Edge excitation red-shift and proton migration in acidic quinine sulphate solution

A red-shift in the emission maximum of an acidic solution of quinine sulphate is observed on exciting in the red edge of the absorption band. The edge excitation red-shift (EERS) which really is the difference in cm^?1 between the emission maxima obtained on red edge excitation (REE) and on shorter wavelength excitation (SWE) depends on viscosity, temperature, deuteration of the solvent and concentration of the solute. The dependence of the EERS on these factors is due largely to a shift in the emission maximum on SWE; the REE emission shifts little. These results are explained on the basis of solvent relaxation and proton migration in the excited state.     

Complex fluorescence decay of quinine bisulphate in aqueous sulphuric acid solution

Fluorescence of quinine bisulphate is shown to be two-component. In 1.0 N H₂SO₄ solution the major component has a decay time ≈20 ns, but there is a minor component with decay time ≈2 ns with a different fluorescence spectrum. It is recommended that the compound not be used as a standard for decay-time measurements.     

Role of diffusion in excitation energy transfer and migration

Effect of diffusion on excitation energy transfer and migration in a dye pair sodium fluorescein (donor) and Rhodamine-6G (acceptor) has been studied for different viscosities by both steady state and time domain fluorescence spectroscopic measurements. The donor-donor interaction appears to be weaker as compared to donor-acceptor interaction and thus favors direct Forster-type energy transfer. Interestingly, at low viscosity (water in this case) transfer appears to be controlled by material diffusion/energy migration. Further, acceptor dynamics reveals the fact that direct Forster transfer dominates in viscous media.     

Effect of polymer microenvironment on excitation energy migration and transfer

Excitation energy transfer between the dye pair acriflavine (donor) to rhodamine-6G (acceptor) in various polymers [polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), cellulose acetate, and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)] was studied using steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy at room temperature. In all these polymers, at higher acceptor concentrations, direct energy transfer from acriflavine to rhodamine-6G followed the F?rster theory, which is indicated by the agreement in the values of the observed critical transfer distance with that calculated from spectral overlap. On the other hand, at low acceptor concentrations, the excitation energy migration influences the kinetics, resulting in a significantly higher value of the observed critical transfer distance, which is explained on the basis of Loring et al. (Loring, R. F.; Anderson, H. C.; Fayer, M. D. J. Chem. Phys. 1984, 80, 5731-5744) and Huber (Huber, D. L. Phys. Rev. B: Condens. Matter Mater. Phys. 1979, 20 2307-2314) theories. It was observed that the spectral overlap for donor-donor transport (excitation migration) and donor-acceptor transfer (energy transfer) and thereby other energy transfer parameters were influenced by the microenvironment of the polymers. The efficiency of energy transfer (eta) was the highest in PMMA and the lowest in PVA. Further, the study of acceptor dynamics under energy transfer showed that the rise time of the acceptor also depends on the nature of the polymer microenvironment.     

Spectral migration of excitation energy among Nd3+ ions in fluoroarsenate glasses

In this work, we have investigated the existence of energy transfer among Nd³⁺ ions in fluoroarsenate glasses of the Na₄As₂O₇, BaF₂, YF₃ system with different Nd³⁺ concentrations (0.5, 2, 3, 4, and 5 mol%) by using time-resolved fluorescence line narrowing spectroscopy. The spectral features of the time resolved fluorescence line narrowing ⁴F_3/2→⁴I_9/2 emission spectra obtained under resonant excitation reveal the existence of spectral migration of excitation among the Nd³⁺ ions. The analysis of the time evolution of the ⁴F_3/2→⁴I_9/2 narrowed emission shows that the electronic mechanism responsible for the ion–ion interaction can be identified as a dipole–dipole energy transfer process.     

Hardness and excitation energy

The concept of the ensemble Kohn-Sham hardness is introduced. It is shown that the first excitation energy can be given by the Kohn-Sham hardness (i.e. the energy difference of the ground-state lowest unoccupied and highest occupied levels) plus an extra term coming from the partial derivative of the ensemble exchange-correlation energy with respect to the weighting factorw in the limitw → 0. It is proposed that the first excitation energy can be used as a reactivity index instead of the hardness.     

Edge excitation red-shift and excited-state proton association in acridine

Acridine in methanol shows an edge excitation red-shift. On shorter-wavelength excitation the emission from acridine is observed, while on red edge excitation the emission corresponds to acridinium. At room temperature the shift is abrupt with no effect of viscosity and solvent deuteration; however, at 80 K a slightly less abrupt shift is observed. The excited-state proton association is found to be wavelength-dependent. It seems that at room temperature with red edge excitation, protonation in the excited state is fast compared to the lifetime of the excited state, while the excess energy with shorter wavelength excitation may lead to non-promoting modes such that the proton transfer does not take place.     

Effect of donor-acceptor interaction strength on excitation energy migration and diffusion at high donor concentrations

The migration and diffusion modulated excitation energy transfer has been studied in a new dye pair 7-diethylamino-4-methylcoumarin (donor) to 3,3'-dimethyloxacarbocyanine iodide (acceptor) by steady-state and picosecond time-resolved spectroscopy. To reduce the artifact of self-absorption, at high donor concentrations, the time-resolved studies have been carried out in thin films of polyvinyl alcohol (solid matrix) and in methanol (liquid phase) at front-face geometry of excitation. The Forster-type (nonradiative) energy transfer [Discuss. Faraday Soc. 27, 7 (1959)] takes place directly from donor to acceptor in case of solid matrix, while Yokota-Tanimoto model [J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 22, 779 (1967)] for diffusion has been found to be operating in the liquid phase. It has been found here that the high interaction strength between donor and acceptor molecules as compared to that among donors masks the effect of energy migration and diffusion at high donor concentrations. The rate and efficiency of energy transfer increase with increasing the acceptor concentration. This has been confirmed by the study of acceptor kinetics.     

Relationship between incoherent excitation energy migration processes and molecular structures in zinc(II) porphyrin dendrimers

Multiporphyrin dendrimers are among the most promising architectures to mimic the oxygenic light-harvesting complex because of their structural similarities and synthetic convenience. The overall geometries of dendrimers are determined by the core structure, the type of dendron, and the number of generations of interior repeating units. The rigid core and bulky volume of exterior porphyrin units in multiporphyrin dendrimers give rise to well-ordered three-dimensional structures. As the number of generations of interior repeating units increases, however, the overall structures of dendrimers become disordered and randomized due to the flexibility of the repeating units. To reveal the relationship between molecular structure and processes of excitation-energy migration in multiporphyrin dendrimers, we calculated the molecular structure and measured the time-resolved transient absorption and fluorescence anisotropy decays for various hexaarylbenzene-anchored polyester zinc(II) porphyrin dendrimers along with three types of porphyrin dendrons as references. We found that the congested two-branched type dendrimers exhibit more efficient energy migration processes than one- or three-branched type dendrimers because of multiple energy migration pathways, and the three-dimensional packing efficiency of dendrimers strongly depends on the type of dendrons.     

Dipolar relaxation within the protein matrix of the green fluorescent protein: a red edge excitation shift study

The fluorophore in green fluorescent protein (GFP) is localized in a highly constrained environment, protected from the bulk solvent by the barrel-shaped protein matrix. We have used the wavelength-selective fluorescence approach (red edge excitation shift, REES) to monitor solvent (environment) dynamics around the fluorophore in enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) under various conditions. Our results show that EGFP displays REES in buffer and glycerol, i.e., the fluorescence emission maxima exhibit a progressive shift toward the red edge, as the excitation wavelength is shifted toward the red edge of the absorption spectrum. Interestingly, EGFP displays REES when incorporated in reverse micelles of sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate (AOT), independent of the hydration state. We interpret the observed REES to the constrained environment experienced by the EGFP fluorophore in the rigid protein matrix, rather than to the dynamics of the bulk solvent. These results are supported by the temperature dependence of REES and characteristic wavelength-dependent changes in fluorescence anisotropy.     

Metastable decomposition and hydrogen migration of ethane dication produced in an intense femtosecond near-infrared laser field

We investigated a formation channel of triatomic molecular hydrogen ions from ethane dication induced by irradiation of intense laser fields (800 nm, 100 fs, ～1 × 10(14) W∕cm(2)) by using time of flight mass spectrometry. Hydrogen ion and molecular hydrogen ion (H,D)(n)(+) (n = 1-3) ejected from ethane dications, produced by double ionization of three types of samples, CH(3)CH(3), CD(3)CD(3), and CH(3)CD(3), were measured. All fragments were found to comprise components with a kinetic energy of ～3.5 eV originating from a two-body Coulomb explosion of ethane dications. Based on the signal intensities and the anisotropy of the ejection direction with respect to the laser polarization direction, the branching ratios, H(+):D(+) = 66:34, H(2)(+):HD(+):D(2)(+) = 63:6:31, and H(3)(+):H(2)D(+):HD(2)(+):D(3)(+) = 26:31:34:9 for the decomposition of C(2)H(3)D(3)(2+), were determined. The ratio of hydrogen molecules, H(2):HD:D(2) = 31:48:21, was also estimated from the signal intensities of the counter ion C(2)(H,D)(4)(2+). The similarity in the extent of H∕D mixture in (H,D)(3)(+) with that of (H,D)(2) suggests that these two dissociation channels have a common precursor with the C(2)H(4)(2+)...H(2) complex structure, as proposed theoretically in the case of H(3)(+) ejection from allene dication [A. M. Mebel and A. D. Bandrauk, J. Chem. Phys. 129, 224311 (2008)]. In contrast, the (H,D)(2)(+) ejection path with a lower extent of H∕D mixture and a large anisotropy is expected to proceed essentially via a different path with a much rapid decomposition rate. For the Coulomb explosion path of C-C bond breaking, the yield ratios of two channels, CH(3)CD(3)(2+)→ CH(3)(+) + CD(3)(+) and CH(2)D(+) + CHD(2)(+), were 81:19 and 92:8 for the perpendicular and parallel directions, respectively. This indicates that the process occurs at a rapid rate, which is comparable to hydrogen migration through the C-C bond, resulting in smaller anisotropy for the latter channel that needs H∕D exchange.     

Role of the Renner-Teller effect after core hole excitation in the dissociation dynamics of carbon dioxide dication

The fragmentation of the doubly-charged carbon dioxide molecule is studied after photoexcitation to the C 1s(1)2π(u) and O 1s(1)2π(u) states using a multicoincidence ion-imaging technique. The bent component of the Renner-Teller split states populated in the 1s→ π* resonant excitation at both the carbon and oxygen 1s ionization edges opens pathways to potential surfaces in highly bent geometries in the dication. Evidence for a complete deformation of the molecule is found in the coincident detection of C(+) and O(2)(+) ions. The distinct alignment of this fragmentation channel indicates rapid deformation and subsequent fragmentation. Investigation of the complete atomization dynamics in the dication leading to asymmetric charge separation shows that the primary dissociation mechanisms, sequential, concerted, and asynchronous concerted, are correlated to specific fragment kinetic energies. The study shows that the bond angle in fragmentation can extend below 20°.     

Femtosecond excitation energy transport in triarylamine dendrimers

The search for a model that can be used to describe the optical excitation migration in dendrimers has attracted great attention. In most cases in a dendrimer the conjugation is disrupted at the branching point; however, the excitation is delocalized. The strength of interactions among neighboring chromophores plays a key role in determining the energy migration mechanism. Conversely, having many identical chromophores held tightly together in an ordered macromolecular architecture will allow for many dipoles to be accessible for optical excitation. Therefore, the relative orientation of dipoles will be important in determining the mechanism of energy migration. Here we report the synthesis and photo-physical investigation of triarylamine-based dendrimers. Two important synthetic steps were utilized in the synthesis. First, we employed diphenylmethyl protective groups on the amines to assist in deprotective hydrogenolysis of the larger structures. Second, highly active catalysts for formation of both di- and triarylamines that are based on a 1:1 ratio of P(t-Bu)3 and Pd(dba)2 improved reaction yields of the C-N bond formation and decreased reaction times The energy migration processes in the dendrimers were investigated utilizing ultrafast time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy measurements. The fluorescence anisotropy of all three dendrimers decayed to a residual value within approximately 100 fs. This fluorescence anisotropy decay showed a general trend in decreasing with increasing dendrimer generation. The residual anisotropy value also showed a gradual decrease with an increase in the dendrimer generation. This fast energy depolarization is discussed through a coherent excitonic mechanism among dipoles oriented in different directions. We believe that the formation of coherent domains leads to fast energy migration extending over a large part of the dendrimer.     

Porphyrin boxes constructed by homochiral self-sorting assembly: optical separation, exciton coupling, and efficient excitation energy migration

meso-Pyridine-appended zinc(II) porphyrins Mn and their meso-meso-linked dimers Dn assemble spontaneously, in noncoordinating solvents such as CHCl3, into tetrameric porphyrin squares Sn and porphyrin boxes Bn, respectively. Interestingly, formation of Bn from Dn proceeds via homochiral self-sorting assembly, which has been verified by optical separations of B1 and B2. Optically pure enantiomers of B1 and B2 display strong Cotton effects in the CD spectra, which reflect the length of the pyridyl arm, thus providing evidence for the exciton coupling between the noncovalent neighboring porphyrin rings. Excitation energy migration processes within Bn have been investigated by steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopic methods in conjunction with polarization anisotropy measurements. Both the pump-power dependence on the femtosecond transient absorption and the transient absorption anisotropy decay profiles are directly associated with the excitation energy migration process within the Bn boxes, where the exciton-exciton annihilation time and the polarization anisotropy rise time are well described in terms of the F?rster-type incoherent energy hopping model by assuming a number of hopping sites of N = 4 and an exciton coherence length of L = 2. Consequently, the excitation energy hopping rates between the zinc(II) diporphyrin units have been estimated for B1 (48 ps)(-1), B2 (98 +/- 3 ps)(-1), and B3 (361 +/- 6 ps)(-1). Overall, the self-assembled porphyrin boxes Bn serve as a well-defined three-dimensional model for the light-harvesting complex.     

Advanced theory of excitation energy transfer in dimers

Previously, we developed a unified theory of the excitation energy transfer (EET) in dimers, which is applicable to all of the cases of excitonic coupling strength (Kimura, A.; Kakitani, T.; Yamato, T. J. Phys. Chem. B 2000, 104, 9276). This theory was formulated only for the forward reaction of the EET. In the present paper, we advanced this theory so that it might include the backward reaction of the EET as well as the forward reaction. This new theory is formulated on the basis of the generalized master equation (GME), without using physically unclear assumptions. Comparing the present result with the previous one, we find that the excitonic coupling strengths of criteria between exciton and partial exciton and between hot transfer and hopping (F?rster) mechanisms are reduced by a factor of 2. The critical coherency eta c is also reduced significantly.     

Mechanism of electron excitation energy degradation in solutions

The inductive-resonant mechanism of electronic energy degradation is proposed and proved for rare earth ions, transition metal ions and simple molecules (NO^?₂) in solutions. The interaction of two oscillators is considered, that is the vibronic interaction corresponding to the radiation spectrum of an excited ion or molecular and the vibrational spectrum corresponding to the excitation of high frequency vibrations of the solvent. The calculation of the energy degradation rare constant (k_degr.) by Förster's formula is shown to give k_degr. values of the same order as the experiment. Such a treatment can quantitatively explain all experimental regularities of the degradation process, for instance, the dependence of k_degr. on the distance from the electronic excitation centre to the nearest high frequency vibration gravity centre. It is shown that the suggested mechanism corretly explains the deuteration effect, the dependence of k_degr. on ΔE (energy gap) and the variation of this dependence for differenct classes of compounds. The possibility of proving the validity of the suggested model for the case of complex organic molecules is discussed.     

Vaporization energy change and vibrational frequency shift in substituted mono-halo-benzenes

Direct linear relation exists between the reduced vaporization energy change (H _v /RT _B ) of benzene and its homologues, C₆H₅X (X=F, Cl, Br, I) and the X-sensitive dimensionless frequency (hcv/kT _B ) at their respective normal boiling point (T _B ) temperatures.The financial assistance of the National Research Council of Canada, the Graduate Fellowship (J.B.B.), the University of British Columbia, and the NRC Bursaries (H.C.H., R.G.O.) are gratefully acknowledged.     

Forward and reverse excitation energy transport in concentrated two-component systems

The experimental and numerical study of the forward and reverse energy transport in concentrated two-component solutions is presented. Experimental results are compared with those of diagrammatic and hopping theories. It is shown that the effect of direct acceptor excitation by the light beam is important in the presence of the reverse transfer and it must be taken into account to describe correctly the experimental results within the framework of any theoretical model. This effect leads in particular to the decrease in the donor emission anisotropy and to the increase in its quantum yield. Our analysis indicates the advantage of the diagrammatic model over the hopping approach.     

Migration of excitation energy and fluorescence quenching in regular lattices

Intermolecular transfer of excitation energy is studied in model systems containing luminescent donor molecules (D) and acceptor molecules (A) which constitute deep energy traps. It has been assumed that the donor and acceptor molecules form a regular lattice in which the energy transfer takes place in a hopping manner. Within the limits of the model, it has further been assumed that elementary processes are responsible for the deactivation of excited donor molecules (D^*). These processes are: fluorescence, internal conversion and non-radiative energy transfer D^* → D and D^* → A. The general considerations concern the partial and total fluorescence quantum yield of the system and the number of energy transfers before its deactivation. A more detailed analysis and calculations, leading to analytical expressions describing these quantities, have been made for linear systems. It is shown, that has approach, under the conditions where in the system only the migration of energy is observed and no other means of energy deactivation exist leads to the same value of the average number of energy transfers as was obtained earlier by Montroll and a mean relaxation time as given by Movaghar et al.     

Luminescence studies in polymers—X: Triplet energy migration in copolymers styrene-vinylbenzophenone. Decay-time and its relation to phosphorescence emission and excitation spectra

The decay of the phosphorescence of copolymers styrene-vinylbenzophenone excited with u.v. light of 365 nm either in glassy solution or as films at 77°K has been analysed. In glassy solution, the decay is exponential for a wide range of copolymer composition (τ = 5·10^?3 sec). The decay of films reveals the presence of a second type of trap with a longer life-time (τ = 2·10^?2 sec). The importance of these traps increases with the vinylbenzophenone content. The efficiency of triplet energy migration also increases with vinylbenzophenone content as a result of exchange interactions between benzophenone groups. The results are in agreement with Voltz's theory at moderate vinylbenzophenone content (<50 mole %).