The mechanism of pyrene fluorescence quenching by selective and nonselective quenchers during sol–gel transition

The process of pyrene fluorescence quenching by potassium iodide, acrylamide, and gaseous oxygen in silane sol during sol–gel transition was investigated. Pyrene fluorescence emission spectra were recorded vs concentrations of the added quencher on consecutive days of the gelling process. When using 0, 20, and 100% oxygen in the gas mixture as a quencher, time-resolved measurements were also made. On this basis, Stern–Volmer constants were determined on consecutive days of the gelling process, availability of fluorophore molecules to the quencher, and also rate constants of pyrene quenching by acrylamide, iodide ions, and oxygen were specified. Moreover, diffusion coefficients were determined for acrylamide and potassium iodide in the silane gel formed. The mechanism of fluorophore quenching in sol of growing viscosity and in gel was discussed in view of using this carrier in the construction of sensors and optical biosensors.     

Tetrapyridyl tetraphenylethylenes: supramolecular building blocks with aggregation-induced emission properties

Two tetrapyridyl-substituted tetraphenylethylenes have been prepared via Suzuki coupling between tetrabromo tetraphenylethylene and 3- or 4-pyridine boronic acid. Both compounds exhibit aggregation-induced emission as determined by solid state fluorescence spectroscopy and solution phase fluorescence measurements performed in aqueous/organic solvent mixtures. Solution phase fluorescence was also found to be switchable as a function of pH. 3-Pyridyl-substituted tetraphenylethylene has been structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography.     

Synthesis,crystal structure,and fluorescence properties of several schiff-base compounds

Two new Schiff-base compounds, 1,6-bis(4-dimethylaminobenzyl)-2,5-diaza-1,5-hexadiene (bdh), 1,4-bis(4-dimethylaminobenzyl)-2,3-diaza-1,3-butadiene (bdb), and a silver complex of the latter ([Ag₂(bdb)₃(NO₃)₂]·H₂O, 1) have been synthesized and characterized. The crystal structure of complex 1 was determined. 1 is a dinuclear complex, with the silver ions lying in coordination tetrahedra formed by two nitrogen atoms from the bdb ligands and two oxygen atoms from the nitrate anions. The fluorescence properties of bdh and bdb were studied; the fluorescence of bdb was quenched by the addition of silver ions, indicating that it is a potential fluorescent reagent for the analysis of silver.     

Syntheses,crystal structures,and photophysical properties of two 2-D coordination polymers

Two coordination polymers, [Mn(dipt)(m-BDC)₃] _n (1) and [Pb(mip)(1,4-NDC)] _n (2) [dipt?=?2-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline, mip?=?2-(3-methoxyphenyl)-1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline, m-BDC?=?isophthalic acid, 1,4-NDC?=?naphthalene-1,4-dicarboxylic acid], have been synthesized by hydrothermal reactions and characterized by elemental analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, infrared spectrum, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction reveals that 1 and 2 have 1-D chain architecture. Complex 1 has a 2-D-layered structure constructed from C–H···O hydrogen bonds. Complex 2 has a 2-D-layered structure constructed from N–H···O hydrogen bonds and π–π interactions. TG analyses suggest 1 and 2 have excellent thermal stabilities from hydrogen bonds and π–π interactions. Mn(II) in 1 has trigonal bipyramidal geometry surrounded by three carboxylate oxygen atoms from three monodentate bridging m-BDC and two nitrogen atoms from one dipt. Pb(II) has [:PbN2O4] pentagonal bipyramidal geometry in 2. The luminescent properties for dipt, mip, 1, and 2 are also presented.     

Syntheses,crystal structures,and properties of nickel and cadmium complexes containing imidazole derivatives

[Ni₃(C₁₃H₉N₂O)₅(CH₃OH)₂] (1) and [Cd(C₁₂H₈N₃)₃] (2) were synthesized in methanol and characterized by elemental analyses, IR spectra, and X-ray diffraction. Complex 1 is trinuclear with three unsymmetric Ni(II)'s having different coordinated environments bridged by four oxygen atoms from five ligands. Intermolecular antiferromagnetic interactions were observed in 1. Complex 2 is mononuclear with Cd(II) six-coordinate by six nitrogen atoms from three bidentate HPBM anions. Complex 2 shows emission maxima in the blue region.     

Synthesis of new axially-disubstituted silicon-phthalocyanine derivatives: optical and structural characterisation

This paper describes the synthesis of a range of new axially-disubstituted silicon-phthalocyanines with several ester and ether derivatives as axial ligands, including phenyl, terphenyl, thienyl and pyrenyl systems. Their absorption and emission spectra are reported and fluorescence lifetimes and quantum yields are correlated with the ligand structures. The X-ray crystal structure of a new polymorph of silicon-phthalocyanine bis(3-thienyl)acetate 7 is described.     

Anion detection by aggregation-induced enhanced emission (AIEE) of urea-functionalized tetraphenylethylenes

Substituted tetraphenylethylenes (TPEs) have been prepared that feature four alkyl or aryl urea groups arrayed along the periphery. Exposure of these TPEs to monovalent anions (halide, carboxylate, nitrate, and azide) resulted in enhanced fluorescence emission attributed to aggregation of the TPE molecules via urea-anion hydrogen bonding. Emission enhancement correlated with anion basicity, with fluoride ion eliciting the largest fluorescence response. Increased fluorescence emission could also be detected visually in solutions viewed under UV light. This study demonstrates the feasibility of TPE-based fluorescent anion sensors/detectors, and it is envisioned that additional design modifications may afford anion-selective fluorescent sensors.     

Synthesis,crystal structures and fluorescence of cadmium(II) coordination polymers with derivatives of pyrazine-1,4-dioxide and thiocyanate as mixed-bridging ligands

Two Cd(II) coordination polymers have been synthesized with derivatives of pyrazine-1,4-dioxide and thiocyanate anion as bridging ligands and structurally determined by X-ray crystallography. Complex 1, [Cd(μ_1,3-SCN^?)₂(μ_1,6-L1)] _n (L1?=?2,5-dimethylpyrazine-1,4-dioxide), belongs to the triclinic, space group P 1 with a?=?5.7627(18)?Å, b?=?7.182(2)?Å, c?=?7.509(2)?Å, α?=?74.042(3)°, β?=?84.766(4)°, γ?=?88.162(4)°; complex 2, [Cd₂(μ_1,3-SCN^?)₄(μ₄-L2)] _n (L2?=?2,3,5,6-tetramethylpyrazine-1,4-dioxide), crystallizes in a monoclinic system with space group C2/m with a?=?10.194(4)?Å, b?=?13.491(6)?Å, c?=?8.140(3)?Å, β?=?120.372(4)°. Complex 1 shows a two-dimensional sheet structure, and in a direction the Cd(II) ions were coordinated by μ_1,3-SCN^? forming the one-dimensional chain and the L1 bridging ligand made the chains connect in the c direction leading to formation of a two-dimensional sheet on the ac plane. For 2 the one-dimensional chains in the a axis were constructed by coordination of μ_1,3-SCN^? bridging ligands with the Cd(II) ions, and in b and c directions the chains were joined by L2 bridging ligands leading to a three-dimensional structure. In 2 L2 displays a μ₄-bridging coordination mode. Both complexes exhibit strong fluorescence emission.     

Chalcogenide derivatives of 1,2,5-triphenyl-1H-phosphole: structure and photophysical properties

Chalcogenide derivatives of triphenylphosphole (oxide (1), sulfide (2) and selenide (3)) were synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction studies. Intermolecular interactions were observed in the bulk molecular packing in terms of hydrogen bonding for 1 or π–π stacking for 3. One of the useful applications of the chalcogenide derivatives of triphenylphosphole has been demonstrated utilizing the photophysical properties of 1 to detect aromatic nitro compounds through fluorescence quenching.     

Study of the diffusion of pyrene in silicone polymer coatings by steady state fluorescence technique: effects of pyrene concentration

The concentration dependence of the diffusion coefficient of pyrene in single component and two-component room temperature curing silicone polymer coatings is investigated by the steady state fluorescence technique by measuring the pyrene excimer fluorescence intensity. At pyrene concentrations lower than 10 mM, the intensity of excimer fluorescence is proportional to the concentration and at higher concentrations it deviates from this trend due to concentration quenching. Thermal aging studies show that this concentration quenching can be removed by thermal annealing and the excimer emission intensity approaches the value expected from the trend at lower concentrations. The diffusion coefficient of pyrene at low concentrations in silicone polymer coatings is obtained using the approximate solution of one-dimensional diffusion equation. A modified approach is employed to estimate the diffusion coefficient at higher pyrene concentrations. In this method, the excimer intensity and time scale are shifted, respectively to I_max the maximum value of excimer intensity attained during annealing and t_max, the time taken to reach this. The estimated diffusion coefficients at different pyrene concentrations show a negligible dependence on pyrene concentration in both types of polymers. These results are attributed to the high structural mobility of silicone polymer chains due to their molecular structure.     

Fluorescence quenching detection of peanut agglutinin based on photoluminescent silole-core carbosilane dendrimer peripherally functionalized with lactose

A glycocluster peripherally functionalized with a lactose (Lac: Galβ1→4Glcβ1–) derivative possessing a silole moiety as a luminophore was synthesized. The photoluminescence spectrum of the glycocluster showed extremely strong emission at 474 nm and the absolute quantum yield was estimated to be 92% in distilled water. The emission intensity was decreased by increasing the amount of peanut agglutinin (PNA), a lactose-binding lectin, and plots of the relative fluorescence intensity revealed a decline of 95% in emission intensity. Fluorescence quenching of the glycocluster upon mixing with PNA could be easily observed by the naked eye under UV irradiation, whereas no distinct change in fluorescence properties of the glycocluster was observed when wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) was employed.     

Synthesis of ionic polyurethanes with pyrene rings: Spectral properties and fluorescence quenching study

Hydrophilic ionic polyurethanes with 4‐chloromethylphenylcarbamoyl‐1‐oxymethylpyrene located on the quaternary ammonium structure from a polymer based on poly(ethylene glycol), isophorone diisocyanate, and N‐methyldiethanolamine were prepared by a quaternization reaction, in which the amount of pyrene covalently attached to the polymeric backbone ranged from 1.14 to 19.82 mmol of fluorophore/100 g of polymer. It was interesting to compare the photoluminescence of the pyrene polyurethane carrying a few mole percent of pyrene moieties with that of a third polymer resulting from its subsequent quaternization with benzyl chloride up to a concentration of ionic groups as in the latter (quaternization degree = 14.15%). The process of excimer formation between the pyrene molecules attached to the ionic polyurethane was investigated in tetrahydrofuran (THF), dimethylformamide, film, and THF/H₂O to illustrate the expected differences in the polymer behavior compared with that of the starting pyrene derivative. The formation of aggregates or core–shell micelles was sustained by the fluorescence data, which indicated the existence of pyrene units in the ground state of the molecule, giving rise thus to an explanation for the high excimer‐to‐monomer intensity ratio. The fluorescence decay of pyrene polyurethanes in the presence of various concentrations of nitrobenzene used as a quencher was analyzed too when the fluorescence quenching in the polymer solution normally followed Stern–Volmer kinetics. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 3945–3956, 2005     

Syntheses,crystal structures,and photophysical properties of two 2-D coordination polymers with different geometries of lead(II)

Two complexes constructed from aromatic acid and N-heterocyclic ligands have been synthesized by hydrothermal reaction: [Pb(cipt)(NDC)]_n (1) [cipt?=?2-(3-chlorophenyl)-1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline, NDC?=?naphthalene-1,4-dicarboxylic acid] and [Pb(ipm)(BDC)₂]_n (2) [BDC?=?terephthalic acid, ipm?=?5-(1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthrolin-2-yl)-2-methoxyphenol]. Single-crystal X-ray analysis shows that 1 exhibits an interesting arm-shaped chain structure. 1-D ladder chain structure is formed by N–H···O bonding interactions and further into a 2-D network by N–H···O hydrogen bonds and interchain π–π stacking interactions. Complex 2 shows a 2-D butterfly wings structure, which has been rarely reported. The structure in 2 has intermolecular N–H···O interactions, which help in construction of the 3-D framework. In 1, the coordination sphere of Pb(II) is hemi-directed, whereas the Pb(II) geometry in 2 is holo-directed. The solid-state fluorescence spectra of 1 and 2 are also investigated, as well as the ligands cipt and ipm.     

1,3,6,8-Tetraethynylpyrene and 1,3,6,8-tetrakis (trimethylsilylethynyl) pyrene: Photophysical properties in homogeneous media

The photophysical properties of two new tetra substituted derivatives of pyrene: 1,3,6,8-tetraethynylpyrene (TEP) and 1,3,6,8-tetrakis(trimethylsilylethynyl)pyrene (TEP-TMS) have been studied. Studies were done with respect to mirror image symmetry in the absorption and emission spectra and permissive or forbidden nature of S₀–S₁ transition, solvent sensitivity of the first and third vibronic bands and fluorescence anisotropy. Both the derivatives exhibited a strongly allowed S₀–S₁ transition, high fluorescence quantum yield, shorter fluorescence lifetime compared to pyrene and invariance of the vibronic band intensity ratio to solvent polarity. The behavior of the two pyrene derivatives validates the hypothesis “solvent polarity mediates vibronic coupling and therefore the emission band intensities, for forbidden S₀–S₁ transitions”. The trimethylsilyl derivative (TEP-TMS) was characterized by a strong fluorescence in solid state. The tetraethynyl derivative (TEP) showed high fluorescence anisotropy comparable to the well-known anisotropy probe DPH in glycerol at 0 °C. The fluorescence intensities of TEP and TEP-TMS did not show any significant change in the temperature ranger 0–40 °C for a low viscous solvent like ethanol and in the range 0–60 °C in glycerol. Unlike pyrene, no excimer emission was observed even up to 10⁻³ M for TEP and TEP-TMS.     

New cyclen-cored dendrimers functionalized with pyrene: Synthesis characterization,optical and photophysical properties

New cyclen (1,4,7,10-teraazacyclododecane) cored dendrimers up to the second generation, functionalized with 4, 8 and 16 pyrene units, respectively, were synthesized following a convergent procedure. All new compounds were characterized by NMR spectroscopies and ESI or MALDI TOF mass spectrometry. The optical and photophysical properties of the new dendrimers were studied in THF solution. Absorption spectra showed the typical absorption bands of pyrene moieties. In the fluorescence spectra, monomer as well as excimer emission were observed for all compounds. An increased proportion of excimer emission was observed in the dendrimer of the highest generation.     

Complexes of unsymmetric bis-hydrazide ligands: crystal structures and properties

Two unsymmetric bis-aroyl-hydrazines, N′-(2-hydroxybenzoyl)isonicotinohydrazide (L1) and N′-(2-hydroxybenzoyl)nicotinohydrazide (L2), were synthesized through reactions of salicyl hydrazide with isonicotinoyl chloride and nicotinoyl chloride, respectively. Reactions of metal salts with L1 or L2 gave three new complexes, [Cd(L1)₂(SCN)₂] _n (1), [Zn(L1)₂Cl₂]?·?H₂O (2), and [Zn(L2)₂Cl₂] (3). Complex 1 features a 1-D double-chain structure built by SCN^– bridging six-coordinate Cd^II centers while 2 and 3 are mononuclear Zn^II complexes. In 1–3, isomeric ligands L1 and L2 coordinate with metal ions in a terminal coordination mode. Ligands L1 and L2 through O–H···N and N–H···O hydrogen-bonding interactions in 1–3 are crucial for the structure extension into 3-D supramolecular structures of 1 and 2, or 2-D sheet of 3. Complexes 1–3 emit interesting blue-green luminescence. Thermal behaviors of 1–3 as well as the specific rotation of 2 were also investigated.     

Syntheses,crystal structures and fluorescent properties of imidazole based mixed-ligand nickle and cadmium complexes

Four novel mixed-ligand nickle and cadmium complexes [Cd(tolu)₂(imi)₃] (1) [CdCl₂(imi)₂]_n (2), [Ni(imi)₆](tolu)₂ (3) and [Ni(mand)₂(imi)₂]·H₂O (4) (imi = imidazole, Htolu = o-toluic acid, Hmand = mandelic acid) were synthesized and isolated in solid state based on nickle and cadmium salts, imidazole and different carboxylic acids. These complexes were characterized by FT-IR, elemental analyses, thermogravimetric (TG) analyses, UV–vis, X-ray structural analyses and fluorescence spectra. Complexes 1 and 4 are neutral mixed-ligand molecules. Complex 2 exhibits a 2D chain constructed by [CdCl₂(imi)₂] units. Complex 3 possesses [Ni(imi)₆]^2- anions with uncoordinated tolulate anions. In complexes 1–4, each imidazole ligand provides one nitrogen atom for coordination. Tolulate and mandelate ligands coordinate to the metal through carboxyl oxygen or hydroxyl oxygen atoms. Plenty of intramolecular hydrogen bonds as N–H?O and O–H?O interactions are observed in these complexes. Fluorescence properties of the complexes have been deeply investigated and the result reveals that Fe³⁺ ion has the greatest effect on fluorescence intensity of complex 3. The fluorescence intensity decreases with the increase of iron concentration.     

New cycloplatinated complexes with 2-arylimidazolines: Synthesis, crystal structures and photophysical properties

The synthesis, crystal structures and photophysical properties of a series of cycloplatinated complexes are presented. The complexes have the general formula (C^∧N)Pt(O^∧O), where O^∧O is acetylacetonate and C^∧N represents 2-arylimidazoline ligands. All of them are luminescent in CH₂Cl₂ solution at room temperature. Different aryl group on N-1 of the ligand has no significant effect on the emission properties of the platinum complexes. While introducing alkyl group on N-1 or electron-donating group on 2-aryl ring does result in a blue shift of emission maxima or even an increase in emission intensity.