Extensive effect of π-conjugation in rotatable oligonaphthyl derivatives on circularly polarised luminescence in solution and solid films

Spectroscopic fingerprints profiling the polysaccharide/protein/humic architecture of stratified extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in activated sludge

Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), with a stratified structure including tightly-bound EPS (TB-EPS), loosely-bound EPS (LB-EPS), and soluble EPS (S-EPS) surrounding the microbial cells, are known to vitally affect the physicochemical and biological functions of activated sludge in wastewater treatment. Polysaccharides (PS), proteins (PN), and humic acids (HA) are key components of EPS but their roles in constructing the multi-layer architecture are still unclear. This study explored the EPS characteristics in relation to the components using spectroscopic fingerprinting techniques. Ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectra demonstrated stark difference between TB-EPS and other EPS. Fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (FEEM) and apparent quantum yield revealed further detailed differences. Fluorescence quotient analysis highlighted the dominance of TB-EPS, LB-EPS, and S-EPS in the excitation/emission wavelength (Ex/Em) region of Em = 350-400 nm, Em > 400 nm, and low-Stokes shift band (Em - Ex < 25 nm), respectively. Wavelength-wise prediction of the FEEM intensity was achieved through multiple linear regression against the chemical composition and variance partitioning analysis witnessed binary interactions of PS×HA and PS×PN in S-EPS, PN×HA and PS×PN in LB-EPS, and ternary interaction of PS×PN×HA in TB-EPS as well as the wavelength-specific fluorescence responses of these interactions. Further, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, infrared spectra, and circular dichroism spectra corroborated the differences in primary, secondary, and tertiary structures across the EPS layers. Ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry detected molecular fragments confirming the multi-component hybridization among PS, PN, and HA. This study demonstrates a spectroscopic approach to sensitively fingerprint the fine structure of EPS, which has the potential for rapid monitoring of EPS and related sludge properties in wastewater treatment systems.

Chiroptical Properties in Thin Films of π-Conjugated Systems

Chiral π-conjugated molecules provide new materials with outstanding features for current and perspective applications, especially in the field of optoelectronic devices. In thin films, processes such as charge conduction, light absorption, and emission are governed not only by the structure of the individual molecules but also by their supramolecular structures and intermolecular interactions to a large extent. Electronic circular dichroism, ECD, and its emission counterpart, circularly polarized luminescence, CPL, provide tools for studying aggregated states and the key properties to be sought for designing innovative devices. In this review, we shall present a comprehensive coverage of chiroptical properties measured on thin films of organic π-conjugated molecules. In the first part, we shall discuss some general concepts of ECD, CPL, and other chiroptical spectroscopies, with a focus on their applications to thin film samples. In the following, we will overview the existing literature on chiral π-conjugated systems whose thin films have been characterized by ECD and/or CPL, as well other chiroptical spectroscopies. Special emphasis will be put on systems with large dissymmetry factors (g_abs and g_lum) and on the application of ECD and CPL to derive structural information on aggregated states.

Relationship between fluorescence excitation-emission matrix properties and the relative degree of DOM hydrophobicity in wastewater treatment effluents

Excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy is a powerful tool for the characterization of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in wastewater systems. It is of particular value if its utility could be extended by connecting the spectral features to hydrophobicity, one of the fundamental physicochemical properties of DOM. In this study, we employed a DAX-8 resin column to fractionate the hydrophobic/philic components of DOM and determine the relative degree of hydrophobicity by adjusting the critical retention factor (k'_cr, the ratio of treated water sample volume to column volume). A higher k'_cr would result in a higher hydrophobicity of the column effluent. At different k'_cr values (5, 10, 25, 50, 100, and 200), the EEM characteristics of the obtained DOM components were inspected, including overall properties (average fluorescence per total organic carbon and UV absorbance), regional properties (fluorescence regional integration (FRI) and its secondary parameters), and energy-related properties (energy level of the excited states, Stokes shift for relaxation of the excited states, and fluorescence lifetime). In case studies of a wastewater membrane bioreactor and an oxidation ditch, plenty of the EEM properties varied significantly with logk'_cr (r > 0.9, p < 0.05). The average fluorescence per UV absorbance (reflecting quantum yield), fluorescence proportion at Stokes shift ≥ 1.1 μm^-1, and some secondary FRI parameters presented the best linear fitting with logk'_cr, suggesting a smooth variation of the π-conjugated structures with the relative degree of DOM hydrophobicity. This may help to further understand the relationship between EEM fingerprints and DOM hydrophobicity.

Solvent-sensitive circularly polarized luminescent compounds bearing a 9,9′-spirobi[fluorene] skeleton

Chiral 9,9′-spirobi[fluorene] derivatives with a donor–π–acceptor system were prepared and found to exhibit solvent-sensitive circularly polarized luminescence.