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Clark JA, Robinson S, Espinoza EM, Bao D, Derr JB, Croft L, O'Mari O, Grover WH, Vullev VI. Poly(dimethylsiloxane) as a room-temperature solid solvent for photophysics and photochemistry. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2024; 26:8062-8076. [PMID: 38372740 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp05413f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Medium viscosity strongly affects the dynamics of solvated species and can drastically alter the deactivation pathways of their excited states. This study demonstrates the utility of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) as a room-temperature solid-state medium for optical spectroscopy. As a thermoset elastic polymer, PDMS is transparent in the near ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared spectral regions. It is easy to mould into any shape, forming surfaces with a pronounced smoothness. While PDMS is broadly used for the fabrication of microfluidic devices, it swells in organic solvents, presenting severe limitations for the utility of such devices for applications employing non-aqueous fluids. Nevertheless, this swelling is reversible, which proves immensely beneficial for loading samples into the PDMS solid matrix. Transferring molecular-rotor dyes (used for staining prokaryotic cells and amyloid proteins) from non-viscous solvents into PDMS induces orders-of-magnitude enhancement of their fluorescence quantum yield and excited-state lifetimes, providing mechanistic insights about their deactivation pathways. These findings demonstrate the unexplored potential of PDMS as a solid solvent for optical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- John A Clark
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
| | - Samantha Robinson
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
| | - Eli M Espinoza
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Duoduo Bao
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
| | - James B Derr
- Department of Biochemistry, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Luca Croft
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
| | - Omar O'Mari
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
| | - William H Grover
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
| | - Valentine I Vullev
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
- Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
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Clark JA, Kusy D, Vakuliuk O, Krzeszewski M, Kochanowski KJ, Koszarna B, O'Mari O, Jacquemin D, Gryko DT, Vullev VI. The magic of biaryl linkers: the electronic coupling through them defines the propensity for excited-state symmetry breaking in quadrupolar acceptor-donor-acceptor fluorophores. Chem Sci 2023; 14:13537-13550. [PMID: 38033901 PMCID: PMC10685337 DOI: 10.1039/d3sc03812b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Charge transfer (CT) is key for molecular photonics, governing the optical properties of chromophores comprising electron-rich and electron-deficient components. In photoexcited dyes with an acceptor-donor-acceptor or donor-acceptor-donor architecture, CT breaks their quadrupolar symmetry and yields dipolar structures manifesting pronounced solvatochromism. Herein, we explore the effects of electronic coupling through biaryl linkers on the excited-state symmetry breaking of such hybrid dyes composed of an electron-rich core, i.e., 1,4-dihydropyrrolo[3,2-b]pyrrole (DHPP), and pyrene substituents that can act as electron acceptors. Experimental and theoretical studies reveal that strengthening the donor-acceptor electronic coupling decreases the CT rates and the propensity for symmetry breaking. We ascribe this unexpected result to effects of electronic coupling on the CT thermodynamics, which in its turn affects the CT kinetics. In cases of intermediate electronic coupling, the pyrene-DHPP conjugates produce fluorescence spectra, spreading over the whole visible range, that in addition to the broad CT emission, show bands from the radiative deactivation of the locally excited states of the donor and the acceptors. Because the radiative deactivation of the low-lying CT states is distinctly slow, fluorescence from upper locally excited states emerge leading to the observed anti-Kasha behaviour. As a result, these dyes exhibit white fluorescence. In addition to demonstrating the multifaceted nature of the effects of electronic coupling on CT dynamics, these chromophores can act as broad-band light sources with practical importance for imaging and photonics.
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Affiliation(s)
- John A Clark
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Riverside, 900 University Ave. Riverside CA 92521 USA
| | - Damian Kusy
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences Kasprzaka 44-52 01-224 Warsaw Poland
| | - Olena Vakuliuk
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences Kasprzaka 44-52 01-224 Warsaw Poland
| | - Maciej Krzeszewski
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences Kasprzaka 44-52 01-224 Warsaw Poland
| | - Krzysztof J Kochanowski
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences Kasprzaka 44-52 01-224 Warsaw Poland
| | - Beata Koszarna
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences Kasprzaka 44-52 01-224 Warsaw Poland
| | - Omar O'Mari
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Riverside, 900 University Ave. Riverside CA 92521 USA
| | - Denis Jacquemin
- Nantes Université, CNRS CEISAM UMR 6230 F-44000 Nantes France
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF) F-75005 Paris France
| | - Daniel T Gryko
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences Kasprzaka 44-52 01-224 Warsaw Poland
| | - Valentine I Vullev
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Riverside, 900 University Ave. Riverside CA 92521 USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Riverside CA 92521 USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of California Riverside CA 92521 USA
- Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of California Riverside CA 92521 USA
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Kumar GD, Liao YC, Nazir R, Banasiewicz M, Chou PT, Gryko DT. Strongly emitting, centrosymmetric, ladder-type bis-coumarins with crankshaft architecture. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:28824-28828. [PMID: 37853830 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp04121b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Quadrupolar bis-coumarins bearing dialkylamino groups, prepared by a double Pechmann reaction and subsequent oxidation, strongly emit yellow-orange light. Comparison with non-substituted analogs reveals that, the photophysical properties of the conjugated bis-coumarins are controlled both by the dialkylamino substituents and by the π-system. Analogous but non-conjugated bis-coumarins emit blue light both in solution and in crystalline state. Unusually fast oxidation process in the crystalline state is responsible for the presence of two bands in their solid-state emission. Two-center, charge-transfer transition from an orbital delocalized on the entire molecule to the central benzene ring is responsible for photophysical properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Dinesh Kumar
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, Warsaw 01-224, Poland.
| | - Yu-Chan Liao
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, 1 Roosevelt Road Section 4, Taipei 106, Taiwan.
| | - Rashid Nazir
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, Warsaw 01-224, Poland.
- Advanced Fibers, Empa Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, St. Gallen 9014, Switzerland
| | - Marzena Banasiewicz
- Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Al. Lotników 32/46, Warsaw 02-668, Poland
| | - Pi-Tai Chou
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, 1 Roosevelt Road Section 4, Taipei 106, Taiwan.
| | - Daniel T Gryko
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, Warsaw 01-224, Poland.
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