Resonance Raman and density functional study of the excited state structural dynamics of 3-amino-2-cyclohexen-1-one in water and acetonitrile solvents

Reinvestigating the Photoprotection Properties of a Mycosporine Amino Acid Motif

With the growing concern regarding commercially available ultraviolet (UV) filters damaging the environment, there is an urgent need to discover new UV filters. A family of molecules called mycosporines and mycosporine-like amino acids (referred to as MAAs collectively) are synthesized by cyanobacteria, fungi and algae and act as the natural UV filters for these organisms. Mycosporines are formed of a cyclohexenone core structure while mycosporine-like amino acids are formed of a cyclohexenimine core structure. To better understand the photoprotection properties of MAAs, we implement a bottom-up approach by first studying a simple analog of an MAA, 3-aminocyclohex-2-en-1-one (ACyO). Previous experimental studies on ACyO using transient electronic absorption spectroscopy (TEAS) suggest that upon photoexcitation, ACyO becomes trapped in the minimum of an S₁ state, which persists for extended time delays (>2.5 ns). However, these studies were unable to establish the extent of electronic ground state recovery of ACyO within 2.5 ns due to experimental constraints. In the present studies, we have implemented transient vibrational absorption spectroscopy (as well as complementary TEAS) with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and density functional theory to establish the extent of electronic ground state recovery of ACyO within this time window. We show that by 1.8 ns, there is >75% electronic ground state recovery of ACyO, with the remaining percentage likely persisting in the electronic excited state. Long-term irradiation studies on ACyO have shown that a small percentage degrades after 2 h of irradiation, plausibly due to some of the aforementioned trapped ACyO going on to form a photoproduct. Collectively, these studies imply that a base building block of MAAs already displays characteristics of an effective UV filter.

A combined experimental and density functional theory investigation of the hydrogen bonding of 2-cyclohexen-1-one and 3-methyl- 2-cyclohexen-1-one in solvents

Hydrogen bonding is a weak chemical interaction widely existed in the variety of organic and biological molecules. As an important structural motif of pyrimidine bases, the solvent effect of the hydrogen bonding of 2-cyclohexen-1-one (CHO) and 3-methyl- 2-cyclohexen-1-one (3MCHO) and its effect on the frequency shift of the CO stretching mode were investigated by using the FT-Raman and UV absorption spectra and density functional theory calculations. The electronic transitions associated with the UV absorptions in different solvents were calculated at B3LYP-TD/6-31++G(d,p) level of theory and employing SCIPCM solvent model. The vibrational spectra of CHO and 3MCHO were assigned on the basis of the FT-Raman spectra in neat liquid and different solvents, the calculated vibrational spectra of monomer and CHO dimers, and the concentration dependent experiments of the band pair intensities. Hydrogen bonding energies of CHO-(H₂O)_n (n = 1,2) clusters were predicted. The results reveal that the CHO-(H₂O)₂ cluster and CHO monomer are respectively the major source of spectral observation in water and cyclohexane, while CHO dimmer and CHO monomer coexist in acetonitrile. The difference in the frequency of the ν_C=O stretching mode between 3MCHO monomer and CHO monomer in cyclohexane were explored.

Unravelling the Photoprotection Properties of Mycosporine Amino Acid Motifs

Photoprotection from harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure is a key problem in modern society. Mycosporine-like amino acids found in fungi, cyanobacteria, macroalgae, phytoplankton, and animals are already presenting a promising form of natural photoprotection in sunscreen formulations. Using time-resolved transient electronic absorption spectroscopy and guided by complementary ab initio calculations, we help to unravel how the core structures of these molecules perform under UV irradiation. Through such detailed insight into the relaxation mechanisms of these ubiquitous molecules, we hope to inspire new thinking in developing next-generation photoprotective molecules.