Novel Iminocoumarin Derivatives: Synthesis, Spectroscopic and Computational Studies

Visual detection and discrimination of nerve and blood agents using a dual-site fluorescent probe in living cells and mice

Of all chemical warfare agents (CWAs), only nerve and blood agents cause massive mortality at low concentrations. To better detect and discriminate nerve and blood agents, a reliable detection method is desirable. We report a series of fluorescent probes for nerve and blood agent detection. Among the tested probes, SR-Pip detected nerve and blood agents quickly (within 10 s for nerve agents and 1 min for blood agents). SR-Pip coupled with nerve agent produced a weak orange fluorescence with good sensitivity [limit of detection (LOD)= 5.5 μM]. Upon reaction with blood agent, the fluorescence of SR-Pip changed from orange fluorescence to blue fluorescence with detection limits as low as 9.6 nM. This probe effectively visualised different concentrations of nerve agents in living cells and mice. A portable test kit using SR-Pip instantly detected nerve and blood agents. To the best of our knowledge, SR-Pip is the first fluorescent probe for nerve and blood agent detection.

Dual-Lifetime Referencing (t-DLR) Optical Fiber Fluorescent pH Sensor for Microenvironments

The pH behavior in the μm to cm thick diffusion boundary layer (DBL) surrounding many aquatic species is dependent on light-controlled metabolic activities. This DBL microenvironment exhibits different pH behavior to bulk seawater, which can reduce the exposure of calcifying species to ocean acidification conditions. A low-cost time-domain dual-lifetime referencing (t-DLR) interrogation system and an optical fiber fluorescent pH sensor were developed for pH measurements in the DBL interface. The pH sensor utilized dual-layer sol-gel coatings of pH-sensitive iminocoumarin and pH-insensitive Ru(dpp)3-PAN. The sensor has a dynamic range of 7.41 (±0.20) to 9.42 ± 0.23 pH units (95% CI, T = 20 °C, S = 35), a response time (t90) of 29 to 100 s, and minimal salinity dependency. The pH sensor has a precision of approximately 0.02 pHT units, which meets the Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network (GOA-ON) "weather" measurement quality guideline. The suitability of the t-DLR optical fiber pH sensor was demonstrated through real-time measurements in the DBL of green seaweed Ulva sp. This research highlights the practicability of optical fiber pH sensors by demonstrating real-time pH measurements of metabolic-induced pH changes.

Multicomponent Synthesis of Iminocoumarins via Rhodium-Catalyzed C-H Bond Activation

We herein establish a multicomponent annulation method for the synthesis of valuable iminocoumarins using aryl thiocarbamates, internal alkynes, and sulfonamides as starting materials, which are safe and readily available. The key step is a Rh-catalyzed and sulfur-directed C-H bond activation. Preliminary mechanistic investigations suggested that the nucleophilic attack of the sulfonamide on an active iminium cation finally completes the imine segment.

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.

Readily prepared iminocoumarin for rapid, colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescent detection of phosgene

In this paper, a new colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescent probe for the rapid detection of phosgene is reported. This probe is based on a readily prepared and highly fluorescent iminocoumarin, which reacts rapidly with phosgene to form a cyclic carbamate product to produce, distinctive colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescent signal changes. The detection of phosgene with this probe is fast (complete within 2 min), highly selective and sensitive with a detection limit of 27 nM in solution. Moreover, this probe can be used to prepare easy-to-use paper test strips for convenient visual and fluorescent detection of phosgene gas even at a concentration of 0.1 mg/L. Overall, this work provides a very promising dual colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescent probe for rapid and sensitive detection of phosgene both in solution and in the gas phase.