Spectroscopic studies of a near-infrared absorbing pH sensitive aminodienone-carbocyanine dye system

Synthetic red and near-infrared absorbing dyes may be used as probe molecules in a large number of applications. Dyes exhibiting spectral changes with hydrogen ion concentration are useful as pH probes. Those dyes which have their absorption and fluorescence maxima in the long wavelength region of the visible spectral region are specially valuable because of decreased interference and semiconductor laser applications. In this paper we have evaluated an aminodienone dyes 1 which demostrates pH dependent absorption and fluorescence spectra as well as solvent polarity dependence. In organic solvents the long wavelength absorption band of the dye is in the reduced interference region. The absorption maximum is at 535 nm in neutral or alkaline solutions in methanol. The absorption spectra undergo a strong bathochromic shift in the presence of acids (lambda(max) = 709 nm) with a concomitant change in the fluorescence spectra. This pH sensitive dye was found to be specially especially useful for organic solvents. The analytical utility of this and similar near-infrared absorbing dyes is discussed.     

Ion-pairing of octyl viologen diiodide in low-polar solvents: an experimental and computational study

We have investigated the ion-pairing and solvent effect on the NMR and UV/vis spectra of 1,1'-di- n-octyl-4,4'-bipyridinium diiodide in various solvents. A strikingly different behavior is observed in the low polar solvent dichloromethane. A large deshielding of the meta bipyridinium core resonance occurs and charge transfer (CT) transitions are observed in the visible region due to the formation of ion-pairs. The CT bands show a marked blue-shift as the polarity of the solvent is increased. Experimental data have been compared with the results of DFT calculations of proton's chemical shifts and TD-DFT calculations of the vertical electronic transitions of model ion-pairs (using the smaller methyl viologen dication) in the gas phase and after the inclusion of the solvent reaction field by means of the PCM scheme. Different geometrical arrangements of the ion-pairs have been investigated, and the direct and indirect solvent effect has been elucidated. A good agreement is obtained which allows one to get insights concerning the CT transitions of this system and the geometry of the ion-pairs in solution of low-polar solvents.     

Metachromasy in clay mineral systems

Adsorption of the metachromic (colour depends on concentration) cationic dyes crystal violet (CV) and ethyl violet (EV) by Na-kaolinite and Na-montmorillonite has been studied by visible spectroscopy and titration calorimetry. In the kaolinite system, metachromasy stems from association of the dye cations on the external surface of the clay. Enthalpies of adsorption at small dye/clay ratios are –3.5 and –3.8 kJ/mol for CV and EV, respectively. In the montmorillonite system, which has been studied more thoroughly, metachromasy stems from the electron interactions between the dyes and the oxygen plane of the alumino-silicate. Enthalpies of adsorption (more exothermic than for kaolinite) depend on the dye/clay ratio in ways that are consistent with the spectra and the derived picture of dye/clay interactions.

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Zusammenfassung Mittels Spektroskopie im sichtbaren Bereich und Titrationskalorimetrie wurde die Adsorption der metachromen (Farbe ist konzentrations-abhängig) Kationenfarben Kristallviolett (CV) und Ethylviolett (EV) durch Na-Kaolinit und Na-Montmorillonit untersucht. In den Kaolinit-Systemen rührt die Metachromasie von der Assoziation der farbigen Kationen an der externen Oberfläche der Tonerde her. Die Adsorptionsenthalpien für kleine Farbstoff/Tonerde Quotienten betragen für CV und EV-3.5 bzw. -3.8 kJ/mol. In den umfassender untersuchten Montmorillonit-Systemen rührt die Metachromasie von den pi-Elektronenwechselwirkungen zwischen den Farbstoffen und der Sauerstoffebene des Aluminosilikates her. Die Adsorptionsenthalpien (exothermer als bei Kaolinit) hängen vom Farbstoff/Tonerde-Quotienten ab, wie es in Übereinstimmung mit den Spektren und den Vorstellungen über die Farbstoff-Tonerde-Wechselwirkungen steht.

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We are grateful to the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada for their support of this and other research on clay chemistry. In addition, we are all grateful to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem for awarding a sabbatical leave to S. Y. that permitted the collaboration that led to this paper.

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Dedicated to Professor Dr. H. J. Seifert on the occasion of his 60^th birthday     

Intriguing H-aggregate and H-dimer formation of coumarin-481 dye in aqueous solution as evidenced from photophysical studies

Photophysical properties of coumarin-481 (C481) dye in aqueous solution show intriguing presence of multiple emitting species. Concentration and wavelength dependent fluorescence decays and time-resolved emission spectra and area-normalized emission spectra suggest the coexistence of dye monomers, dimers, and higher aggregates (mostly trimers) in the solution. Because of the efficient intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) state to twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) state conversion, the dye monomers show very short fluorescence lifetime of ~0.2 ns. Fluorescence lifetimes of dimers (~4.1 ns) and higher aggregates (~1.4 ns) are relatively longer due to steric constrain toward ICT to TICT conversion. Observed results indicate that the emission spectra of the aggregates are substantially blue-shifted compared to monomers, suggesting H-aggregation of the dye in the solution. Temperature-dependent fluorescence decays in water and time-resolved fluorescence results in water-acetonitrile solvent mixtures are also in support of the dye aggregation in the solution. Though dynamic light scattering studies could not recognize the dye aggregates in the solution due to their small size and low concentration, fluorescence up-conversion measurements show a relatively higher decay tail in water than in water-acetonitrile solvent mixture, in agreement with higher dye aggregation in aqueous solution. Time-resolved fluorescence results with structurally related non-TICT dyes, especially those of coumarin-153 dye, are also in accordance with the aggregation behavior of these dyes in aqueous solution. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the aggregation of coumarin dyes in aqueous solution. Present results are important because coumarin dyes are widely used as fluorescent probes in various microheterogeneous systems where water is always a solvent component, and the dye aggregation in these systems, if overlooked, can easily lead to a misinterpretation of the observed results.     

Thioindigo dyes: highly accurate visible spectra with TD-DFT

The structure and visible spectra of a large panel of thioindigo dyes and derivatives have been evaluated using a TD-PBE0/6-311+G(2d,p)//PBE0/6-311G(d,p) approach explicitly taking bulk solvent effects into account by means of the polarizable continuum model. The influence of the solvent characteristics, the trans-cis isomerization, and the chemical substitution on the benzene rings have been investigated. In addition, hemi-thioindigo dyes, thiazine-indigo, chromophore-like molecules, and selenoindigo have been considered. Though the relative oscillator strengths of the two allowed visible transitions in the nonplanar cis isomers are not always correctly reproduced by theory, the agreement between theoretical and experimental results is far above expectations. For the 170 cases studied, we obtained a mean unsigned error on the predicted lambda(max) limited to 6.9 nm or 0.03 eV, with only 6 (4) cases for which the difference exceeds 20 nm (0.10 eV). These errors are 1 order of magnitude smaller than what has previously been reported for indigoids. A linear correlation between the central double bond length and the lambda(max) has been established, while the bond length and vibrational frequency of the carbonyl groups do not correlate with the thioindigo color. The higher excitation energies of the cis conformers, compared to the trans structures, result from a less stabilized LUMO in the former case. Indeed, for cis thioindigo, the two electron-rich (in the excited state) carbonyl units lie close to each other.     

Molecular aggregation of rhodamine dyes in dispersions of layered silicates: influence of dye molecular structure and silicate properties

The molecular aggregation of six rhodamine dyes (rhodamine 560, B, 3B, 19, 6G, 123) in layered silicate (saponite and fluorohectorite) dispersions was investigated by using visible (vis) spectroscopy. The dye molecular aggregation was influenced by the properties of both the silicates and the dyes themselves. The layer charge of the silicates enhanced the molecular aggregation of the hydrophilic, cationic dyes. The presence of a carboxyl acid group in the dye molecules inhibited adsorption of the dyes on the surface of fluorohectorite, a silicate with a high charge density. A lower or no adsorption could be observed by vis spectroscopy. Strong association of the dyes to the silicate surface led to remarkable changes in the dye spectra, mainly due to the molecular aggregation. Dye assemblies initially formed after mixing the dye solutions with silicate dispersions were unstable. Decomposition of the dye molecular assemblies, and the formation of new species or molecular aggregate rearrangements, were studied on the bases of time-difference spectra. The reaction pathways were specific, not only for the dyes, depending upon their molecular structure and properties, but also on the silicate substrates.     

偶氮型聚氧乙烯醚分散染料结构的电喷雾质谱分析

采用质谱、紫外和核磁共振等手段 ,对偶氮型聚氧乙烯醚染料及其中间体进行了结构与发色状况研究 ,结果表明偶氮染料接枝聚氧乙烯醚链后 ,染料近似呈正态分析 ,为具有相似结构 ,不同环氧乙烷平均加成数的同系混合物 ,接枝聚氧乙烯醚链长短 ,对其紫外吸收影响很小 ,紫外最大吸收λmax基本不变     

Solubilization of two organic dyes by cationic ester-containing gemini surfactants

Solubilization of two different types of organic dyes, Quinizarin with an anthraquinone structure and Sudan I with an azo structure, has been studied in aqueous solutions of a series of cationic gemini surfactants and of a conventional monomeric cationic surfactant, dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB). Surfactant concentrations both above and below the critical micelle concentration were used. The concentration of solubilized dye at equilibrium was determined from the absorbance of the solution at λ(max) with the aid of a calibration curve. The solubilization power of the gemini surfactants was higher than that of DTAB and increased with increasing alkyl chain length. An increase in length of the spacer unit resulted in increased solubilization power while a hydroxyl group in the spacer did not have much effect. Ester bonds in the alkyl chains reduced the solubilization power with respect to both dyes. A comparison between the absorbance spectra of the dyes in micellar solution with spectra in a range of solvents of different polarity indicated that the dye is situated in a relatively polar environment. One may therefore assume that the dye is located just below the head group region of the micelle. Attractive π-cation interactions may play a role for orienting the dye to the outer region of the micelle.     

照相光谱增感染料在溴化银沉淀表面的吸附及吸附热测量

用离心分离法得到25℃菁染料Ⅱ和Ⅲ分别在几种溶剂的溴化银分散系中的吸附等温线;记录了染料溶液的吸收光谱和吸附态染料的反射光谱。采用精密量热技术得到25±0.01℃溴化银从DMF-水溶液中吸附染料Ⅱ等位摩尔吸附热为-(3.18±0.09)KJ/mol(θ=0.87)。还对从DMF溶液中吸附染料Ⅱ的体系绘制了以单位溴化银表面的吸附热表示的吸附等温线,表明用精密量热技术可以研究染料的吸附过程。     

Interaction of anionic dyes and cationic surfactants with ionic liquid character

The interactions of an imidazolium based ionic liquid (IL), namely 1-dodecyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride [C12 mim][Cl] with two sulfonated anionic dyes, azocarmine G and methyl orange, are studied spectrophotometrically in both acidic and basic media. ILs (with some surface active character) can interact with the above dyes and cause considerable shifts in their spectra. These interactions are then compared with some surfactant-dye interactions. Evolving factor analysis (EFA) and multivariate curve resolution-alternating least squares (MCR-ALS) are used for complete resolution of the measured spectrophotometric data. The concentration and spectral profiles of all species were calculated without any assumption of the chemical models. The spectral variation of dye solutions as a function of IL concentrations below and above the critical aggregation concentration (CAC) is analyzed using MCR-ALS as a soft-modeling technique. The ion pair formation constants between ILs and dyes were calculated using the obtained concentration profiles.     

Theoretical investigation of substituted anthraquinone dyes

We have investigated with computational chemistry techniques the visible spectra of substituted anthraquinones. A wide panel of theoretical methods has been used, with various basis sets and density functional theory (DFT) functionals, in order to assess a level of theory that would lead to converged excitation energies. It turns out that the hybrid Becke-Lee-Yang-Parr and Perdew-Burke-Erzenrhof functionals with the 6-31G (d,p) atomic basis set provide reliable lambda(max) when the solvent effects are included in the model. Combining the results of both DFT schemes allows the prediction of lambda(max) with a standard deviation limited to 13 nm.     

An experimental and theoretical study on the interaction of PHBA ions and H2O molecules

We studied the dependence of the Raman spectra on the concentration of PHBA aqueous solution under UV laser excitation. Through analyzing the spectra, we conclude that the interaction between PHBA ions and H(2)O molecules is weak. To further explore the problem, we studied the interaction between PHBA ions and H(2)O molecules by virtue of theoretical calculations, DFT-B3PW91/6-31+g(*) was employed. We draw a coincident conclusion with the experiments and dug out the reasonable interaction model that reflects the actual interaction configuration between PHBA ions and H(2)O molecules. We supply a new thinking for studying interactions between solute molecules and solvent molecules, which also can be applied to interactions between solute molecules and other solute molecules in solutions.     

The Negative Solvatochromism of Reichardt‘s Dye B30 – A Complementary Study

The UV/Vis spectra of a hypothetical negative solvatochromic dye in a solvent are theoretically calculated assuming the classical damped harmonic oscillator model and the Lorentz-Lorenz relation. For the simulations, the oscillator strength of the solvent was varied, while for the solute all oscillator parameters were kept constant. As a result, a simple change of the oscillator strength of the solute can explain the redshift and intensity increase of the UV/Vis band of the solute. Simulated results are compared with measured UV/Vis spectroscopic data of 2,6-diphenyl-4-(2,4,6-triphenylpyridinium-1-yl) phenolate B30 (Reichardt‘s dye) Significant correlations of the absorption energy (1/λ_max) with the molar absorption coefficient ϵ as function of solvent polarity are demonstrated for several derivatives of B30 . The approach presented is only applicable to negative solvatochromism. Therefore, while the approach is vital to fully understand solvatochromism, it needs to be complemented by other approaches, e. g., to describe the changes of the chemical interactions based on the nature of the solvent, to explain all its various aspects.     

Thermochromism of metal ion complexes of semiquinone radical anions. Control of equilibria between diamagnetic and paramagnetic species by Lewis acids

Metal ion complexes of semiquinone radical anions exhibit different types of thermochromism depending on metal ions and quinones. Metal ion complexes of 1,10-phenanthroline-5,6-dione radical anion (PTQ(.-)) produced by the electron-transfer reduction of PTQ by 1,1'-dimethylferrocene (Me(2)Fc) in the presence of metal ions (Mg(2+) and Sc(3+)) exhibit the color change depending on temperature, accompanied by the concomitant change in the ESR signal intensity. In the case of Mg(2+), electron transfer from Me(2)Fc to PTQ is in equilibrium, when the concentration of the PTQ(.-)-Mg(2+) complex (lambda(max) = 486 nm) increases with increasing temperature because of the positive enthalpy for the electron-transfer equilibrium. In contrast to the case of Mg(2+), electron transfer from Me(2)Fc to PTQ is complete in the presence of Sc(3+), which is a much stronger Lewis acid than Mg(2+), to produce the PTQ(.-)-Sc(3+) complex (lambda(max) = 631 nm). This complex is in disproportionation equilibrium and the concentration of the PTQ(.-)-Sc(3+) complex increases with decreasing temperature because of the negative enthalpy for the proportionation direction, resulting in the remarkable color change in the visible region. On the other hand, the p-benzosemiquinone radical anion (Q(.-)) forms a 2:2 pi-dimer radical anion complex [Q(.-)-(Sc(3+))(2)-Q] with Q and Sc(3+) ions at 298 K (yellow color), which is converted to a 2:3 pi-dimer radical anion complex [Q(.-)-(Sc(3+))(3)-Q] with a strong absorption band at lambda(max) = 604 nm (blue color) when the temperature is lowered to 203 K. The change in the number of binding Sc(3+) ions depending on temperature also results in the remarkable color change, associated with the change in the ESR spectra.     

Solvatochromism effects on the dipole moments and photo-physical behavior of some azo sulfonamide dyes

Absorption and emission spectra of three azo sulfonamide dyes with various molecular structures have been studied in different solvents. The solute photo-physical behavior depends strongly on the solvent-solute interactions and solvent microenvironment. In order to understand the effect of intermolecular interactions on spectral behaviors of these dyes in different solvents and to conceive nature and extent of solvent-solute interactions the spectral variations were analyzed by the linear solvation energy relationships concept. In addition, by means of solvatochromic method the dipole moments of these dyes, in ground and excited states, were investigated.     

Solid phase adsorption of crystal violet lactone on silica nanoparticles to probe mechanochemical surface modification

The solid phase adsorption of crystal violet lactone (CVL) on five types of Stober silica nanopowders with BET specific surface areas in the range of 50-800 m2/g under dry milling conditions was described for the first time. The hydrogen bonding between surface silanol and the carboxylate of the ring-opened triphenylmethane dye (CVL+) led to the formation of monolayers of CVL+ in a flat-laid configuration. The lambda max of CVL+ in diffusive reflection visible spectra was influenced by the particle size of silica powders, suggesting that the microenvironmental polarity of adsorbed CVL+ is considerably reduced along with the decrease of the particle size. The solid phase adsorption of CVL obeyed Langmuir adsorption isotherms to give a saturated amount of CVL+ for every silica nanoparticle. The surface concentration of CVL+ on nanoparticles at the saturation was estimated to be 0.31 mg/m2 on average, disclosing that about 52% of the surface can be covered by CVL+ under the assumption that the BET-specific surface areas are equivalent to the real surfaces active for the CVL adsorption. The generation of the blue color of CVL provided a convenient means to estimate qualitative and quantitative analysis of the surface coverage with surface-active reagents, which conceal surface silanols. Subsequently, silica nanoparticles were milled with a surface modifier, followed by milling with CVL to observe the intensity of the blue color in order to disclose that the surface coverage with oligo- and polyethylene glycols as well as with nonionic surfactants by dry milling was specifically determined by the number of repeating oxyethylene units. Although the surface-active reagents were easily desorbed in water, the desorption was notably suppressed by milling with CVL, suggesting that the surface-modified particles with the surface-active reagents are covered with ultrathin films of CVL.     

Bis(merocyanine) Homo-Folda-Dimers: Evaluation of Electronic and Spectral Changes in Well-Defined Dye Aggregate Geometries

A series of three bis(merocyanine) dyes comprising chromophores of different conjugation lengths has been synthesized and the intramolecular aggregation process was investigated by UV/Vis absorption spectroscopy. The spectral changes observed upon variation of the solvent polarity reveal a folding process resulting in a cofacial π-stack of two chromophores with a decrease of the aggregation tendency with increasing chromophore length and solvent polarity. Solvent-dependent UV/Vis studies of the monomeric reference dyes show a significant increase of the polyene-like character for dyes with longer polymethine chains in nonpolar solvents, which is reversed upon aggregation due to the polarizability effect of the adjacent chromophore within the dye stack. The pronounced hypsochromic shift of the absorption band observed upon aggregation indicates strong coupling of the dyes’ transition dipole moments, which was confirmed by quantum-chemical analysis.     

Spectrophotometric Studies on the Aggregation of Some Acid Dyes

The electronic absorption spectra of different acid dyes, mainly C. I. Acid Red 13, 18, 27, 88 and 141, have been investigated in aqueous and non-aqueous solutions. As the concentration of the dye increases the absorption spectrum shifts to shorter wavelengths; this behaviour has been attributed to the formation of higher aggregates. The longer wavelength band, most marked in dilute solutions, is typical of the monomeric dye. The aggregation of these dyes were studied quantitatively using the Maximum Slope Method. The monosulfonic acid dyes Red 141 and 88 and the disulfonic acid dye 13 are aggregated at room temperature with an average aggregation number of 2.0, 2.2 and 1.5, respectively. The trisulfonic acid dyes Red 18 and 27 show very little aggregation at this temperature.     

Electrochemical surface plasmon resonance investigation of dodecyl sulfate adsorption to electroactive self-assembled monolayers via ion-pairing interactions

The redox-induced assembly of amphiphilic molecules and macromolecules at electrode surfaces is a potentially attractive means of electrochemically modulating the organization of materials and nanostructures on solid substrates via ion-pairing interactions or charge-transfer complexation. In this regard, we have investigated the potential-induced adsorption and aggregation of dodecyl sulfate, a common anionic surfactant, at a ferrocenylundecanethiolate (FcC11SAu) self-assembled monolayer (SAM)/aqueous solution interface by electrochemical surface plasmon resonance (ESPR) spectroscopy. The surfactant anions adsorb onto the electroactive SAM by specific ion-pairing interactions with the oxidized ferricinium species. The ferricinium charge density (QFc+) obtained by cyclic voltammetry and surface coverage measured by SPR indicate that the dodecyl sulfate forms an interdigitated monolayer, where half of the surfactant molecules have their sulfate headgroups paired to the surface and half have their headgroups exposed to the aqueous solution. The surface coverage of dodecyl sulfate was found to depend on both the ferricinium surface concentration and the surfactant aggregation state in solution. A maximum coverage of dodecyl sulfate on the ferricinium surface is obtained below the critical micelle concentration (cmc), in contrast to dodecyl sulfate adsorption to SAM surfaces of static positive charge. This marked difference in adsorption behavior is attributed to the dynamic generation of ferricinium by potential cycling and the specific nature of the ion-pairing interactions versus pure electrostatic ones. The results presented point to a new way of organizing molecules via electrical stimulus.     

Investigation of aggregation behavior using computational methods and absorption spectra for trisazo direct dyes

Direct dyes are likely to self-associate in aqueous solutions. Here, we present the aggregation characteristics of three trisazo direct dyes investigated using a procedure, which combines computational and experimental approaches. The geometric features of the molecules and their aggregates were elucidated by molecular modeling and optimization. The relative energies specific for the aggregation process yielded the optimum number of molecules forming an aggregate: two for AHDS dye and three for SDH and AIDS dyes. The results were further confirmed by using spectrometric determination and mathematical analysis. Accordingly, molecular aggregation was studied in aqueous solutions as a function of dye concentration (10^?6–10^?3 mol/l) and solution pH (4–10). As the dye concentration increased, shifts in absorption spectra were observed, suggesting the formation of aggregates. The pH variation produced a change in the spectral maximum, confirming the aggregation. The mathematical processing of the absorption spectrum data confirmed the number of chemical species of each aggregate as resulted from computational calculations.