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Castellano FN, Rosko MC. Steric and Electronic Influence of Excited-State Decay in Cu(I) MLCT Chromophores. Acc Chem Res 2024; 57:2872-2886. [PMID: 39259501 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.4c00476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/13/2024]
Abstract
ConspectusFor the past 11 years, a dedicated effort in our research group focused on fundamentally advancing the photophysical properties of cuprous bis-phenanthroline-based metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) excited states. We rationalized that, by gaining control over the numerous factors limiting the more widespread use of CuI MLCT photosensitizers, they would be readily adopted in numerous light-activated applications given the earth-abundance of copper and the extensive library of 1,10-phenanthrolines developed over the last century. Significant progress has been achieved by recognizing valuable structure-property concepts developed by other researchers in tandem with detailed ultrafast and conventional time-scale investigations, in-silico-inspired molecular designs to predict spectroscopic properties, and applying novel synthetic methodologies. Ultimately, we achieved a plateau in exerting cooperative steric influence to control CuI MLCT excited state decay. This led to combining sterics with π-conjugation and/or inductive electronic effects to further exert control over molecular photophysical properties. The lessons gleaned from our studies of homoleptic complexes were recently extended to heteroleptic bis(phenanthrolines) featuring enhanced visible light absorption properties and long-lived room-temperature photoluminescence. This Account navigates the reader through our intellectual journey of decision-making, molecular and experimental design, and data interpretation in parallel with appropriate background information related to the quantitative characterization of molecular photophysics using CuI MLCT chromophores as prototypical examples.Initially, CuI MLCT excited states, their energetics, and relevant structural conformation changes implicated in their photophysical decay processes are described. This is followed by a discussion of the literature that motivated our research in this area. This led to our first molecular design in 2013, achieving a 7-fold increase in excited state lifetime relative to the current state-of-the-art. The lifetime and photophysical property enhancement resulted from using 2,9-branched alkyl groups in conjunction with flanking 3,8-methyl substituents, a strategy we adapted from the McMillin group, which was initially described in the late 1990s. Applications of this newly conceived chromophore are presented in solar hydrogen-producing photocatalysis, photochemical upconversion, and photosensitization of [4 + 4] anthracene dimerization of potential interest in thermal storage of solar energy in metastable intermediates. Ultrafast transient absorption and fluorescence upconversion spectroscopic characterization of this and related CuI molecules inform the resultant photophysical properties and vice versa, so the most comprehensive structure-property understanding becomes realized when these experimental tools are collectively utilized to investigate the same series of molecules. Computationally guided structural designs generated newly conceived molecules featuring visible light-harvesting and 2,9-cycloalkane substituted complexes. The latter eventually produced record-setting excited state lifetimes in molecules leveraging both cooperative steric influence and electronic inductive effects. Using photoluminescence data from structurally homologous CuI MLCT excited states collected over 44 years, an energy gap correlation successfully modeled the data spanning a 0.3 eV emission energy range. Finally, a new research direction is revealed detailing structure-photophysical property relationships in heteroleptic CuI phenanthroline chromophores that are photoluminescent at room temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix N Castellano
- Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-8204, United States
| | - Michael C Rosko
- Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-8204, United States
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Fang C, Rega N, Biczysko M. Editorial: Hot topic: excited state processes in biomolecules. Front Chem 2024; 12:1467074. [PMID: 39144700 PMCID: PMC11322346 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2024.1467074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/16/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Chong Fang
- Department of Chemistry, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
| | - Nadia Rega
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Napoli Federico II, Napoli, Italy
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Zheng SJ, Ma J, Su J, Djurovich PI, Thompson ME, Li TY. Simultaneous Thermally Stimulated Delayed Phosphorescence (TSDP) and Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence (TADF) in a Two-Coordinated Au(I) Bimetallic Complex Featuring a Tandem Carbene Structure. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:19042-19049. [PMID: 38950194 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c02930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
A bimetallic, two-coordinated carbene-metal-amine (cMa) Au(I) complex featuring a twisted tandem carbene structure (NHC1-Au-NHC2-Au-carbazolyl) was synthesized. The molecular structure in single crystals revealed a large dihedral angle between the two carbene ligands, while the bridged carbene NHC2 and carbazolyl (Cz) ligands were coplanar. A bluish green thermally stimulated delayed phosphorescence (TSDP) was observed in crystals with an emission lifetime over 70 μs, which can be attributed to the spin allowed diabatic population of a high-lying emissive triplet state from the 3LE characterized low-lying ones. The small rotation energy barrier of Cz along the coordination bond allowed conformers with large dihedral angles between NHC2 and Cz. The ICT characterized S1 state was consequently stabilized to achieve a thermally accessible energy gap to facilitate ISC between triplets and the S1, leading to the thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF). Simultaneous TSDP and TADF dual emission can be recorded in its doped polymer film owing to the coexistence of these different conformers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu-Jia Zheng
- Department of Chemistry, University of Science and Technology Beijing, 30 XueYuan Road, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Jie Ma
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, 3620 McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
| | - Junru Su
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, 3620 McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
| | - Peter I Djurovich
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, 3620 McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
| | - Mark E Thompson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, 3620 McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
| | - Tian-Yi Li
- Department of Chemistry, University of Science and Technology Beijing, 30 XueYuan Road, Beijing 100083, China
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, 3620 McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
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Kim D, Rosko MC, Castellano FN, Gray TG, Teets TS. Long Excited-State Lifetimes in Three-Coordinate Copper(I) Complexes via Triplet-Triplet Energy Transfer to Pyrene-Decorated Isocyanides. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:19193-19204. [PMID: 38956456 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c04288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
There has been much effort to improve excited-state lifetimes in photosensitizers based on earth-abundant first-row transition metals. Copper(I) complexes have gained significant attention in this field, and in most cases, sterically driven approaches are used to optimize their lifetimes. This study presents a series of three-coordinate copper(I) complexes (Cu1-Cu3) where the excited-state lifetime is extended by triplet-triplet energy transfer. The heteroleptic compounds feature a cyclohexyl-substituted β-diketiminate (CyNacNacMe) paired with aryl isocyanide ligands, giving the general formula Cu(CyNacNacMe)(CN-Ar) (CN-dmp = 2,6-dimethylphenyl isocyanide for Cu1; CN-pyr = 1-pyrenyl isocyanide for Cu2; CN-dmp-pyr = 2,6-dimethyl-4-(1-pyrenyl)phenyl isocyanide for Cu3). The nature, energies, and dynamics of the low-energy triplet excited states are assessed with a combination of photoluminescence measurements at room temperature and 77 K, ultrafast transient absorption (UFTA) spectroscopy, and DFT calculations. The complexes with the pyrene-decorated isocyanides (Cu2 and Cu3) exhibit extended excited-state lifetimes resulting from triplet-triplet energy transfer (TTET) between the short-lived charge-transfer excited state (3CT) and the long-lived pyrene-centered triplet state (3pyr). This TTET process is irreversible in Cu3, producing exclusively the 3pyr state, and in Cu2, the 3CT and 3pyr states are nearly isoenergetic, enabling reversible TTET and long-lived 3CT luminescence. The improved photophysical properties in Cu2 and Cu3 result in improvements in activity for both photocatalytic stilbene E/Z isomerization via triplet energy transfer and photoredox transformations involving hydrodebromination and C-O bond activation. These results illustrate that the extended excited-state lifetimes achieved through TTET result in newly conceived photosynthetically relevant earth-abundant transition metal complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dooyoung Kim
- Department of Chemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
| | - Michael C Rosko
- Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
| | - Felix N Castellano
- Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
| | - Thomas G Gray
- Department of Chemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
| | - Thomas S Teets
- Department of Chemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
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Kim H, Ryu CH, Hong M, Lee KM, Jo U, Kang Y. Blue Phosphorescent Pt(II) Compound Based on Tetradentate Carbazole/2,3'-Bipyridine Ligand and Its Application in Organic Light-Emitting Diodes. Molecules 2024; 29:2929. [PMID: 38930994 PMCID: PMC11206379 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29122929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2024] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The tetradentate ligand, merging a carbazole unit with high triplet energy and dimethoxy bipyridine, renowned for its exceptional quantum efficiency in coordination with metals like Pt, is expected to demonstrate remarkable luminescent properties. However, instances of tetradentate ligands such as bipyridine-based pyridylcarbazole derivatives remain exceptionally scarce in the current literature. In this study, we developed a tetradentate ligand based on carbazole and 2,3'-bipyridine and successfully complexed it with Pt(II) ions. This novel compound (1) serves as a sky-blue phosphorescent material for use in light-emitting diodes. Based on single-crystal X-ray analysis, compound 1 has a distorted square-planar geometry with a 5/6/6 backbone around the Pt(II) core. Bright sky-blue emissions were observed at 488 and 516 nm with photoluminescent quantum yields of 34% and a luminescent lifetime of 2.6 μs. TD-DFT calculations for 1 revealed that the electronic transition was mostly attributed to the ligand-centered (LC) charge transfer transition with a small contribution from the metal-to-ligand charge transfer transition (MLCT, ~14%). A phosphorescent organic light-emitting device was successfully fabricated using this material as a dopant, along with 3'-di(9H-carbazol-9-yl)-1,1'-biphenyl (mCBP) and 9-(3'-carbazol-9-yl-5-cyano-biphenyl-3-yl)-9H-carbazole-3-carbonitrile (CNmCBPCN) as mixed hosts. A maximum quantum efficiency of 5.2% and a current efficiency of 15.5 cd/A were obtained at a doping level of 5%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hakjo Kim
- Division of Science Education, Department of Chemistry, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of Korea
| | - Chan-Hee Ryu
- Division of Science Education, Department of Chemistry, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of Korea
| | - Miso Hong
- Division of Science Education, Department of Chemistry, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of Korea
| | - Kang Mun Lee
- Division of Science Education, Department of Chemistry, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of Korea
| | - Unhyeok Jo
- School of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066 Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Youngjin Kang
- Division of Science Education, Department of Chemistry, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of Korea
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Tang B, Wei Q, Wang S, Liu H, Mou N, Liu Q, Wu Y, Portniagin AS, Kershaw SV, Gao X, Li M, Rogach AL. Ultraviolet Circularly Polarized Luminescence in Chiral Perovskite Nanoplatelet-Molecular Hybrids: Direct Binding Versus Efficient Triplet Energy Transfer. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2311639. [PMID: 38204283 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202311639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
The development of ultraviolet circularly polarized light (UVCPL) sources has the potential to benefit plenty of practical applications but remains a challenge due to limitations in available material systems and a limited understanding of the excited state chirality transfer. Herein, by constructing hybrid structures of the chiral perovskite CsPbBr3 nanoplatelets and organic molecules, excited state chirality transfer is achieved, either via direct binding or triplet energy transfer, leading to efficient UVCPL emission. The underlying photophysical mechanisms of these two scenarios are clarified by comprehensive optical studies. Intriguingly, UVCPL realized via the triple energy transfer, followed by the triplet-triplet annihilation upconversion processes, demonstrates a 50-fold enhanced dissymmetry factor glum. Furthermore, stereoselective photopolymerization of diacetylene monomer is demonstrated by using such efficient UVCPL. This study provides both novel insights and a practical approach for realizing UVCPL, which can also be extended to other material systems and spectral regions, such as visible and near-infrared.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Tang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and Centre for Functional Photonics (CFP), City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Qi Wei
- Department of Applied Physics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Shixun Wang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and Centre for Functional Photonics (CFP), City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Haochen Liu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and Centre for Functional Photonics (CFP), City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Nanli Mou
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and Centre for Functional Photonics (CFP), City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Qi Liu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and Centre for Functional Photonics (CFP), City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Ye Wu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and Centre for Functional Photonics (CFP), City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Arsenii S Portniagin
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and Centre for Functional Photonics (CFP), City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Stephen V Kershaw
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and Centre for Functional Photonics (CFP), City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoqing Gao
- Wenzhou Key Laboratory of Biophysics, Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, 325000, P. R. China
| | - Mingjie Li
- Department of Applied Physics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Andrey L Rogach
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and Centre for Functional Photonics (CFP), City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
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7
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Liu Z, Luo L, Jin R. Visible to NIR-II Photoluminescence of Atomically Precise Gold Nanoclusters. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2309073. [PMID: 37922431 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202309073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/05/2023]
Abstract
Atomically precise gold nanoclusters (NCs) have emerged as a new class of precision materials and attracted wide interest in recent years. One of the unique properties of such nanoclusters pertains to their photoluminescence (PL), for it can widely span visible to near-infrared-I and -II wavelengths (NIR-I/II), and even beyond 1700 nm by manipulating the size, structure, and composition. The current research efforts focus on the structure-PL correlation and the development of strategies for raising the PL quantum yields, which is nontrivial when moving from the visible to the near-infrared wavelengths, especially in the NIR-II regions. This review summarizes the recent progress in the field, including i) the types of PL observed in gold NCs such as fluorescence, phosphorescence, and thermally activated delayed fluorescence, as well as dual emission; ii) some effective strategies that are devised to improve the PL quantum yield (QY) of gold NCs, such as heterometal doping, surface rigidification, and core phonon engineering, with double-digit QYs for the NIR PL on the horizons; and iii) the applications of luminescent gold NCs in bioimaging, photosensitization, and optoelectronics. Finally, the remaining challenges and opportunities for future research are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongyu Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, USA
| | - Lianshun Luo
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, USA
| | - Rongchao Jin
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, USA
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8
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Kim D, Dang VQ, Teets TS. Improved transition metal photosensitizers to drive advances in photocatalysis. Chem Sci 2023; 15:77-94. [PMID: 38131090 PMCID: PMC10732135 DOI: 10.1039/d3sc04580c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
To function effectively in a photocatalytic application, a photosensitizer's light absorption, excited-state lifetime, and redox potentials, both in the ground state and excited state, are critically important. The absorption profile is particularly relevant to applications involving solar harvesting, whereas the redox potentials and excited-state lifetimes determine the thermodynamics, kinetics, and quantum yields of photoinduced redox processes. This perspective article focuses on synthetic inorganic and organometallic approaches to optimize these three characteristics of transition-metal based photosensitizers. We include our own work in these areas, which has focused extensively on exceptionally strong cyclometalated iridium photoreductants that enable challenging reductive photoredox transformations on organic substrates, and more recent work which has led to improved solar harvesting in charge-transfer copper(i) chromophores, an emerging class of earth-abundant compounds particularly relevant to solar-energy applications. We also extensively highlight many other complementary strategies for optimizing these parameters and highlight representative examples from the recent literature. It remains a significant challenge to simultaneously optimize all three of these parameters at once, since improvements in one often come at the detriment of the others. These inherent trade-offs and approaches to obviate or circumvent them are discussed throughout.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dooyoung Kim
- University of Houston, Department of Chemistry 3585 Cullen Blvd. Room 112 Houston TX 77204-5003 USA
| | - Vinh Q Dang
- University of Houston, Department of Chemistry 3585 Cullen Blvd. Room 112 Houston TX 77204-5003 USA
| | - Thomas S Teets
- University of Houston, Department of Chemistry 3585 Cullen Blvd. Room 112 Houston TX 77204-5003 USA
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9
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Hasham M, Green PB, Rahman S, Villanueva FY, Imperiale CJ, Kirshenbaum MJ, Wilson MWB. The smallest PbS nanocrystals pervasively show decreased brightness, linked to surface-mediated decay on the average particle. J Chem Phys 2023; 159:074704. [PMID: 37602803 DOI: 10.1063/5.0159681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
PbS semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) have been heavily explored for infrared optoelectronics but can exhibit visible-wavelength quantum-confined optical gaps when sufficiently small (⌀ = 1.8-2.7 nm). However, small PbS NCs traditionally exhibited very broad ensemble absorption linewidths, attributed to poor size-heterogeneity. Here, harnessing recent synthetic advances, we report photophysical measurements on PbS ensembles that span this underexplored size range. We observe that the smallest PbS NCs pervasively exhibit lower brightness and anomalously accelerated photoluminescence decays-relative to the idealized photophysical models that successfully describe larger NCs. We find that effects of residual ensemble size-heterogeneity are insufficient to explain our observations, so we explore plausible processes that are intrinsic to individual nanocrystals. Notably, the anomalous decay kinetics unfold, surprisingly, over hundreds-of-nanosecond timescales. These are poorly matched to effects of direct carrier trapping or fine-structure thermalization but are consistent with non-radiative recombination linked to a dynamic surface. Thus, the progressive enhancement of anomalous decay in the smallest particles supports predictions that the surface plays an outsized role in exciton-phonon coupling. We corroborate this claim by showing that the anomalous decay is significantly remedied by the installation of a rigidifying shell. Intriguingly, our measurements show that the anomalous aspect of these kinetics is insensitive to temperature between T = 298 and 77 K, offering important experimental constraint on possible mechanisms involving structural fluctuations. Thus, our findings identify and map the anomalous photoluminescence kinetics that become pervasive in the smallest PbS NCs and call for targeted experiments and theory to disentangle their origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minhal Hasham
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Philippe B Green
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Samihat Rahman
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
| | | | | | - Maxine J Kirshenbaum
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Mark W B Wilson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
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10
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Ma XH, Li J, Luo P, Hu JH, Han Z, Dong XY, Xie G, Zang SQ. Carbene-stabilized enantiopure heterometallic clusters featuring EQE of 20.8% in circularly-polarized OLED. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4121. [PMID: 37433775 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39802-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Bright and efficient chiral coinage metal clusters show promise for use in emerging circularly polarized light-emitting materials and diodes. To date, highly efficient circularly polarized organic light-emitting diodes (CP-OLEDs) with enantiopure metal clusters have not been reported. Herein, through rational design of a multidentate chiral N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligand and a modular building strategy, we synthesize a series of enantiopure Au(I)-Cu(I) clusters with exceptional stability. Modulation of the ligands stabilize the chiral excited states of clusters to allow thermally activated delayed fluorescence, resulting in the highest orange-red photoluminescence quantum yields over 93.0% in the solid state, which is accompanied by circularly polarized luminescence. Based on the solution process, a prototypical orange-red CP-OLED with a considerably high external quantum efficiency of 20.8% is prepared. These results demonstrate the extensive designability of chiral NHC ligands to stabilize polymetallic clusters for high performance in chiroptical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Hong Ma
- College of Chemistry, Zhengzhou University, 450001, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jing Li
- College of Chemistry, Zhengzhou University, 450001, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Peng Luo
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Henan Polytechnic University, 454000, Jiaozuo, China
| | - Jia-Hua Hu
- College of Chemistry, Zhengzhou University, 450001, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Zhen Han
- College of Chemistry, Zhengzhou University, 450001, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Xi-Yan Dong
- College of Chemistry, Zhengzhou University, 450001, Zhengzhou, China.
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Henan Polytechnic University, 454000, Jiaozuo, China.
| | - Guohua Xie
- Sauvage Center for Molecular Sciences, Hubei Key Lab on Organic and Polymeric Optoelectronic Materials, Department of Chemistry, Wuhan University, 430072, Wuhan, China.
| | - Shuang-Quan Zang
- College of Chemistry, Zhengzhou University, 450001, Zhengzhou, China.
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11
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Hasham M, Narayanan P, Yarur Villanueva F, Green PB, Imperiale CJ, Wilson MWB. Sequential Carrier Transfer Can Accelerate Triplet Energy Transfer from Functionalized CdSe Nanocrystals. J Phys Chem Lett 2023; 14:1899-1909. [PMID: 36780580 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c03443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Nanocrystal (NC)-sensitized triplet-fusion upconversion is a rising strategy to convert long-wavelength, incoherent light into higher-energy output photons. Here, we chart the photophysics of tailor-functionalized CdSe NCs to understand energy transfer to surface-anchored transmitter ligands, which can proceed via correlated exciton transfer or sequential carrier hops. Varying NC size, we observe a pronounced acceleration of energy transfer (from kquench = 0.0096 ns-1 ligand-1 to 0.064 ns-1 ligand-1) when the barrier to hole-first sequential transfer is lowered from 100 ± 25 meV to 50 ± 25 meV. This acceleration is 5.1× the expected effect of increased carrier wave function leakage, so we conclude that sequential transfer becomes kinetically dominant under the latter conditions. Last, transient photoluminescence shows that NC band-edge and trap states are comparably quenched by functionalization (up to ∼98% for sequential transfer) and exhibit matched dynamics for t > 300 ns, consistent with a dynamic quasi-equilibrium where photoexcitations can ultimately be extracted even when a carrier is initially trapped.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minhal Hasham
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Pournima Narayanan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
| | | | - Philippe B Green
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
| | | | - Mark W B Wilson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
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12
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He S, Du J, Liang W, Zhang B, Liang G, Wu K. Thermally Activated Delayed Near-Infrared Photoluminescence from Functionalized Lead-Free Nanocrystals. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202217287. [PMID: 36517417 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202217287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
As an analogue to thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) of organic molecules, thermally activated delayed photoluminescence (TADPL) observed in molecule-functionalized semiconductor nanocrystals represents an exotic mechanism to harvest energy from dark molecular triplets and to obtain controllable, long-lived PL from nanocrystals. The reported TADPL systems have successfully covered the visible spectrum. However, TADF molecules already emit very efficiently in the visible, diminishing the technological impact of the less-efficient nanocrystal-molecule TADPL. Here we report bright, near-infrared TADPL in lead-free CuInSe2 nanocrystals functionalized with carboxylated tetracene ligands, which results from efficient triplet energy transfer from photoexcited nanocrystals to ligands, followed with thermally activated reverse energy transfer from ligand triplets back to nanocrystals. This strategy prolonged the nanocrystal exciton lifetime from 100 ns to 60 μs at room temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan He
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Reaction Dynamics and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, Liaoning 116023, China
| | - Jun Du
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Reaction Dynamics and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, Liaoning 116023, China
| | - Wenfei Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Reaction Dynamics and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, Liaoning 116023, China
| | - Boyu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Reaction Dynamics and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, Liaoning 116023, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Low Dimensional Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang, Hubei 441053, China
| | - Guijie Liang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Low Dimensional Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang, Hubei 441053, China
| | - Kaifeng Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Reaction Dynamics and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, Liaoning 116023, China
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13
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Peterson EJ, Rawson J, Beratan DN, Zhang P, Therien MJ. Regulating Singlet-Triplet Energy Gaps through Substituent-Driven Modulation of the Exchange and Coulomb Interactions. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:15457-15461. [PMID: 35993849 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c06713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Control of the singlet-triplet energy gap (ΔEST) is central to realizing productive energy conversion reactions, photochemical reaction trajectories, and emergent applications that exploit molecular spin physics. Despite this, no systematic methods have been defined to tune ΔEST in simple molecular frameworks, let alone by an approach that also holds chromophore size and electronic structural parameters (such as the HOMO-LUMO gap) constant. Using a combination of molecular design, photophysical and potentiometric experiments, and quantum chemical analyses, we show that the degree of electron-electron repulsion in excited singlet and triplet states may be finely controlled through the substitution pattern of a simple porphyrin absorber, enabling regulation of relative electronically excited singlet and triplet state energies by the designed restriction of the electron-electron Coulomb (J) and exchange (K) interaction magnitudes. This approach modulates the ΔEST magnitude by controlling the densities of state in the occupied and virtual molecular orbital manifolds, natural transition orbital polarization, and the relative contributions of one electron transitions involving select natural transition orbital pairs. This road map, which regulates electron density overlaps in the occupied and virtual states that define the singlet and triplet wave functions of these chromophores, enables new approaches to preserve excitation energy despite intersystem crossing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin J Peterson
- Department of Chemistry, French Family Science Center, Duke University, 124 Science Drive, Durham, North Carolina 27708-0346, United States
| | - Jeff Rawson
- Department of Chemistry, French Family Science Center, Duke University, 124 Science Drive, Durham, North Carolina 27708-0346, United States
| | - David N Beratan
- Department of Chemistry, French Family Science Center, Duke University, 124 Science Drive, Durham, North Carolina 27708-0346, United States
| | - Peng Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, French Family Science Center, Duke University, 124 Science Drive, Durham, North Carolina 27708-0346, United States
| | - Michael J Therien
- Department of Chemistry, French Family Science Center, Duke University, 124 Science Drive, Durham, North Carolina 27708-0346, United States
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14
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Zhang X, Castellano FN. Thermally Activated Bright-State Delayed Blue Photoluminescence from InP Quantum Dots. J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:3706-3711. [PMID: 35439008 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c00582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Thermally activated delayed photoluminescence (TADPL) generated from organic chromophore-functionalized quantum dots (QDs) is potentially beneficial for persistent light generation, QD-based PL sensors, and photochemical synthesis. While previous research demonstrated that naphthoic acid-functionalized InP QDs can be employed as low-toxicity, blue-emissive TADPL materials, the electron trap states inherent in these nanocrystals inhibited the observation of TADPL emerging from the higher-lying bright states. Here, we address this challenge by employing the heterocyclic aromatic compound 8-quinolinecarboxylic acid (QCA), whose triplet energy is strategically positioned to bypass the electron trap states in InP QDs. Transient absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopies revealed the generation of bright-state TADPL from QCA-functionalized InP QDs resulting from a nearly quantitative Dexter-like triplet-triplet energy transfer (TTET) from photoexcited InP QDs to surface-anchored QCA chromophores followed by reverse TTET from these bound molecules to the InP QDs. This modification resulted in a 119-fold increase in the average PL intensity decay time with respect to the as-synthesized InP QDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingao Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-8204, United States
| | - Felix N Castellano
- Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-8204, United States
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15
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Miyashita T, Jaimes P, Lian T, Tang ML, Xu Z. Quantifying the Ligand-Induced Triplet Energy Transfer Barrier in a Quantum Dot-Based Upconversion System. J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:3002-3007. [PMID: 35347991 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c00514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
During photon upconversion, quantum dots (QDs) transfer energy to molecules in solution through a long ligand shell. This insulating ligand shell imparts colloidal stability at the expense of efficient photosensitization. For the first time, we quantify the barrier these aliphatic ligands pose for triplet energy transfer in solution. Using transient absorption spectroscopy, we experimentally measure a small damping coefficient of 0.027 Å-1 for a ligand exceeding 10 carbons in length. The dynamic nature of ligands in solution lowers the barrier to charge or energy transfer compared to organic thin films. In addition, we show that surface ligands shorter than 8 carbons in length allow direct energy transfer from the QD, bypassing the need for a transmitter ligand to mediate energy transfer, leading to a 6.9% upconversion quantum yield compared with 0.01% for ligands with 18 carbons. This experimentally derived insight will enable the design of efficient QD-based photosensitizers for catalysis and energy conversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsumugi Miyashita
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Paulina Jaimes
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Tianquan Lian
- Department of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Ming Lee Tang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Zihao Xu
- Department of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
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16
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Dickson‐Karn NM, Celius TC, Williams BW, Napoli J, Black R, Colley KZ, Dunn TF, Shi Y. Investigation of excited‐state deactivation processes in benzofluorenones using time‐resolved transient absorption spectroscopy. J PHYS ORG CHEM 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/poc.4345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M. Dickson‐Karn
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry The Ohio State University Columbus OH 43210 USA
| | - Tevye C. Celius
- Donald J. Bettinger Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Ohio Northern University Ada OH 45810 USA
| | | | - Joseph Napoli
- Donald J. Bettinger Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Ohio Northern University Ada OH 45810 USA
| | - Rhys Black
- Donald J. Bettinger Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Ohio Northern University Ada OH 45810 USA
| | - Kiser Z. Colley
- Donald J. Bettinger Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Ohio Northern University Ada OH 45810 USA
| | - Timothy F. Dunn
- Donald J. Bettinger Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Ohio Northern University Ada OH 45810 USA
| | - Yutong Shi
- Donald J. Bettinger Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Ohio Northern University Ada OH 45810 USA
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17
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He S, Han Y, Guo J, Wu K. Entropy-Powered Endothermic Energy Transfer from CsPbBr 3 Nanocrystals for Photon Upconversion. J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:1713-1718. [PMID: 35156824 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c00088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals as triplet photosensitizers are characterized by a negligible intersystem crossing energy loss as compared to that of traditional molecular sensitizers. This property in principle allows for a large apparent anti-Stokes shift in sensitized triplet-triplet annihilation photon upconversion (TTA-UC) for a variety of applications. In previous systems, however, this advantage is largely erased by the energy loss associated with energy transfer from nanocrystals to surface-anchored triplet transmitter molecules. Here we report visible-to-ultraviolet TTA-UC from 473 to 355 nm, corresponding to an apparent anti-Stokes shift of 0.87 eV, with a quantum efficiency that reaches 4.5% (normalized at 100%). The system consists of CsPbBr3 nanocrystal sensitizers, phenanthrene transmitters, and diphenyloxazole annihilators. Time-resolved spectroscopy reveals that triplet energy transfer from CsPbBr3 nanocrystals to phenanthrene can be endothermic yet efficient thanks to a sizable entropic gain. This study exemplifies how entropic effects can be harnessed to enhance or control a plethora of applications with nanocrystals as photosensitizers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan He
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Reaction Dynamics and Dynamics Research Center for Energy and Environmental Materials, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, Liaoning 116023, China
| | - Yaoyao Han
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Reaction Dynamics and Dynamics Research Center for Energy and Environmental Materials, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, Liaoning 116023, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jingwei Guo
- CAS Key Laboratory of Chemical Lasers, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, Liaoning 116023, China
| | - Kaifeng Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Reaction Dynamics and Dynamics Research Center for Energy and Environmental Materials, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, Liaoning 116023, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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18
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Zhang X, Hudson MH, Castellano FN. Engineering Long-Lived Blue Photoluminescence from InP Quantum Dots Using Isomers of Naphthoic Acid. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:3527-3534. [PMID: 35188779 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c12207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Leveraging triplet excitons in semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) in concert with surface-anchored molecules to produce long-lifetime thermally activated delayed photoluminescence (TADPL) continues to emerge as a promising technology in diverse areas including photochemical catalysis and light generation. All QDs presently used to generate TADPL in QD/molecule constructs contain toxic metals including Cd(II) and Pb(II), ultimately limiting potential real-world applications. Here, we report newly conceived blue-emitting TADPL-producing nanomaterials featuring InP QDs interfaced with 1- and 2-naphthoic acid (1-NA and 2-NA) ligands. These constitutional isomers feature similar triplet energies but disparate triplet lifetimes, translating into InP-based TADPL processes displaying two distinct average lifetime ranges upon cooling from 293 to 193 K. The time constants fall between 4.4 and 59.2 μs in the 2-NA-decorated InP QDs while further expanding between 84.2 and 733.2 μs in the corresponding 1-NA-ligated InP materials, representing a 167-fold time window. The resulting long-lived excited states enabled facile bimolecular triplet sensitization of 1O2 phosphorescence in the near-IR and promoted sensitized triplet-triplet annihilation photochemistry in 2,5-diphenyloxazole. We speculate that the discovery of new nanomaterials exhibiting TADPL lies on the horizon as myriad QDs can be readily derivatized using isomers of numerous classes of surface-anchoring chromophores yielding precisely regulated photophysical properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingao Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-8204, United States
| | - Margaret H Hudson
- Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-8204, United States
| | - Felix N Castellano
- Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-8204, United States
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19
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Ni J, Kong L, Tang M, Song Y, Zhao J, Wang W, Sun T, Wang Y, Wang L. Sensitive visual detection of intracellular zinc ions based on signal-on polydopamine carbon dots. NANOTECHNOLOGY 2022; 33:185502. [PMID: 35062011 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/ac4dc1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The concentration of intracellular zinc ions is a significant clinical parameter for diagnosis. However, it is still a challenge for direct visual detection of zinc ions in cells at single-cell level. To address this issue, herein, water-soluble amino-rich polydopamine carbon quantum dots (PDA-CQDs) were successfully synthesized, with strong blue-green fluorescence as the probes for zinc ions detection in cells. The structure and properties of PDA-CQDs were confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transformed infrared (FT-IR), UV-visible spectrophotometry (UV-vis), and fluorescence spectroscopy. Importantly, by successfully linking salicylaldehyde (SA) to PDA-CQDs via nucleophilic reaction, the FL quenching and Zn ions induced FL-recovering system was built up, thus offering a signal-on platform for the detection of zinc ions. This PDA-CQDs-SA nanoprobe can be applied for the detection of Zn2+with a detection limit of 0.09μM, with good biocompatibility confirmed using cytotoxicity assay. Of significance, the results of fluorescence bioimaging showed that PDA-CQDs-SA is able to detect Zn2+in single-cell visually, with the detection limit of Zn ions in cells as low as 0.11μM per cell, which was confirmed using flow cytometry. Therefore, this work offers a potential probe for Zn2+detection in cells at single-cell level, towards the precise diagnosis of zinc ions related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiatong Ni
- Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Ministry of Education, Engineering Research Center of Forest Bio-Preparation, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, People's Republic of China
| | - Lixiang Kong
- Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Ministry of Education, Engineering Research Center of Forest Bio-Preparation, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, People's Republic of China
| | - Minglu Tang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Ministry of Education, Engineering Research Center of Forest Bio-Preparation, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Song
- Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Ministry of Education, Engineering Research Center of Forest Bio-Preparation, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, People's Republic of China
| | - Junge Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Ministry of Education, Engineering Research Center of Forest Bio-Preparation, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenxin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Ministry of Education, Engineering Research Center of Forest Bio-Preparation, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, People's Republic of China
| | - Tiedong Sun
- Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Ministry of Education, Engineering Research Center of Forest Bio-Preparation, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, People's Republic of China
| | - Ying Wang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Ministry of Education, Engineering Research Center of Forest Bio-Preparation, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, People's Republic of China
| | - Lei Wang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, People's Republic of China
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20
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Abstract
Optical imaging is an indispensable tool in clinical diagnostics and fundamental biomedical research. Autofluorescence-free optical imaging, which eliminates real-time optical excitation to minimize background noise, enables clear visualization of biological architecture and physiopathological events deep within living subjects. Molecular probes especially developed for autofluorescence-free optical imaging have been proven to remarkably improve the imaging sensitivity, penetration depth, target specificity, and multiplexing capability. In this Review, we focus on the advancements of autofluorescence-free molecular probes through the lens of particular molecular or photophysical mechanisms that produce long-lasting luminescence after the cessation of light excitation. The versatile design strategies of these molecular probes are discussed along with a broad range of biological applications. Finally, challenges and perspectives are discussed to further advance the next-generation autofluorescence-free molecular probes for in vivo imaging and in vitro biosensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuyan Jiang
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 70 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637457, Singapore
| | - Kanyi Pu
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 70 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637457, Singapore.,School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 21 Nanyang Link, Singapore 637371, Singapore
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21
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Wells KA, Yarnell JE, Sheykhi S, Palmer JR, Yonemoto DT, Joyce R, Garakyaraghi S, Castellano FN. Accessing the triplet manifold of naphthalene benzimidazole-phenanthroline in rhenium(I) bichromophores. Dalton Trans 2021; 50:13086-13095. [PMID: 34581368 DOI: 10.1039/d1dt02329b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The steady-state and ultrafast to supra-nanosecond excited state dynamics of fac-[Re(NBI-phen)(CO)3(L)](PF6) (NBI-phen = 16H-benzo[4',5']isoquinolino[2',1':1,2]imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthrolin-16-one) as well as their respective models of the general molecular formula [Re(phen)(CO)3(L)](PF6) (L = PPh3 and CH3CN) has been investigated using transient absorption and time-gated photoluminescence spectroscopy. The NBI-phen containing molecules exhibited enhanced visible light absorption with respect to their models and a rapid formation (<6 ns) of the triplet ligand-centred (LC) excited state of the organic ligand, NBI-phen. These triplet states exhibit an extended excited state lifetime that enable the energized molecules to readily engage in triplet-triplet annihilation photochemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaylee A Wells
- Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27695-8204, USA.
| | - James E Yarnell
- Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27695-8204, USA. .,Department of Chemistry & Chemistry Research Center, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80840-6230, USA
| | - Sara Sheykhi
- Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27695-8204, USA.
| | - Jonathan R Palmer
- Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27695-8204, USA.
| | - Daniel T Yonemoto
- Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27695-8204, USA.
| | - Rosalynd Joyce
- Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27695-8204, USA.
| | - Sofia Garakyaraghi
- Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27695-8204, USA.
| | - Felix N Castellano
- Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27695-8204, USA.
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22
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He S, Han Y, Guo J, Wu K. Entropy-Gated Thermally Activated Delayed Emission Lifetime in Phenanthrene-Functionalized CsPbBr 3 Perovskite Nanocrystals. J Phys Chem Lett 2021; 12:8598-8604. [PMID: 34468154 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c02547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Charge and electronic energy transfer form the basis of many natural and artificial energy transduction systems. The energy landscapes that drive these transfer processes are often constructed from enthalpy changes. In contrast, the entropic effect, although occasionally invoked to explain some excited-state dynamics, has rarely been used to actively control charge/energy flow. Here we derive a generic formula describing how entropy can quantitatively gate the thermally activated delayed emission lifetime in semiconductor nanocrystal-molecular triplet acceptor complexes and experimentally verify the model using highly emissive, quantum-confined CsPbBr3 nanocrystals surface-functionalized with multiple phenanthrene triplet acceptors. Triplet energy transfer from photoexcited CsPbBr3 nanocrystals to phenanthrene is followed by thermally activated repopulation of nanocrystal excitons, leading to delayed nanocrystal emission. The lifetime of delayed emission increases with the phenanthrene/nanocrystal ratio, due to lowering of the free energy of the acceptor state by entropic gain. This study points toward a direction of using entropy to artificially design donor-acceptor light-emitting materials with predetermined excited-state lifetimes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan He
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Reaction Dynamics and Dynamics Research Center for Energy and Environmental Materials, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, Liaoning 116023, China
| | - Yaoyao Han
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Reaction Dynamics and Dynamics Research Center for Energy and Environmental Materials, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, Liaoning 116023, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jingwei Guo
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Lasers, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, Liaoning 116023, China
| | - Kaifeng Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Reaction Dynamics and Dynamics Research Center for Energy and Environmental Materials, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, Liaoning 116023, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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23
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Can TDDFT render the electronic excited states ordering of Azine derivative? A closer investigation with DLPNO-STEOM-CCSD. Chem Phys Lett 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cplett.2021.138827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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24
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Eng J, Penfold TJ. Open questions on the photophysics of thermally activated delayed fluorescence. Commun Chem 2021; 4:91. [PMID: 36697585 PMCID: PMC9814861 DOI: 10.1038/s42004-021-00533-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Julien Eng
- grid.1006.70000 0001 0462 7212Chemistry, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Thomas J. Penfold
- grid.1006.70000 0001 0462 7212Chemistry, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
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25
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Yu S, Kupryakov A, Lewis JEM, Martí-Centelles V, Goldup SM, Pozzo JL, Jonusauskas G, McClenaghan ND. Damming an electronic energy reservoir: ion-regulated electronic energy shuttling in a [2]rotaxane. Chem Sci 2021; 12:9196-9200. [PMID: 34276950 PMCID: PMC8261707 DOI: 10.1039/d1sc02225c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
We demonstrate the first example of bidirectional reversible electronic energy transfer (REET) between the mechanically bonded components of a rotaxane. Our prototypical system was designed such that photoexcitation of a chromophore in the axle results in temporary storage of electronic energy in a quasi-isoenergetic “reservoir” chromophore in the macrocycle. Over time, the emissive state of the axle is repopulated from this reservoir, resulting in long-lived, delayed luminescence. Importantly, we show that cation binding in the cavity formed by the mechanical bond perturbs the axle chromophore energy levels, modulating the REET process, and ultimately providing a luminescence read-out of cation binding. Modulation of REET processes represents an unexplored mechanism in luminescent molecular sensor development. Delayed emission due to reversible electronic energy transfer (REET) between chromophores in the axle and macrocycle components of a rotaxane is demonstrated. The REET process can be modulated by metal ion binding in the cavity of the rotaxane.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Shilin Yu
- Institut des Sciences Moléculaires, University of Bordeaux/CNRS Talence France .,Department of Chemistry, University of Jyvaskyla 40014 Jyväskylä Finland
| | - Arkady Kupryakov
- Laboratoire Ondes et Matière d'Aquitaine, University of Bordeaux/CNRS Talence France
| | - James E M Lewis
- School of Chemistry, University of Southampton Highfield Southampton SO17 1BJ UK .,Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences Research Hub 82 Wood Lane London W12 0BZ UK
| | | | - Stephen M Goldup
- School of Chemistry, University of Southampton Highfield Southampton SO17 1BJ UK
| | - Jean-Luc Pozzo
- Institut des Sciences Moléculaires, University of Bordeaux/CNRS Talence France
| | - Gediminas Jonusauskas
- Laboratoire Ondes et Matière d'Aquitaine, University of Bordeaux/CNRS Talence France
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26
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Yonemoto DT, Papa CM, Sheykhi S, Castellano FN. Controlling Thermally Activated Delayed Photoluminescence in CdSe Quantum Dots through Triplet Acceptor Surface Coverage. J Phys Chem Lett 2021; 12:3718-3723. [PMID: 33835808 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c00746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Quantum-dot/molecule composites (QD/mol) have demonstrated useful photochemical properties for many photonic and optoelectronic applications; however, a comprehensive understanding of these materials remains elusive. This work introduces a series of cadmium(II) selenide/1-pyrenecarboxylic acid (CdSe/PCA) nanomaterials featuring bespoke PCA surface coverage on CdSe585 (coded by the peak of the first exciton absorption band) to glean insight into the QD/mol photophysical behavior. Tailoring the energy gap between the CdSe585 first exciton band (2.1 eV) and the lowest PCA triplet level (T1 = 2.0 eV) to be nearly isoenergetic, strong thermally activated delayed photoluminescence (TADPL) is observed resulting from reverse triplet-triplet energy transfer. The resultant average decay time constant (τobs) of the photoluminescence emanating from CdSe585 is deterministically controlled with surface-bound PCAn chromophores (n = average number of adsorbed PCA molecules) by shifting the triplet excited state equilibrium from the CdSe585 to the PCA molecular triplet reservoir as a function of n.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel T Yonemoto
- Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-8204, United States
| | - Christopher M Papa
- Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-8204, United States
| | - Sara Sheykhi
- Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-8204, United States
| | - Felix N Castellano
- Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-8204, United States
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