Donor-Acceptor Conjugated Linear Polyenes: A Study of Excited State Intramolecular Charge Transfer, Photoisomerization and Fluorescence Probe Properties

Recent Development on Copper-Sensor and its Biological Applications: A Review

Metal ion recognition is one of the most prospective research topics in the field of chemical sensors due to its wide range of clinical, biological and environmental applications. In this context, hydrazones are well known compounds that exhibit metal sensing and several biological properties due to the presence of N=CH- bond. Some of the biological properties includes anti-cancer, anti-tumor, anti-oxidant, anti-microbial activities. Hydrazones are also used as a ligand to detect metal ion as well as to generate metal complexes that exhibit medicinal properties. Thus, in recent years, many attempts were made to develop novel ligands with enhanced metal sensing and medicinal properties. In this review, some of the recent development on the hydrazones and their copper complexes are covered from the last few years from 2015-2023. These includes significance of copper ions, synthesis, biological properties, mechanism and metal sensing properties of some of the copper complexes were discussed.

Pd(II)/Lewis acid catalyzed regioselective olefination of indole with dioxygen

Transition metal ion catalyzed indole olefination through C-H activation is a convenient protocol to synthesize versatile bioactive vinylindole compounds; however, in most cases, stoichiometric amounts of oxidants were necessary to accomplish the catalytic cycle. The present study describes a Pd(II)/LA (LA: Lewis acid) catalyzed indole olefination with dioxygen as the sole oxidant. The olefination reaction with electron-rich olefins proceeded smoothly through the pyrrolyl N-carboxamide group directed remote C-H activation at the C3 position of the indole with the Pd(II)/LA catalyst, whereas Pd(II) alone was a very sluggish catalyst under identical conditions. For the electron-deficient olefins, the directing N-carboxamide group was not essential for olefination with this Pd(II)/LA catalyst, demonstrating a different olefination pathway from that of electron-rich olefins. Remarkably, ¹H NMR kinetics disclosed that olefination proceeded much faster with electron-rich olefins than with electron-deficient ones.

Optical properties of 3-substituted indoles

The optical properties of various donor or acceptor p-phenyl substituted ethenyl indoles were studied in solvents of varying polarity using absorption, fluorescence and TDDFT methods. Ethenyl indole exhibits non-linear optical properties (NLO) in a substituent dependent manner. Compound with a strong electron-attracting substituent, shows large NLO properties with charge transfer behavior, whereas ethenyls with moderate electron withdrawing or electron donating substituent exhibit lower NLO properties with non polar excited state. A highly dipolar excited state for p-nitro phenyl substituted ethenyl indoles (μ _e: 18.2-27.1 debye; Δμ: 9.4-17.8 debye) is observed as compared to other ethenyls (μ _e: 6.6-9.5 debye; Δμ: 4.2-6.2 debye). From TDDFT study, it is shown that the HOMO-LUMO energy of ethenyl is increased with increasing the electron donating ability of the p-phenyl substitution. The optical band gap of ethenyl 3 without substitution, is decreased upon p-phenyl substitution either with an electron withdrawing (Cl, NO₂) or an electron donating (OCH₃, OH, NH₂) substituent. The compound with a strong electron accepting, p-nitrophenyl ethenyl indole 1 shows 12 times better NLO response as compared to the reference ethenyl indole 3 (β: 1: 115 × 10^-30 esu^-1 cm⁵, 3: 9 × 10^-30 esu^-1 cm⁵). Ethenyls 2-6 bearing a weak or moderately electron withdrawing or electron accepting substituent, exhibit lower NLO response. The β of ethenyl is increased with increasing the order of electron withdrawing nature of phenyl ring. Overall, a correlation of β with the optical band gap, ground state dipole moment, % of charge transfer in the ground and excited state is found.

Tuning of optical properties of p-phenyl ethenyl-E-furans: A Solvatochromism and Density functional theory

p-Phenyl ethenyl-E-furans (1-6) with varied electron donor and acceptor substituent (NO₂, CN, Cl, H, OCH₃, NH₂) were synthesized and studied the substituent induced optical properties (dipole moment, transition dipole moment, oscillator strength, optical band gap, hyperpolarizability) using Solvatochromism and Density functional theory. It is shown that furan acts as a weak electron donor in presence of an electron withdrawing p‑phenyl substituent (NO₂, CN, Cl), whereas furan acts as a weak electron acceptor in presence of an electron donating p‑phenyl substituent (OCH₃, NH₂). In comparison to ethenylfuran 4, the HOMO-LUMO energy band gap is decreased upon increasing the electron donating or electron withdrawing nature of the phenyl ring. Calculation of excited state dipole moment and polarizability of 1-6 in solvent of varying polarity suggest that the nitro and amino compounds (1, 6) exhibit charge transfer excited state, whereas excited state of compounds 3-5 is non-polar in nature. As compared to the ethenylfuran (4), the first hyperpolarizability (β) is increased in presence of a strong electron withdrawing or strong electron donating p‑phenyl substituent. The higher β value is found for ethenylfuran with p‑nitrophenyl and p‑amino phenyl substitution. Overall, these studies provide useful information in tuning the optical properties of p‑phenyl substituted heterocyclic ethenyl systems.

Substituent Dependent Optical Properties of p-phenyl Substituted ethenyl-E-thiophenes

Various electron donor and acceptor substituted (NO₂, CN, Cl, H, OCH₃, NH₂) p-phenyl ethenyl-E- thiophenes (1-6) were synthesized and substituent dependent optical properties (dipole moment, transition dipole moment, oscillator strength, optical band gap, hyperpolarizability) were studied using Solvatochromism and Density functional theory. It is shown that thiophene acts as a weak electron donor in presence of an electron withdrawing p-phenyl substituent (NO₂, CN, Cl), whereas thiophene acts as a weak electron acceptor in presence of an electron donating p-phenyl substituent (OCH₃, NH₂). In comparison to ethenyl thiophene 4, the HOMO-LUMO energy band gap is decreased upon increasing the electron donating or electron withdrawing capacity of p-phenyl substituent. From the excited state dipole moment calculation, it is shown that the excited state is highly dipolar for nitro and amino compounds 1 and 6, whereas compounds 2-5 show a non-polar excited state. As compared to the ethenyl thiophene 4, the first hyperpolarizability (β) increases upon substitution either with a strong electron withdrawing or strong electron donating p-phenyl substituent. A large β value is found for p-nitro phenyl ethenyl-E-thiophene and p-amino phenyl ethenyl-E- thiophene. Overall, these studies provide useful information in understanding the optical properties of phenyl and heterocyclic based ethenyl systems.

Substituent Dependence Charge Transfer and Photochemical Properties of Donor-Acceptor Substituted Ethenyl Thiophenes

Donor-acceptor conjugated molecules with efficient light induced properties represent interesting material for electronic device application. In this context, we have calculated excited state dipole moment of three ethenyl thiophenes (1-3) bearing varied electron donor-acceptor substituent in p-phenyl unit using Lippert-Mataga, Bakhshiev and Kawski method. It is found that 1 with strong electron-withdrawing nitro substituent, is exhibiting charge transfer and highly dipolar excited state as compared to 2 and 3. Photochemical studies of 1-3, indicate towards the charge transfer dependence trans-cis photoisomerization under direct irradiation condition. Compound 1 exhibits charge transfer and less efficient towards photoisomerization, whereas 2 and 3 undergo efficient photoisomerization. Graphical Abstract Substituent dependence charge transfer and photochemical properties of donor-acceptor substituted ethenyl thiophenes.