Bis(merocyanine) Hetero-Folda-Dimers: Evaluation of Exciton Coupling between Different Types of π-Stacked Chromphores

Exciton coupling between different types of chromophores has been rarely investigated. Herein, a systematic study on the exciton coupling between merocyanine chromophores of different conjugation length with varying excited state energies is presented. In this work well-defined hetero-dimer stacks were obtained upon folding of bis(merocyanine) dyes in nonpolar solvents. They show distinctly different absorption properties in comparison with the spectra of the single chromophores, revealing a significant coupling between the different chromophores. The simulated absorption spectra obtained from time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations are in good agreement with the experimental spectra. Our theoretical analysis based on an extension of Kasha's exciton theory discloses strong coupling between the dyes’ transition dipole moments despite of an excited-state energy difference of 0.60 eV between the chromophores.     

Experimental and Theoretical Investigation of the First‐Order Hyperpolarizability of Octupolar Merocyanine Dyes

Hyper‐Rayleigh scattering experiments and quantum chemical calculations are combined to investigate the second‐order nonlinear optical responses of a series of three‐arm merocyanine derivatives. They exhibit an octupolar hyperpolarizability response with lower amplitude than crystal violet due to a lower extent of the photoinduced charge transfer and reduced bond length alternation. Strong effects on the second‐order optical response measured close to the two‐photon absorption level are clearly evidenced; for example, the effective measured polarization ratio deviates below the ideal octupolar value of 3/2 even at very low excitation power. These effects are attributed to two‐photon absorption resonance, which we believe modifies dynamically the population of the ground state versus that of the excited state.     

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.     

Fast and slow processes of thermal deactivation of excited stilbazolium merocyanine dyes

The long living triplet states play important role in sensitizing action in all photochemical reactions. The yield of generation of triplet states of dyes can be evaluated on the basis of measurements of their slow (microsecond) thermal deactivation (TD). All experiments were carried out in the oxygen presence, it means under quenching dye triplets. The pulse dye laser generates in the investigated solution pressure signal. The high of the amplitudes of first maximum of this pressure wave-form signal in the solution of the investigated dye and in the reference sample were measured. Reference sample exhibits only fast processes of TD. The comparison of the first maximum of wave-form photothermal signal of sample and of reference enable to calculate part of energy exchanged into heat in time longer than time resolution of arrangement. The fluorescence yields of investigated dyes were also established. On the basis of such data, using procedure described in literature, the yield of singlet–triplet intersystem crossing (ISC) was evaluated. It was shown that this yield depends on the length of stilbazolium merocyanine chain. The product of triplet state yield and energy was lower for merocyanines with longer chains. At lower temperatures the yield of fluorescence increases and amount of excitation exchanged in short time into heat decreases. The slow TD process increases in low temperature because of the decrease in the quenching of the dyes triplet states by oxygen. The amount of energy exchanged into heat in a time longer than time resolution of apparatus is due predominantly through TD of the dye triplet states.     

NMR Spin–Spin Coupling Constants in Polymethine Dyes as Polarity Indicators

Herein, we explore the use of spin–spin coupling constants (SSCCs) in merocyanine (MCYNE) dyes as indicators of polarity. For this purpose, we use Car–Parrinello hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) to determine the structures of MCYNE in solvents of different polarity, followed by computations of the SSCCs by using QM/MM linear‐response theory. The molecular geometry of MCYNE switches between neutral, cyanine‐like, and zwitterionic depending on the polarity of the solvent. This structural variation is clearly reflected in the proton SSCCs in the polymethine backbone, which are highly sensitive to the dielectric nature of the environment; this mechanism can be used as a “polarity indicator” for different microenvironments. This result is highlighted by computing the SSCCs of the MCYNE probe in the cavity of the beta‐lactoglobulin protein. The computed SSCCs clearly indicate a non‐polar hydrophobic dielectric nature of this cavity.     

泵浦光偏振态的改变对SO/PMMA薄膜光致双折射的影响

在紫外光伴随下,用偏振态分别为s和p的HeNe激光器发出的632.8nm红光(均为10mW)交替激发螺恶嗪掺杂的聚甲基丙烯酸甲脂薄膜(SO/PMMA),用532nm的绿光(0.1mW)作为探测光记录光致双折射的动力学过程.实验发现透射信号被周期性调制,而且每次调制的最大值随时间逐渐减小并最终趋于稳定.指出了泵浦过程中的异构动态平衡与取向动态平衡并存的物理机制.     

Merocyanines based on 1,3‐indanedione: electronic structure and solvatochromism

A series of merocyanines derived from 1,3‐indanedione and heterocycles of various electron‐donating properties was studied in detail. Their solvatochromic properties were explored in a wide range of solvent polarities to reveal the dependences of their chromacity and electronic structure on the key structural parameters – the properties of a donor heterocycle and the polymethine chain length. Also the dyes were studied by NMR spectroscopy and by quantum chemical calculations, both with the semiempirical AM1 and the non‐empirical density functional theory/B3LYP method. The solvatochromic properties of the explored dyes are rather close to those of merocyanines derived from malononitrile as acceptor group. Appreciable distinctions were observed only in protic ethanol; obviously, they are connected with the formation of solvent–solute H‐bonds in the case of 1,3‐indanedione derivatives. The electron‐acceptor properties of 1,3‐indanedione were found to be somewhat stronger in comparison with those of malononitrile even in aprotic solvents, contrary to the known literature data. Analysis of the merocyanines' molecular orbitals and simulation of their electronic spectra were carried out both in vacuum and in the solvent matrix, and the absorption electronic transitions were analyzed. Static nonlinear optical properties were calculated for both the new merocyanines and the corresponding cationic and anionic cyanine dyes. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Solvent effects on the absorption spectra of merocyanine dyes

Solvent effects on the lowest-energy electronic transitions of two merocyanines derived from quinoline have been studied using nine different solvent parameters reported in the literature. Relative merits and deficiencies of different parameters have been assessed. From the correlation results, attempts have been made to propose a solute-solvent interaction mechanism. For an assorted set of 19 solvents, as well as for a set of nine hydroxylic solvents, excellent results are obtained with correlation equation involving E_T(30) and Hilderbrand's solubility parameter _H.     

Synthesis and spectral properties of malononitrile-based merocyanine dyes

Di-, tetra-, and hexamethine merocyanines derived from malononitrile and heterocycles with moderate (dyes 1–6), strong (7–9), and weak (10 and 11) electron-releasing ability were synthesized. The electronic structures of merocyanines 10 and 11 are similar to the neutral polyene state, whereas those of 7–9 are similar to the ideal polymethine state. These tendencies become more pronounced with increasing length of the polymethine chain. The merocyanines derived from heterocyclic residues with weak or moderate electron-releasing ability exhibit a positive solvatochromism, whereas those with strong electron-releasing ability show a negative solvatochromism. An increase in the polarity of the solvent makes the former compounds more similar to polymethines, whereas the latter become more similar to polyenes bearing opposite charges on the end groups. The nature of the factors (nonspecific solvation, specific nucleophilic and electrophilic solvation, and vibronic interactions) responsible for the observed characteristic features was analyzed. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 12, pp. 2726–2735, December, 2005.