Photosensitizing properties of triplet furano and pyrano-1,2-naphthoquinones

Photophysical Properties of Fluorescent 2-(Phenylamino)-1,10-phenanthroline Derivatives†

The present study details the experimental and theoretical characterization of the photophysical properties of 14 examples of 2-(phenylamino)-1,10-phenanthrolines (1). The absorption spectra of 1 are substituent-dependent but in a general manner present absorption bands at wavelengths of ~230; ~300; ~335 and a shoulder at ~380 nm. Electron-donating groups (EDG) and electron-withdrawing groups (EWG), respectively, result in bathochromic and hypsochromic shifts. Compounds 1 are highly luminescent, in contrast to phenanthroline, and emit in the region between 350 and 500 nm with substituent-dependent λ_max emission. The emission spectra show a redshift for EDG (4-OMe 62 nm; 4-Me 19 nm) and a blueshift for EWG (4-CN 41 nm; 4-CF₃ 38 nm) relative to the emission of the unsubstituted parent compound 1a. Plotting the λ max EM against Hammett σ+ constants gave an excellent linear correlation demonstrating the electron-deficient nature of the excited state and how the substituents (de)stabilize S₁ . Theoretical calculations revealed a HOMO-LUMO π-π* electronic transition to S₁ which in combination with difference (S₁ -S₀ ) in electron density maps revealed charge-transfer character. Strongly electron-withdrawing substituents switch off the charge transfer to give rise to a local excitation.

A photochemical and theoretical study of the triplet reactivity of furano- and pyrano-1,4-naphthoquionones towards tyrosine and tryptophan derivatives

The photochemical reactivity of the triplet state of pyrano- and furano-1,4-naphthoquinone derivatives (1 and 2) has been examined employing nanosecond laser flash photolysis. The quinone triplets were efficiently quenched by l-tryptophan methyl ester hydrochloride, l-tyrosine methyl ester hydrochloride, N-acetyl-l-tryptophan methyl ester and N-acetyl-l-tyrosine methyl ester, substituted phenols and indole (k q ∼109 L mol-1 s-1). For all these quenchers new transients were formed in the quenching process. These were assigned to the corresponding radical pairs that resulted from a coupled electron/proton transfer from the phenols, indole, amino acids, or their esters, to the excited state of the quinone. The proton coupled electron transfer (PCET) mechanism is supported by experimental rate constants, isotopic effects and theoretical calculations. The calculations revealed differences between the hydrogen abstraction reactions of phenol and indole substrates. For the latter, the calculations indicate that electron transfer and proton transfer occur as discrete steps.

On the influence of small chemical changes upon the supramolecular association in substituted 2-(phenoxy)-1,4-naphthoquinones

X-ray crystallography reveals the common feature of the title compounds is a 1,4-naphthoquinone ring system with a substituted phenoxy residue adjacent to an oxo-group to give 1 (H), 2 (3-Br), 3 (3-CF3), 4 (4-CN) and 5 (4-NO2). To a first approximation the fused ring system along with the two oxo substituents is planar with the major difference between the molecules relating to the relative orientations of the pendant phenoxy residues: dihedral angles range from 56.56(4)° (3) to 87.52(10)° (2). The presence of intermolecular C–H···O interactions is the common feature of the supramolecular association in the crystals of 1–5. In each of 1 and 5, these extend in three-dimensions but, only to supramolecular dimers in 4, chains in 2 and layers in 3. Each crystal also features C=O···π interactions, pointing to the importance of these points of contact in this series di-oxocompounds. In 2, these, along with C–Br···π interactions lead to a three-dimensional architecture. For 3, the C=O···π and π···π interactions occur within the layers which stack without directional interactions between them. In 4, C–H···O and C=O···π interactions combine to give a supramolecular layer, which also stack without directional interactions in the inter-layer region. Further analysis of the molecular packing was conducted by a Hirshfeld surface analysis (HSA). This points to the significant role of H···H, C···H/H···C and O···H/H···O contacts in the packing of 1. Notably different roles for these contacts are found in the other crystals correlating with the participation of the respective substituents in the molecular packing. The HSA suggests the association between layers in 3 (weak F···F and H···F interactions) and 4 (weak H···N interactions) is contributed by the phenoxy-substituents.

Spectral and Kinetic Study of 3-Methylquinoxalin-2-ones Photoreduced by Amino Acids: N-Phenylglycine Radical Chain Reactions and N-Acetyltryptophan Decarboxylation

Transient intermediates were identified in the photoreduction of 3-methylquinoxalin-2-one derivatives by N-phenylglycine, NPG, and N-acetyltryptophan, NAT. For both reductants it can be postulated a sequence of reaction comprising first a photoinduced single electron transfer followed by a proton transfer from the radical cation of the electron donor to the radical anion of the 3-methylquinoxalin-2-one giving rise to the reported products. The effect of the concentrations of NPG and the quinoxalin-2-one on the rate of photoconsumption of this last were quantified, and the lifetimes of the possible intermediates estimated. In the photoreduction by NAT, processes leading to the decarboxylation of NAT and radical adduct product compete with the expected SET from the indoyl N to the excited triplet of quinoxalin-2-ones as revealed by the detection of the deprotonated N-acetyltryptophan radical [NAT-H](•). This radical is formed almost instantly after the laser pulse and has a secondary delayed growth via a delayed proton transfer from the indoyl radical cation NAT(•+) to the quinoxalin-2-one radical anions. The decarboxylation of NAT that mimics C-terminus tryptophan in proteins is biologically relevant because might cause damages at cellular and the whole organism level. As far as we know this is the first report of a radical decarboxylation of N-acetyltryptophan leading to photoproducts.