Density functional theory study of 1,2‐dioxetanone decomposition in condensed phase

The decomposition of 1,2‐dioxetanone into a CO₂ molecule and into an excited state formaldehyde molecule was studied in condensed phase, using a density functional theory approach. Singlet and triplet ground and excited states were all included in the calculations. The calculations revealed a novel mechanism for the chemiluminescence of this compound. The triplet excitation can be explained by two intersystem crossings (ISCs) with the ground state, while the singlet excitation can be accounted by an ISC with the triplet state. The experimentally verified small excitation yield can then be explained by the presence of an energy barrier present in the potential energy surface of the triplet excited state, which will govern both triplet and singlet excitation. It was also found that the triplet ground state interacts with both the triplet excited and singlet ground states. A MPWB1K/mPWKCIS approach provided results in agreement with the existent literature. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Chemically Initiated Electron Exchange Luminescence of Silyloxyaryl-Substituted Spiroadamantyl Dioxetanes: Kinetics and Excited State Yields

Abstract— The kinetics of the fluoride-induced decomposition of the thermally stable silyloxyaryl-substituted spiroadamantyl dioxetanes 1a,b and the excited state formation of this chemically initiated electron exchange luminescence (CIEEL) have been investigated. Two limiting kinetic regimes flash and glow have been identified, which depend on the fluoride concentration, the first at high, the second at low [F^-] triggering, whose detailed kinetic analysis affords the rate constants for the deprotected dioxetanes 2a,b cleavage in acetonitrile and dimethyl sulfoxide and chemiluminescence measurements the CIEEL and phen-olate 4 (CIEEL emitter) excitation yields. Chloro-substi-tution in the spiroadamantyl dioxetane does not affect the deprotection step k ₂ but leads to a ca five-fold faster cleavage of the deprotected dioxetane 2, while the chemiexcitation yield is the same for both dioxetanes. The energies of the first excited singlet and triplet states of the emitting phenolate 4 were estimated by AM1 configuration interaction calculations with explicit consideration of acetonitrile as solvent (self-consistent reaction field approach). The first excited singlet and triplet state of the CIEEL emitter phenolate 4 possess π,π* character, as suggested by the π-type molecular orbitals and the large singlet-triplet energy gap. The chemiexcitation of both singlet and triplet states of the excited phenolate 4 is feasible during the dioxetanes 1a,b cleavage, but the experimentally determined high singlet excitation yields suggest that preferentially the phenolate 4 singlet state is populated in the fluoride ion-triggered CIEEL process.     

THERMAL GENERATION OF ELECTRONICALLY EXCITED STATES BY α-PEROXYLACTONES: ACTIVATION PARAMETERS AND EXCITATION YIELDS AS A FUNCTION OF α-DEUTERATION*

Abstract— The kinetics and the direct, the 9,10-dibromo- (DBA) and the 9,10-diphenylanthracene- (DPA) enhanced chemiluminescence of tert-butyl α-peroxylactone 1, with and without α-deuteration, was investigated in order to probe the mechanism of direct chemiexcitation by these hyperenergetic molecules. The small secondary isotope effect on the rates and activation parameters suggests that a diradical mechanism is obtained. The partitioning of the diradical intermediate into excited vs ground state product and the yield of triplet excited product are moderately (ca. 5-fold) increased by α-deuteration, but the singlet yield is unaffected. A convenient and useful chemiluminescence method for the determination of fluorescence quantum yields has been developed.     

An Update on General Chemiexcitation Mechanisms in Cyclic Organic Peroxide Decomposition and the Chemiluminescent Peroxyoxalate Reaction in Aqueous Media†

Four-membered ring peroxides are intimately linked to chemiluminescence and bioluminescence transformations, as high-energy intermediates responsible for electronically excited-state formation. The synthesis of 1,2-dioxetanes and 1,2-dioxetanones enabled mechanistic studies on their decomposition occurring with the formation of electronically excited carbonyl products in the singlet or triplet state. The third member of this family, 1,2-dioxetanedione, has been postulated as the intermediate in the peroxyoxalate reaction, recently confirmed by kinetic studies on peroxalic acid derivatives. Several general chemiexcitation mechanisms have been proposed as model systems for the chemiexcitation step in efficient bioluminescence and chemiluminescence transformations. In this review article, we discuss the validity and efficiency of the most important chemiexcitation mechanisms, extended to aqueous media, where the efficiency is known to be drastically reduced, specifically in the peroxyoxalate reaction, highly efficient in anhydrous environment, but much less efficient in aqueous media. Mechanistic studies of this reaction will be discussed in diverse aqueous environments, with special attention to the catalysis involved in the thermal reaction leading to the formation of the high-energy intermediate and to the chemiexcitation mechanism, as well as emission quantum yields. Finally, several recent analytical and bioanalytical applications of the peroxyoxalate reaction in aqueous media will be given.     

Metal phthalocyanine-sensitized photoreduction of nitro-compound

Metal phthalocyanine-sensitized photoreduction of dimethyl 4-nitrophthalate with ascorbic acid has been investigated. The primary photoreaction products are the corresponding amino-and hydroxylamino-compounds. The azoxy-compound is formed by coupling of the nitrosocompound with hydroxylamino-compound in the presence of air through secondary dark reaction. The redox potential and fluorescence quantum yield are also determined. The variation of the quantum yield of the sensitized photoreduction, the relative fluorescence quantum yield and their product with the concentration of nitro-compound has been examined. The efficiency of photoreduction sensitized by the excited singlet and triplet state of metal phthalocyanine has been also calculated. It is believed that electron transfer from the excited metal phthalocyanine to the nitro-compound is the initial process in the sensitized photoreduction. Quenching by electron transfer involves creation of an ion pair. Charge separation and back electron transfer is then a competitive process. Due to the spin selection rules, the efficiency of photoreduction sensitized by excited triplet state of metal phthalocyanine is higher than excited singlet state. Thus, a necessary requirement for a good sensitizer is that the triplet state is populated in high yield. An alternative way and also the aim of our work is to design a suitable phthalocyanine skeleton to overcome geminate recombination of the ion pair, in order to increase the efficiency of photoreduction sensitized by sir glet excited state of the sensitizer, so as to increase the quantum yield of the total sensitized photoreduction.     

Horseradish Peroxidase-Catalyzed Generation of Acetophenone and Benzophenone in the Triplet State*

Horseradish peroxidase catalyzes the aerobic oxidation of 2-phenylpropanal and diphenylacetaldehyde at physiological pH to yield acetophenone and benzophenone partly in the triplet state, respectively. These excited products plus formic acid are expected from the thermolysis of dioxetane intermediates. The presence of acetophenone was demonstrated spectrophotometr-ically and the chemiluminescence spectrum (δ_max - 430 nm) was consistent with its triplet state. Energy transfer to 9,10-dibromoanthracene-2-sulfonate ion, a triplet carbonyl counter, but not to anthracene-2-sulfonate ion, a singlet carbonyl acceptor, occurred, confirming the triplet nature of the main emitter. In the case of the diphenylacetaldehydelperoxidase system, benzophenone could also be detected spectrophotometrically but the corresponding chemiluminescence spectrum showed only red emission (δ_max - 630 nm), which was tentatively attributed to singlet oxygen formed by triplet-triplet energy transfer to ground state oxygen. Horseradish peroxidase can be replaced by other he-meproteins such as myoglobin, hemoglobin and micro-peroxidase as catalyst of the chemiluminescent reaction. The distinct emission spectra achieved with different hemeproteins suggest a role of the microenvi-ronment in totally or partly protecting the excited species from oxygen collisions, resulting in emission maxima around 430 nm, 630 nm or both.     

Molecular Basis of the Chemiluminescence Mechanism of Luminol

Light emission from luminol is probably one of the most popular chemiluminescence reactions due to its use in forensic science, and has recently displayed promising applications for the treatment of cancer in deep tissues. The mechanism is, however, very complex and distinct possibilities have been proposed. By efficiently combining DFT and CASPT2 methodologies, the chemiluminescence mechanism has been studied in three steps: 1) luminol oxygenation to generate the chemiluminophore, 2) a chemiexcitation step, and 3) generation of the light emitter. The findings demonstrate that the luminol double-deprotonated dianion activates molecular oxygen, diazaquinone is not formed, and the chemiluminophore is formed through the concerted addition of oxygen and concerted elimination of nitrogen. The peroxide bond, in comparison to other isoelectronic chemical functionalities (−NH−NH−, −N⁻−N⁻−, and −S−S−), is found to have the best chemiexcitation efficiency, which allows the oxygenation requirement to be rationalized and establishes general design principles for the chemiluminescence efficiency. Electron transfer from the aniline ring to the OO bond promotes the excitation process to create an excited state that is not the chemiluminescent species. To produce the light emitter, proton transfer between the amino and carbonyl groups must occur; this requires highly localized vibrational energy during chemiexcitation.     

有机分子三重激发态的调控与应用

对近期有机分子三重激发态调控的研究进展进行了总结评述。控制分子的三重激发态性质,可以制备多种具有新颖性质的分子,如用于可激活光动力治疗(PDT)的光敏剂、磷光分子探针与生物标识试剂,以及可控的三重态湮灭上转换等。但目前对三重态控制方面的研究相对较少,其中的规律也很不明确。近期有文献陆续报道了使用超分子方法和共价修饰法进行的三重态调控,利用的光物理过程有单重态能量转移、三重态能量转移、电子转移等等。现有研究结果表明,三重态的调控规律与单重态的调控规律有所不同,例如:发色团的单重激发态(荧光)往往可以被光诱导电子转移(PET)所猝灭,但是在多个例子中已发现,相同发色团的三重态并不能被PET所猝灭。本文总结的研究结果及所作的分析,将对该领域的分子结构设计及后续研究起到一定的促进作用。     

Photoinduced Triplet–Triplet Energy Transfer in a 2‐Ureido‐4(1H)‐Pyrimidinone‐Bridged,Quadruply Hydrogen‐Bonded Ferrocene–Fullerene Assembly

2‐Ureido‐4(1H)‐pyrimidinone‐bridged ferrocene–fullerene assembly I is designed and synthesized for elaborating the photoinduced electron‐transfer processes in self‐complementary quadruply hydrogen‐bonded modules. Unexpectedly, steady‐state and time‐resolved spectroscopy reveal an inefficient electron‐transfer process from the ferrocene to the singlet or triplet excited state of the fullerene, although the electron‐transfer reactions are thermodynamically feasible. Instead, an effective intra‐assembly triplet–triplet energy‐transfer process is found to be operative in assembly I with a rate constant of 9.2×10⁵ s^?1 and an efficiency of 73 % in CH₂Cl₂ at room temperature.     

The Interaction of Ground and Excited States of Lumichrome with Aliphatic and Aromatic Amines in Methanol

The reaction of the ground and excited states of lumichrome (=7,8‐dimethylalloxazine=7,8‐dimethylbenzo[g]pteridine‐2,4(1H,3H)‐dione) with aliphatic and aromatic amines was investigated in MeOH. In the presence of aliphatic amines of high basicity, new bands are observed in the absorption and fluorescence spectra. These bands arise in a proton‐transfer reaction from lumichrome, in the ground and in the singlet excited states, to the amine. On the other hand, amines with lower basicity such as triethanolamine (=2,2′,2″‐nitrilotris[ethanol]) and aromatic amines are not able to deprotonate lumichrome, and hence a quenching of the fluorescent emission takes place without changes in the spectral shape. In this case, bimolecular‐quenching rate constants were determined for the excited singlet and triplet states. Based on laser‐flash‐photolysis experiments, an electron‐transfer mechanism is proposed. Aliphatic amines yield lower rate constants than the aromatic ones for the same driving force. A notable difference arises in the limiting value reached by the singlet and triplet quenching rate constants by aromatic amines. For the singlet quenching, the limit is coincident with a diffusion‐controlled reaction, while those for triplet quenching reach a lower constant value, independent of the driving force. This is explained by an electron‐transfer mechanism, with a lower frequency factor for the triplet‐state process.     

Singlet and Triplet Excited States and Intersystem Crossing in Free‐Base Porphyrin: TDDFT and DFT/MRCI Study

Extensive time-dependent DFT (TDDFT) and DFT/multireference configuration interaction (MRCI) calculations are performed on the singlet and triplet excited states of free-base porphyrin, with emphasis on intersystem crossing processes. The equilibrium geometries, as well as the vertical and adiabatic excitation energies of the lowest singlet and triplet excited states are determined. Single and double proton-transfer reactions in the first excited singlet state are explored. Harmonic vibrational frequencies are calculated at the equilibrium geometries of the ground state and of the lowest singlet and triplet excited states. Furthermore, spin–orbit coupling matrix elements of the lowest singlet and triplet states and their numerical derivatives with respect to nuclear displacements are computed. It is shown that opening of an unprotonated pyrrole ring as well as excited-state single and double proton transfer inside the porphyrin cavity lead to crossings of the potential energy curves of the lowest singlet and triplet excited states. It is also found that displacements along out-of-plane normal modes of the first excited singlet state cause a significant increase of the 2|H_so|S₁>, 1|H_so|S₁>, and 1|H_so|S₀> spin–orbit coupling matrix elements. These phenomena lead to efficient radiationless deactivation of the lowest excited states of free-base porphyrin via intercombination conversion. In particular, the S₁→T₁ population transfer is found to proceed at a rate of ≈10⁷ s⁻¹ in the isolated molecule.     

QUENCHING OF OXONINE EXCITED STATES BY EDTA VIA ELECTRON TRANSFER AND DEACTIVATION PROCESSES. A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF EXCITED SINGLET AND TRIPLET STATE REACTIVITY

The quenching of excited singlet oxonine by EDTA in aqueous solution leads mainly to deactivation of the dye to the ground state and, to a lesser extent, to electron abstraction. The rate constants for these processes have been measured and compared to those for the same reactions involving the oxonine triplet state. The rate constant of electron abstraction is about ten times greater via the singlet state than via the triplet state. However, the rate constant of deactivation to the ground state is 10³-10⁴ times greater for the excited singlet state than for the triplet state, so that the efficiency of electron transfer is much smaller for the singlet state.     

Accessing the Triplet State in Heavy‐Atom‐Free Perylene Diimides

Previous studies of perylenediimides (PDIs) mostly utilized the lowest singlet excited state S₁. Generation of a triplet excited state (T₁) in PDIs is important for applications ranging from photodynamic therapy to photovoltaics; however, it remains a formidable task. Herein, we developed a heavy‐atom‐free strategy to prompt the T₁←S₁ intersystem crossing (ISC) by introducing electron‐donating aryl (Ar) groups at the head positions of an electron‐deficient perylenediimide (PDI) core. We found that the ISC efficiency increases from 8 to 54 % and then to 86 % by increasing the electron‐donating ability of head‐substituted aryl groups from phenyl (p‐PDI) to methoxyphenyl (MeO‐PDI) and then to methylthioxyphenyl (MeS‐PDI). By enhancing the intramolecular charge‐transfer (ICT) interaction from p‐PDI to MeO‐PDI, and then to MeS‐PDI, singlet oxygen generation via energy‐transfer reactions from T₁ of PDIs to ³O₂ was demonstrated with the highest yield of up to 80 %. These results provide guidelines for developing new triplet‐generating PDIs and related rylene diimides for optoelectronic applications.     

ACID DEPENDENT FLUORESCENCE QUANTUM YIELD AND TETRAMETHYL- 1,2-DIOXETANE CHEMI-ENERGIZED FLUORESCENCE OF ERGOSTATETRAENONE*

Abstract. –In acidified acetonitrile, ergostatetraenone (E) efficiently quenches the tetramethyl-1,2-dioxetane (TMD) chemiluminescence at 410 nm, with the appearance of a new chemiluminescence at ca. 530 nm due to ergostatetraenone fluorescence. Control experiments exclude energization by triplet acetone and the trivial process (emission and reabsorption), establishing singlet-singlet energy transfer between excited singlet acetone (A) and ground state ergostatetraenone as major pathway. From the kinetics the rate constant for singlet-singlet energy transfer ( K ^ss_A,1,) was estimated to be ca. 10^{1 2}S^-1. The chemiluminescence yield (φ^CL) for the TMD/ergostatetraenone system was determined to be ca. 12 × 10^-8. The fluorescence efficiency of ergostatetraenone (φ) in acidified acetonitrile is a function of acid concentration, ranging between 0.06-0.82. The efficiency of singlet acetone production (α) was found to be 500-fold lower than in neutral medium due to a competing acid-catalysed, dark decomposition of TMD. A 60-fold light enhancement has been established for this binary chemiluminescent system.     

Intramolecular triplet energy transfer via higher triplet excited state during stepwise two-color two-laser irradiation

We studied the energy transfer processes in the molecular array consisting of pyrene (Py), biphenyl (Ph2), and bisphthalimidethiophene (ImT), (Py-Ph2)2-ImT, during two-color two-laser flash photolysis (2-LFP). The first laser irradiation predominantly generates ImT in the lowest triplet excited state (ImT(T1)) because of the efficient singlet energy transfer from Py in the lowest singlet excited state to ImT and, then, intersystem crossing of ImT. ImT(T1) was excited to the higher triplet excited state (Tn) with the second laser irradiation. Then, the triplet energy was rapidly transferred to Py via a two-step triplet energy transfer (TET) process through Ph2. The efficient generation of Py(T1) was suggested from the nanosecond-picosecond 2-LFP. The back-TET from Py(T1) to ImT was observed for several tens of microseconds after the second laser irradiation. The estimated intramolecular TET rate from Py(T1) to ImT was as slow as 3.1 x 104 s-1. Hence, long-lived Py(T1) was selectively and efficiently produced during the 2-LFP.     

Molecular Size and Electronic Structure Combined Effects on the Electrogenerated Chemiluminescence of Sulfurated Pyrene‐Cored Dendrimers

The electrochemistry, photophysics, and electrochemically generated chemiluminescence (ECL) of a family of polysulfurated dendrimers with a pyrene core have been thoroughly investigated and complemented by theoretical calculations. The redox and luminescence properties of dendrimers are dependent on the generation number. From low to higher generation it is both easier to reduce and oxidize them and the emission efficiency increases along the family, with respect to the polysulfurated pyrene core. The analysis of such data evidences that the formation of the singlet excited state by cation–anion annihilation is an energy‐deficient process and, thus, the ECL has been justified through the triplet–triplet annihilation pathway. The study of the dynamics of the ECL emission was achieved both experimentally and theoretically by molecular mechanics and quantum chemical calculations. It has allowed rationalization of a possible mechanism and the experimental dependence of the transient ECL on the dendrimer generation. The theoretically calculated Marcus electron‐transfer rate constant compares very well with that obtained by the finite element simulation of the whole ECL mechanism. This highlights the role played by the thioether dendrons in modulating the redox and photophysical properties, responsible for the occurrence and dynamics of the electron transfer involved in the ECL. Thus, the combination of experimental and computational results allows understanding of the dendrimer size dependence of the ECL transient signal as a result of factors affecting the annihilation electron transfer.     

Triplet Excited States and Singlet Oxygen Production by Analogs of Red Wine Pyranoanthocyanins

During the maturation of red wines, the anthocyanins of grapes are transformed into pyranoanthocyanins, which possess a pyranoflavylium cation as their basic chromophore. Photophysical properties of the singlet and triplet excited states of a series of synthetic pyranoflavylium cations were determined at room temperature in acetonitrile solution acidified with 0.10 mol dm^?3 trifluoroacetic acid (TFA, to inhibit competitive excited state proton transfer) and at 77 K in a rigid TFA‐acidified isopropanol glass. In solution, the triplet states of these pyranoflavylium cations are efficiently quenched by molecular oxygen, resulting in sensitized formation of singlet oxygen, as confirmed by direct detection of the triplet‐state decay by laser flash photolysis and of singlet oxygen monomol emission in the near infrared. The strong visible light absorption, the relatively small singlet‐triplet energy differences, the excited state redox potentials and the reasonably long lifetimes of pyranoflavylium triplet states in the absence of molecular oxygen suggest that they might be useful as triplet sensitizers and/or as cationic redox initiators in polar aprotic solvents like acetonitrile.     

取代锌酞菁的合成及光物理性质

取代锌酞菁的合成及光物理性质张先付,许慧君（中国科学院感光化学研究所,北京,１００１０１）关键词取代酞菁,合成,光物理性质,电荷转移癌症的光动力疗法及其机制是目前光医学、光生物学及光化学的前沿课题［１］。临床应用的光疗药物──血卟啉有一些难以克服的致...     

Aza‐BODIPY Derivatives: Enhanced Quantum Yields of Triplet Excited States and the Generation of Singlet Oxygen and their Role as Facile Sustainable Photooxygenation Catalysts

A new series of aza‐BODIPY derivatives ( 4 a – 4 c , 5 a , c , and 6 b , c ) were synthesized and their excited‐state properties, such as their triplet excited state and the yield of singlet‐oxygen generation, were tuned by substituting with heavy atoms, such as bromine and iodine. The effect of substitution has been studied in detail by varying the position of halogenation. The core‐substituted dyes showed high yields of the triplet excited state and high efficiencies of singlet‐oxygen generation when compared to the peripheral‐substituted systems. The dye 6 c , which was substituted with six iodine atoms on the core and peripheral phenyl ring, showed the highest quantum yields of the triplet excited state (Φ_T=0.86) and of the efficiency of singlet‐oxygen generation (Φ_Δ=0.80). Interestingly, these dyes were highly efficient as photooxygenation catalysts under artificial light, as well as under normal sunlight conditions. The uniqueness of these aza‐BODIPY systems is that they are stable under irradiation conditions, possess strong red‐light absorption (620–680 nm), exhibit high yields of singlet‐oxygen generation, and act as efficient and sustainable catalysts for photooxygenation reactions.     

Photochemistry of aryl halides: Photodissociation dynamics

In recent years, the photodissociation dynamics of aryl halides has been a subject of intensive studies, which is closely related to the atmospheric chemistry. Here we present a review on the photochemistry of aryl halides, with emphasis on the recent progress in photodissociation dynamics at 266 nm by using photofragment translational spectroscopy. The ab initio calculations have also been employed to investigate those photodissociation processes. It has been found that the photodissociation of aryl halides at 266 nm is attributed to the nonadiabatic process via intersystem crossings from bound singlet excited state to triplet excited state and/or via internal conversion from bound singlet excited state to ground state. Also, the substitution effects in the photodissociation dynamics of aryl halides are discussed.