Excited state electric dipole moment of nile blue and brilliant cresyl blue: a comparative study

Probing the heterogeneity of molecular level organization of ionic liquids: a comparative study using neutral Nile red and cationic Nile blue sulfate as fluorescent probes for butyrolactam-based protic ionic liquids

Ionic liquids (ILs) are liquid salts composed of cations and anions, known for their significant local heterogeneity at the molecular level. To understand the microheterogeneity with regard to their local polarity and local viscosity, we have used two structurally similar but chemically distinguishable fluorescent probes: Nile red (NR), a neutral molecule, and Nile blue sulfate (NBS), a charged molecule. A comparative study of the response of the two probes to the molecular level heterogeneity of ILs is expected to provide a better clarity of understanding regarding the charged polar domain and the uncharged hydrophobic domain of ILs. Towards this, we synthesized two butyrolactam-based protic ionic liquids (PILs), i.e., BTF and BTD, with the same ionic headgroup ([BT]+) and different alkyl tails ([RCOO]-), where {R = H, C11H23}. BTF has no significant hydrophobic domain, whereas BTD has a larger hydrophobic domain. Temperature-dependent fluorescence parameters such as fluorescence intensity, lifetime, and anisotropy were measured for both NR and NBS molecules. The use of a pair of structurally similar but ionically different probes enables differential estimation of parameters like the microviscosity of a domain using the fluorescence anisotropy parameter (r). The absorption and emission spectra of both probe molecules are observed to be blue shifted upon going from BTF to BTD. NR showed a significant blue shift in absorption and emission band maxima. Conversely, NBS exhibited a small wavelength shift, possibly influenced by the preferred location of their charged head group domain. Temperature-dependent rotational relaxation time (θ) of NR in BTD is smaller than that of NBS by 60-70%, indicating that stronger charge-charge interactions exist between the polar domain of BTD and NBS. Moreover, it is observed that the local viscosity of the BTF IL around both probes is similar, whereas there is a considerable difference for the BTD IL. These results are an indication that NBS being charged prefers to locate itself in the charged head group region of the IL, whereas NR being neutral tends to reside both in the hydrophobic domain and in the head group but is predominantly located in the hydrophobic domain.

A modified fluorescent sensor for reporting glucose concentration in the airway lumen

We have modified the periplasmic Escherichia coli glucose/galactose binding protein (GBP) and labelled with environmentally sensitive fluorophores to further explore its potential as a sensor for the evaluation of glucose concentration in airway surface liquid (ASL). We identified E149C/A213R GBP labelled with N,N'-Dimethyl-N-(iodoacetyl)-N'-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl)ethylenediamine (IANBD, emission wavelength maximum 536nm) with a Kd for D-glucose of 1.02mM and a fluorescence dynamic range of 5.8. This sensor was specific for D-glucose and exhibited fluorescence stability in experiments for several hours. The use of E149C/A213R GBP-IANBD in the ASL of airway cells grown at air-liquid-interface (ALI) detected an increase in glucose concentration 10 minutes after raising basolateral glucose from 5 to 15mM. This sensor also reported a greater change in ASL glucose concentration in response to increased basolateral glucose in H441 airway cells compared to human bronchial epithelial cells (HBEC) and there was less variability with HBEC data than that of H441 indicating that HBEC more effectively regulate glucose movement into the ASL. The sensor detected glucose in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALf) from diabetic db/db mice but not normoglycaemic wildtype mice, indicating limited sensitivity of the sensor at glucose concentrations <50μM. Using nasal inhalation of the sensor and spectral unmixing to generate images, E149C/A213R GBP-IANBD fluorescence was detected in luminal regions of cryosections of the murine distal lung that was greater in db/db than wildtype mice. In conclusion, this sensor provides a useful tool for further development to measure luminal glucose concentration in models of lung/airway to explore how this may change in disease.

Luminescence spectroscopy of oxazine dye cations isolated in vacuo

Gas-phase luminescence spectroscopy reveals transition energies of oxazine dye cations with no disturbance from counter ions or solvent molecules.

Reversible Absorption and Emission Responses of Nile Blue and Azure A Derivatives in Extreme Acidic and Basic Conditions

Oxazinium derivatives have recently played an important role in bioanalysis attributing to the distinguished properties, thus a detailed study of the structure-property relationship is especially significant. Herein, pH-sensitive optical properties of Nile Blue (1a), N-monoalkyl-Nile Blue (1b) and Azure A (1c) have been carried out in extreme acid and base conditions. Dyes 1a and 1c showed colorimetric changes by the protonation of nitrogen atom in strong acidic condition (pH < 2.0), and dyes 1a - c exhibited colorimetric changes by equilibrium between amino and imide groups in very strong basic case (pH > 7.6). Besides, their fluorescent properties were closed to ON - OFF and OFF - ON emissions at 640-820 nm under strong acidic and basic conditions. Moreover, the absorption and emission properties were reversible, and there were no remarkable optical intensity changes of dyes 1a - c under subacidic and neutral solutions (pH = 3.0-7.0). The (TD) DFT calculations were used to optimize the most stable structures of their corresponding protonated and deprotonated forms, and their absorption and emission properties were also explained. Their fluorescent properties nearly ON-OFF and OFF - ON in strong acidic and basic conditions at near-infrared region will give the possible application in pH detection for extreme conditions. Graphical abstract ᅟ.

Solvatochromism and linear solvation energy relationship of the kinase inhibitor SKF86002

We studied the spectroscopic characteristics of SKF86002, an anti-inflammatory and tyrosine kinase inhibitor drug candidate. Two conformers SKF86002A and SKF86002B are separated by energy barriers of 19.68kJ·mol(-1) and 6.65kJ·mol(-1) due to H-bonds, and produce the three major UV-Vis absorption bands at 325nm, 260nm and 210nm in cyclohexane solutions. This environment-sensitive fluorophore exhibited emission in the 400-500nm range with a marked response to changes in environment polarity. By using twenty-two solvents for the solvatochromism study, it was noticed that solvent polarity, represented by dielectric constant, was well correlated with the emission wavelength maxima of SKF86002. Thus, the SKF86002 fluorescence peak red shifted in aprotic solvents from 397.5nm in cyclohexane to 436nm in DMSO. While the emission maximum in hydrogen donating solvents ranged from 420nm in t-butanol to 446nm in N-methylformamide. Employing Lippert-Mataga, Bakhshiev and Kawski models, we found that one linear correlation provided a satisfactory description of polarity effect of 18 solvents on the spectral changes of SKF86002 with R(2) values 0.78, 0.80 and 0.80, respectively. Additionally, the multicomponent linear regression analysis of Kamlet-Taft (R(2)=0.94) revealed that solvent acidity, basicity and polarity accounted for 31%, 24% and 45% of solvent effects on SKF86002 emission, respectively. While Catalán correlation (R(2)=0.92) revealed that solvatochromic change of SKF86002 emission was attributed to changes in solvent dipolarity (71%), solvent polarity (12%), solvent acidity (11%) and solvent basicity (6%). Plot of Reichardt transition energies and emission energies of SKF86002 in 18 solvents showed also a linear correlation with R(2)=0.90. The dipole moment difference between excited and ground state was calculated to be 3.4-3.5debye.

Determination of the ground- and excited-state dipole moments of bromocresol purple in protic and aprotic solvents

Although it has been widely recognized that hydrogen bonds play a significant role in the photophysics of molecules, this phenomenon has rarely been applied to the solvatochromic method for determination of dipole moments. The difference in the dipole moment between the ground and excited state was determined in protic and aprotic solvents using both the Lippert-Mataga equation and the Bilot-Kawski equation for bromocresol purple, a molecule capable of hydrogen-bond donation and acceptance. The dipole change in protic environments was determined to be 15.2 ± 1.0 D for the Lippert-Mataga method and 9.2 ± 1.0 D for the Bilot-Kawski method, while the change in aprotic environments was 10.4 ± 1.0 D and 6.7 ± 1.0 D, respectively. Both methods highlighted the importance of hydrogen bonding in stabilizing increased charge-separation of the excited state, allowing for larger changes in dipole moments in protic environments. This study further validates a simple, rational modification to the commonly used methods that allows access to dipole-moment data on dyes with hydrogen-bonding capabilities through solvatochromic experiments.

Unforeseen distance-dependent SERS spectroelectrochemistry from surface-tethered Nile Blue: the role of molecular orientation

The tether length of Nile Blue impacts molecular orientation leading to unique SERS spectroelectrochemistry.

Fluorescence characteristics of aryl boronic acid derivate (PBA)

The absorption and fluorescence spectra of newly synthesized aryl boronic acid derivative namely Phenyl boronic acid (PBA) have been recorded in various solvents of different polarities. The ground state dipole moment of PBA was obtained from quantum chemical calculations. Solvatochromic correlations were used to estimate the ground state (μg) and excited state (μe) dipole moments. The excited state dipole moments are observed to be greater than the ground state dipole moments. Further, the ground and excited state dipole moments are not parallel but subtend by an angle of 70°. The changes in dipole moment (Δμ) were calculated both from solvatochromic shift method and microscopic solvent polarity parameter (ET(N)), and the values are compared. Solvent effects on the absorption and fluorescence spectra were quantified using Reichardt's and bulk solvent polarity parameters were complemented by the results of the Kamlet-Taft treatment.