Accessing the long-lived triplet excited states in bodipy-conjugated 2-(2-hydroxyphenyl) benzothiazole/benzoxazoles and applications as organic triplet photosensitizers for photooxidations

Bodipy derivatives containing excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) chromophores 2-(2-hydroxyphenyl) benzothiazole and benzoxazole (HBT and HBO) subunits were prepared (7-10). The compounds show red-shifted UV-vis absorption (530-580 nm; ε up to 50000 M(-1) cm(-1)) and emission compared to both HBT/HBO and Bodipy. The new chromophores show small Stokes shift (45 nm) and high fluorescence quantum yields (Φ(F) up to 36%), which are in stark contrast to HBT and HBO (Stokes shift up to 180 nm and Φ(F) as low as 0.6%). On the basis of steady state and time-resolved absorption spectroscopy, as well as DFT/TDDFT calculations, we propose that 7-9 do not undergo ESIPT upon photoexcitation. Interestingly, nanosecond time-resolved transient absorption spectroscopy demonstrated that Bodipy-localized triplet excited states were populated for 7-10 upon photoexcitation; the lifetimes of the triplet excited states (τ(T)) are up to 195 μs. DFT calculations confirm the transient absorptions are due to the triplet state. Different from the previous report, we demonstrated that population of the triplet excited states is not the result of ESIPT. The compounds were used as organic triplet photosensitizers for photooxidation of 1,5-dihydroxylnaphthalene. One of the compounds is more efficient than the conventional Ir(ppy)(2)(phen)]PF(6)] triplet photosensitizer. Our result will be useful for design of new Bodipy derivatives, ESIPT compounds, and organic triplet photosensitizers, as well as for applications of these compounds in photovoltaics, photocatalysis and luminescent materials, etc.