Photophysical Properties of Coumarin-500 (C500): Unusual Behavior in Nonpolar Solvents

Solvent Effect on the Photophysical Properties of Terpyridine Incorporating Pyrene Moiety: Estimation of Dipole Moments by Solvatochromic Shift Methods

The absorption and fluorescence emission spectra of terpyridine incorporating pyrene moiety (Tpy-pyr) have been recorded in extensive variety of solvents having different polarities. The effect of the solvent on the spectral characteristics are examined. It is shown that Tpy-pyr exhibit positive solvatochromism, large Stokes shift values in polar solvents, and fluorescence in the long wavelength region of the visible range. A linear increasing trend with Stokes shift indicates the presence of Tpy-pyr - solvent interaction. The acquired results could be attributed to the formation of excited states with intramolecular charge transfer. The fluorescence quantum yield was drastically reduced in polar protic solvents and the formation of the twisted states with charge transfer was proposed. Both ground and excited state dipole moments (µg and µe) were determined experimentally by Lippert-Mataga, Reichardt, Bilot-Kawski, Bakhshiev and Kawski-Chamma-Viallet solvatochromic methods analyzed on the base of the microscopic solvent polarity functions. The µg and µe dipole moment of Tpy-pyr estimated from density functional theory (DFT) and those determined experimentally from solvatochromic methods are compared and the results are discussed.

The investigation of the ultrafast excited state deactivation mechanisms for coumarin 307 in different solvents

The intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) and twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) processes of coumarin 307 (C307) in different solvents were investigated by performing steady-state/time-resolved transient absorption spectroscopic and steady-state photoluminescence spectroscopic characterizations in combination with time-dependent density functional theoretical calculation (TDDFT). The study unveiled the remarkable influence of solvent polarity and the strength of intermolecular hydrogen bonds formed between the solutes and solvents on the relaxation dynamics of the electronic excited state. Significantly, the emergence of the TICT state was observed in polar solvents, specifically dimethylformamide (DMF) and dimethyl sulfoxidemethanol (DMSO), owing to their inherent polarity as well as the enhanced intermolecular hydrogen bonding interactions. Interestingly, even in a weak polar solvent such as methanol (MeOH), the TICT state was also observed due to the intensified hydrogen bonding effects. Conversely, nonpolar solvents, exemplified by 1,4-dioxane (Diox), resulted in the stabilization of the ICT state due to the augmented N-H⋯O hydrogen bonding interactions. The experimental findings were corroborated by the computational calculations, thus ensuring the reliability of the conclusions drawn. Furthermore, schematic diagrams were presented to illustrate the mechanisms underlying the excited-state deactivation. Overall, this investigation contributes valuable mechanistic insights and provides a comprehensive understanding of the photochemical and photophysical properties exhibited by coumarin dyes.

3-aminoquinoline: a turn-on fluorescent probe for preferential solvation in binary solvent mixtures

3-Aminoquinoline (3AQ) has been used as a fluorescent probe for preferential solvation in hexane-ethanol solvent mixtures. Results of the present experiment have been put into context by comparison with prior observations with 5-aminoquinoline (5AQ) as the probe. 3AQ exhibits a relatively small change of dipole moment (Δμ= 2.2 D) upon photoexcitation, compared to 5AQ (Δμ= 6.1D), which might appear to be a hindrance in the way of its use as a solvation probe. Indeed, the values of parameters like spectral shifts are smaller for the present experiment with 3AQ. At the smallest concentration of alcohol used, its local mole fraction around the probe is significantly lower than in the previous experiments with 5AQ. However, these apparent disadvantages are outweighed by the significant increase in fluorescence intensity and lifetime observed with increasing concentration of ethanol in the solvent mixture, as opposed to the drastic fluorescence quenching that occurs for 5AQ. This is a marked advantage in the use of 3AQ in studies like the present one. The local mole fraction of ethanol and preferential solvation index experienced by 3AQ are in line with those reported for 5AQ. The disadvantage of the smaller magnitude of Δμpersists in the time resolved fluorescence experiments, for solvent mixtures with very low ethanol content. Negligible wavelength dependence of fluorescence transients of 3AQ is observed forx_p= 0.002,. However, this effect is outweighed at higher alcohol concentrations, for which nanosecond dynamics of preferential solvation is observed.

Distinctive tunable photophysical properties of versatile environmentally-sensitive tribranched cyanopyridine fluorophores

In the present work, twenty-four environmentally-sensitive cyanopyridine fluorophores bearing pyrene and/ or fluorene with different para-substituted-phenyl moieties that have been previously designed and synthesized by us are studied in depth for their photophysical properties. Initially, the optical performances of the compounds were investigated by employing UV-visible and fluorescence spectroscopic tools in various aprotic and protic solvents. All the compounds exhibited absorption bands between 310 and 452 nm, and emission bands between 454 and 633 nm. High sensitivity emission spectra with solvents of different polarities were recorded and studied. The fluorescence quantum yield (ϕ_f) increased in solvents of low polarity and decreased on increasing the polarity of solvents. On the other hand, in case of strong electron donating (-NMe₂) and strong electron attracting (-CN) substitution, a pronounced increase in Stokes shifts (up to 252 nm, 14250 cm^-1) were recorded. Lippert-Mataga and Reichardts correlations, applied for estimating the variation in dipole moments (Δμ), suggested that the emissive state of designed fluorescence 3-cyanopyridine derivatives is of strong ICT character. The aprotic and protic solvents gave a linear plot for the Stokes shifts in a Lippert-Mataga plot, which appeared as two distinct domains in E_T(30) scales indicating the presence of hydrogen bondings. It was observed that for compounds 5b - 8b, with (-NMe₂) group on the skeleton of phenyl ring, the Lippert-Mataga and Reichardt-Dimroth's plots deviated from linearity signifying that 5b - 8b molecules were involved in specific interaction with protic solvents.

Nonadditivity in human microsomal drug metabolism revealed in a study with coumarin 152, a polyspecific cytochrome P450 substrate

We closely characterized 7-Dimethylamino-4-trifluromethylcoumarin (Coumarin 152, C152), a substrate metabolized by multiple P450 species, to establish a new fluorogenic probe for the studies of functional integration in the cytochrome P450 ensemble. Scanning fluorescence spectroscopy and LC/MS-MS were used to characterize the products of N-demethylation of C152 and optimize their fluorometric detection. The metabolism of C152 by the individual P450 species was characterized using the microsomes containing cDNA-expressed enzymes. C152 metabolism in human liver microsomes (HLM) was studied in a preparation with quantified content of eleven P450 species. C152 is metabolized by CYP2B6, CYP3A4, CYP3A5, CYP2C19, CYP1A2, CYP2C9, and CYP2C8 listed in the order of decreasing turnover. The affinities exhibited by CYP3A5, CYP2C9, and CYP2C8 were lower than those characteristic to the other enzymes. The presumption of additivity suggests the participation of CYP3A4, CYP2B6, and CYP2C19 to be 84, 8, and 0.2%, respectively. Contrary to this prediction, inhibitory analysis identified CYP2C19 as the principal C152-metabolizing enzyme. We thoroughly characterize C152 for the studies of drug metabolism in HLM and demonstrate the limitations of the proportional projection approach by providing an example, where the involvement of individual P450 species cannot be predicted from their content.

Kinetics and Energetics of Ultrafast Bimolecular Photoinduced Electron Transfer Reactions in Pluronic-Surfactant Supramolecular Assemblies

Understanding the kinetics and energetics of photoinduced electron transfer (PET) reactions in constrained media has attracted considerable research interest, as constrained media provide a handle to tune the microenvironments and consequently the mechanisms of PET reactions. In this study, PET reactions between excited 7-aminocoumarin acceptors and ground-state N,N-dimethylaniline (DMAN) donor have been investigated in mixed micellar media composed of triblock copolymer, P123, and anionic surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), with varying SDS-to-P123 molar ratios (n values). The objective is to elucidate the role of the n values in the rates and energetics of PET reactions over the entire time range from the subpicosecond to the subnanosecond domain, especially in regard to the applicability of the two-dimensional ET (2DET) mechanism. It is observed that by changing the n values, there is a significant change in the hydration characteristics of the SDS-P123 mixed micelles, which in turn changes the kinetics to energetic correlations for the PET reactions. Fluorescence from the excited coumarin acceptors undergoes substantial quenching due to PET from DMAN donor in all of the studied micelles as evidenced from steady-state, subnanosecond time-resolved (TR) and ultrafast (subpicosecond/femtosecond) fluorescence up-conversion measurements. The quenching rate constants (k_q), estimated from subnanosecond TR fluorescence studies, and the individual component-wise decay rates (τ_i^-1), estimated from up-conversion measurements, increase gradually with increasing n value, corroborating well with the sequentially increased micropolarity of the mixed micelles. Interestingly, it is observed that the correlations of either k_q (from subnanosecond studies) or τ_i^-1 (from femtosecond studies) with the reaction exergonicity (-ΔG°) show the noteworthy Marcus inversion (MI) behavior in a very consistent and similar manner for the entire time window, from subpicoseconds to subnanoseconds. The onset of MI always appears at an exergonicity (-ΔG°_MI) much lower than solvent reorganization energy (λ_s), suggesting the involvement of 2DET mechanism throughout the subpicosecond to subnanosecond time domains. The present results thus provide a comprehensive picture of the kinetics and energetics of the PET reactions in constrained media for the whole time span and unequivocally establish the applicability of 2DET mechanism for the PET reactions in constrained media, eliminating any apprehensions about the effect of time resolution of the subnanosecond setup on the observed Marcus inversion behavior. This is indeed an important finding, providing valuable insights for PET reactions in constrained media, which has not been explored explicitly in any of the previous studies. Observation of MI behavior and the modulations in the PET reactions by simply changing the composition of SDS in the SDS-P123 mixed micelles are noteworthy findings of the present study and are expected to find suitable applications for better utilization and outcome of the PET reactions.

Fluorescence solvatochromism and modulated anticholinergic activity of novel coumarin compounds sequestered in human serum albumin nanocavities

The antagonistic effect of the HSA matrix towards the acetylcholinesterase inhibition potencies of novel coumarin compounds is probed by multi-spectroscopic techniques.

Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite quantum dots with high PLQY and enhanced carrier mobility through crystallinity control by solvent engineering and solid-state ligand exchange

The photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) and charge carrier mobility of organic-inorganic perovskite QDs were enhanced by the optimization of crystallinity and surface passivation as well as solid-state ligand exchange. The crystallinity of perovskite QDs was determined by the Effective solvent field (Esol) of various solvents for precipitation. The solvent with high Esol could more quickly countervail the localized field generated by the polar solvent, and it causes fast crystallization of the dissolved precursor, which results in poor crystallinity. The post-ligand adding process (PLAP) and post-ligand exchange process (PLEP) increase the PLQY of perovskite QDs by reducing non-radiative recombination and the density of surface defect states through surface passivation. Particularly, the post ligand exchange process (PLEP) in the solid-state improved the charge carrier mobility of perovskite QDs in addition to the PLQY enhancement. The ligand exchange with short alkyl chain length ligands could improve the packing density of perovskite QDs in films by reducing the inter-particle distance between perovskite QDs. The maximum hole mobility of 6.2 × 10-3 cm2 V-1 s-1, one order higher than that of pristine QDs without the PLEP, is obtained at perovskite QDs with hexyl ligands. By using PLEP treatment, compared to the pristine device, a 2.5 times higher current efficiency in perovskite QD-LEDs was achieved due to the improved charge carrier mobility and PLQY.

Photophysics of a coumarin based Schiff base in solvents of varying polarities

The present work reports detailed photophysics of a coumarin based Schiff base, namely, (E)-7-(((8-hydroxyquinolin-2-yl)methylene)amino)-4-methyl-2H-chromen-2-one (HMC) in different solvents of varying polarity exploiting steady state absorption, fluorescence and time resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. The dominant photophysical features of HMC are discussed in terms of emission from an intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) excited state. Molecular orbital (MO) diagrams as obtained from DFT based computational analysis confirms the occurrence of charge transfer from 8'-hydroxy quinoline moiety of the molecule to the coumarin part. The notable difference in the photophysical response of HMC from its analogous coumarin (C480) lies in a lower magnitude of fluorescence quantum yield of the former, particularly in the solvents of low polarity, which is rationalized by considering the higher rate of non-radiative decay of HMC in apolar solvents. Phosphorescence emission as well as phosphorescence lifetime of HMC has also been reported in 77K frozen matrix.

Ultraviolet and yellow reflectance but not fluorescence is important for visual discrimination of conspecifics by Heliconius erato

Toxic Heliconius butterflies have yellow hindwing bars that - unlike those of their closest relatives - reflect ultraviolet (UV) and long wavelength light, and also fluoresce. The pigment in the yellow scales is 3-hydroxy-dl-kynurenine (3-OHK), which is found in the hair and scales of a variety of animals. In other butterflies like pierids with color schemes characterized by independent sources of variation in UV and human-visible yellow/orange, behavioral experiments have generally implicated the UV component as most relevant to mate choice. This has not been addressed in Heliconius butterflies, where variation exists in analogous color components, but moreover where fluorescence due to 3-OHK could also contribute to yellow wing coloration. In addition, the potential cost due to predator visibility is largely unknown for the analogous well-studied pierid butterfly species. In field studies with butterfly paper models, we show that both UV and 3-OHK yellow act as signals for H. erato when compared with models lacking UV or resembling ancestral Eueides yellow, respectively, but attack rates by birds do not differ significantly between the models. Furthermore, measurement of the quantum yield and reflectance spectra of 3-OHK indicates that fluorescence does not contribute to the visual signal under broad-spectrum illumination. Our results suggest that the use of 3-OHK pigmentation instead of ancestral yellow was driven by sexual selection rather than predation.

Solvents effect on the absorption and fluorescence spectra of 7-diethylamino-3-thenoylcoumarin: evaluation and correlation between solvatochromism and solvent polarity parameters

Effect of solvents of varying polarities on absorption and fluorescence spectra and dipole moment of laser dye: 7-diethylamino-3-thenoylcoumarin (DETC) has been investigated. A small band shift is obtained in the absorption spectra compared to emission spectra. The spectral shifts were correlated with Catalan's parameters using linear solvation energy relationship. It reveals that non-specific interaction measured by solvent polarity has more influence on absorption and solvent dipolarity contribution is significant in case of fluorescence. A bathochromic shift observed in absorption and emission spectra with increasing solvent polarity, which implied that the transition involved is π→π(∗). The solvatochromic correlations were used to estimate the excited state dipole moment using experimentally determined ground state dipole moment. The observed single-state excited state dipole moment is found to be greater than the ground state.

Different mechanisms of ultrafast excited state deactivation of coumarin 500 in dioxane and methanol solvents: experimental and theoretical study

The effect of hydrogen bonding on the intermolecular photoinduced ICT and TICT processes for coumarin 500 has been demonstrated, and a reliable mechanism has been revealed to explain the unusual behavior of C500 in dioxane and methanol.

Photophysics of a coumarin in different solvents: use of different solvatochromic models

This study reported the photophysics of 7-(diethylamino)coumarin-3-carboxylic acid N-succinimidyl ester (7-DCCAE) in different neat solvents of varying polarity using steady-state absorption, fluorescence emission and picosecond time-resolved spectroscopy. In nonpolar solvents, the dye molecule predominantly exists in nonpolar structure and exhibits very low value of nonradiative decay rate constant (k(nr)), demonstrating the emission takes place from S(1) -LE to S(0) ground state. The fluorescence quantum yields, lifetime values of 7-DCCAE in different solvents are rationalized on the basis of intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) followed by twisted intramolecular charge transfer state formation (TICT) as well as specific solute-solvent interactions. Several solvatochromic models (such as Lippert, Dimroth, Kamlet-Taft, Catalán 3P and Catalán 4P models) were used to analyze the solvatochromic shift of 7-DCCAE in different solvents. The different empirical models show that the observed results are better correlate for nonchlorinated solvents and provide statistically significant best-fit result. A comparison was done between comparatively new solvatochromic model (Catalán 3P and Catalán 4P model) with Kamlet-Taft model. The ground state structure of the said molecule was optimized by using Density Functional Theory (DFT).

Solvent dependent photophysical properties of dimethoxy curcumin

Dimethoxy curcumin (DMC) is a methylated derivative of curcumin. In order to know the effect of ring substitution on photophysical properties of curcumin, steady state absorption and fluorescence spectra of DMC were recorded in organic solvents with different polarity and compared with those of curcumin. The absorption and fluorescence spectra of DMC, like curcumin, are strongly dependent on solvent polarity and the maxima of DMC showed red shift with increase in solvent polarity function (Δf), but the above effect is prominently observed in case of fluorescence maxima. From the dependence of Stokes' shift on solvent polarity function the difference between the excited state and ground state dipole moment was estimated as 4.9 D. Fluorescence quantum yield (φ(f)) and fluorescence lifetime (τ(f)) of DMC were also measured in different solvents at room temperature. The results indicated that with increasing solvent polarity, φ(f) increased linearly, which has been accounted for the decrease in non-radiative rate by intersystem crossing (ISC) processes.

Intermolecular electron transfer between coumarin dyes and aromatic amines in Triton-X-100 micellar solutions: evidence for Marcus inverted region

Photoinduced electron transfer (ET) between coumarin dyes and aromatic amines has been investigated in Triton-X-100 micellar solutions and the results have been compared with those observed earlier in homogeneous medium. Significant static quenching of the coumarin fluorescence due to the presence of high concentration of amines around the coumarin fluorophore in the micelles has been observed in steady-state fluorescence studies. Time-resolved studies with nanosecond resolutions mostly show the dynamic part of the quenching for the excited coumarin dyes by the amine quenchers. A correlation of the quenching rate constants, estimated from the time-resolved measurements, with the free energy changes (DeltaG0) of the ET reactions shows the typical bell shaped curve as predicted by Marcus outer-sphere ET theory. The inversion in the ET rates for the present systems occurs at an exergonicity (-DeltaG0) of approximately 0.7-0.8 eV, which is unusually low considering the polarity of the Palisade layer of the micelles where the reactants reside. Present results have been rationalized on the basis of the two dimensional ET model assuming that the solvent relaxation in micellar media is much slower than the rate of the ET process. Detailed analysis of the experimental data shows that the diffusional model of the bimolecular quenching kinetics is not applicable for the ET reactions in the micellar solutions. In the present systems, the reactions can be better visualized as equivalent to intramolecular electron transfer processes, with statistical distribution of the donors and acceptors in the micelles. A low electron coupling (Vel) parameter is estimated from the correlation of the experimentally observed and the theoretically calculated ET rates, which indicates that the average donor--acceptor separation in the micellar ET reactions is substantially larger than for the donor--acceptor contact distance. Comparison of the Vel values in the micellar solution and in the donor--acceptor close contact suggests that there is an intervention of a surfactant chain between the interacting donor and acceptor in the micellar ET reaction.

Production and Reactions of Organic-Soluble Lanthanide Complexes of the Monolacunary Dawson [α1-P2W17O61]10- Polyoxotungstate

The incorporation of lanthanides into polyoxometalates provides entry to new classes of potentially useful materials that combine the intrinsic properties of both constituents. To utilize the [alpha1-Ln(H2O)4P2W17O61]7- species in applications of catalysis and development of luminescent materials, the chemistry of this family of lanthanide polyoxometalates in organic solvents has been developed. Organic-soluble polyoxometalate-lanthanide complexes TBA5H2[alpha1-Ln(H2O)4P2W17O61] (Ln = La(III), Sm(III), Eu(III), Yb(III)) were prepared and characterized by elemental analysis, acid-base titration, IR, 31P NMR, and mass spectrometry. The synthetic procedure involves a cation metathesis reaction in aqueous solution under strict pH control. A solid-liquid-phase transfer protocol yielded a unique species (TBA)8K3[Yb(alpha1-YbP2W17O61)2] with three ytterbium ions and two [alpha1-P2W17O61]10- polyoxotungstates. A centrosymmetric dimeric complex [{alpha1-La(H2O)4P2W17O61}2]14- was crystallized from aqueous solution and characterized by X-ray diffraction. ESI mass spectral analysis of the complexes TBA5H2[alpha1-Ln(H2O)4P2W17O61] shows that similar dimers exist in organic solution, in particular for the early lanthanides. Fragmentation in the mass spectrometer of the complexes from dry acetonitrile solution involves double protonation of an oxo ligand and loss of one water molecule. Low mass tungstate fragments combine into [(WO3)n]2- (n = 1-5) ions and their condensation products with phosphate. Reaction of TBA5H2[alpha1-Eu(H2O)4P2W17O61] with 1,10-phenanthroline or 2,2'-bipyridine showed an increase of the europium luminescence. This result is explained by the formation of a ternary complex of [alpha1-Eu(H2O)4P2W17O61]7- and two sensitizing ligands.

Influence of Steric and Electronic Properties of the Defect Site, Lanthanide Ionic Radii, and Solution Conditions on the Composition of Lanthanide(III) α1-P2W17O6110- Polyoxometalates

This study identifies the principles that govern the formation and stability of Ln complexes of the (alpha(1)-P(2)W(17)O(61))(10-) isomer. The conditional stability constants for the stepwise formation equilibria, K(1cond) and K(2cond), determined by (31)P NMR spectroscopy, show that the high log K(1cond)/log K(2cond) ratio predicts the stabilization of the 1:1 Ln/ (alpha(1)-P(2)W(17)O(61))(10-) species. The value of log K(1cond) increases as the Ln series is traversed, consistent with the high charge/size requirement of the basic alpha(1) defect site. The conditional stability constants, K(2), are very low and are highly dependent on the countercations in the buffer. The source of the instability is understood from the crystal structures of the early-mid lanthanide analogues, where the close contact of the (alpha(1)-P(2)W(17)O(61))(10-) units result in severe steric encumbrance. The electronic properties of the alpha(1) defect along with the lanthanide ionic radii and countercation composition are important parameters that need to be considered for a rational synthesis of lanthanide polyoxometalates.

Investigations of the Solvent Polarity Effect on the Photophysicalt Properties of Coumarin-7 Dye¶

Photophysical investigations of coumarin-7 (C7) dye in different solvents using absorption, steady-state fluorescence and time-resolved fluorescence measurements reveal the behavioral changes of the dye in nonpolar and other solvents. In moderate to higher polarity solvents, the experimental parameters such as fluorescence quantum yield (Phif), fluorescence lifetime (tauf), radiative rate constant (k(f)), nonradiative rate constant (k(nr)) and Stokes' shift (Deltav) follow almost linear correlations with the Lippert-Mataga solvent polarity parameter Deltaf but show unusual deviations in nonpolar solvents. From the observed results, it is inferred that the dye exists in a planar intramolecular charge transfer structure in moderate to higher polarity solvents, but in nonpolar solvents, the dye exists in a nonplanar structure with its 7-NEt2 group adopting a pyramidal type of configuration. Unlike some of the other coumarin dyes, namely coumarin-120 (C120) (4-CH3-7-NH2-1,2-benzopyrone) and coumarin-151 (C151) 4-CF3-7-NH2-1,2-benzopyrone), which also show similar structural changes in nonpolar and other solvents, the C7 dye does not show any activation-controlled deexcitation process in nonpolar solvents. This is attributed to the very slow flip-flop motion of the 7-NEt2 group of the C7 dye in comparison with the very fast flip-flop motion of the 7-NH2 group in the C120 and C151 dyes. Qualitative potential energy diagrams are presented to rationalize the observed results of C7 dye and to compare these with those of the other dyes such as C120 and C151. A support for the observed results and interpretation has also been obtained from quantum chemical calculations on the structures of the C7 dye.

Photophysical Properties of Coumarin-30 Dye in Aprotic and Protic Solvents of Varying Polarities¶

Experimental results on various photophysical properties of coumarin-30 (C30) dye, namely, Stokes' shift (Deltanu), fluorescence quantum yield (Phi(f)), fluorescence lifetime (tau(f)), radiative rate constant (k(f)) and nonradiative rate constant (k(nr)), as obtained using absorption and fluorescence measurements have been reported. Though in most of the solvents the properties of C30 show more or less linear correlation with the solvent polarity function, Deltaf = [(epsilon - 1)/(2epsilon + 1) - (n(2) - 1)/(2n(2) + 1)], they show unusual deviations in nonpolar solvents at one end and in high-polarity protic solvents at the other end. From the solvent polarity and temperature effect on the photophysical properties of the dye, following inferences have been drawn: (1) in nonpolar solvents, the dye exists in a nonpolar structure, where its 7-NEt(2) substituent adopts a pyramidal configuration and the amino lone pair is out of resonance with the benzopyrone pi cloud; (2) in medium to higher polarity solvents, the dye exists in a polar intramolecular charge transfer structure, where the 7-NEt(2) group and the 1,2-benzopyrone moiety are in the same plane and the amino lone pair is in resonance with the benzopyrone pi cloud; (3) in protic solvents, the dye-solvent intermolecular hydrogen bonding influences the photophysical properties of the dye; and (4) in high-polarity protic solvents, the excited C30 undergoes a new activation-controlled nonradiative deexcitation process because of the involvement of a twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) state. Contrary to most other TICT molecules, the activation barrier for this deexcitation process in C30 is observed to increase with solvent polarity. A rational for this unusual behavior has been given on the basis of the solvent polarity-dependent stabilization and crossing of relevant electronic states and the relative propensity of interconversion among these states.