Two-photon cross-sections of the photosensitizers m-THPC and m-THPP in the 1.05–1.45μm range

Two-photon absorption of 28-hetero-2,7-naphthiporphyrins: expanded carbaporphyrinoid macrocycles

The one- and two-photon absorption (1PA and 2PA) properties of three expanded aceneporphyrinoids, 28-thia-, 28-selena- and 28-tellura-2,7-naphthiporphyrin, have been studied. The open-aperture Z-scan technique was used to determine two-photon absorption cross-sections in the near infrared range using an amplified femtosecond laser system. The maximum values of the cross sections were found to be 99, 200 and 650 GM at 900 nm and 1, 13 and 31 GM at 1400 nm for the three investigated compounds, respectively. These results demonstrate enhanced 2PA properties compared with well-known porphyrin photosensitizers, such as Foscan®, showing the potential of porphyrin core modification for optimizing infrared nonlinear absorbers.

Two-Photon Absorption Properties of Gold Fluorescent Protein: A Combined Molecular Dynamics and Quantum Chemistry Study

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were carried out to obtain the conformational changes of the chromophore in the gold fluorescent protein (PDB ID: 1OXF ). To obtain two-photon absorption (TPA) cross-sections, time dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) computations were performed for chromophore geometries sampled along the trajectory. The TD-DFT computations used the CAM-B3LYP functional and 6-31+G(d) basis set. Results showed that two dihedral angles change remarkably over the simulation time. TPA cross-sections were found to average 13.82 GM for the excitation to S₁ computed from the equilibrium geometries; however, extending the structures with a water molecule and GLU residue, which make H bonds with the chromophore molecule, increased excitation energies and TPA cross-sections significantly. Besides the effects of the surrounding residues and the dihedrals on the spectroscopic properties, some bond lengths affected the excitation energies and the TPA cross-sections significantly (up to ±25-30%), while the effects of the bond angles were smaller (±5%). Overall the present results provide insight into the effects of the conformational flexibility on TPA (with gold fluorescent protein as a specific example) and suggest that further experimental measurements of TPA for the gold fluorescent protein should be undertaken.

Solvent and substituent effects on UV-vis spectra and redox properties of zinc p-hydroxylphenylporphyrins

A series of zinc[Formula: see text]-hydroxylphenylporphyrins was synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic and electrochemical methods in four different nonaqueous solvents. The investigated compounds are represented as [([Formula: see text]-HOPh)[Formula: see text](ptBuPh)[Formula: see text]P]Zn, where P represents the dianion of a porphyrin, Ph represents a phenyl group, HO and [Formula: see text]Bu are para substituents on the meso-phenyl rings of the macrocycle and [Formula: see text] = 0–4. The four utilized nonaqueous solvents were dichloromethane (CH[Formula: see text]Cl[Formula: see text], NN-dimethylformamide (DMF), dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) and pyridine (Py) which were selected on the basis of their coordinating capabilities. The UV-visible spectra and redox potentials of each porphyrin were analyzed both as a function of Hammett substituent constants for groups at the para-positions of the meso-phenyl rings and as a function of the Gutmann solvent donor number which is related to the coordinating ability of the solvent. Each porphyrin exhibits two reductions in CH[Formula: see text]Cl[Formula: see text], DMSO and Py while three reductions are observed in DMF, the additional reaction being due to a phlorin product generated in solution after formation of the porphyrin dianion. Two or three reversible oxidations were seen in CH[Formula: see text]Cl[Formula: see text], the exact number depending upon the specific porphyrin and the presence of [Formula: see text]-OH substituents at the meso-phenyl rings of the compound. The first two oxidations were assigned as involving the conjugated macrocycle and the third is associated with oxidation of the meso-HOPh group(s).

Preparation and Photophysical Properties of All-trans Acceptor–π-Donor (Acceptor) Compounds Possessing Obvious Solvatochromic Effects

A series of all-trans acceptor–π-donor (acceptor) compounds (BAQ, SFQ, BLQ, and XJQ) were conveniently synthesised and characterised by infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance, mass spectrometry, and elemental analysis. Their photophysical properties, including linear absorption, one-photon excited fluorescence, two-photon absorption, and two-photon excited fluorescence, were systematically investigated. All the compounds show obvious solvatochromic effects, such as significant bathochromic shifts of the emission spectra and larger Stokes shifts in more polar solvents. Under excitation from a femtosecond Ti : sapphire laser with a pulse width of 140 fs, they all exhibit strong two-photon excited fluorescence, and the two-photon absorption cross-sections in THF are 851 (BAQ), 216 (SFQ), 561 (BLQ), and 447 (XJQ) GM respectively. A combination of density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) approaches was used to investigate the relationships between the structures and the photophysical properties of these compounds. The results show that they may have a potential application as polarity-sensitive two-photon fluorescent probes.