Simultaneous time-resolved fluorescence and thermal lens measurements: Application to energy transfer studies in europium chelates

Synthesis and Characterisation of First Generation Luminescent Lanthanide Complexes Suitable for Being Adapted for Uptake via the Mannose Receptor

With the aim of directing lanthanide complex uptake via the mannose receptor, a first generation of luminescent lanthanide complexes has been developed with an α-D-mannose targeting motif. Four complexes were produced to investigate photophysical properties and determine the effect of the coordinated mannose residue on emission intensity. The free hydroxyls of the α-D-mannose residue quenched lanthanide phosphorescence due to their close proximity, though they did not bind the lanthanide centre as observed by q-values ≈1.0 for all complexes between pH 3 and 10. Fluorescent emission was found to vary significantly with pH, though phosphorescent emission was relatively insensitive to pH. This lack of pH sensitivity has the potential to provide stable emission for the visualisation of the endosome-lysosome system where acidic pH is often encountered.

Study on the determination of molecular distance in organic dye mixtures using dual beam thermal lens technique

A sensitive method based on the principle of photothermal phenomena to study the energy transfer processes in organic dye mixtures is presented. A dual beam thermal lens method can be very effectively used as an alternate technique to determine the molecular distance between donor and acceptor in fluorescein-rhodamine B mixture using optical parametric oscillator.

Comprehensive study of the luminescent properties and lifetimes of Eu(3+) and Tb(3+) chelated with various ligands in aqueous solutions: influence of the synergic agent, the surfactant and the energy level of the ligand triplet

The formation and the properties of luminescent complexes of europium and terbium with a variety of organic ligands have been investigated in aqueous solutions. The ligands used include model compounds such as thenoyltrifluoroacetone and pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid and organic analytes of biological or pharmaceutical interest. It is shown that the formation and the luminescent properties of these complexes depend at first on several parameters including the pH and the buffer, the synergic agent and the surfactant. In neutral solutions, trioctylphosphine oxide in the presence of Triton X-100 may act as a co-ligand to promote complex formation and protect the complex from radiationless deactivation processes. Working in slightly alkaline solutions in the presence of EDTA and hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride may induce the deprotonation of a second coordinating group and favour the formation of a new complex with stronger luminescent properties. In both cases, the luminescence lifetimes are then ultimately related to the energy gap between the ligand triplet and the resonance level of the ion and to the number of water molecules coordinated to the lanthanide ion.

Thermal lens spectrum of organic dyes using optical parametric oscillator

The wavelength dependence of thermal lens signal from organic dyes are studied using dual beam thermal lens technique. It is found that the profile of thermal lens spectrum widely differ from the conventional absorption spectrum in the case of rhodamine B unlike in the case of crystal violet. This is explained on the basis of varying contribution of nonradiative relaxations from the excited vibronic levels.

Investigation of chelate formation, intramolecular energy transfer and luminescence efficiency and lifetimes in the Eu-thenoyltrifluoroacetone-trioctylphosphine oxide-Triton X-100 system using absorbance, fluorescence and photothermal measurements

The formation and the photophysical properties of the europium-thenoyltrifluoroacetone (TTA) trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO)-Triton X-100 chelate were investigated. When the medium is buffered with acetate, there is a strong competition between acetate and TTA for coordination with europium ions. When TOPO is added into the solution, the Eu-TTA-TOPO ternary chelate forms more easily, probably because the coligand acts as a synergic agent and would favour the formation of the enol form of TTA. Although the stoichiometric composition of the chelate is expected to be Eu(TTA)3(TOPO)2, the Eu-TTA and the Eu-TOPO mole ratios may be within 2-3 and 1-2, respectively, depending on the composition of the solution. However, the fluorescent properties of the chelate seem to be mainly dominated by its actual concentration into the solution rather than by its composition. Time resolution of europium emission spectra in the microsecond range has shown that energy transfer occurs from the TTA ligand to the 5D1 level of europium. Then, the emitting 5D0 level is populated through non-radiative deactivation of 5D1. The observed lifetimes of the 5D1 and 5D0 states are 1.25 and 860 micros, respectively. The overall fluorescence quantum yield of the chelate, measured by the photothermal method, is found to be 0.22. On the basis of the time-resolved photothermal experiments, the fluorescence quantum yield of the 5D0 state is expected to be > 0.8 and the energy transfer efficiency < 0.28.