Novel gallium(III) phthalocyanine derivatives – Synthesis,photophysics and photochemistry

The syntheses of gallium(III) chloride phthalocyanine {(Cl)GaPc}, octaphenoxyphthalocyaninato gallium(III) chloride {(Cl)GaOPPc} and octakis(4-tert-butylphenoxy)phthalocyaninato gallium(III) chloride {(Cl)GaOTBPPc}; as well as their photophysical and photochemical parameters are hereby presented. Fluorescence quantum yields do not vary much among the three metallophthalocyanines (MPcs); therefore it was concluded that the effect of the substituents is not significant amongst (Cl)GaPc, (Cl)GaOPPc and (Cl)GaOTBPPc. Solvents effects, however, had an effect on the results. Triplet quantum yields were found to be lower in DMSO than in DMF and toluene. The rate constants for fluorescence, intersystem crossing and internal conversion as well as fluorescence and triplet lifetimes are reported. We have also reported photodegradation and singlet oxygen quantum yields. There was no clear correlation between the later parameters. It was, however, established that the three MPcs were stable.     

Solvent Effects on the Spectral Properties of Rhodamine 6G: Estimation of Ground and Excited State Dipole Moments

Spectroscopic and photophysical behavior of Rhodamine 6G (R6G) in seven solvents are reported in this work. R6G monomers exhibit strong electronic absorptions (due to π*←π transitions) in the 529–539-nm region, and the band positions were shown to depend on the refractive indices of the respective solvents. The Stokes’ shifts displayed a linear dependence on solvent polarity, with values ranging between 19 nm (in benzene) and 28 nm (in water). R6G’s fluorescence quantum yields (Φ_F) are generally high (> 0.90), and this was ascribed to structural features (rigidity, planarity and presence of condensed rings) in the R6G molecule. These Φ_F values are shown to vary with solvent viscosity in accordance with the Förster–Hoffmann model. Fluorescence quenching of R6G by 1,4-benzoquinone was diffusion controlled and occurred via an electron transfer mechanism. Theoretical treatment of the fluorescence quenching data yielded fluorescence lifetime values, which were also shown to be solvent viscosity dependent. Ground-state and excited-state dipole moments of R6G were obtained semi-empirically via the analysis of solvatochromic data, and the values are found to be 0.69 D and 1.97 D, respectively.     

Photocatalytic Degradation of Single and Binary Mixture of Brilliant Green and Rhodamine B Dyes by Zinc Sulfide Quantum Dots

We present the preparation of octadecylamine-capped ZnS quantum dots from bis(morpholinyldithiocarbamato)Zn(II) complex. The complex was thermolyzed at 130 °C in octadecylamine at different times, to study the effect of reaction time on the morphological and photocatalytic properties of the ZnS quantum dots. Powder X-ray diffraction patterns confirmed a hexagonal wurtzite crystalline phase of ZnS, while HRTEM images showed particle sizes of about 1–3 nm, and energy band gaps of 3.68 eV (ZnS–1), 3.87 eV (ZnS–2), and 4.16 eV (ZnS–3) were obtained from the Tauc plot for the ZnS nanoparticles. The as-prepared ZnS were used as photocatalysts for the degradation of brilliant green, rhodamine B, and binary dye consisting of a mixture of brilliant green-rhodamine B. The highest photocatalytic degradation efficiency of 94% was obtained from ZnS–3 with low photoluminescence intensity. The effect of catalytic dosage and pH of the dyes solution on the photocatalytic process shows that pH 8 is optimal for the degradation of brilliant green, while pH 6.5 is the best for photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B. The degradation of the binary dyes followed the same trends. The effect of catalytic dosage shows that 1 mg mL⁻¹ of the ZnS nano-photocatalyst is the optimum dosage for the degradation of organic dyes. Reusability studies show that the ZnS quantum dots can be reused five times without a significant reduction in degradation efficiency.     

Pictet–Spengler reactions of oxetan-3-ones and related heterocycles

Pictet–Spengler reactions of oxetan-3-ones and azetidin-3-ones with tryptamine and tryptophan derivatives produce spirocyclic tetrahydro-β-carbolines in good yields. Molecular iodine (5 mol %) is an effective catalyst in most cases and high levels of diastereoselectivity are witnessed using 2-substituted oxetan-3-ones.     

Natural antifungal compounds from the peels of Ipomoea batatas Lam

Three antifungal compounds have been isolated for the first time from the peels of Ipomoea batatas Lam. Their structures were established on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR spectra data as well as ESI-MS and IR analysis. Urs-13(18)-ene-3β-yl acetate was found to possess a weak activity against Sporothrix schenckii and Trichophyton metagrophytes fungi with an MIC value of 50 μg/mL each. Stigmasterol and 3-friedelanol were equally active against T. metagrophytes.     

Excited state dynamics of zinc and aluminum phthalocyanine carboxylates

Photophysical parameters for zinc and aluminium tetracarboxylphthalocyanines (ZnTCPc and AlTCPc, respectively) and their octacarboxy substituted counterparts (ZnOCPc and AlOCPc) were studied. Data for the fluorescence quenching of the complexes by benzoquinone (BQ) were treated using the Stern-Volmer analysis, and the quenching was found to follow a diffusion-controlled (dynamic) bimolecular mechanism. Theoretical values of bimolecular rate constant for complex-BQ interactions were determined using the Stokes-Einstein-Smoluchowski model; and the values, together with the Stern-Volmer quenching constants were used in calculating the fluorescence lifetimes of the complexes. The thermodynamics of the MPc-BQ interaction, in terms of solvent reorientation energy is also discussed.