Water-soluble azobenzene dendrimers

Water-soluble azobenzene-cored dendrimers 4-6 were synthesized as potential photoresponsive micelles to which the aggregation is triggered by photoirradiation. In the absorption spectra, the π- absorption band of the dendrimers largely blue-shifted with increasing the generation due to the shielding effect of surrounding dendron on the interaction between the core azobenzene and solvent water. Not only the surrounding dendron groups suppressed the E-to-Z photoisomerization, but also the rate of thermal Z-to-E isomerization depended on the generation of the dendrimer. Furthermore, we have observed a novel temperature dependence of the rate constant of the thermal isomerization.     

Synthesis and optical/thermal properties of low molecular mass V-shaped materials based on 2,3-dicyanopyrazine

A novel series of luminescent low molecular mass materials containing a 2,3-dicyanopyrazine central core were synthesized through an esterification reaction between diphenol 10 and different aromatic carboxylic acids 1-6, containing terminal long alkyl chains. They have a similar V-shaped geometry with lack of planarity between the two arms, confirmed by the X-ray structure of the central core. The optical and thermal properties of these compounds were evaluated. They show blue fluorescence in solution ( 440-480 nm) with quantum fluorescence yields (Φ_F) from 0.003 to 0.1 and Stokes shifts of around 90 nm. In solid state, optical band gaps (E_g) were from 3.14 to 3.32 eV. Thin films of 11, 13, and 14 exhibited blue fluorescence ( 430-456 nm), and 12, 15, and 16 (more bulky) displayed green fluorescence ( 488-512 nm). Most of the materials exhibited good thermal stability, exhibiting an amorphous glassy state after melting. Transparent amorphous films were easily obtained through spin coating and characterized by AFM analysis.     

The first observation of the effect of dendritic structure to produce the triplet excited state of the core stilbene by dendron excitation

We report that both singlet and triplet energy transfers in stilbene-cored benzophenone dendrimers (trans-BPST) took place quite efficiently. On excitation (290 nm) of stilbene group, the intramolecular singlet energy transfer from the excited core stilbene to the benzophenone part (99.7%) was confirmed by quenching of the fluorescence from the core stilbene. The benzophenone in the excited singlet state is known to undergo intersystem crossing to give its excited triplet state quantitatively. However, the very weak phosphorescence from benzophenone part in trans-BPST was observed even at 77 K. The phosphorescence intensity of trans-BPST is only 1% of that of model compound (4-methylbenzophenone) at 77 K. During the irradiation, the absorption spectra also changed due to the trans-cis isomerization. This is probably due to the ultrafast triplet energy transfer from the benzophenone to produce the triplet state stilbene.     

Pyridinium amide-based simple synthetic receptor for selective recognition of dihydrogenphosphate

A new fluorescent receptor 1 built on biphenyl motif has been designed and synthesized. Pyridinium amide moiety in 1 acts as binding site and shows selective complexation of isophthalate and under the mastery of biphenyl spacer. Binding-induced increase in emission was used to determine the selectivity and sensitivity of 1 toward a series of anions such as different dicarboxylates, , , and . The binding characteristics were established by ¹H NMR, UV-vis, and fluorescence spectroscopic methods.     

Water-soluble polyesters from long chain alkylesters of citric acid and poly(ethylene glycol)

Long chain aliphatic alcohols have been used as model compounds to develop a preparative method for a water-soluble material, which could be a carrier for triacontanol, a highly hydrophobic plant growth regulator. New polyesters from long chain aliphatic (C = 12, 18 and 22) mono-1-alkyl citrates and poly(ethylene glycol) were synthesized and characterized by NMR spectroscopy. The polyester containing the triacontyl moiety was obtained from mono-1-triacontyl citrate, which was synthesized from the corresponding alcohol extracted from the Agave fourcroydes. The molecular weight of the polyesters depends on experimental conditions during synthesis such as reaction time, atmosphere, catalyst concentration and temperature. The reaction is second order in the early stage of the polyester synthesis. The reaction rate constant is independent of the length of the aliphatic chain, but it decreases with increasing of the poly(ethylene glycol) employed. Turbidity measurements have been used to study the polyester solubility. Solubility characteristics were found to depend on the of poly(ethylene glycol), the aliphatic-chain length and the value of for the polyester. These preparations could potentially be used to release triacontanol.     

Mechanisms for fluorescence depolarization in dendrimers

We have investigated the fluorescence properties of dendrimers (Gn is the dendrimer generation number) containing four different luminophores, namely terphenyl (T), dansyl (D), stilbenyl (S), and eosin (E). In the case of T, the dendrimers contain a single p-terphenyl fluorescent unit as a core with appended sulfonimide branches of different size and n-octyl chains. In the cases of D and S, multiple fluorescent units are appended in the periphery of poly(propylene amine) dendritic structures. In the case of E, the investigated luminophore is noncovalently linked to the dendritic scaffold, but is encapsulated in cavities of a low luminescent dendrimer. Depending on the photophysical properties of the fluorescent units and the structures of the dendrimers, different mechanisms of fluorescence depolarization have been observed: (i) global rotation for GnT dendrimers; (ii) global rotation and local motions of the dansyl units at the periphery of GnD dendrimers; (iii) energy migration among stylbenyl units in G2S; and (iv) restricted motion when E is encapsulated inside a dendrimer, coupled to energy migration if the dendrimer hosts more than one eosin molecule.     

A new fluorescent chemosensor for F based on inhibition of excited-state intramolecular proton transfer

New fluorescent chemosensor 1 with two amidoanthraquinone groups (1-AAQs) at the lower rim of p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene has been synthesized. The significant changes of absorption and fluorescence bands show that chemosensor 1 is selective toward fluoride ion (F⁻) over other anions such as Cl⁻, Br⁻, I⁻, CH₃COO⁻, , , and OH⁻. The ESIPT process of 1 is inhibited by the fluoride-induced H-bonding followed by deprotonation of NH of the 1-AAQ.     

Parametric signal fitting by gaussian peak adjustment: a new multivariate curve resolution method for non-bilinear voltammetric measurements

A novel two-photon fluorescence probe for Pb²⁺ derived from 4-methyl-2,5-dicyano-4′-amino stilbene as a two-photon fluorophore and bis[2-(2-aminophenylsulfanyls)ethyl]amine as a novel Pb²⁺ ligand was developed. The probe possesses small molecule size, large two-photon absorption cross-section (1020 GM), noncytotoxic effect, long-wavelength emission at 609 nm, large Stokes shift (209 nm), excellent photostability, moderate water-solubility, good cell-permeability, and pH-insensitivity in the biologically relevant pH range. The probe can selectively detect Pb²⁺ ions in live cells and living tissues without interference from other metal ions and the membrane-bound probes, and its quenching constant () is 7.58 × 10⁵ M⁻¹.     

The mechanism of nitrogen fluorescence inside a femtosecond laser filament in air

The visible and near-UV fluorescence spectroscopy of air generated inside a femtosecond laser plasma filament was studied. The primary reactions, , populates the electronic excited state N₂(C³П_u) of N₂. The N₂ fluorescence is not by direct electron–ion recombination of . Using a pump–probe method, the fluorescence lifetime of C³П_u of N₂ at atmospheric pressure was determined to be about 85 ps.