Ultrafast Excited State Deactivation of Triphenylmethane Dyes

Basic Fuchsin Dye as the First Fluorophore for Optical Sensing of Morpholine in Fruits Crust and Urine Samples

In this work, basic fuchsin (BF) dyestuff was presented as the first optical sensor used for the spectrofluorimetric assessment of morpholine (MOR) where BF exhibits morpholine-sensing behavior. The developed fluorimetric avenue is sensitive, facile, selective, and validated for assaying the sensitizing influence of MOR on the BF fluorescence in an aprotic dioxane solvent. Parameters like solvents, BF concentration, order, and time of addition that influence the fluorescence intensity of the probing system were addressed. Optimizing the analytical methodology revealed a linear fluorescence sensitization within the addition of MOR in the two concentration ranges of 5 × 10-9 to 1.0 × 10-7 mol L-1 and 2.0 × 10-7 to 3 × 10-6 mol L-1. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were estimated to be 2.0 × 10-9 mol L-1 (0.17 ng mL-1) and 6.66 × 10-9 mol L-1 (0.567 ng mL-1), respectively. High levels of accuracy and precision are achieved when assaying spiked MOR either in pure solutions or samples of fruit peel extract and human urine. Moreover, the green character and practicality/applicability of the method were evaluated by AGREE and BAGI metric tools. These merit outcomes provide insights into the development of fluorescent sensors for MOR detection using fluorescent dyes and meet the Food and Drug Administration's requirements for morpholine detection in real-life applications.

Torsional Disorder, Symmetry Breaking, and the Crystal Violet Shoulder Controversy

The nature of the lowest-energy electronic absorption band of crystal violet (CV) and particularly the origin of its high-energy shoulder have been debated since the middle of the past century. The most recent studies invoke a splitting of the S₁ state upon symmetry breaking induced by interactions with the solvent and/or the counterion. Using a combination of stationary and time-resolved polarized spectroscopy together with quantum-chemical calculations, we show that torsional disorder in the ground-state results in an inhomogeneous broadening of the absorption band of CV. The center of the band is mostly due to symmetric molecules with a degenerate S₁ state, whereas the edges originate from transitions to the S₁ and S₂ states of distorted symmetry-broken molecules. Transient-absorption measurements with different excitation wavelengths reveal that these two groups of molecules interconvert rapidly in liquid but not in a rigid environment.

Excited-state Dynamics of Radical Ions in Liquids

Thomas Bally has acquired international recognition for his work on the photochemistry of reactive intermediates, which include radical ions. Here, we present a brief overview of our investigations of the excited-state dynamics of radical ions in liquids at room temperature, which are still poorly documented. A better understanding of these dynamics is most relevant, as open-shell ions in the excited state are being increasingly used in redox photochemistry and have been proposed to play a key role in highly exergonic photoinduced electron transfer reactions.

Ultrafast Dynamics of a Solvatochromic Dye, Phenol Blue: Tautomerization and Coherent Wavepacket Oscillations

Femtosecond time-resolved transient absorption spectroscopy was performed for a nonfluorescent solvatochromic dye, phenol blue, N-(4-dimethylaminophenyl)-1,4-benzoquinoneimine, which exhibits ultrafast nonradiative decay due to its flexible molecular structure. By exciting the molecule in ethanol (EtOH) solution with two excitation wavelengths located at shorter- and longer-wavelength sides of the visible absorption band, we observed ultrafast nonradiative decay from the excited state, followed by spectral evolution in the ground state. The nonradiative decay in the subpicosecond range creates a vibrationally hot ground state with the lifetime in the picosecond range. Subsequently, a tautomer that absorbs at shorter wavelengths is produced from the hot state, which causes a red shift of the ground-state bleach (GSB). The tautomerization presumably involves twisting of the benzoquinoneimine moiety induced by the breaking of the hydrogen bond (H-bond) between the solute and the solvent molecules. The recombination of the H-bond occurs with a time constant of ∼30 ps, and the system returns to its original state. We also observed low-frequency coherent wavepacket oscillations that modulate the GSB with dephasing times similar to the excited-state lifetime.

Ultrafast Excited State Relaxation Dynamics of New Fuchsine- a Triphenylmethane Derivative Dye

An all-inclusive investigation of the ultrafast excited state relaxation dynamics of a triphenylmethane derivative molecule, New Fuchsine (NF), using a combined approach of density functional theory (DFT), femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy (fs-TAS), and photoluminescence spectroscopy is presented in this work. The DFT calculations confirmed the formation of twisted molecular structure in the excited state of NF in ethanol solution with bond rotation of ≈ 86⁰ . TAS measurements of NF solution exhibited ultrafast ground state-recovery pathway via a conical intersection confirming an ultrafast structural reorientation. On the contrary, TAS measurements of NF thin-film exhibited a longer excited-state lifetime suggesting a hindered molecular twisted state formed as an intermediate step. Photophysical kinetic models are proposed to globally fit the fs-TAS data establishing the twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) state mediated ground state recovery for NF in solution and thin film, respectively. Temperature-dependent photoluminescence study of NF film provided a clear insight into the effect of rotational motion of phenyl rings in NF molecules over the TICT mediated emission.

Upper Excited State Photophysics of Malachite Green in Solution and Films

Relaxation pathways of upper excited electronic states of malachite green (MG) in ethanol and in films are studied by steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopic techniques. In contrast to ethanol, where MG emits weak short-lived spectrally well separated S₂ and S₁ fluorescence with the lifetimes ∼0.3 and ∼0.9 ps, MG films show a much stronger broadband fluorescence within 430-700 nm, revealing multiexponential kinetics with the characteristic decay times τ₁ ≈ 1 ps, τ₂ ≈ 10 ps, τ₃ ≈ 0.05-0.8 ns, and τ₄ ≈ 2-3 ns. By the analysis of spectroscopic responses of MG in ethanol and in films as well as by theoretical modeling, we demonstrate that significant increase of fluorescence lifetimes and substantial enhancement of fluorescence intensity in MG films are stipulated by the decrease of efficiency of the S₂ → S₁ and S₁ → S₀ internal conversion, which in turn is caused by hindrance of rotation of MG's phenyl rings controlling the S₂/S₁ and S₁/S₀ conical intersections. These findings indicate that MG films may become promising non-Kasha materials (with reasonable S₂ emission) with numerous photophysical and photochemical applications.

Untying the Photophysics of Quinolinium-Based Molecular Knots and Links

Complex molecular knots and links are still difficult to synthesize and the properties arising from their topology are mostly unknown. Here, we report on a comparative photophysical study carried out on a family of closely related quinolinium-based knots and links to determine the impact exerted by topology on the molecular backbone. Our results indicate that topology has a negligible influence on the behavior of loosely braided molecules, which mostly behave like their unbraided equivalents. On the other hand, tightly braided molecules display distinct features. Their higher packing density results in a pronounced ability to resist deformation, a significant reduction in the solvent-accessible surface area and favors close-range π-π interactions between the quinolinium units and neighboring aromatics. Finally, the sharp alteration in behavior between loosely and tightly braided molecules sheds light on the factors contributing to braiding tightness.

Room-Temperature Dual Fluorescence of a Locked Green Fluorescent Protein Chromophore Analogue

A structurally locked green fluorescent protein (GFP) chromophore with a phenyl group at C(2) of the imidazolone has been synthesized. Rotation around the exocyclic double bond is hindered, resulting in room-temperature fluorescence. The quantum yield in water is 500 times greater than that of unlocked analogues. Unlike the methyl-substituted analogue, the phenyl analogue exhibits a dual emission (cyan and red) that can be used for ultrasensitive ratiometric measurements and fluorescence microscopy. To explain this dual emission, DFT calculations were carried out along with fluorescence upconversion experiments. The Z-isomer was found to be emissive, while the origin of the dual emission was dependent on the phenyl group in the Z-isomer, which stabilizes the Franck-Condon state, resulting in a cyan fluorescence, while the zwitterionic tautomer fluoresces red. These results bring important new insights into the photophysics of the GFP chromophore and provide a new scaffold capable of dual emission with utility in biotechnology.

Ultrafast excited state dynamics of nonfluorescent cyclopheophorbide-aenol, a catabolite of chlorophyll-adetoxified in algae-feeding aquatic microbes

Transient absorption spectroscopy revealed that a catabolite of chlorophyll-a, cPPB-aE, undergoes ultrafast nonradiative decay through an intermediate state.

Observing ground state vibrational coherence and excited state relaxation dynamics of a cyanine dye in pure solvents

Using a degenerate pump probe technique at 800 nm, Ground State Vibrational Coherence (GSVC) of a cyanine dye (IR780) is explored in various solvents.

Cyanine dyes as ratiometric fluorescence standards for the far-red spectral region

Absolute fluorescence quantum yields are reported for a group of commercially available dyes suitable for use as secondary standards across the far-red spectral window.

On the interaction of triarylmethane dye crystal violet with LAPONITE® clay: using mineral nanoparticles to control the dye photophysics

The combination of an organic dye with clays leads to very interesting hybrid materials with original properties.

Effect of diffusion on Förster resonance energy transfer in low-viscosity solution

The effect of translational diffusion on Förster resonance energy transfer between rhodamine 6G (the donor) and malachite green (the acceptor) was investigated by examining the donor's fluorescence decay profile. Eight straight-chain alkyl alcohols were used, and the temperature of ethanol was changed to vary the viscosity; the decay profiles were analyzed using the theory developed by Gösele. The critical transfer distance obtained from the decay profile is in good agreement with that evaluated using the spectroscopic quantities, and the diffusion coefficients are consistent with the Stokes-Einstein relation. The fluorescence decay profile was described well by Gösele's theory and the effect of diffusion is clearly verified by the temperature/viscosity dependence of the diffusion constant.

Ultrafast excited state dynamics of S2 and S1 states of triphenylmethane dyes

Excited state dynamics of S2 and S1 states for a series of TPM dyes, pyrogallol red (PGR), bromopyrogallol red (Br-PGR) and aurin tricarboxylic acid (ATC), have been monitored by using ultrafast transient absorption and fluorescence up-conversion techniques.

Direct observation and control of ultrafast photoinduced twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) in triphenyl-methane dyes

Femtosecond time-resolved infrared spectroscopy was employed to study intramolecular charge transfer in triphenylmethane dyes, including malachite green (MG), malachite green carbinol base (MGCB), and leucomalachite green (LMG). A local excited state (LE) and a twisted intramolecular charge-transfer (TICT) state have been observed directly in MG. Furthermore, solvent-controlled TICT measurements in a series of linear alcohols indicate that the transition time (4-11 ps) from LE to TICT is strongly dependent on alcohol viscosity, which is due to rotational hindrance of dimethylaniline in high-viscosity solvents. For LMG, no TICT is observed due to steric hindrance caused by the sp(3)-hybridized central carbon atom. However, for MGCB, TICT is rescued by the addition of the electron-donating hydroxyl group to the bridge. These results for MG and its analogues provide new insight regarding the dynamics and mechanism of twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) in triphenylmethane dyes.

Excited-state dynamics of organic dyes at liquid/liquid interfaces

Liquid/liquid interfaces play a crucial role in numerous areas of science. However, direct spectroscopic access to this thin (~1 nm) region is not possible with conventional optical methods. After a brief review of the most used techniques to perform interfacial optical spectroscopy, we will focus on time-resolved surface second harmonic generation, which allows the measurement of the excited-state dynamics of probe molecules at interfaces. By comparing these dynamics with those measured in bulk solutions, precious information on the properties of the interfacial region can be obtained. To illustrate this, several studies performed in our group will be presented.

Microviscosity inside a nanocavity: a femtosecond fluorescence up-conversion study of malachite green

Femtosecond fluorescence up-conversion measurements of malachite green (MG) have been carried out to confirm the relaxation pathway and subsequently to probe the microviscosity of water trapped in a nanoconfined environment using an AOT (sodium dioctylsulfosuccinate, aerosol-OT) reverse micelle as a model system. The experimental results reveal a strong dependence of S(1) state relaxation dynamics of MG on solvent viscosity while a very weak dependence has been observed for the S(2) state relaxation. The time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations have been used to construct potential energy surfaces of MG by pursuing an intramolecular rotation along the torsional coordinate of the phenyl rings. On synchronization with the experimental observations, the computational results comprehend the existence of a conical intersection along the S(1) and S(0) potential energy surfaces, which leads to mixed vibrational levels of S(1) and S(0) characteristics. The results suggest that the conical intersection is along the torsional coordinate of N,N-dimethyl substituted phenyl ring. Correlating the observed dynamics of MG in a confined system with the relaxation time of MG in different glycerol-water mixtures, we assert the determination of the microviscosity of water inside the AOT reverse micelle. The data confer that the microviscosity of water in an AOT water pool of w(0) = 2 (9 cP) is almost 9 times higher than the bulk water. As we increase the w(0) from 2 to 40, the microviscosity decreases monotonically to 5.68 cP, and the decrease is observed to be exponential in nature.

Competition between ultrafast relaxation and photoionization in excited prefluorescent states of tryptophan and indole

The quantum yield of photoionization of TrpH and IndH from the nonrelaxed prefluorescent state S* increases with the temperature decrease. This effect is attributed to the competition between temperature independent ionization and ultrafast thermal relaxation S* --> S1. The rate constant of the relaxation does not depend on the solvent and on the presence of the amino acid side chain: the temperature dependences of photoionization quantum yield, obtained for TrpH and IndH in different solvents, practically coincide. The activation energy for the relaxation rate constant Er approximately 4.5 kJ/mol probably corresponds to intramolecular process or to the formation of the vibronically excited transient complex between photoexcited molecule and solvent molecules.

Time-dependent density functional theory study on intramolecular charge transfer and solvent effect of dimethylaminobenzophenone

The lower singlet excited states for dimethylaminobenzophenone have been investigated as a function of the twisting motion with inclusion of solvent effects. Theoretical calculations have been performed using time-dependent density functional theory. The B3LYP and MPW1PW91 functionals with a 6-311+G(2d,p) basis set have been used to compute transition energies. The solvent effects have been described within the polarizable continuum model. Ground-state geometries are optimized using density functional theory with both B3LYP and MPW1PW91 functionals combined with 6-31G(d) basis sets. Vertical absorption energy calculations characterize the lower singlet excited states both in vacuum and in different kinds of solvents. A large redshift of the absorption maximum in the polar solvent suggests an intramolecular charge transfer character of the excited state. We have constructed the potential energy curves of two possible twisting motions of the excited states both in vacuum and in the polar solvent of acetonitrile: the twisting of only the dimethylamino group and the twisting of the dimethylaminophenyl group with respect to the benzoyl group. Both twisting processes predict the formation of the twisted intramolecular charge transfer state associated with the crossing of a low barrier. The presence of the polar solvent significantly changes the shape of the energy curves. Calculated emission energies for both the isolated and the solvated systems show a large Stokes shift between the absorption and fluorescence maxima. Two possible twisting motions produce similar fluorescence spectroscopic consequences. Our results including solvent effects explain the weak "dual-fluorescence" feature of dimethylaminobenzophenone, and imply that the two possible twisting motions may occur in the excited-state relaxation dynamics, but the twisting of the dimethylamino group seems to take place easier.

Twisting Dynamics in the Excited Singlet State of Michler's Ketone

Ultrafast relaxation dynamics of the excited singlet (S(1)) state of Michler's ketone (MK) has been investigated in different kinds of solvents using a time-resolved absorption spectroscopic technique with 120 fs time resolution. This technique reveals that conversion of the locally excited (LE) state to the twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) state because of twisting of the N,N-dimethylanilino groups with respect to the central carbonyl group is the major relaxation process responsible for the multi-exponential and probe-wavelength-dependent transient absorption dynamics of the S1 state of MK, but solvation dynamics does not have a significant role in this process. Theoretical optimization of the ground-state geometry of MK shows that the dimethylanilino groups attached to the central carbonyl group are at a dihedral angle of about 51 degrees with respect to each other because of steric interaction between the phenyl rings. Following photoexcitation of MK to its S1 state, two kinds of twisting motions have been resolved. Immediately after photoexcitation, an ultrafast "anti-twisting" motion of the dimethylanilino groups brings back the pretwisted molecule to a near-planar geometry with high mesomeric interaction and intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) character. This motion is observed in all kinds of solvents. Additionally, in solvents of large polarity, the dimethylamino groups undergo further twisting to about 90 degrees with respect to the phenyl ring, to which it is attached, leading to the conversion of the ICT state to the TICT state. Similar characteristics of the absorption spectra of the TICT state and the anion radical of MK establish the nearly pure electron transfer (ET) character of the TICT state. In aprotic solvents, because of the steep slope of the potential energy surface near the Franck-Condon (FC) or LE state region, the LE state is nearly nonemissive at room temperature and fluorescence emission is observed from only the ICT and TICT states. Alternatively, in protic solvents, because of an intermolecular hydrogen-bonding interaction between MK and the solvent, the LE region is more flat and stimulated emission from this state is also observed. However, a stronger hydrogen-bonding interaction between the TICT state and the solvent as well as the closeness between the two potential energy surfaces due to the TICT and the ground states cause the nonradiative coupling between these states to be very effective and, hence, cause the TICT state to be weakly emissive. The multi-exponentiality and strong wavelength-dependence of the kinetics of the relaxation process taking place in the S1 state of MK have arisen for several reasons, such as strong overlapping of transient absorption and stimulated emission spectra of the LE, ICT, and TICT states, which are formed consecutively following photoexcitation of the molecule, as well as the fact that different probe wavelengths monitor different regions of the potential energy surface representing the twisting motion of the excited molecule.