The Chemistry of Excited Complexes: a Survey of Reactions

A facile tert-butyl nitrite-assisted preparation of deamino graphitic carbon nitride (DA-gCN) as a photocatalyst for the C-H arylation of heteroarenes using anilines as radical source

In pristine graphitic carbon nitride (g-CN), amino groups often function as structural defects that trap photogenerated charges, resulting in low photocatalytic activity as well as reaction with nitrite, aldehyde, etc., ensuing in poor product yield. Without significantly altering the optical characteristics, the removal of amino groups is necessary to increase the photocatalytic activity and structural stability of pristine g-CN. The deamino graphitic carbon nitride (DA-gCN-5) was prepared by tert-butyl nitrite (TBN)-treatment, characterized and used as a photocatalyst for the radical C-H arylation of heteroarenes using anilines as radical source. Indeed, the photophysical characteristics of DA-gCN-5 and those of pristine g-CN are very comparable, except that DA-gCN-5 has a fewer residual amino groups, higher crystallinity, and compressed structure with a different morphology. Moreover, DA-gCN-5-catalyzed C-H arylation reaction offers greater product yield in a shorter reaction time compared to that of pristine g-CN in the coupling between heteroarenes and the in situ generated aryl diazonium salts from anilines under visible light irradiation. The amino groups in pristine g-CN absorbed the TBN that was added to convert aniline into the appropriate diazonium ions during the reaction. As a result, deamino graphitic carbon nitride produced by chemical treatment has better photophysical properties and catalytic activity than pristine g-CN. Additionally, this is the first method that uses diazotization reaction for the preparation of deamino graphitic carbon nitride, as far as we are aware.

A Review of Multi-Material 3D Printing of Functional Materials via Vat Photopolymerization

Additive manufacturing or 3D printing of materials is a prominent process technology which involves the fabrication of materials layer-by-layer or point-by-point in a subsequent manner. With recent advancements in additive manufacturing, the technology has excited a great potential for extension of simple designs to complex multi-material geometries. Vat photopolymerization is a subdivision of additive manufacturing which possesses many attractive features, including excellent printing resolution, high dimensional accuracy, low-cost manufacturing, and the ability to spatially control the material properties. However, the technology is currently limited by design strategies, material chemistries, and equipment limitations. This review aims to provide readers with a comprehensive comparison of different additive manufacturing technologies along with detailed knowledge on advances in multi-material vat photopolymerization technologies. Furthermore, we describe popular material chemistries both from the past and more recently, along with future prospects to address the material-related limitations of vat photopolymerization. Examples of the impressive multi-material capabilities inspired by nature which are applicable today in multiple areas of life are briefly presented in the applications section. Finally, we describe our point of view on the future prospects of 3D printed multi-material structures as well as on the way forward towards promising further advancements in vat photopolymerization.

One-Step Synthesized ZnO np-Based Optical Sensors for Detection of Aldicarb via a Photoinduced Electron Transfer Route

Pesticides are used in agriculture for crop production enhancement by controlling pests, but they have acute toxicological effects on other life forms. Thus, it becomes imperative to detect their concentration in food products in a fast and accurate manner. In this study, ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO nps) have been used as optical sensors for the detection of pesticide Aldicarb via a photoinduced electron transfer (PET) route. ZnO nps were synthesized directly by calcining zinc acetate at 450, 500, and 550 °C for 2 h. ZnO nps were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and UV-vis absorption and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopies to study the phase, crystallinity, shape, morphology, absorbance, and fluorescence of the prepared ZnO nps. XRD and Raman studies confirmed the crystalline nature of ZnO nps. The average crystallite size obtained was 13-20 nm from the XRD study. The SEM study confirmed spherical-shaped ZnO nps with average sizes in the range of 70-150 nm. The maximum absorbance was obtained in the 200-500 nm regions with a prominent peak absorbance at 372 nm from UV-vis spectra. The corresponding band gap for ZnO nps was calculated using Tauc's plots and was found to be 3.8, 3.67, and 3.45 eV for the 450, 500, and 550 °C calcined samples, respectively. The fluorescence spectra showed an increase in the intensity along with the increase in the size of ZnO nps. The ZnO nps (samples calcined at 500 and 550 °C) exhibited a response toward Aldicarb, owing to their pure phase and higher PL intensity. Both the samples showed systematic detection of Aldicarb in the range of 250 pM to 2 nM (500 °C) and 250 pM to 5 nM (550 °C). Among the various quenching mechanisms, PET was found to be the dominant process for the detection of Aldicarb. This method can be used for the detection of Aldicarb in real (food) samples using a portable fluorimeter.

Excitons in Carbonic Nanostructures

Unexpectedly bright photoluminescence emission can be observed in materials incorporating inorganic carbon when their size is reduced from macro–micro to nano. At present, there is no consensus in its understanding, and many suggested explanations are not consistent with the broad range of experimental data. In this Review, I discuss the possible role of collective excitations (excitons) generated by resonance electronic interactions among the chromophore elements within these nanoparticles. The Förster-type resonance energy transfer (FRET) mechanism of energy migration within nanoparticles operates when the composing fluorophores are the localized electronic systems interacting at a distance. Meanwhile, the resonance interactions among closely located fluorophores may lead to delocalization of the excited states over many molecules resulting in Frenkel excitons. The H-aggregate-type quantum coherence originating from strong coupling among the transition dipoles of adjacent chromophores in a co-facial stacking arrangement and exciton transport to emissive traps are the basis of the presented model. It can explain most of the hitherto known experimental observations and must stimulate the progress towards their versatile applications.

Design of Multifunctional Fluorescent Hybrid Materials Based on SiO2 Materials and Core-Shell Fe3 O4 @SiO2 Nanoparticles for Metal Ion Sensing

Hybrid fluorescent materials constructed from organic chelating fluorescent probes and inorganic solid supports by covalent interactions are a special type of hybrid sensing platform that has gained much interest in the context of metal ion sensing applications owing to their excellent advantages, recyclability, and solubility/dispersibility in particular, as compared with single organic fluorescent molecules. In recent decades, SiO₂ materials and core-shell Fe₃ O₄ @SiO₂ nanoparticles have become important inorganic solid materials and have been used as inorganic solid supports to hybridize with organic fluorescent receptors, resulting in multifunctional fluorescent hybrid systems for potential applications in sensing and related research fields. Therefore, recent progress in various fluorescent-group-functionalized SiO₂ materials is reviewed, with a focus on mesoporous silica nanoparticles and core-shell Fe₃ O₄ @SiO₂ nanoparticles, as interesting fluorescent organic-inorganic hybrid materials for sensing applications toward essential and toxic metal ions. Selective examples of other types of silica/silicon materials, such as periodic mesoporous organosilicas, solid SiO₂ nanoparticles, fibrous silica spheres, silica nanowires, silica nanotubes, and silica hollow microspheres, are also mentioned. Finally, relevant perspectives of metal-ion-sensing-oriented silica-fluorescent probe hybrid materials are provided.

Anion Sensing by Novel Triarylboranes Containing Boraanthracene: DFT Functional Assessment, Selective Interactions, and Mechanism Demonstration

Analytical methods often involve expensive instrumentation and tedious sample pretreatment for an analyte detection. Being toxic and detrimental to human health, sensing of cyanide (CN-), fluoride (F-), chloride (Cl-), bromide (Br-), nitrate (NO3 -), acetate (CH3COO-), and bisulfate (HSO4 -) is performed by a boron-based molecular receptor, N,N,N,3,5-pentamethyl-4-{2-thia-9-boratricyclo[8.4.0.03,8]tetradeca-1(10),3(8),4,6,11,13-hexaen-9-yl}anili-nium (1), and the three newly designed receptors from it. Thermodynamics, electronic structure, and photophysical properties are computed by employing density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) to explore selective sensing of these anions and its mechanism. Free-energy changes (ΔG) and binding energies (ΔE) suggest that among these anions, only binding of CN- and F- is thermodynamically feasible with a very strong binding affinity with the receptors. Boron atoms containing positive natural charges act as the electrophilic centers to bind the anions involving a 2p-2p orbital overlap resulting in charge transfer. In the receptor-analyte complexes with CN- and F-, fluorescence is quenched due to the intramolecular charge transfer transitions (π-π* transitions in the case of the receptors lead to fluorescence), internal conversion, and associated configurational changes. Among the six tested functionals, CAM-B3LYP/6-31G(d) is found to be the most accurate one. The designed receptors are better fluorescent probes for F- and CN-, demonstrating their importance for the practical utility.

Selective Complexation of Cyanide and Fluoride Ions with Ammonium Boranes: A Theoretical Study on Sensing Mechanism Involving Intramolecular Charge Transfer and Configurational Changes

The anion binding selectivity and the recognition mechanism of two isomeric boranes, namely, 4-[bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)boranyl]-N,N,N-trimethylaniline ([p-(Mes₂B)C₆H₄(NMe₃)]⁺, 1, where "Mes" represents mesitylene and "Me" represents methyl) and 2-[bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)boranyl]-N,N,N-trimethylaniline ([o-(Mes₂B)C₆H₄(NMe₃)]⁺, 2) has been investigated using density functional theory (DFT) and time dependent-density functional theory (TD-DFT) methods. Natural population analysis indicates that the central boron atoms in 1 and 2 are the most active centers for nucleophilic addition of anions. The negative magnitude of free energy changes (ΔG) reveals that out of CN^-, F^-, Cl^-, Br^-, NO₃^-, and HSO₄^- only the binding of CN^- and F^- with 1 and 2 is thermodynamically feasible and spontaneous. In addition, the calculated binding energies reveal that the CN^- is showing lesser binding affinity than F^- both with 1 and 2, while other ions, viz. NO₃^-, HSO₄^-, Br^-, and Cl^-, either do not bind at all or show very insignificant binding energy. The first excited states (S₁) of 1 and 2 are shown to be the local excited states with π → σ* transition by frontier molecular orbital analysis, whereas fourth excited states (S₄) of 4-[bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)boranyl]-N,N,N-trimethylaniline cyanide ([p-(Mes₂B)C₆H₄(NMe₃)] CN, 1CN, the cyano form of 1) and 4-[bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)boranyl]-N,N,N-trimethylaniline fluoride ([p-(Mes₂B)C₆H₄(NMe₃)] F, 1F, the fluoro form of 1) and fifth excited state (S₅) of 2-[bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)boranyl]-N,N,N-trimethylaniline fluoride ([o-(Mes₂B)C₆H₄(NMe₃)] F, 2F, the fluoro form of 2) are charge separation states that are found to be responsible for the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) process. The synergistic effect of ICT and partial configuration changes induce fluorescence quenching in 1CN, 1F, and 2F after a significant internal conversion (IC) from S₄ and S₅ to S_1.

A highly sensitive and selective turn-on fluorogenic and colorimetric sensor based on pyrene-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles for Hg2+ detection and cell imaging

In this paper, a colorimetric and "turn-on" fluorescent sensor (Py-Si-Fe3O4@SiO2 NPs) for Hg(2+) detection was designed with pyrene derivative covalently grafted onto the surface of magnetic core/shell Fe3O4@SiO2 nanoparticles using the silanol hydrolysis approach. The Py-Si-Fe3O4@SiO2 inorganic-organic hybrid material was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray power diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and fluorescence emission. The results of fluorescence spectra showed that the resultant multifunctional nanoparticles exhibited selective turn-on type fluorescence enhancement with Hg(2+). In addition, the presence of magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles in the sensor Py-Si-Fe3O4@SiO2 NPs would also facilitate the magnetic separation of Hg(2+)-Py-Si-Fe3O4@SiO2 from the solution. The as-prepared chemosensor was also successfully applied to detect Hg(2+) in environmental water samples and serum sample. Results from confocal laser scanning microscopy experiments demonstrated that this chemosensor was cell permeable and can be used as a fluorescent probe for monitoring Hg(2+) in living cells.

(Systemic) phototoxicity of drugs and other xenobiotics

Xenobiotics extensively used in drugs, cosmetics, food and agricultural chemicals can produce adverse biological effects. These toxic effects are separated into classes, e.g. hepatotoxicity, genotoxicity and neurotoxicity. Skin allergy, part of immunotoxicity, is also a subdivision of toxicology. When light is an essential condition for toxicity, the xenobiotic is called phototoxic. Thus it fits into the logic of toxicology that photoallergic compounds are a subdivision of phototoxic compounds. Phototoxicons as a group do not differ from the group of phototherapeutics with regard to their eventual biological effects. The primary photoreactions, secondary molecular processes, biomolecules involved and cellular and tissue damage are similar. The difference between the two groups is in the appreciation of the photobiological effects: adverse vs. desired. The aim of research is to determine the part of the molecular structure which makes a given compound phototoxic. With that knowledge the structure of the phototoxicon can be changed. This can result in a derivative which still has the desired properties of the parent compound, but is no longer phototoxic. This aim can be reached by combining data from both in vitro and in vivo research. The variety and number of phototoxic compounds is large. This, together with the limited research effort devoted to this subject so far, means that for most phototoxic xenobiotics a relationship between structure and in vivo photoreactivity is not available. In this review, emphasis is placed on xenobiotics whose in vitro and in vivo photochemistry have been studied. Furthermore, possible phototoxic effects which do not concern the skin but involve inner organs (systemic effects) are considered. References in this review mostly concern investigations over the last 10 years. For older literature or for additional information, references to other reviews are given. Important groups of phototoxic xenobiotics not dealt with in this article were already sufficiently covered in the reviews referred to.

Fluorescence quenching; a practical problem in flow cytometry

Dual fluorescence analysis with a single-laser fluorescence-activated cell sorter is dependent on the use of two fluorochromes with similar excitation wavelengths but different emission wavelengths. The dye pair fluorescein and R-phycoerythrin (RPE) have been widely employed for this purpose and interaction between the two dyes has not been observed. Here evidence is presented to show that at high concentrations RPE can completely quench the fluorescein signal in dual fluorescence analysis of human tonsil lymphocytes labelled with pairs of monoclonal antibodies. Reduction in the fluorescein signal correlated with the intensity of red (RPE) staining. This phenomenon can seriously compromise interpretation of dual immunofluorescence carried out on a single laser instrument and can best be avoided by careful analysis of single colour controls.

Fluorescence quenching of fluorescein by R-phycoerythrin. A pitfall in dual fluorescence analysis

The use of a single laser fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) to analyse cellular subpopulations by immunochemical staining requires an alternative dye to fluorescein with appropriate spectral characteristics. R-phycoerythrin (RPE) is widely employed for this purpose. In this study the ability of RPE to quench the fluorescein emission when both are attached to the same cell has been demonstrated by dual labelling of tonsil lymphocytes with pairs of monoclonal antibodies. Reduction of the fluorescein signal correlated with the amount of RPE attached and the relative intensity of emission from the two fluorochromes. The possible photochemical mechanisms which result in a reduction of the fluorescein signal by RPE are discussed. The inclusion of control tests, in which RPE is omitted, is recommended in order to avoid misinterpretation of the results of subpopulation analysis by single laser FACS - especially when low levels of fluorescein staining are obtained.