新型螺吡喃衍生物: 离子传感和分子水平的信息处理

为实现金属离子检测和分子水平的信息处理, 合成了一类新型的含有功能配位基团的螺吡喃衍生物(SP1-SP4). 研究发现: 在没有UV光照的条件下, 金属离子可以促进螺吡喃(SP2和SP4)开环并形成稳定可逆的络合物(MC-Mⁿ⁺). 紫外-可见吸收光谱研究表明, 在UV光照前加入不同的金属离子会引起SP2 和SP4 的光学性质的特征变化, 因此提供了一种简易的通过裸眼就能辨别金属离子的比色方法. 荧光光谱研究表明, 这类化合物能够高灵敏高选择性地检测锌离子. 此外, 基于吸收光谱和荧光光谱的变化, 这类螺吡喃衍生物可以用于构建组合的逻辑门, 执行分子水平的信息处理, 从而展现了其在化学或环境传感和未来的分子计算机领域的潜在应用前景.     

A High Contrast Tri‐state Fluorescent Switch: Properties and Applications

A high contrast tri‐state fluorescent switch (FSPTPE) with both emission color change and on/off switching is achieved in a single molecular system by fusing the aggregation‐induced emissive tetraphenylethene (TPE) with a molecular switch of spiropyran (SP). In contrast to most of the reported solid‐state fluorescent switches, FSPTPE only exists in the amorphous phase in the ring‐closed form owing to its highly asymmetric molecular geometry and weak intermolecular interactions, which leads to its grinding‐inert stable cyan emission in the solid state. Such an amorphous phase facilitates the fast response of FSPTPE to acidic gases and induces the structural transition from the ring‐closed form to ring‐open form, accompanied with the “Off” state of the fluorescence. The structural transition leads to a planar molecular conformation and high dipole moment, which further results in strong intermolecular interactions and good crystallinity, so when the acid is added together with a solvent, both the ring‐opening reaction and re‐crystallization can be triggered to result in an orange emissive state. The reversible control between any two of the three states (cyan/orange/dark) can be achieved with acid/base or mechanical force/solvent treatment. Because of the stable initial state and high color contrast (Δλ=120 nm for cyan/orange switch, dark state Φ_F<0.01 %), the fluorescent switch is very promising for applications such as displays, chemical or mechanical sensing, and anti‐counterfeiting.     

螺吡喃化合物在分析化学中的应用

螺吡喃作为一种有机光致变色化合物,能够发生无色闭环体螺吡喃与有色开环体部花菁之间可逆的结构异构化,由于具有特殊的分子识别能力和信号传导功能,已经成为分子探针领域极具吸引力的主体分子之一。螺吡喃不仅被广泛应用于光电材料领域作为分子器件,而且作为传感器广泛应用于分析化学领域。研究者们设计了多种具有不同结构的螺吡喃分子,将其应用于光化学和电化学传感领域。本文系统综述了螺吡喃化合物在分析化学领域的研究进展,包括螺吡喃作为光学探针在分子识别(对金属离子、阴离子及有机分子的定性及定量分析)方面的应用,以及螺吡喃在电化学免疫传感器中的应用。     

Photo-, thermally, and pH-responsive microgels

Microgels with photo-, thermally, and pH-responsive properties in aqueous suspension have been synthesized and characterized using dynamic light scattering and UV-visible spectroscopy. The new route involved first preparing poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM)-allylamine copolymer microgels and a spiropyran photochrome (SP) bearing a carboxylic acid group. Then the functionalized spiropyran was coupled to the microgel via an amide bond. The dark-equilibrated gel particles feature spiropyran molecules in the polar, merocyanine form. After irradiation of visible light, the particle size becomes smaller because spiropyran changes to the relatively nonpolar, closed spiro form. The PNIPAM-SP microgels undergo a volume phase transition in water from a swollen state to a collapsed state with increasing temperature under all light conditions. However, the transition temperature range of the PNIPAM-SP is much broader than that for the PNIPAM without SP. The PNIPAM-SP microgels are monodisperse and self-assemble into a crystalline lattice while in suspension. The UV-visible spectra of an aqueous suspension of PNIPAM-SP microgel in the dark-adapted, merocyanine form showed both an absorption peak around 512 nm due to the merocyanine (giving a reddish color to the suspension) and two sharp peaks from Bragg diffraction of colloidal crystallites. Upon visible irradiation, the 512-nm band bleached significantly due to spiropyran photoisomerization. The spiropyran photoisomerization and accompanying color changes of the suspension were reversible upon alternating dark, UV, and visible light irradiation. Due to the residues of amine groups, the swelling capability of PNIPAM-SP microgels reduces as the pH value is changed from 7 to 10.     

Light‐ and Solvent‐Controlled Self‐Assembly Behavior of Spiropyran–Polyoxometalate–Alkyl Hybrid Molecules

A molecular photochromic spiropyran–polyoxometalate–alkyl organic–inorganic hybrid has been synthesized and fully characterized. The reversible switching of the hydrophobic spiropyran fragment to the hydrophilic merocyanine one can be easily achieved under light irradiation at different wavelengths. This switch changes the amphiphilic feature of the hybrid, leading to a light‐controlled self‐assembly behavior in solution. It has been shown that the hybrid can reversibly self‐assemble into vesicles in polar solvents and irreversibly into reverse vesicles in non‐polar solvents. The sizes of the vesicles and the reverse vesicles are both tunable by the polarity of the solvent, with the hydrophobic interactions being the main driving force.     

Spectral and luminescent properties of hydroxyazomethines of indoline spiropyrans

Spectral and luminescent properties of novel bifunctional compounds 1–3 based on indole spiropyrans and hydroxyazomethines have been studied in comparison with the properties of the model compounds 5’-substituted spiropyrans and azomethines in organic solvents and PMMA films at 293 and 77 K. Luminescence of compounds 1–3 is due to the presence of the azomethine fragment conjugated with the indoline ring of the spiropyran moiety and determining the long-wavelength absorption band of 1–3. Depending on the solvent, temperature, and the substituent, various combinations of the structures of the chromophore fragments are observed in 1–3: the imine or amine form of the azomethine fragment and the spirocyclic or merocyanine form of the spiropyran fragment.     

Disordered Low Molecular Weight Spiropyran Exhibiting Photoregulated Adhesion Ability

The functions of the materials composed of small molecules are highly dependent on their ordered molecular arrangements in both natural and artificial systems. Without ordered structure, small molecules hardly gain complicated functions, due to the absence of intermolecular covalent bond connection or strong network. Here, a low molecular weight spiropyran that could exhibit attractive photochromism and powerful adhesion property in disordered solid state is demonstrated. With maximum up to ∼8 MPa, the adhesion strength could be photoregulated in multiple levels, which also shows one-to-one correspondence to the specific color state. The working mechanism analysis on the photoregulated adhesion reveals that the isomer ratio of merocyanine form and the molecular packing density of spiropyran are the determining factors for the adhesion ability. The discovery of photoregulated adhesion from pure spiropyran provides a new strategy for developing functional materials by employing low molecular weight compounds.     

Polar and Hydrogen-Bonding Effects of Alcohols on the Emission Spectrum of Styrene–Triethylamine System

The emission spectra of styrene (ST)–triethylamine (TEA) systems were measured under steady-state illumination conditions in some tetrahydrofuran (THF)–protic solvent mixtures. The fluorescence spectrum of the ST–TEA system in THF consists of two bands (band A at 304 nm (fluorescence of ST) and band B at 460 nm (emission from an exciplex)). The intensity of band A increased and that of band B decreased with increasing amounts of protic solvents in THF–protic solvent mixtures. The increase in the intensity of band A was explained by the decrease in the concentration of free amine owing to the hydrogen-bonding interaction (or protonation) between TEA and protic solvents. The decrease in the intensity of band B was considered to be caused by the decrease in the concentration of free amine upon the addition of protic solvents and the enhanced conversion of the exciplex to an ion pair with increasing solvent polarity. The polar effect was expressed as a function of the relative permittivity of the solution.     

Synthesis of New Spiropyrans With a Polyaromatic or Heteroaromatic Pendant and Their Photochromic Bedhaviors

A series of spiropyrans with a polyaromatic or heteroaromatic pendant was synthesized conveniently.Their photochromic behaviors were investigated with the aid of absorption spectral measurements.The results indicated that the compounds with the same parent spiropyran but different aromatic pendant show significantly different photochromic properties.This may be due to the π-π orbital interaction between the polyaromatic pendant and the open photomerocyanine form of spiropyran.The results obtained are very useful in the molecule design area.     

7-trifluoromethylquinoline-functionalized luminescent photochromic spiropyran with the stable merocyanine species both in solution and in the solid state

A new spiropyran (SP2) with the stable merocyanine form (MC2) both in solution and in the solid state at room temperature was designed and synthesized. The stability of MC2 is believed to be due to the electron-withdrawing effect of both the quinoline and the trifluoromethyl groups. (1)H NMR spectra indicate that the ratio of the open form vs the closed form of SP2 is dependent on the polarity of solvents. Single crystals composed of only the open form (MC2) were successfully obtained. X-ray structural analysis indicates that except trifluoromethyl and two methyl groups MC2 is completely planar with an s-trans,s-cis conformation. It should be noted that this is the first report of the X-ray crystal structure of the pure open form of spiropyran. MC2 can be slowly transformed into SP2 at -30 degrees C or lower temperature, and the process is accelerated by visible light irradiation. This special photochromic behavior can be explained by the calculated thermodynamic data. The spectral properties of SP2/MC2 in the presence of different metal ions are also studied, and the results show the potential application of SP2/MC2 in sensing metal ions.     

Preparation and photochromic properties of oligomeric poly(dimethylsiloxane) with the spiropyran or spirooxazine moiety in the side chain

Spirobenzopyran 1 , with the 3-(diethoxymethylsilyl)-propyl group at the N atom, was synthesized. The condensation reaction of the spiropyran 1 and diethoxydimethylsilane gave oligomeric poly(dimethylsiloxane) with the spiropyran moiety in the side chain. The oligomer was photochromic; its colour changed from colorless to purple-red on uv irradiation and the color faded on visible irradiation or on standing in the dark. The half-decay time of the thermal decoloration was about twice that of monomeric spiropyran dissolved in the dimethylsiloxane oligomer. Photochromic poly(dimethylsiloxane) with the spirooxazine moiety in the side chain was also prepared.     

A computational study of ion speciation in mixtures of protic ionic liquids with various molecular solvents: Insight into the solvent polarity and anion basicity

The ion pairing state of the ionic liquids greatly depends on the cosolvent which subsequently affects the properties and the functionalities. Density functional calculations have been performed to study the ion pairing formation process of protic ionic liquids (PILs) ([Et₃NH][CH₃SO₃]/TEAMS or [Et₃NH][CF₃SO₃]/TEATF) dissolved in different solvents. The clusters involving the cation, anion, and different number of solvent molecules have been used to simulate the contact ion pairs (CIPs) and the solvent‐separated ion pairs (SIPs) in the mixtures with varying solvent concentrations. The geometric, energetic data, and the natural bond orbital analysis suggest the smallest number of the water molecules required to break the TEAMS CIPs is four, while it is three for TEATF. This is consistent with the experimental prediction that if the mixture of TEAMS and water was replaced by TEATF and water, the transition process began at a lower water concentration. Furthermore, the calculated results also confirm that the weakly polar organic solvents favor the CIP form at all solvent concentrations, while the high polarity solvents promote dissociation of the CIP to generate the SIP form for particular PILs. The different separation nature of the given solvents can be interpreted in terms of their distinct hydrogen bond donor and acceptor abilities.     

Synthesis, photophysical, photochemical, and redox properties of nitrospiropyrans substituted with Ru or Os tris(bipyridine) complexes

Photochromic nitrospiropyrans substituted with 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy), [Ru(bpy)3]2+, and [Os(bpy)3]2+ groups were synthesized, and their photophysical, photochemical, and redox properties investigated. Substitution of the spiropyran with the metal complex moiety results in strongly decreased efficiency of the ring-opening process as a result of energy transfer from the excited spiropyran to the metal center. The lowest excited triplet state of the spiropyran in its open merocyanine form is lower in energy than the excited triplet MLCT level of the [Ru(bpy)3]2+ moiety but higher in energy than for [Os(bpy)3]2+, resulting in energy transfer from the excited ruthenium center to the spiropyran but inversely in the osmium case. The open merocyanine form reduces and oxidizes electrochemically more easily than the closed nitrospiropyran. Like photoexcitation, electrochemical activation also causes opening of the spiropyran ring by first reducing the closed form and subsequently reoxidizing the corresponding radical anion in two well-resolved anodic steps. Interestingly, the substitution of the spiropyran with a Ru or Os metal center does not affect the efficiency of this electrochemically induced ring-opening process, different from the photochemical path.     

Phosphine-catalyzed [3+3] annulation reaction of modified tert-butyl allylic carbonates and substituted alkylidenemalononitriles

A phosphine-catalyzed [3+3] annulation reaction of modified tert-butyl allylic carbonates with various alkylidenemalononitriles to form cyclohexenes was developed. The use of protic solvent is crucial in this reaction. When non-polar solvent, toluene or xylene, was used, only non-cyclized product was obtained.     

Electronic g-tensors of solvated molecules using the polarizable continuum model

We present the implementation of density functional response theory combined with the polarizable continuum model (PCM), enabling first principles calculations of molecular g-tensors of solvated molecules. The calculated g-tensor shifts are compared with experimental g-tensor shifts obtained from electron paramagnetic resonance spectra for a few solvated species. The results indicate qualitative agreement between the calculations and the experimental data for aprotic solvents, whereas PCM fails to reproduce the electronic g-tensor behavior for protic solvents. This failure of PCM for protic solvents can be resolved by including into the model those solvent molecules which are involved in hydrogen bonding with the solute. The results for the protic solvents show that the explicit inclusion of the solvent molecules of the first solvation sphere is not sufficient in order to reproduce the behavior of the electronic g-tensor in protic solvents, and that better agreement with experimental data can be obtained by including the long-range electrostatic effects accounted for by the PCM approach on top of the explicit hydrogen-bonded complexes.     

Effects of Hydrogen-bonding Interaction and Polarity on Emission Spectrum of Naphthalene-Triethylamine in Mixed Solvent

The effects of the protic and aprotic polar solvents on the emission spectrum of the naphthalene-triethyl-amine system in THF were studied under conditions of steady-state illumination. The fluorescence spectrum of the naphthalene-triethylamine system consists of two emission bands, the fluorescence band of naphthalene (band A, 329 nm) and the emission band of the exciplex(band B, 468 nm). The intensities of both the emission bands decrease with increasing the solvent polarity. The intensity of band B also decreases due to the hy-drogen-bonding interaction between triethylamine and protic solvent, while that of band A increases. It is thus suggested that the quenching of naphthalene fluorescence by triethylamine in THF occurs through the charge transfer and electron transfer reactions. The spectral changes upon the increase of solvent polarity can be explained by the dependences of the equilibrium constant between exciplex and ion-pair and the rate constant for the electron transfer reaction from triethyl.amine to the excited naphthalene on the rel.ative permittivity of solvent. It is shown that the formation of intermolecular hydrogen-bonding between triethylamine and protic solvent suppresses the quenching reaction by the decrease in free amine. Acetonitrile has only a polar effect and trichloroacetic acid only a hydrogen-bonding(or protonation) effect, while alcohols have both the effects. The effects of alcohols could be separated into the effects of solvent polarity and intermolecular hy-drogen-bonding interaction quantitatively.     

Site-specific hydrogen-bonding interaction between N-acetylproline amide and protic solvent molecules: comparisons of IR and VCD measurements with MD simulations

The effects of solute-solvent interactions on solution structures of small peptides have been paid a great deal of attention. To study the effect of hydrogen-bonding interactions on peptide solution structures, we measured the amide I IR and VCD spectra of N-acetylproline amide (AP) in various protic solvents, i.e., D2O, MeOD, EtOD, and PrOD, and directly compared them with theoretically simulated ones. The numbers of protic solvent molecules hydrogen-bonded to the two peptide bonds in the AP were quantitatively determined by carrying out the molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and then compared with the spectral analyses of the experimentally measured amide I bands. The two peptides in the AP have different propensities of forming H-bonds with protic solvent molecules, and the H-bond population distribution is found to be strongly site-specific and solvent-dependent. However, it is found that adoption of the polyproline II (PII) conformation by AP in protic solvents does not strongly depend on the hydrogen bond network-forming ability of protic solvents nor on the solvent polarity. We present a brief discussion on the validity as well as limitation of the currently available force field parameters used for the present MD simulation study.     

Efficiency of bulky protic solvent for SN2 reaction

We calculate and compare the effects of aprotic vs protic solvent on the rate of SN2 reaction [F- + C3H7OMs--> C3H7F + OMs-]. We find that aprotic solvent acetonitrile is more efficient than a small protic solvent such as methanol. Bulky protic solvent (tert-butyl alcohol) is predicted to be quite efficient, giving the rate constant that is similar to that in CH3CN. Our calculated relative activation barriers of the SN2 reaction in methanol, tert-butyl alcohol, and CH3CN are in good agreement with experimental observations.     

4-Arylvinyl-2,6-di(pyridin-2-yl)pyrimidines: synthesis and optical properties

A series of 4-arylvinyl-2,6-di(pyridin-2-yl)pyrimidines have been efficiently prepared by a double cross-coupling reaction between 2,4-dichloro-6-methylpyrimidine and 2-(tributylstannyl)pyridine, followed by aldol condensation with the appropriate aromatic aldehyde substituted with electron-donating, electron-withdrawing, dendritic, or water-soluble groups. The effect of different protic and aprotic solvents on the optical absorption and emission properties of these systems was studied. Compounds with electron-donating groups display strong emission solvatochromism, suggesting the formation of an intramolecular charge-separated emitting state. The solvatochromic behavior depends not only on the solvent polarity but also on the hydrogen bonding parameters of the solvent. The effect of protonation was also studied, and the abilities of some of these molecules to function as colorimetric and luminescent pH sensors were demonstrated with dramatic color changes and luminescence switching upon the introduction of acid.     

A kinetic investigation of the addition of diazomethane to styrenes. Role of dipolar aprotic solvents in predicting direction of dipole orientation

The addition of diazomethane to a series of substituted styrenes has been kinetically investigated with emphasis on polar, solvent, and solvation effects. Although the reaction is generally insensitive to solvent polarity, a sizeable substituent effect (ρ = +0.90) has been observed. Also, a sizeable increase in rate was generally observed in protic solvents such as water, and a considerable rate enhancement occurred in the case of nitrostyrene in the dipolar aprotic solvent, dimethylformamide. The results are discussed in terms of a concerted mechanism involving a partially-charged transition state II, with negative charge formation on the α-carbon of the styrene. The methoxystyrene offers an exception to the Hammett equation and the unexpectedly high rate constant for this compound could be discussed in terms of a possible participation of the highly nucleophilic resonance form of p-methoxystyrene and an α-addition via the transition state III. However, solvation effects in dimethylformamide (failure to obtain the anticipated rate increase) and the formation of a 3-substituted pyrazoline adduct from the cycloaddition reaction indicate steric control to predominate over electronic factors and β-addition to prevail unequivocally. It is proposed that solvation effects in protic solvents can be utilized to advantage in cycloaddition reactions leading to 1-pyrazolines, for which no other routes are available at the present time.