCLEOTIDE POLY(dA-dT)POLY(dA-dT)

Measurements of the steady-state fluorescence spectrum and anisotropy, r, of the alternating polynucleotide poly(dA-dT).poly(dA-dT) were carried out in order to characterize its photophysical properties at room temperature. The shape of the fluorescence spectrum depends on the excitation wavelength, namely, the relative fluorescence intensity of the short-wavelength peak decreases for excitation at short wavelengths. When monitoring the emission at short wavelengths, r is 0.18 and independent of the excitation wavelength. When monitoring the emission at long wavelengths, however, r is very low, about 0.03. These results suggest that: (i) the short-wavelength emission stems from thymine; and (ii) the long-wavelength emission stems from an excited-state complex (excimer), with the same one being formed regardless of whether thymine or adenine is excited. The corresponding fluorescence spectra have been resolved. The occurrence of transfer of electronic energy is discussed.     

Intramolecular charge transfer assisted by conformational changes in the excited state of fluorene-dibenzothiophene-S,S-dioxide co-oligomers

The strong solvatochromism observed for two fluorene-dibenzothiophene-S,S-dioxide oligomers in polar solvents has been investigated using steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence techniques. A low-energy absorption band, attributed to a charge-transfer (CT) state, is identified by its red shift with increasing solvent polarity. In nonpolar solvents, the emission of these conjugated luminescent oligomers shows narrow and well-resolved features, suggesting that the emission comes from a local excited state (LE), by analogy to their conjugated fluorene-based polymer counterparts. However, in polar solvents, only a featureless broad emission is observed at longer wavelengths (CT emission). A linear correlation between the energy maximum of the fluorescence emission and the solvent orientation polarizability factor Deltaf (Lippert-Mataga equation) is observed through a large range of solvents. In ethanol, below 230 K, the emission spectra of both oligomers show dual fluorescence (LE-like and CT) with the observation of a red-edge excitation effect. The stabilization of the CT emissive state by solvent polarity is accompanied/followed by structural changes to adapt the molecular structure to the new electronic density distribution. In ethanol, above 220 K, the solvent reorganization occurs on a faster time scale (less than 10 ps at 290 K), and the structural relaxation of the molecule (CT(unrelaxed) --> CT(Relaxed)) can be followed independently. The magnitude of the forward rate constant, k(1)(20 degrees C) approximately 20 x 10(9) s(-1), and the reaction energy barrier, E(a) approximately 3.9 kcal mol(-1), close to the energy barrier for viscous flow in ethanol (3.54 kcal mol(-1)), show that large-amplitude molecular motions are present in the stabilization of the CT state.     

ROOM-TEMPERATURE STEADY-STATE FLUORESCENCE PROPERTIES OF POLY(dG-dC).SPOLY(dG-dC)

We report the steady-state fluorescence properties of the alternating polynucleotide poly(dG-dC).poly(dG-dC) in low-salt solution at room temperature for excitation at the Hg lines 265, 280 and 297 nm. Its fluorescence spectrum peaks at about 325 nm and, within the experimental error, its shape does not change significantly with the excitation wavelength. The fluorescence anisotropy is found to decrease strongly for short-wavelength excitation, a behavior which is very similar to that exhibited by free guanine. In view of the fact that the anisotropy for free cytosine is virtually constant at the aforementioned three excitation wavelengths, the results suggest that in this polynucleotide the emission stems from guanine. The values of the fluorescence quantum yield for the three excitation wavelengths are found to be very low, 0.8 x 10(-5), 0.8 x 10(-5), and 2.8 x 10(-5), respectively; these are compatible with transfer of energy from the lower-energy electronic state of guanine, before vibronic relaxation is established, to cytosine. Upon denaturation, the fluorescence spectrum becomes very broad and the fluorescence quantum yield increases; these observations support the authenticity of the emission from the nondenatured polynucleotide.     

Tuning the Nature of the Fluorescent State: A Substituted Polycondensed Dye as a Case Study

An extensive spectroscopic analysis is presented of an elongated polycondensed dye with a donor–acceptor substitution. The charge‐transfer (CT) state, polarized along the long molecular axis, is close in energy to a local excitation (LE) of the polycondensed system, roughly polarized along the short molecular axis, which makes this system particularly suitable to investigate the subtle LE/CT interplay. An essential‐state model is presented that quantitatively reproduces absorption and fluorescence spectra, as well as fluorescence emission and excitation anisotropy spectra collected in solvents of different polarity and viscosity, which sets a sound basis for the understanding of how solvent polarity and solvent relaxation affect the nature of low‐lying excitations. The markedly different fluorescence emission and excitation anisotropy spectra measured in glassy and liquid polar solvents unambiguously demonstrate the major role played by solvent relaxation in the definition of fluorescence properties of the dye.     

Unusual Solvatofluorochromism of the Asymmetrically Substituted Aromatic Acetylene Derivative CNAacDMA**

The photophysical properties of the newly synthesized unsymmetrically substituted aromatic acetylene derivative 9-(2-(4-(N,N-dimethylamino)phenyl)ethynyl)anthracene-10-carbonitrile (CNAacDMA) were investigated with the steady-state and time-resolved fluorometry. In saturated hydrocarbon solvents, only fluorescence from a locally-excited state (LE) is recorded. In more polar solvents however, excitation of this dye leads to a charge transfer state (CT). In moderate polar solvents (ϵ=4–8) dual emission is observed as a result of competition between structural change and intramolecular charge transfer in the excited state. In polar solvents only one emission band, at shorter wavelength than CT emission, is observed, indicating a bidirectional solvatofluorochromism.     

Applications of chemometric methods to spectroscopic studies of aggregate formation and twisted intramolecular charge transfer in the gas phase and in non-polar solvents

Principal component analysis—self-modelling and non-linear least-squares spectral resolution methods were applied to quantitative fluorescence studies of the aggregate formation and the twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) state emission of p-(N,N-diethylamino)ethylbenzoate (DEAEB) in the gas phase and in low-density supercritical ethane. A broad Gaussian-like fluorescence band at approximately 400 nm was obtained and assigned to the emission of DEAEB microcrystals or microsolids. It is shown that the red-shifted band can essentially be eliminated by keeping the sample undisturbed for a period of time and by selecting appropriate excitation wavelengths. The results support the conclusion that even in the gas phase the contribution of DEAEB TICT state emission is still significant. It is also demonstrated that a quantitative characterization of the excited state equilibium between the locality excited and TICT states of DEAEB in non-polar solvents can be accomplished by application of a spectral resolution method.     

Photophysical processes in aromatic polyimides. Studies with model compounds

Emission mechanism in an aromatic polyimide, PI(BPDA/PDA), derived from biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride and p-phenylene diamine were studied with ultraviolet visible absorption and fluorescence spectra of a series of the model compounds. The excitation spectrum of the intermolecular charge-transfer (CT) fluorescence peaking around 550 nm of PI(BPDA/PDA) thin film was completely consistent with the absorption spectrum, indicating that the intermolecular CT fluorescence emission of PI(BPDA/PDA) film is not caused by direct excitation of the CT absorption band, but by light absorption due to structural units in the polymer backbone. The UV-vis. absorption spectra of the model compounds corresponding to the structural units in PI(BPDA/PDA) showed that the longest wavelength absorption band is due to the biphenylbisimide moiety. The band was assigned as π, π* transition with the polarization spectrum of the model compound. The fluorescence spectra of the model compounds changed sensitively depending on the conformation around N-phenyl bond. The lifetime measurement for the model compounds suggested that intramolecular CT process occurs very rapidly. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Two-dimensional fluorescence (excitation/emission) spectroscopy as a probe of complex chemical environments

We report a new application of fluorescence spectroscopy for the identification and characterization of chemical species in complex environments. Simultaneous collection of a dispersed fluorescence spectrum for every step of the laser wavelength results in a two-dimensional spectrum of emission versus excitation wavelengths. This two-dimensional fluorescence (2DF) spectrum yields quick and intuitive assignments of a multitude of peaks in the separate fluorescence excitation and dispersed fluorescence spectra as belonging to the same species. We demonstrate the technique with the measurement of 2DF spectra of a discharge of dilute benzene into a supersonic free jet. A multitude of rovibronic bands due to the C(2) Swan and C(3) comet bands are immediately apparent and even unreported bands can be assigned intuituvely. Custom software filters are employed to enhance or reject emission from one or the other carrier to obtain excitation spectra arising from purely one carrier, or even a specific spectral component of a single carrier. The very characteristic 2DF fingerprints of C(2) and C(3) permit identification of another unidentified species in the discharge that absorbs at 476 nm, coincident with one of the diffuse interstellar bands.     

Fluorescence of crystalline 4-(dimethylamino)benzonitrile. Absence of dual fluorescence and observation of single-exponential fluorescence decays

The fluorescence spectrum of crystals grown from newly synthesized 4-(dimethylamino)benzonitrile (DMABN), measured from 25 down to −112 °C, consists of a single emission band originating from a locally excited (LE) state. The fluorescence decay of the DMABN crystals is single exponential at all temperatures investigated. These results show that intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) does not occur in crystalline DMABN. The additional red-shifted emission bands and multiexponential fluorescence decays previously reported for DMABN crystals are attributed to a minor amount of the impurity 4-(dimethylamino)benzaldehyde, the synthetic precursor of commercial DMABN.     

Excited state intramolecular charge transfer reaction in binary mixtures of water and tertiary butanol (TBA): alcohol mole fraction dependence

The excited state intramolecular charge transfer reaction of 4-(1-azetidinyl)benzonitrile (P4C) has been studied in water-tertiary butanol (TBA) mixtures at different alcohol mole fractions by using steady state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. The ratio between the areas under the locally excited (LE) and charge transferred (CT) emission bands is found to exhibit a sharp rise at alcohol mole fraction approximately 0.04, a value at which several thermodynamic properties of this mixture is known to show anomalous change due to the enhancement of H-bonding network. The radiative rate associated with the LE emission also shows a maximum at this TBA mole fraction. Although the structural transition from the water-like tetrahedral network to the alcohol-like chain is reflected in the red shift of the absorption spectrum up to TBA mole fraction approximately 0.10, the emission bands (both LE and CT) show the typical nonideal alcohol mole fraction dependence at all TBA mole fractions. Quantum yield, CT radiative rate as well as transition moments also exhibit a nonideal alcohol mole fraction dependence. The time-resolved emission decay of P4C has been found to be biexponential at all TBA mole fractions, regardless of emission collection around either the LE or the CT bands. The time constant associated with the slow component (tau(slow)) shows a minimum at TBA mole fraction approximately 0.04, whereas such a minimum for the fast time constant, tau(fast) (representing the rate of LE --> CT conversion reaction) is not observed. The nonobservation of the minimum in tau(fast) might be due to the limited time resolution employed in our experiments.     

TICT formation in para- and meta-derivatives of N-phenylpyrrole

The photophysical properties of m- and p-cyano N-phenylpyrrole (m- and p-PBN) are compared. Both compounds show highly red-shifted and strongly forbidden emission in polar solvents, assigned to a charge transfer state. The forbidden nature is indicative of very weak coupling between the two pi-systems, and a twisted emissive structure is suggested (TICT state). Comparison to quantum chemical calculations indicates that the twisted structure possesses an antiquinoid distortion of the benzonitrile group, i.e., the central bonds in the ring are lengthened instead of shortened. m-PBN is the first meta compound which shows a CT emission assignable to a TICT state. It differs from p-PBN by a less exergonic formation of the CT state from the LE/ICT quinoid state. Consequently, it shows only single LE/ICT fluorescence in nonpolar alkane solvents, whereas p-PBN shows dual fluorescence in this solvent (LE/ICT and TICT).     

Luminescence properties of C-diazaborolyl-ortho-carboranes as donor-acceptor systems

Seven derivatives of 1,2-dicarbadodecaborane (ortho-carborane, 1,2-C(2)B(10)H(12)) with a 1,3-diethyl- or 1,3-diphenyl-1,3,2-benzodiazaborolyl group on one cage carbon atom were synthesized and structurally characterized. Six of these compounds showed remarkable low-energy fluorescence emissions with large Stokes shifts of 15100-20260 cm(-1) and quantum yields (Φ(F)) of up to 65% in the solid state. The low-energy fluorescence emission, which was assigned to a charge-transfer (CT) transition between the cage and the heterocyclic unit, depended on the orientation (torsion angle, ψ) of the diazaborolyl group with respect to the cage C-C bond. In cyclohexane, two compounds exhibited very weak dual fluorescence emissions with Stokes shifts of 15660-18090 cm(-1) for the CT bands and 1960-5540 cm(-1) for the high-energy bands, which were assigned to local transitions within the benzodiazaborole units (local excitation, LE), whereas four compounds showed only CT bands with Φ(F) values between 8-32%. Two distinct excited singlet-state (S(1)) geometries, denoted S(1)(LE) and S(1)(CT), were observed computationally for the benzodiazaborolyl-ortho-carboranes, the population of which depended on their orientation (ψ). TD-DFT calculations on these excited state geometries were in accord with their CT and LE emissions. These C-diazaborolyl-ortho-carboranes were viewed as donor-acceptor systems with the diazaborolyl group as the donor and the ortho-carboranyl group as the acceptor.     

Laser induced fluorescence and resonant two-photon ionization spectroscopy of jet-cooled 1-hydroxy-9,10-anthraquinone

We carried out laser induced fluorescence and resonance enhanced two-color two-photon ionization spectroscopy of jet-cooled 1-hydroxy-9,10-anthraquinone (1-HAQ). The 0-0 band transition to the lowest electronically excited state was found to be at 461.98 nm (21,646 cm(-1)). A well-resolved vibronic structure was observed up to 1100 cm(-1) above the 0-0 band, followed by a rather broad absorption band in the higher frequency region. Dispersed fluorescence spectra were also obtained. Single vibronic level emissions from the 0-0 band showed Stokes-shifted emission spectra. The peak at 2940 cm(-1) to the red of the origin in the emission spectra was assigned as the OH stretching vibration in the ground state, whose combination bands with the C=O bending and stretching vibrations were also seen in the emission spectra. In contrast to the excitation spectrum, no significant vibronic activity was found for low frequency fundamental vibrations of the ground state in the emission spectrum. The spectral features of the fluorescence excitation and emission spectra indicate that a significant change takes place in the intramolecular hydrogen bonding structure upon transition to the excited state, such as often seen in the excited state proton (or hydrogen) transfer. We suggest that the electronically excited state of interest has a double minimum potential of the 9,10-quinone and the 1,10-quinone forms, the latter of which, the proton-transferred form of 1-HAQ, is lower in energy. On the other hand, ab initio calculations at the B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level predicted that the electronic ground state has a single minimum potential distorted along the reaction coordinate of tautomerization. The 9,10-quinone form of 1-HAQ is the lowest energy structure in the ground state, with the 1,10-quinone form lying approximately 5000 cm(-1) above it. The intramolecular hydrogen bond of the 9,10-quinone was found to be unusually strong, with an estimated bond energy of approximately 13 kcal/mol (approximately 4500 cm(-1)), probably due to the resonance-assisted nature of the hydrogen bonding involved.