Singlet and Triplet State Properties and Singlet Oxygen Yield of an Amino-Acyl-Quinoxalinone Yellow Dye

Amino-acyl-quinoxalinone yellow dyes are cyclised analogues of the yellow azomethine dyes developed for, and still used in, silver halide colour photography. Unlike image azomethine dyes, which are rapidly deactivated in their excited states by torsion about the azomethine bond, amino-acyl-quinoxalinone dyes have an interesting photophysics because torsion is not possible due to their cyclised structure. We report results from studies on singlet and triplet state properties, and singlet oxygen yields, of the yellow dye, 7-diethylamino-3-(2,2-dimethyl-propionyl)-5-methyl-1-phenyl-1H-quinoxalin-2-one, in polar and nonpolar solvents. The dye photophysics is characterised by a weak fluorescence, with a solvent dependent emission yield (Φ_F?≈?0.002–0.004), and short singlet state lifetime (τ_expt?≈?20–50 ps), both increasing by a factor of ≈2 in going from polar acetonitrile to non-polar dioxane as solvent. DFT ZINDO calculations show a transition involving significant electron transfer from the diethyl-amino group into the carbonyl region of the molecule. In solution, in the presence of oxygen, the triplet state decays almost exclusively by oxygen quenching, and singlet oxygen is produced in high yield (Φ_??≈?0.5–0.55). The triplet state absorbs across the 450–750 nm region with maxima around 480 and 650 nm, and moderate molar absorption coefficients (ca. 6000–8000 M^?1 cm^?1). In a glass at 77 K, triplet decay gives a red phosphorescence, with λ_max?≈?640–650 nm, and a ?≈?0.25 s lifetime. If singlet oxygen yields are a good indication of triplet yields, then internal conversion and intersystem crossing occur with roughly equal efficiency.

     

Singlet Excited State Pyridinic Deprotonation of the N<Subscript>9</Subscript>-methylbetacarboline Cations in Aqueous Sodium Hydroxide Solutions

The singlet excited state pyridinic deprotonation of the 9-methyl-9H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole, MBC, cations has been studied in aqueous NaOH solutions by absorption, steady state and time resolved fluorescence measurements. This excited state reaction proceeds through a stepwise mechanism involving different ground and excited state hydrogen bonded MBC-(water)_n complexes. Thus, in aqueous NaOH solutions of MBC above pH 8, two ground state hydrogen bonded MBC-water adducts, namely PC and PTC, coexist in equilibrium. Upon excitation, the PC behaves as an independent fluorophore, whereas the PTC reacts with water molecules during its excited state lifetime to give the intermediate CL*. This exciplex is the precursor of the excited state cation, C*. In almost all the pH range, C* is practically the only existing species in the singlet excited state of MBC. In concentrated NaOH solutions beyond the pH range, C* deprotonates giving CL* and PTC* species.     

Statics and dynamics of excited states of oxygen-deficient centers in SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>

The parameters of excited states of oxygen-deficient centers (ODCs) in high-energy-electron irradiated crystalline and glassy SiO₂ have been studied using optical absorption, luminescence, and photoelectron emission spectroscopy. Additional evidence has been gained in support of the model of a neutral oxygen vacancy in ODCs, the diagram of electronic transitions has been refined, and their characteristics have been quantified. The possibility of ionization of the singlet and triplet defect states at a transition to the anomalously relaxed configuration has been demonstrated using the particular example of α-ODCs. Nonradiative excitation transfer from nonbridging oxygen centers to the triplet ODC state has been observed.     

Theoretical study on energy transfer from the excited C<Subscript>60</Subscript> to molecular oxygen

Singlet oxygen is used as an important oxidizer for various organic reactions, on the other hand, it has toxicity for the human body, since it destroys biological molecules such as DNA. Fullerene C₆₀ is known to act as a photosensitizer of singlet oxygen molecule, and it has been understood that energy transfer from the excited triplet C₆₀ to the ground triplet O₂ forming the singlet O₂ is a biologically important reaction. In the present study, we have analyzed these reaction pathways by means of the DFT (density functional theory) calculation.     

Photodesorption of O<Subscript>2</Subscript> from Ag<Subscript>2</Subscript><Superscript>-</Superscript>: A time-resolved study of Ag<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript><Superscript>-</Superscript>

We present time-resolved photoelectron spectra of mass-selected Ag₂O₂ anions. The anions are photoexcited by photons with an energy of 3.1 eV, and photoelectron spectra of the excited species Ag₂O₂ ^{- *} and the subsequently appearing fragments are recorded using a probe laser pulse with a photon energy of 1.5 eV. The excited state of Ag₂O₂ ^- has a short lifetime of 130 fs±70 fs only and decays by direct photodesorption of O₂. The data demonstrate the ability of time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (TR-PES) to observe the breaking of chemical bonds if the decay process of the excited state is direct (non-thermal desorption). The data are compared to recent results of a NeNePo experiment [1] on the same system. PACS 68.43.Tj; 78.47.+p; 33.80.Eh; 36.40.-c     

Metastable helium cluster He<Stack><Subscript>4</Subscript><Superscript>*</Superscript></Stack>

The existence of a metastable cluster He ₄ ^* with total spin S = 2 is predicted. The cluster consists of two covalently bound excited spin-polarized triplet He ₂ ^* molecules and is rectangular in shape. The electron wavefunctions, the dependence of the energy He ₄ ^* system on the distance between the He ₂ ^* triplet molecules, the atomic spacing, the frequency spectrum of natural oscillations of the cluster, and other characteristics are calculated from first principles. It is shown that the metastable state is formed if one of the excited He ₂ ^* molecules is in the ³Σ _u ⁺ state, while the other is in the ³Π_g state. The radiation lifetime τ of the metastable cluster He ₄ ^* is calculated; it is found to range from 100 to 200 s, which is much longer than the lifetime τ ≈ 20 s of the triplet molecule He ₂ ^* (³Σ _u ⁺ ). The height U ≈ 0.5 eV of the potential barrier preventing the departure from the local energy minimum is determined. The energy E_acc ≈ 9 eV/atom accumulated in the He ₄ ^* cluster is calculated; this energy considerably exceeds the energy of known chemical energy carriers. It is shown that the accumulated energy is released virtually completely during decomposition of the He ₄ ^* cluster into individual helium atoms. This means that helium clusters are a promising material with a high accumulated energy density (HEDM).     

Neutron studies of crystal-field effects in PrB<Subscript>6</Subscript>

The roles of various physical mechanisms in the properties of the ground state of the Pr ion in PrB₆ are studied by measuring magnetic excitation spectra in the paramagnetic and magnetically ordered phases of polycrystalline PrB₆. The ground state of the Pr ion in the paramagnetic phase is experimentally found to be triplet Γ₅. During the transition into the magnetically ordered state, this triplet splits into three singlet levels. The results obtained do not exclude the appearance of an additional contribution to the splitting induced by a decrease in the local symmetry because of structural distortions.     

Influence of two-particle excited states on the interatomic exchange interaction in La<Subscript>2</Subscript>CuO<Subscript>4</Subscript>

The effective spin Hamiltonian for undoped cuprates is constructed in the framework of the realistic multiband p-d model with the parameters calculated from first principles. The exchange interaction parameter is defined as the sum of the antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic contributions, which are determined by the two-hole triplet terms. The ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic contributions of the excited terms compensate each other to a large extent. It is shown that the antiferromagnetic contribution of the two-hole ground singlet ¹ A _1g to the exchange interaction is dominant. Original Russian Text. V.A. Gavrichkov, S.G. Ovchinnikov, 2008, published in Fizika Tverdogo Tela, 2008, Vol. 50, No. 6, pp. 1037–1041.     

O<Subscript>2</Subscript> photodesorption from a Ag<Subscript>8</Subscript>O<Stack><Subscript>2</Subscript><Superscript>-</Superscript></Stack> cluster

The decay path of an Ag₈(O₂)^- cluster photoexcited by a 3.1 eV photon is elucidated using time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy. Photoabsorption results in the formation of an excited state giving rise to a peak in the photoelectron spectra with well-resolved vibrational finestructure. With a lifetime of about 100 fs this bound state decays into an anti-bonding state which dissociates into O₂ and Ag₈^- on a timescale of 10 ps. In the photoelectron spectra, this corresponds to a broad maximum shifting gradually towards higher binding energy while the O₂ and Ag₈^- separate. Finally, the spectrum of bare Ag₈^- appears. This process is unique to small clusters, because on metal surfaces excited state lifetimes are too short to allow for direct dissociation.     

Luminescence of CaGa<Subscript>2</Subscript>Se<Subscript>4</Subscript>:Eu crystals

We have studied photoluminescence and thermoluminescence (PL and TL) in CaGa₂Se₄:Eu crystals in the temperature range 77–400 K. We have established that broadband photoluminescence with maximum at 571 nm is due to intracenter transitions 4f⁶ 5d–4f⁷ (⁸S_7/2) of the Eu²⁺ ions. From the temperature dependence of the intensity (log I–10³/T), we determined the activation energy (E _a = 0.04 eV) for thermal quenching of photoluminescence. From the thermoluminescence spectra, we determined the trap depths: 0.31, 0.44, 0.53, 0.59 eV. The lifetime of the excited state 4f6 5d of the Eu²⁺ ions in the CaGa₂Se₄ crystal found from the luminescence decay kinetics is 3.8 μsec. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 76, No. 1, pp. 112–116, January–February, 2009.     

Influence of solvent polarity and temperature on dual fluorescence of 10,10′-dibromo, 9,9′-bianthryl

Fluorescence of 10,10′-dibromo, 9,9′-bianthryl (DBrBA) in solvents of different polarities (n-hexane, dibutyl ether, tetrahydrofuran, and acetone) has been investigated as a function of temperature. Changing of the solvent and variation of temperature modifies the ratio of local (LE) and charge transfer (CT) fluorescence quantum yields. From the basic fluorescence data (quantum yields, lifetimes, ratio of CT to LE fluorescence quantum yields) the temperature-dependent equilibrium constants for the charge transfer process in the excited singlet state were calculated and discussed on the basis of the modern electron transfer theories. It has been found that the intersystem crossing in DBrBA in nonpolar n-hexane, leading to the population of the lowest triplet state, proceeds via the third triplet state. It has been confirmed by the fluorescence measurements and quantum mechanical calculations. Surprisingly, the experimentally obtained intersystem crossing rate constants are very weakly dependent on temperature. Thus, the electron transfer reaction leading to the population of the molecular triplet state is probably an adiabatic reaction with a rate constant controlled by the dielectric relaxation of the solvent.     

Determination of the rate constant of oxygen quenching of the excited states of molecules from the singlet oxygen luminescence

We have pioneered a method of determining the rate constant of quenching of the excited electronic states of molecules by molecular oxygen from measurements of the kinetics of photosensitized luminescence of singlet molecular oxygen (^lδ_g). The method can be used in the case where the lifetime of the excited electronic state in an air-saturated solution is comparable with or larger than the luminescence time of the singlet molecular oxygen in the given solvent. It is shown that this situation is implemented on quenching, by molecular oxygen, of the excited triplet states associated with the biopolymers of tetrapyrrole molecules in aqueous (H₂O and D₂O) solutions. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 67, No. 3, pp. 401–404, May–June, 2000.     

Influence of magnetic ordering on electronic structure of Tb<Superscript>3+</Superscript> ion in TbFe<Subscript>3</Subscript>(BO<Subscript>3</Subscript>)<Subscript>4</Subscript> crystal

Optical absorption spectra of trigonal crystal TbFe₃(BO₃)₄ have been studied in the region of ⁷F₆ → ⁵D₄ transition in Tb³⁺ ion depending on temperature (2–220 K) and on magnetic field (0–60 kOe). Splitting of the Tb³⁺ excited states, both under the influence of the external magnetic field and effective exchange field of the Fe-sublattice, have been determined. Landé factors of the excited states have been found. Stepwise splitting of one of the absorption lines has been discovered in the region of the Fe-sublattice magnetic ordering temperature. This is shown to be due to the abrupt change of equilibrium geometry of the local Tb³⁺ ion environment only in the excited state of the Tb³⁺ ion. In general, the magnetic ordering is accompanied by temperature variations of the Tb³⁺ local environment in the excited states. The crystal field splitting components have been identified. In particular, it has been shown that the ground state (in D ₃ symmetry approximation) consists of two close singlet states of A ₁ and A ₂ type, which are split and magnetized by effective exchange field of the Fe-sublattice. Orientations of magnetic moments of the excited electronic states relative to that of the ground state have been experimentally determined in the magnetically ordered state of the crystal. A pronounced shift of one of absorption lines has been observed in the vicinity of the TbFe₃(BO₃)₄ structural phase transition. The temperature interval of coexistence of the phases is about 3 K.     

Time‐resolved spectroscopic and density functional theory investigation of the photochemistry of suprofen

The photochemistry of suprofen (SPF) was investigated by femtosecond transient absorption (fs‐TA), resonance Raman (RR) and nanosecond time‐resolved resonance Raman (ns‐TR³) spectroscopic methods to gain additional information so as to better elucidate the possible photochemical reaction mechanism of suprofen in several different solvents. In neat acetonitrile (MeCN), the fs‐TA and ns‐TR³ experimental data indicated that the lowest lying excited singlet state S₁ (nπ*) underwent an efficient intersystem crossing process (ISC) to the excited triplet state T₃ (ππ*), followed by an internal conversion (IC) process to T₁ (ππ*). In the aqueous solution, a triplet biradical species (³ETK‐1) was obtained as the product of a decarboxylation process from triplet suprofen anion (³SPF⁻) and the reaction rate of the decarboxylation process was determined by the concentration of H₂O. A protonation process for ³ETK‐1 leads to formation of a neutral species (³ETK‐3) that was directly observed by ns‐TR³ spectra, then this ³ETK‐3 species decayed via ISC process to generate final product. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Nonradiative relaxation of photoexcited O<Stack><Subscript>1</Subscript><Superscript>0</Superscript></Stack> centers in glassy SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>

The processes involved in the excited-state relaxation of hole O ₁ ⁰ centers at nonbridging oxygen atoms in glassy SiO₂ were studied using luminescence, optical absorption, and photoelectron emission spectroscopy. An additional nonradiative relaxation channel, in addition to the intracenter quenching of the 1.9-eV luminescence band, was established to become operative at temperatures above 370 K. This effect manifests itself in experiments as a negative deviation of the temperature-dependent luminescence intensity from the well-known Mott law and is identified as thermally activated external quenching with an energy barrier of 0.46 eV. Nonradiative transitions initiate, within the external quenching temperature interval, the migration of excitation energy, followed by the creation of free electrons. In the final stages, this relaxation process becomes manifest in the form of spectral sensitization of electron photoemission, which is excited in the hole O ₁ ⁰ -center absorption band.     

Spectroscopic Study of Solvent Polarity on the Optical and Photo-Physical Properties of Novel 9,10-bis(coumarinyl)anthracene

Novel 7,7′-((anthracene-9,10-diylbis(methylene))bis(oxy))bis(4-methyl-2H-chromen-2-one) (BisCA) was prepared as fluorescent probe. The chemical structure of the novel BisCA was confirmed by spectroscopic data as well as elemental analyses. The solvatochromic characteristics of the new proble and its precursors were investigated in different solvents including, ethanol, DMF and toluene as protic polar, aprotic polar and non-polar solvents, respectively. Photo-physical parameters of probes, such as fluorescence quantum yields, fluorescence lifetime of excited state, radiative and non-radiative decay, were assessed in different media. The intermolecular H-bond effect on absorption and excitation spectra of the novel probe was reported in different solvents. Also, Onsager cavity radius and dipole moment of ground state and excited state of the probe were calculated as described by Bakhshiev and Reichardt methods.     

Photoinduced energy and electron transfer in oligo(<Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-phenylene vinylene)-fullerene dyads

The intramolecular photoinduced charge separation within an oligo(p-phenylene vinylene)–fulleropyrrolidine dyad with four phenyl rings (OPV4-C₆₀) has been investigated with femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy in solvents of different polarity and in the solid state. In solution, photoexcitation of the OPV4 moiety of OPV4-C₆₀ results in an ultrafast (<190 fs) singlet energy transfer reaction, creating the fullerene singlet excited state. In polar solvents, the ultrafast energy transfer is followed in the picosecond time domain by an intramolecular electron transfer. In accordance with Marcus theory, the rates for forward and backward intramolecular electron transfer in OPV4-C₆₀ are influenced by the polarity of the solvent. In the solid state the photophysics of OPV4-C₆₀ is dramatically different. In thin films, the forward electron transfer proceeds within 500 fs, irrespective of which chromophore is photoexcited. The increased rate for charge separation in the solid state is attributed to a more favorable orientation of the donor and acceptor that results in an intermolecular electron transfer. In the films, energy and electron transfer processes compete at the earliest moments after photoexcitation. In the solid state, the photogenerated electrons and holes have long lifetimes as a result of migration of these charges to thermodynamically more favorable sites in the film. PACS 78.47.1+p; 34.30.+h; 33.50.-j     

Quenching effects in flashlamp-excited polymethine dye lasers

The main action of oxygen dissolved in air-saturated polymethine-dye laser solutions is the quenching of the excited singlet state by enhancing transitions between it and the triplet state. A substantial increase of laser efficiency was observed by outgasing the solutions of five di- and tri-carbocyanine dyes. In one case (DOTC) a specific triplet state quencher (COT) was found.     

Solvent Effect on Absorption and Fluorescence Spectra of Three Biologically Active Carboxamides (C<Subscript>1</Subscript>, C<Subscript>2</Subscript> and C<Subscript>3</Subscript>). Estimation of Ground and Excited State Dipole Moment from Solvatochromic Method Using Solvent Polarity Parameters

The absorption and fluorescence spectra of three Carboxamides namely (E)-2-(4-Chlorobenzylideneamino)-N-(2-chlorophenyl)-4, 5, 6, 7-tetrahydrobenzo[b]thiophene-3-carboxamide (C₁), (E)-N-(3-Chlorophenyl)-2-(3, 4-dimethoxybenzylideneamino)-4, 5, 6, 7-tetrahydrobenzo[b]thiophene-3-carboxamide (C₂) and (E)-N-(3-Chlorophenyl)-2-(3, 4, 5-trimethoxybenzylideneamino)-4, 5, 6, 7-tetrahydrobenzo[b]thiophene-3-carboxamide (C₃) have been recorded at room temperature in solvents of different polarities using dielectric constant (ε) and refractive index (n). Experimental ground (μ_g) and excited (μ_e) state dipole moments are estimated by means of solvatochromic shift method and also the excited dipole moments are estimated in combination with ground state dipole moments. It was estimated that dipole moments of the excited state were higher than those of the ground state of all three molecules. Further, the changes in dipole moment (Dm \Delta \mu ) were calculated both from solvatochromic shift method and on the basis of microscopic empirical solvent polarity parameter (E_T^N E_T^N ) and the values are compared.     

β-胡萝卜素在乙腈体系中的激光光解研究

利用纳秒级激光光解瞬态吸收光谱装置,研究了以乙腈作为溶剂,以2-萘乙酮作为敏化剂的体系在355nm激光作用下敏化产生β-胡萝卜素激发三重态的机制,并进一步研究了β-胡萝卜素激发三重态的性质。研究显示2-萘乙酮和β-胡萝卜素的二元体系在355nm激光作用下,2-萘乙酮首先被激发为其激发三重态(420nm),2-萘乙酮激发三重态与β-胡萝卜素发生激发能转移,产生β-胡萝卜素激发三重态(510nm)。通过激发能转移的方法测得了β-胡萝卜素激发三重态在最大吸收波长510nm处的摩尔消光系数为23000L·mol-1·cm-1。改变β-胡萝卜素的浓度测得了其激发三重态在乙腈体系中的衰变反应速率常数6·5×104s-1,其在乙腈体系中的三重态寿命为15·6μs。同时获得了激发态2-萘乙酮与β-胡萝卜素之间激发能转移反应的速率常数1·5×1010L·mol-1·s-1。