Functionalization of 3,5,8-trichlorinated BODIPY dyes

Catalytic hydrogenation of dibenzyl 5-dipyrroketone-2,9-dicarboxylates followed by decarboxylative iodination affords a 2,9-diiododipyrroketone which gives a 2,5,9-trichlorodipyrromethene hydrochloride after nucleophilic addition/elimination, with adventitious chloride to replace the two iodide groups. Treatment with BF3·Et2O gives a 3,5,8-trichloro-BODIPY that readily undergoes regioselective Stille coupling at the 8-position, or homo/mixed couplings at the 3,8- or 3,5- and 8-positions. Stepwise and controlled replacement of the 3,5- and 8-chlorine atoms using Stille reagents results in formation of a completely unsymmetrical trisubstituted BODIPY. Several examples of unsymmetrical BODIPYs were synthesized and characterized using this methodology. Structure features of new BODIPYs are discussed within the context of 14 new X-ray structures, and photophysical parameters of all new BODIPY compounds are reported and discussed.

Switching of the triplet excited state of styryl 2,6-diiodo-bodipy and its application in acid-activatable singlet oxygen photosensitizing

IodoBodipy-styrylBodipy dyads triplet photosensitizers were prepared (B-1 and B-2) which contain acid-responsive moiety. Both compounds show broadband visible light absorption, due to the resonance energy transfer (RET) between the two different visible light-harvesting Bodipy units. The photophysical properties of the dyads were studied with steady-state and nanosecond time-resolved transient absorption spectroscopy. The production of triplet excited state is switched ON or OFF by protonation/deprotonation of the amino group in the dyads. In the neutral form, the excited state is short-lived (<10 ns) and no singlet oxygen ((1)O2) photosensitizing was observed. Upon protonation, a long-lived triplet excited state was observed (τT = 3.1 μs) and the (1)O2 quantum yield (ΦΔ) is up to 73.8%. The energy levels of the components of the dyads were changed upon protonation and this energy level tuning exerts significant influence on the triplet state property of the dyad. Acid-activated shuffling of the localization of the triplet excited state between two components of a dyad was observed. Furthermore, we observed a rare example that a chromophore giving shorter absorption wavelength is acting as the singlet energy acceptor in RET. The experimental results were rationalized by density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TDDFT) calculations.

New members of fluorescent 1,8-naphthyridine-based BF2 compounds: selective binding of BF2 with terminal bidentate N^N^O and N^C^O groups and tunable spectroscopy properties

Intensely luminescent 1,8-naphthyridine-BF2 complexes 1-9 containing terminal bidentate N^N^O and/or N^C^O groups are synthesized and structurally characterized by X-ray diffraction, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, (1)H and (19)F NMR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. Complexes 1-4 are synthesized from 2-acetamino-1,8-naphthyridine derivatives by a facile route. Selective bonding modes and the chemical stability of complexes 5 and 6 obtained by reacting BF3·Et2O with 1,8-naphthyridine derivatives bearing dual-functional groups (N^C^O and N^N^O) are investigated by crystal structure analysis and time-dependent density functional theory calculations. The products containing a BF2 core bound to a N^C^O chelating group are energetically favorable and can expand the range of derivatives by substitution at the 2-position. In this regard, a free -NH2 group at the 2-position of complex 7 obtained from 5 can be functionalized under a variety of pH conditions to generate complexes 8 and 9, which bear flexible coordination arms that can be used to recognize certain transition metals. The photophysical properties of the complexes are examined in solution and solid state at room temperature. Compared with those of the starting naphthyridine-based compounds, the naphthyridine-BF2 complexes display desirable light-absorbing properties and intense solution and solid-state emission with large Stokes shifts. Complex 4 in solution exhibited an emission quantum yield of 0.98. In complexes 5-9, the binding sites for the BF2 core change from N^N^O to N^C^O, which leads to red shifts of absorption and emission, excellent chemical stability and high emission quantum yields.

QM/MM studies of contemporary and novel membrane raft fluorescent probes

We have studied a number of contemporary and novel membrane probes, selected for their structural similarity to membrane raft components, in order to properly anchor themselves within a sphingolipid/cholesterol rich region. A QM/MM approach was adopted in order to understand the structural and electrostatic influences of fluorescence emission shifts of the probes in different lipid and solvation environments. The proposed modifications to the membrane probes have shown encouraging data relating not only to emission shifts within the membrane, but also their ability to anchor within a membrane raft domain and the stability to internalization within a membrane system.

A borane-bithiophene-BODIPY triad: intriguing tricolor emission and selective fluorescence response towards fluoride ions

The structure and photophysical properties of a new triad (borane–bithiophene–BODIPY) 1 have been investigated. Triad 1 exhibits unprecedented tricolour emission when excited at the borane centred high energy absorption band and also acts as a selective fluorescent and colorimetric sensor for fluoride ions with ratiometric response. The experimental results are supported by computational studies.

Small molecule BODIPY dyes as non-fullerene acceptors in bulk heterojunction organic photovoltaics

A series of acceptor-donor-acceptor molecules containing terminal BODIPY moieties conjugated through the meso position were synthesized. Deep LUMO energy levels and good visible absorption led to their use as acceptors in bulk heterojunction solar cells. Inverted devices were fabricated, reaching efficiencies as high as 1.51%.

First highly efficient and photostable E and C derivatives of 4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene (BODIPY) as dye lasers in the liquid phase, thin films, and solid-state rods

A new library of E- and C-4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene (BODIPY) derivatives has been synthesized through a straightforward protocol from commercially available BODIPY complexes, and a systematic study of the photophysical properties and laser behavior related to the electronic properties of the B-substituent group (alkynyl, cyano, vinyl, aryl, and alkyl) has been carried out. The replacement of fluorine atoms by electron-withdrawing groups enhances the fluorescence response of the dye, whereas electron-donor groups diminish the fluorescence efficiency. As a consequence, these compounds exhibit enhanced laser action with respect to their parent dyes, both in liquid solution and in the solid phase, with lasing efficiencies under transversal pumping up to 73 % in liquid solution and 53 % in a solid matrix. The new dyes also showed enhanced photostability. In a solid matrix, the derivative of commercial dye PM597 that incorporated cyano groups at the boron center exhibited a very high lasing stability, with the laser emission remaining at the initial level after 100 000 pump pulses in the same position of the sample at a 10 Hz repetition rate. Distributed feedback laser emission was demonstrated with organic films that incorporated parent dye PM597 and its cyano derivative. The films were deposited onto quartz substrates engraved with appropriate periodical structures. The C derivative exhibited a laser threshold lower than that of the parent dye as well as lasing intensities up to three orders of magnitude higher.

Negishi reaction in BODIPY dyes. Unprecedented alkylation by palladium-catalyzed C–C coupling in boron dipyrromethene derivatives

Unprecedented Negishi reaction in haloBODIPYs to yield alkyl, aryl and alkynyl BODIPY dyes, including interesting a symmetrically disubstituted derivatives, is described.

Structural modification strategies for the rational design of red/NIR region BODIPYs

The structure–property relationships of red/NIR region BODIPY dyes is analyzed, so that trends in their photophysical properties can be readily compared.

Experimental and theoretical study of enol–keto prototropic tautomerism and photophysics of azomethine–BODIPY dyads

Enol ↔ keto prototropic tautomerism can be exploited to modulate the photophysics of BODIPY chromophores based on proton-coupled photoinduced electron transfer processes.

Triplet photosensitizers: from molecular design to applications

Triplet photosensitizers (PSs) are compounds that can be efficiently excited to the triplet excited state which subsequently act as catalysts in photochemical reactions. The name is originally derived from compounds that were used to transfer the triplet energy to other compounds that have only a small intrinsic triplet state yield. Triplet PSs are not only used for triplet energy transfer, but also for photocatalytic organic reactions, photodynamic therapy (PDT), photoinduced hydrogen production from water and triplet-triplet annihilation (TTA) upconversion. A good PS should exhibit strong absorption of the excitation light, a high yield of intersystem crossing (ISC) for efficient production of the triplet state, and a long triplet lifetime to allow for the reaction with a reactant molecule. Most transition metal complexes show efficient ISC, but small molar absorption coefficients in the visible spectral region and short-lived triplet excited states, which make them unsuitable as triplet PSs. One obstacle to the development of new triplet PSs is the difficulty in predicting the ISC of chromophores, especially of organic compounds without any heavy atoms. This review article summarizes some molecular design rationales for triplet PSs, based on the molecular structural factors that facilitate ISC. The design of transition metal complexes with large molar absorption coefficients in the visible spectral region and long-lived triplet excited states is presented. A new method of using a spin converter to construct heavy atom-free organic triplet PSs is discussed, with which ISC becomes predictable, C60 being an example. To enhance the performance of triplet PSs, energy funneling based triplet PSs are proposed, which show broadband absorption in the visible region. Applications of triplet PSs in photocatalytic organic reactions, hydrogen production, triplet-triplet annihilation upconversion and luminescent oxygen sensing are briefly introduced.

Blue-to-orange color-tunable laser emission from tailored boron-dipyrromethene dyes

A series of meso-substituted boron-bipyrromethene (BODIPY) dyes are synthesized and their laser and photophysical properties systematically studied. Laser emission covering a wide visible spectral region (from blue to orange) is obtained by just changing the electron donor character of the heteroatom at position 8. The additional presence of methyl groups at positions 3 and 5 results in dyes with a photostability similar to that of the unsubstituted dye but with much improved efficiency. Correlation of the lasing properties of the different dyes to their photophysical properties provides inklings to define synthetic strategies of new BODIPY dyes with enhanced efficiency and modulated wavelength emission over the visible spectral region.

Spectroscopic, computational modeling and cytotoxicity of a series of meso-phenyl and meso-thienyl-BODIPYs

A series of twenty-two BODIPY compounds were synthesized, containing various meso-phenyl and meso-thienyl groups, and their spectroscopic and structural properties were investigated using both experimental and computational methods. Further functionalization of the BODIPY framework via iodination at the 2,6-pyrrolic positions was explored in order to determine the effect of these heavy atoms on the photophysical and cytotoxicity of the meso-aryl-BODIPYs. BODIPYs bearing meso-thienyl substituents showed the largest red-shifted absorptions and emissions and reduced fluorescence quantum yields. The phototoxicity of the BODIPYs in human carcinoma HEp2 cells depends on both the presence of iodines and the nature of the meso-aryl groups. Six of the eleven 2,6-diiodo-BODIPYs investigated showed at least a sevenfold enhancement in phototoxicity (IC50 = 3.5-28 μM at 1.5 J/cm(2)) compared with the non-iodinated BODIPYs, while the others showed no cytotoxicity, while their singlet oxygen quantum yields ranged from 0.02 to 0.76. Among the series investigated, BODIPYs 2a and 4a bearing electron-donating meso-dimethoxyphenyl substituents showed the highest phototoxicity and dark/phototoxicity ratio, and are therefore the most promising for application in PDT.

Synthesis, electrochemistry, and electrogenerated chemiluminescence of two BODIPY-appended bipyridine homologues

Two new 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy) derivatives containing ancillary BODIPY chromophores attached at the 5- and 5'-positions (BB3) or 6- and 6'-positions (BB4) were prepared and characterized. In this work, the basic photophysics, electrochemistry, and electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) of BB3 and BB4 are compared with those previously reported for a related bpy-BODIPY derivative (BB2) (J. Phys. Chem. C 2011, 115, 17993-18001). Cyclic voltammetry revealed that BB3 and BB4 display reversible 2e(-) oxidation and reduction waves, which consist of two closely spaced (50-70 mV) 1e(-) events. This redox behavior is consistent with the frontier molecular orbitals calculated for BB3 and BB4 and indicates that the 2,2'-bipyridine spacer of each bpy-BODIPY homologue does not facilitate efficient electronic communication between the tethered indacene units. In the presence of a coreactant such as tri-n-propylamine (TPA) or benzoyl peroxide (BPO), BB3 and BB4 exhibit strong ECL and produce spectra that are very similar to their corresponding photoluminescence profiles. The ECL signal obtained under annihilation conditions, however, is significantly different and is characterized by two distinct bands. One of these bands is centered at ∼570 nm and is attributed to emission via an S- or T-route. The second band occurs at longer wavelengths and is centered around ∼740 nm. The shape and concentration dependence of this long-wavelength ECL signal is not indicative of emission from an excimer or aggregate, but rather it suggests that a new emissive species is formed from the bpy-BODIPY luminophores during the annihilation process.

A dendritic single-molecule fluorescent probe that is monovalent, photostable and minimally blinking

Single-molecule fluorescence techniques have emerged as a powerful approach to understand complex biological systems. However, a challenge researchers still face is the limited photostability of nearly all organic fluorophores, including the cyanine and Alexa dyes. We report a new, monovalent probe that emits in the far-red region of the visible spectrum with properties desirable for single-molecule optical imaging. This probe is based on a ring-fused boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY) core that is conjugated to a polyglycerol dendrimer (PGD). The dendrimer makes the hydrophobic fluorophore water-soluble. This probe exhibits excellent brightness, with an emission maximum of 705 nm. We observed strikingly long and stable emission from individual PGD-BODIPY probes even in the absence of anti-fading agents such as Trolox, a combined oxidizing-reducing agent often used in single-molecule studies for improving the photostability of common imaging probes. These interesting properties greatly simplify use of the fluorophore.

8-Alkoxy- and 8-aryloxy-BODIPYs: straightforward fluorescent tagging of alcohols and phenols

We demonstrate herein that both alcohols and phenols can be tagged with a BODIPY (borondipyrromethene) moiety to yield highly fluorescent products. Thus, 8-(methylthio)-BODIPY (1) undergoes an S(N)Ar-type reaction with a host of alcohols and phenols in the presence of a base and a Cu(I) additive. The BODIPY dyes bearing alkoxy or nonfunctionalized phenoxy moieties are characterized by a highly efficient fluorescence emission, regardless of the media, in the blue-green part of the visible region. Complementary to this, the presence of electron-donor groups at the aryl ring leads to an intramolecular charge-transfer process, which quenches the fluorescence mainly in polar media. In addition to simple alcohols and phenols, four natural products (eugenol, menthol, cholesterol, and estrone) were labeled in a simple fashion. X-ray structures of the cholesterol and estrone derivatives are discussed. In fact, the BODIPY bearing cholesterol stands out as a bright fluorescence biological marker.

Utilization of fluorescent probes for the quantification and identification of subcellular proteomes and biological processes regulated by lipid peroxidation products

Oxidative modifications to cellular proteins are critical in mediating redox-sensitive processes such as autophagy, the antioxidant response, and apoptosis. The proteins that become modified by reactive species are often compartmentalized to specific organelles or regions of the cell. Here, we detail protocols for identifying the subcellular protein targets of lipid oxidation and for linking protein modifications with biological responses such as autophagy. Fluorophores such as BODIPY-labeled arachidonic acid or BODIPY-conjugated electrophiles can be paired with organelle-specific probes to identify specific biological processes and signaling pathways activated in response to oxidative stress. In particular, we demonstrate "negative" and "positive" labeling methods using BODIPY-tagged reagents for examining oxidative modifications to protein nucleophiles. The protocol describes the use of these probes in slot immunoblotting, quantitative Western blotting, in-gel fluorescence, and confocal microscopy techniques. In particular, the use of the BODIPY fluorophore with organelle- or biological process-specific dyes and chromophores is highlighted. These methods can be used in multiple cell types as well as isolated organelles to interrogate the role of oxidative modifications in regulating biological responses to oxidative stress.

Highly water-soluble BODIPY-based fluorescent probe for sensitive and selective detection of nitric oxide in living cells

A highly water-soluble BODIPY dye bearing electron-rich o-diaminophenyl groups at 2,6-positions was prepared as a highly sensitive and selective fluorescent probe for detection of nitric oxide (NO) in living cells. The fluorescent probe displays an extremely weak fluorescence with fluorescence quantum yield of 0.001 in 10 mM phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) in the absence of NO as two electron-rich o-diaminophenyl groups at 2,6-positions significantly quench the fluorescence of the BODIPY dye via photoinduced electron transfer mechanism. The presence of NO in cells enhances the dye fluorescence dramatically. The fluorescent probe demonstrates excellent water solubility, membrane permeability, and compatibility with living cells for sensitive detection of NO.

Synthesis, Photophysics, Electrochemistry and Electrogenerated Chemiluminescence of PEG-Modified BODIPY dyes in Organic and Aqueous Solutions

A set polyethylene glycol (PEG) appended BODIPY architectures (BOPEG1 - BOPEG3) have been prepared and studied in CH2Cl2, H2O:CH3CN (1:1) and aqueous solutions. BOPEG1 and BOPEG2 both contain a short PEG chain and differ in substitution about the BODIPY framework. BOPEG3 is comprised of a fully substituted BODIPY moiety linked to a PEG polymer that is roughly 13 units in length. The photophysics and electrochemical properties of these compounds have been thoroughly characterized in CH2Cl2 and aqueous CH3CN solutions. The behavior of BOPEG1 - BOPEG3 correlates with established rules of BODIPY stability based on substitution about the BODIPY moiety. ECL for each of these compounds was also monitored. BOPEG1, which is unsubstituted at the 2- and 6-positions dimerized upon electrochemical oxidation while BOPEG2, which contains ethyl groups at the 2- and 6-positions, was much more robust and served as an excellent ECL luminophore. BOPEG3 is highly soluble in water due to the long PEG tether and demonstrated modest ECL activity in aqueous solutions using tri-n-propylamine (TPrA) as a coreactant. As such, BOPEG3 represents the first BODIPY derivative that has been shown to display ECL in water without the need for an organic cosolvent, and marks an important step in the development of BODIPY based ECL probes for various biosensing applications.

QM/MM excited state molecular dynamics and fluorescence spectroscopy of BODIPY

Absorption and emission spectra arising from the lowest energy transition in BODIPY have been simulated in the gas phase and water using a quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) approach. Kohn-Sham density functional theory (DFT) is used to calculate both ground (So) and first excited (S1) states using the maximum overlap method to obtain the S1 state. This approach gives ground and excited state structures in good agreement with structures found using multiconfigurational perturbation theory (CASPT2). Application of a post-self-consistent field spin-purification relationship also yields transition energies in agreement with CASPT2 and available experimental data. Spectral bands were simulated using many structures taken from ab initio molecular dynamics simulations of the ground and first excited states. In these simulations, DFT is used for BODIPY, and in the condensed phase simulations the water molecules are treated classically. The resulting spectra show a blue shift of 0.3 eV in both absorption and emission bands in water compared to the gas phase. A Stokes shift of about 0.1 eV is predicted, and the width of the emission band in solution is significantly broader than the absorption band. These results are consistent with experimental data for BODIPY and closely related dyes, and demonstrate how both absorption and emission spectra in solution can be simulated using a quantum mechanical treatment of the electronic structure of the solute.