Kinetics of photochemical reactions of multifunctional hybrid compounds based on spironaphthoxazines upon photoexcitation with light of different wavelengths

Excited State Proton Transfers in Hybrid Compound Based on Indoline Spiropyran of the Coumarin Type and Azomethinocoumarin in the Presence of Metal Ions

Spectral-luminescence properties of a hybrid compound containing a coumarin-type spiropyran and an azomethinocoumarin fragment in toluene-acetonitrile solution in the presence of Li⁺, Ca²⁺, Zn²⁺ and Mg²⁺ ions are reported. Two excited state proton transfers can occur in the hybrid compound—the transfer of a proton from the OH group of the 7-hydroxy coumarin tautomer to the N atom of the C=N bond of the azomethine fragment leading to green ESIPT fluorescence with a maximum at 540 nm and from the OH group of the 7-hydroxy coumarin tautomer to the carbonyl group of the pyrone chromophore, which leads to the formation of the 2-hydroxyl-tautomer T of coumarin with blue fluorescence with a maximum at 475 nm. Dependence of these excited state proton transfers on the metal nature and irradiation with an external UV source is discussed.

Photochromic and luminescence properties of a hybrid compound based on indoline spiropyran of the coumarin type and azomethinocoumarin

A novel hybrid compound whose molecule includes the photochromic spiropyran fragment and two fluorophores - coumarin and salicylideneimine - was synthesized by the reaction of two equivalents of 8-formyl-7-hydroxy-4-methylcoumarin with 5-amino-1,3,3-trimethyl-2-methyleneindoline. Its spectral-kinetic and fluorescence properties were studied in comparison with model compounds - 7-hydroxy-4-methyl-coumarin, spiropyran of the coumarin type, and azomethinocoumarin in toluene and ethanol. It was shown that the hybrid compound exhibited photochromic transformations in both solvents. Different fluorescence emissions of the initial spirocycle and UV irradiation-induced merocyanine forms were observed. One green fluorescence emission with a maximum at 545 nm was observed for the initial closed form in toluene, and several emissions with maxima at 390 nm, 440 nm, 450 nm (violet), and 530 nm (green) appeared in ethanol. An additional red emission of the open merocyanine form in the region of 665 nm appeared after UV irradiation in both solvents. Reversible modulation of fluorescence in both the initial and photoinduced merocyanine forms in the process of photochromic transformations was discovered. It was shown that the fluorescence modulation of the hybrid compound in weakly polar toluene was caused by resonance energy transfer from the fluorescent fragment of the photochromic compound to the photoinduced merocyanine form, leading to the process of photochromic transformations. Reversible modulation of fluorescence in ethanol solutions was achieved through a photoinduced change in the ratio of the concentrations of conformers.

Kinetics of photochemical reactions of biphotochromic compounds based on spironaphthopyran and enamine--conjugation effect

A novel biphotochromic compound (BPC) with two photochromic fragments, namely spironaphthopyran and hydroxyazomethine, was synthesized and studied by nanosecond laser flash photolysis using the excitation wavelengths of 337, 430, 470 and 500 nm in methanol and toluene. The photoexcitation of BPC results in the formation of at least two colored transients. The first one is the merocyanine form B (the maximum in the absorption spectrum is near 600 nm and the lifetime is 0.1 and 0.05 s in methanol and toluene, respectively) due to the spiro-bond break followed by isomerization. The second one is the trans-keto form A(Kt) (the maximum in the absorption spectra is near 480 nm and the lifetime is 0.1 and 5 ms in methanol and toluene, respectively) as a result of cis-enol or cis-keto tautomer transformations. The relative yields of B and A(Kt) depends essentially on the wavelength of excitation. The form A(Kt) is the key transient formed under excitation with the visible light, whereas its yield under excitation with UV light is comparable with that of B. The specific solvation by methanol molecules favors the spirocycle opening even under visible light excitation. The results obtained for novel BPC were compared with those for other BPC where the same fragments are combined in such a way that the form B is the major one under excitation with UV light whereas it virtually is not observed under visible light excitation. The difference in both BPC is discussed in terms of conjugation (π-coupling) between photochromic fragments.