Picosecond Time-Resolved Fluorescence Studies Are Consistent with Reversible Excited-State Intramolecular Proton Transfer in 4‘-(Dialkylamino)-3-hydroxyflavones

Computational explorations about the solvent-polarity-associated excited state proton transfer behaviors for the novel F-BSD compound

CONTEXT

Inspired by the excellent potential application prospects from the precisely controlled attributes displayed by fluorine-substituted-bis(salicylidene)-1,5-diaminonaphthalene (F-BSD) and its derivatives in the domains of photochemistry and photophysics, our present undertaking predominantly focuses on exploring the complexities of photo-induced excited state reactions for F-BSD fluorophores dissolved in solvents with diverse levels of polarity. Our simulations reveal that the excited state intramolecular double proton transfer (ESIDPT) reaction for F-BSD chemosensor can be significantly regulated by solvent polarity-dependent hydrogen bonding interactions and charge recombination induced by photoexcitation, which result from variations in geometries and vertical excitation charge reorganizations. By constructing potential energy surfaces (PESs), we also demonstrate that the stepwise ESIDPT reaction of F-BSD occurs with alternative dual intramolecular hydrogen bonds (O1-H2···N3 or O4-H5···N6). Interestingly, we affirm polar solvents should be conducive to the first-step of ESIDPT process, while nonpolar solvents are in favor of the second step. We sincerely hope solvent polarity-dependent ESIDPT behavior will pave the way for future design of novel luminescent materials.

METHODS

The molecular geometries were optimized by DFT//TDDFT D3-B3LYP/TZVP theoretical level with IEFPCM solvent model in S0 and S1 states, respectively. This work also explores the energy level of target molecules with the computational vertical absorption spectra by TDDFT. All the simulations were carried out based on Gaussian 16 software. The core-valence bifurcation (CVB) indexes were obtained by using Multiwfn 3.8. Potential energy surfaces were constructed by the DFT//TDDFT D3-B3LYP/TZVP level based on restricted optimization, also the transition state (TS) forms were searched using the same level.

Synthesis and Characterization of New Pyrano[2,3-c]pyrazole Derivatives as 3-Hydroxyflavone Analogues

In this paper, an efficient synthetic route from pyrazole-chalcones to novel 6-aryl-5-hydroxy-2-phenylpyrano[2,3-c]pyrazol-4(2H)-ones as 3-hydroxyflavone analogues is described. The methylation of 5-hydroxy-2,6-phenylpyrano[2,3-c]pyrazol-4(2H)-one with methyl iodide in the presence of a base yielded a compound containing a 5-methoxy group, while the analogous reaction of 5-hydroxy-2-phenyl-6-(pyridin-4-yl)pyrano[2,3-c]pyrazol-4(2H)-one led to the zwitterionic 6-(N-methylpyridinium)pyrano[2,3-c]pyrazol derivative. The treatment of 5-hydroxy-2,6-phenylpyrano[2,3-c]pyrazol-4(2H)-one with triflic anhydride afforded a 5-trifloylsubstituted compound, which was further used in carbon-carbon bond forming Pd-catalyzed coupling reactions to yield 5-(hetero)aryl- and 5-carbo-functionalized pyrano[2,3-c]pyrazoles. The excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) reaction of 5-hydroxypyrano[2,3-c]pyrazoles from the 5-hydroxy moiety to the carbonyl group in polar protic, polar aprotic, and nonpolar solvents was observed, resulting in well-resolved two-band fluorescence. The structures of the novel heterocyclic compounds were confirmed by 1H-, 13C-, 15N-, and 19F-NMR spectroscopy, HRMS, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction data.

Photoinduced Aryl Transfer from Imidazolyl-Quinoline π-Conjugated Systems

Aryl transfer between heteroatoms was photochemically available through radical initiation followed by a bimolecular reaction. However, such an excited-state reaction has rarely been reported through a photoinduced intramolecular pathway in the π-conjugated systems. Herein, we found, for the first time, a clean photoinduced intramolecular aryl shift for imidazolyl-quinoline derivatives 2NQ (imidazophenanthrene) and 4NQX (imidazophenanthroline), of which the photoproducts are thermally reversible. Upon light irradiation of the studied compounds in solution, an appreciable blue fluorescence along with a gradual change in color appearance was observed, the photoluminescence and photoconversion quantum yields of which were shown to be competitive in the same excited state. We were able to harness the photoconversion quantum yields of the NQ compounds with facile electronic modifications. These, in combination with time-resolved studies on the NQ compounds, gave an oxygen-insensitive aryl transfer rate within 1-100 ns. The anomalously slow intramolecular reaction rates were further proven to be associated with the ∼5.0 kcal/mol transition free energy. The photoproducts NQ_rs were isolated, identified by X-ray analyses, and also shown to demonstrate anti-Vavilov reverse reactions back to the NQ compounds in the higher-lying excited state. The discovery of photoinduced intramolecular aryl transfer paves a new pathway in the synthetic field, which may also be extended and far-reaching to solar-chemical storage under an appropriate design strategy.

Multi-parametric sensing by multi-channel molecular fluorescent probes based on excited state intramolecular proton transfer and charge transfer processes

Considering the applications of fluorescent probes and the information they provide, their brightness of fluorescence and photostability are of paramount importance. However, in the case of steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy and fluorescence microscopy, the amount of information can be increased by the application of multi-channel probes, via a multi-band fluorophore introduced in the probe molecule. In most cases, the use of such a multi-band (or multi-channel) fluorophore can also be combined with the concomitant introduction of one or several analyte receptors. Most often, the design of ratiometric probes with multi-band fluorescence emission are based on phenomena such as photoinduced intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) or excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT). Although ICT probes were up to recently the most popular, ESIPT probes and among them 3-hydroxyflavone derivatives, were shown to be the most productive. Several general problems were resolved by this family of probes, as for example the measurement of local dielectric constant, local H-bond accepting ability, water local concentration and ATP concentration in small volumes. Incorporation of such multi-channel probes into lipid membranes allowed to measure the different membrane potentials and to detect cell apoptosis. Also, it enabled to recognize and characterize the rafts formation in different lipid bilayers and peculiar features of the charged membrane interface. Such probes are also able to provide a concentration-dependent fluorescence signals upon binding of H⁺, Mg²⁺and Ba²⁺ions, and thus to recognize these different cations. The multi-channel probes are effective tools in the study of interactions of macromolecules such as peptides, proteins and nucleic acids. The most useful feature is that they inform simultaneously about several physical parameters, in this way giving a better insight in the investigated system. Thus, by comparing the reviewed probes with other modern fluorescent approaches, it can be concluded they are more informative and accurate tools.

Fluorescence Lifetimes of NIR-Emitting Molecules with Excited-State Intramolecular Proton Transfer

Molecular probes based on the excited-state intramolecular proton-transfer (ESIPT) mechanism have emerged to be attractive candidates for various applications. Although the steady-state fluorescence mechanisms of these ESIPT-based probes have been reported extensively, less information is available about the fluorescence lifetime characteristics of newly developed NIR-emitting dyes. In this study, four NIR-emitting ESIPT dyes with different cyanine terminal groups were investigated to evaluate their fluorescence lifetime characteristics in a polar aprotic solvent such as CH₂Cl₂. By using the time-correlated single-photon counting (TCSPC) method, these ESIPT-based dyes revealed a two-component exponential decay (τ₁ and τ₂) in about 2-4 nanoseconds (ns). These two components could be related to the excited keto tautomers. With the aid of model compounds (5 and 6) and low-temperature fluorescence spectroscopy (at -189 ℃), this study identified the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) as one of the major factors that influenced the τ values. The results of this study also revealed that both fluorescence lifetimes and fractional contributions of each component were significantly affected by the probe structures.

Theoretical Investigation of the Excited-State Dynamics Mechanism of the Asymmetric Two-Way Proton Transfer Molecule BTHMB

An asymmetric two-way proton transfer molecule 3-(benzo[d]-thiazol-2-yl)-2-hydroxy-5-methoxybenzaldehyde (BTHMB) with the function of white-light emission was synthesized in a recent experiment (Bhattacharyya, A.; Mandal, S. K.; Guchhait, N. J. Phys. Chem. A 2019, 123, 10246). The particularity of this molecule is that there are two possible forms, one of which contained a six-membered H-bonded network toward a N atom (BTHMB-NH) present in the molecule as a proton acceptor and the other was toward an O atom (BTHMB-OH). Unfortunately, the experimental work lacked the theoretical explanation about the determination of the BTHMB-NH form and its excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) process under different solvents. Therefore, this study has explored these two points by means of the time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) method. The calculated relative energy and potential energy profile (PEP) of the transformation between BTHMB-NH and BTHMB-OH forms illustrated that BTHMB-NH was more stable, and the transfer from BTHMB-NH to BTHMB-OH was almost impossible at both S₀ and S₁ states under all solvents due to high potential energy barriers (PEBs) (11.67-21.59 kcal/mol). These calculated results provided the theoretical explanation and verification for the conclusion that the BTHMB molecule exists in the BTHMB-NH form in the experiment. Subsequently, the constructed PEPs of the ESIPT process for BTHMB-NH have proved that it was prone to the ESIPT process due to low PEBs (0.11-0.28 kcal/mol) at the S₁ state. In particular, as the solvent polarity increased, the intensity of the intramolecular hydrogen bond (IHB) (O₃-H₄···N₅) increased and the ESIPT process was more likely to occur. In addition, the twisted intramolecular charge-transfer (TICT) process was studied to explore the possible fluorescence quenching pathway of BTHMB-NH. Based on the PEPs of BTHMB-NH-T as a function of the N₅-C₆-C₇-C₈ dihedral angle at the S₀ and S₁ states, it is seen that the S₀ state TICT process was inhibited due to the large PEBs (16.45-23.93 kcal/mol). Although the S₁ state PEBs have been greatly reduced, they were still maintained at about 3.60 kcal/mol (3.60-3.84 kcal/mol), and hence, this process was still relatively difficult to occur. Due to the fact that BTHMB can be regarded as a standard in future designs involving red light and solvent-specific white-light emitters, a certain amount of investigative work on the ESIPT process was done in detail, and it paved the way for future research on the directionality of ESIPT in double ESIPT probes.

Ultrafast nonadiabatic excited-state intramolecular proton transfer in 3-hydroxychromone: A surface hopping approach

We employ the ab initio molecular dynamics within the surface hopping method to explore the excited-state intramolecular proton transfer taking place on the coupled "bright" S₁ (ππ*) and "dark" S₂ (nπ*) states of 3-hydroxychromone. The nonadiabatic population transfer between these states via an accessible conical intersection would open up multiple proton transfer pathways. Our findings reveal the keto tautomer formation via S₁ on a timescale similar to the O-H in-plane vibrational period (<100 fs). Structural analysis indicates that a few parameters of the five-membered proton transfer geometry that constitute the donor (hydroxyl) and acceptor (carbonyl) groups would be adequate to drive the enol to keto transformation. We also investigate the role of O-H in-plane and out-of-plane vibrational motions in the excited-state dynamics of 3-hydroxychromone.

A DS2-specific flavonoid-based probe with a unique dual-emissive response to human serum albumin

The hydroxyl substituent in flavonoids can cause the binding site to change from DS1 to DS2 and restore the ESIPT process of flavonoids, thereby leading to a unique dual-emissive response towards human serum albumin.

Nature of Fast Relaxation Processes and Spectroscopy of a Membrane-Active Peptide Modified with Fluorescent Amino Acid Exhibiting Excited State Intramolecular Proton Transfer and Efficient Stimulated Emission

A fluorescently labeled peptide that exhibited fast excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) was synthesized, and the nature of its electronic properties was comprehensively investigated, including linear photophysical and photochemical characterization, specific relaxation processes in the excited state, and its stimulated emission ability. The steady-state absorption, fluorescence, and excitation anisotropy spectra, along with fluorescence lifetimes and emission quantum yields, were obtained in liquid media and analyzed based on density functional theory quantum-chemical calculations. The nature of ESIPT processes of the peptide's chromophore moiety was explored using a femtosecond transient absorption pump-probe technique, revealing relatively fast ESIPT velocity (∼10 ps) in protic MeOH at room temperature. Efficient superluminescence properties of the peptide were realized upon femtosecond excitation in the main long-wavelength absorption band with a corresponding threshold of the pump pulse energy of ∼1.5 μJ. Quantum-chemical analysis of the electronic structure of the peptide was performed using the density functional theory/time-dependent density functional theory level of theory, affording good agreement with experimental data.

Study of the Photoluminescence Characteristics of 4,4'-((1E,1'E)-Quinoxaline-2,3-diylbis(ethene-2,1-diyl))bis(N,N-dimethylaniline)

A comparative investigation on the photophysical properties of a quinoxaline derivative 4,4'-((1E,1'E)-quinoxaline-2,3-diylbis(ethene-2,1-diyl))bis(N,N-dimethylaniline) (QDMA2) was performed by employing many spectroscopies. Based on the pump-dump/push-probe measurement, it is found that a solvent-stabilized charge-transfer state can participate in the relaxation of excited QDMA2 with increasing solvent polarity. Meanwhile, the aggregated QDMA2 molecules were engineered into the organic light-emitting diode test, which showed a correlated color temperature value of 1875 K. With the help of a diamond anvil cell, the pressure-dependent photoluminescence of aggregated QDMA2 shows that the intermolecular interaction can affect the color and intensity of photoluminescence through adjusting the band gap and irradiative channel of the aggregated molecules. These results are important for understanding the structure-property relationships and the rational design of functional materials for optoelectronic applications.

A Flavone-Based Solvatochromic Probe with A Low Expected Perturbation Impact on the Membrane Physical State

The study of the cell membrane is an ambitious and arduous objective since its physical state is regulated by a series of processes that guarantee its regular functionality. Among the different methods of analysis, fluorescence spectroscopy is a technique of election, non-invasive, and easy to use. Besides, molecular dynamics analysis (MD) on model membranes provides useful information on the possibility of using a new probe, following its positioning in the membrane, and evaluating the possible perturbation of the double layer. In this work, we report the rational design and the synthesis of a new fluorescent solvatochromic probe and its characterization in model membranes. The probe consists of a fluorescent aromatic nucleus of a 3-hydroxyflavone moiety, provided with a saturated chain of 18 carbon atoms and a zwitterionic head so to facilitate the anchoring to the polar heads of the lipid bilayer and avoid the complete internalization. It was possible to study the behavior of the probe in GUV model membranes by MD analysis and fluorescence microscopy, demonstrating that the new probe can efficiently be incorporated in the lipid bilayer, and give a color response, thanks to is solvatochromic properties. Moreover, MD simulation of the probe in the membrane supports the hypothesis of a reduced perturbation of the membrane physical state.

MOF@COFs with Strong Multiemission for Differentiation and Ratiometric Fluorescence Detection

Aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) is often observed in covalent organic frameworks (COFs) for their low emission. Here, we propose that limited COF layers form on UiO-66 to eliminate the ACQ by the formation of UiO@COF composites. UiO-66 is selected because this metal-organic framework (MOF) is easily prepared in nanosize with Zr⁴⁺ ion and 2-aminoterephthalic acid (BDC-NH₂). The high affinity of the Zr⁴⁺ ion to phosphate species improves sensing selectivity. The surface -NH₂ reacts with 2,4,6-triformylphloroglucinol (Tp) to integrate COF1 and COF2, which are prepared with Tp and phenylenediamine or tetraamino-tetraphenylethylene, respectively. The hydrogen bond formed between the hydroxyl group in Tp and imine nitrogen realizes excited-state intramolecular proton transfer; therefore, multiemission is observed from the enol and keto states of the COFs and UiO-66 at 360, 470, and 613 nm for UiO@COF1 and at 370, 470, and 572 nm for UiO@COF2. When phosphate ion is added in the composites, the emissions from the COFs keep stable, while that from UiO-66 is enhanced. However, adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP) improves the emissions from UiO-66 and COF's enol state, but that from the keto state keeps stable. The differentiation and ratiometric fluorescence detection of ATP and phosphate ion are therefore realized with the multiemission, the affinity of Zr⁴⁺ ions, and the structural selectivity of the COFs. Thus, UiO@COF is a novel strategy to integrate multiemission, affinity, and structural selectivity to improve the sensing performance for differentiation and ratiometric detection.

Solvent modulated excited state processes of push-pull molecule with hybridized local excitation and intramolecular charge transfer character

Recently, a type of synthetic highly efficient OLED molecule based on a hybridized local excitation and charge transfer (HLCT) character has received much attention as a potential high-efficiency fluorescent OLED material. In this article, we report the relaxation dynamics of the excited states of cyano-substituted oligo α-phenylenevinylene-1,4-bis(R-cyano-4-diphenylaminostyryl)-2,5-diphenylbenzene (CNDPASDB) with HLCT character using steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopy as well as quantum chemical calculations. The dramatic dependence of the fluorescence quantum yield, radiative and non-radiative rate, as well as the excited state relaxation pathways on solvent polarity reveals that the solvation process controls the energy levels of two closely spaced electronic excited states. By employing femtosecond transient absorption spectra, the gradual transition from the LE state to the intramolecular CT state with an increase in solvent polarity is clearly resolved. In low-polarity solvents the fluorescence of CNDPASDB is mainly emission from the LE state, whereas in high-polarity solvents non-radiative decay from the CT state dominates. And in medium-polarity solvents, because of the relatively weaker solvation-induced stabilization of the CT state, its energy could be equal to or slightly lower than that of the LE state, leading to a smaller driving force for LE → CT interconversion; therefore complete LE → CT interconversion cannot take place. In this situation, LE ↔ CT intercrossed equilibration is established and the equilibrium constant is further estimated to be about 4 according to the obtained kinetics, and the equilibrium population of the CT state is about 80%. DFT/TDDFT analysis also confirmed an efficient intercrossing of LE and CT states with an increase in solvent polarity. It is found that upon increasing the solvent polarity, the hole and electron on a molecule are entirely separated, suggesting a complete CT character. These results provide guidance for understanding the relationship between solvent polarity and the HLCT process, as well as for designing and synthesizing advanced OLED materials.

Excited-State Intramolecular Proton Transfer-Based Multifunctional Solid-State Emitter: A Fluorescent Platform with "Write-Erase-Write" Function

The excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT)-based molecular probes have drawn significant attention owing to their environment-sensitive fluorescence properties, large Stokes shift, and emerged as building blocks for the development of molecular sensors and switches. However, most of the ESIPT-based fluorophores exhibit weak emission in the solid state limiting the scope of real-time applications. Addressing such issues, herein, we presented a C₃ symmetric-like molecular architecture employing a simple one-step Schiff base condensation between triaminoguanidinium chloride and 3,5-di- tert-butyl-2-hydroxybenzaldehyde (TGHB). The temperature-dependent fluorescence studies including at 77 K indicated the strong emission from the keto tautomer compared to that of the enol tautomer. The facile ESIPT in TGHB in the solid-state led to a remarkable enhancement of fluorescence quantum yield of 1600 times compared to that of the solution (λ_em = 545 nm) by restricting the intramolecular rotation and subsequently suppressing the nonradiative deactivation. The excited-state processes were further elucidated through time-resolved fluorescence measurements. TGHB exhibited turn on-off fluorescence upon exposure to acid/base vapor in the form of a powder as well as a transparent, free-standing thin film. A rewritable and erasable fluorescent platform was demonstrated using TGHB as molecular ink, which offers a potential testbed for performing "write-erase-write" cycles multiple times. In addition, TGHB, possessing multiple binding sites (O and N donors) involving the central core of the triaminoguanidinium cation displayed selective turn-on fluorescence with Zn²⁺. The structure-property relationship revealed in the present study provides insight into the development of novel cost-effective multifunctional materials, which are promising for stimuli-responsive molecular switches.

Spectroscopic methods for the study of energetic characteristics of the normal and photoproduct forms of 3-hydroxyflavones

We report spectroscopic properties of 3-hydroxyflavone (3-HF) and 4'-N,N-dimethylamino-3-hydroxyflavone (DMA3HF) in acetonitrile and ethyl acetate at different temperatures in the range from 10 °C to about 67 °C. These compounds are characterized by excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) which leads to occurrence of two forms of these molecules. For this reason their fluorescence spectra have two bands which correspond to emission of normal and photoproduct (tautomer) forms. The correlation between ratio of integrated intensity of these two bands and inverse absolute temperature (the Arrhenius plot) have been applied to estimate energetic properties, such as difference between energy levels of excited states as well ground states for normal and tautomer forms for each molecule.

Hydrogen bonding effects on the fluorescence properties of 4'-diethylamino-3-hydroxyflavone in water and water-acetone mixtures

The fluorescence properties of 4'-diethylamino-3-hydroxyflavone (FET), a dye probe sensitive to the polarity as well as the hydrogen bonding ability of its environment, have been studied in acetone-water mixtures by measuring spectra and decay curves over the whole composition range and analyzing the results on the basis of theoretical calculations. In acetone, like in most of organic solvents, the dye showed dual fluorescence, due to an excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT), in which a quasi-equilibrium between the two excited species, N* and T*, was reached. In acetone-water mixtures with lower molar fractions of water, where the water molecules are largely dispersed, only one type of hydrate could be detected, a complex with 1:1 composition, showing only N* emission, but with a high (0.45) fluorescence quantum yield. At higher water concentrations, the interaction of FET with the hydrogen-bonded water clusters resulted in fluorescence quenching. In neat water the fluorescence quantum yield fell to ~0.001. Theoretical calculations on a FET-acetone complex, a FET-water complex and a FET-water-acetone triple complex (the latter as model for the samples with low water concentrations) concluded that ESIPT was energetically favored in all the models, but the E(N*)-E(T*) energy difference for the water complexes was much lower. The kinetic barrier of ESIPT was found greatly higher in the FET-water complex than in the isolated solute. The intermolecular hydrogen bonds in the water complexes became significantly stronger following the excitation, stabilizing the N* form of the hydrated dye.

Ultrafast Ground-State Intramolecular Proton Transfer in Diethylaminohydroxyflavone Resolved with Pump-Dump-Probe Spectroscopy

4'- N, N-Diethylamino-3-hydroxyflavone (DEAHF), due to excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) reaction, exhibits two solvent-dependent emission bands. Because of the slow formation and fast decay of the ground-state tautomer, its population does not accumulate enough for its detection during the normal photocycle. As a result, the details of the ground-state intramolecular proton-transfer (GSIPT) reaction have remained unknown. The present work uses femtosecond pump-dump-probe spectroscopy to prepare the short-lived ground-state tautomer and track this GSIPT process in solution. By simultaneously measuring femtosecond pump-probe and pump-dump-probe spectra, ultrafast kinetics of the ESIPT and GSIPT reactions are obtained. The GSIPT reaction is shown to be a solvent-dependent irreversible two-state process in two solvents, with estimated time constants of 1.7 ps in toluene and 10 ps in the more polar tetrahydrofuran. These results are of great value in both fully describing the photocycle of this four-level proton transfer molecule and for providing a deeper understanding of dynamical solvent effects on tautomerization.

Ultrafast photophysics of the environment-sensitive 4'-methoxy-3-hydroxyflavone fluorescent dye

The excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) of 3-hydroxyflavone derivatives results in a fluorescence spectrum composed of two emission bands, the relative intensity of which is strongly influenced by the interaction with the local environment. We use time-resolved fluorescence and ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopies to investigate the photophysics of 4'-methoxy-3-hydroxyflavone in different solvents characterized by various polarities and hydrogen (H) bonding capabilities. We evidence that in this compound, the ESIPT reaction rate varies by more than 3 orders of magnitude, depending on the H-bonding capability of its local environment. This remarkable property is attributed to the moderate electron-donating strength of the 4'-methoxy substituent, and turns this fluorescent dye into a very promising fluorescent probe of biomolecular structures and interactions, where local structural heterogeneity may possibly be revealed by resolving a distribution of ESIPT reaction rates.

Temperature dependent spectroscopic and excited state dynamics of 3-hydroxychromones with electron donor and acceptor substituents

We have studied the photophysical and photochemical behavior of three compounds derived from 3-hydroxychromone (3-HC), capable of undergoing excited state proton transfer (ESIPT). The compounds have two substituents, located in positions 2 and 7, one on each ring of the 3-HC heterocycle. The substituent pattern shows different electron donating and acceptor features. The compounds were studied by absorption and emission spectroscopy, steady state anisotropy, and time resolved emission spectroscopy (TRES) as a function of temperature. Results were interpreted using time dependent density functional theory calculations. Compared to reference compounds of 3-HC substituted only in the 2 position, the compounds show similar absorption and emission spectra, shifted 20-30 nm to higher wavelengths due to extended conjugation. TRES shows the existence of ESIPT in the thermodynamic equilibrium regime. This process is endothermic in all three compounds. The different behavior compared to monosubstituted 3-HC is attributed to the extended conjugation and to the electron donor acceptor character of the substituents, which has a more pronounced effect when the electron acceptor is located in position 2.

Solvation Dynamics and Proton Transfer in Diethylaminohydroxyflavone

4'-N,N-Diethylamino-3-hydroxyflavone (DEAHF) exhibits dual fluorescence in most solvents as a result of a rapid excited-state intramolecular proton transfer reaction. The high sensitivity of its dual emission to solvent polarity and hydrogen bonding make DEAHF of interest as a ratiometric fluorescence sensor. In addition, prior work has suggested that the rate of this proton transfer should depend on solvent relaxation in an unusual manner. It has been proposed that rapid solvation of the initially excited reactant should retard reaction. The present work tests this idea by using femtosecond Kerr-gated emission spectroscopy to measure the reaction kinetics of DEAHF in mixtures of propylene carbonate (PC) + acetonitrile (ACN). This mixture was chosen to maintain constant solvent polarity and thereby constant reaction energies while varying solvation times ∼10-fold with composition. The reaction kinetics observed in these mixtures are multiexponential, consisting of resolvable components of ∼2 and ∼30 ps and a small fraction of reaction faster than detectable by the 400 fs resolution of the experiment. Average reaction times increase by approximately a factor of 2 as a function of ACN mole fraction, primarily as a result of changes to the slower kinetic component. This trend is opposite to the composition dependence of solvation times, thereby supporting the unusual role of polar solvation dynamics in this proton transfer. In n-alkane solvents, where electrostatic coupling is minimized, frictional properties of the solvent do not influence reaction rates.

Excited-state intermolecular proton transfer dependent on the substitution pattern of anthracene–diurea compounds involved in fluorescent ON1–OFF–ON2 response by the addition of acetate ions

Anthracene–diurea compounds exhibit different excited-state intermolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) reactions depending on the pattern of the substituents.

Environment-sensitive quinolone demonstrating long-lived fluorescence and unusually slow excited-state intramolecular proton transfer kinetics

A new small fluorescent dye based on 3-hydroxybenzo[g]quinolone, a benzo-analogue of Pseudomonas quinolone signal species, has been synthesized. The dye demonstrates interesting optical properties, with absorption in the visible region, two band emission due to an excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) reaction and high fluorescence quantum yield in both protic and aprotic media. Time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy shows that the ESIPT reaction time is unusually long (up to 8 ns), indicating that both forward and backward ESIPT reactions are very slow in comparison to other 3-hydroxyquinolones. In spite of these slow rate constants, the ESIPT reaction was found to show a reversible character as a result of the very long lifetimes of both N^* and T^* forms (up to 16 ns). The ESIPT reaction rate is mainly controlled by the hydrogen bond donor ability in protic solvents and the polarity in aprotic solvents. Using large unilamellar vesicles and giant unilamellar vesicles of different lipid compositions, the probe was shown to preferentially label liquid disordered phases.

Tuning ESIPT fluorophores into dual emitters

Using first-principle approaches, we show how ESIPT can be controlled by fine-tuning of substituents, hence leading to new dual emitters.

Dyes undergoing excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) are known to present large Stokes shifts as a result of the important geometrical reorganisation following photon absorption. When the ESIPT process is not quantitative, one can obtain dual emitters characterised by two distinct fluorescence bands, observed due to emissions from both the canonical and ESIPT isomers. However, dual emission generally requires to maintain a very specific balance, as the relative excited-state free energies of the two tautomers have to be within a narrow window to observe the phenomenon. Consequently, simple chemical intuition is insufficient to optimise dual emission. In the present contribution, we investigate, with the help of quantum-mechanical tools and more precisely, time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) and algebraic diagrammatic construction (ADC), a wide panel of possible ESIPT/dual emitters with various substituents. The selected protocol is first shown to be very robust on a series of structures with known experimental behaviour, and next is applied to novel derivatives with various substituents located at different positions. This work encompasses the largest chemical library of potential ESIPT compounds studied to date. We pinpoint the most promising combinations for building dual emitters, highlight unexpected combination effects and rationalise the impact of the different auxochromes.

Direct observation of breaking of the intramolecular H-bond, and slowing down of the proton motion and tuning its mechanism in an HBO derivative

We report on spectroscopic and photodynamical behaviours of 5-amino-2-(2'-hydroxyphenyl)benzoxazole (5A-HBO) in different solutions. The dye undergoes an ultrafast ICT reaction (<50 fs) (comparable to that observed for its methylated derivative, 5A-MBO), in agreement with the results of TD-DFT theoretical calculations (gas phase). Depending on the used solvent, the ICT reaction can be followed by a reversible/irreversible excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) reaction or by breaking of the intramolecular hydrogen bond (IHB). 5A-HBO in n-heptane solution exhibits an irreversible and slow (20 ps) ESIPT reaction, while that of the parent compound, HBO, takes place in less than 150 fs. Compared to excited HBO behaviour, theoretical calculations on 5A-HBO suggest a higher energy barrier (∼4 kcal mol(-1)) between the relaxed enol and keto tautomers, in addition to a less stabilization of the latter, which is in agreement with experiments in n-heptane. On the other hand, in dichloromethane, after the ICT reaction a subsequent and reversible proton motion occurs in an extraordinary slower regime (ns-time scale). No isotopic effect (OH/OD exchange) was observed in this solvent reflecting that the reversible ESIPT reaction evolves along the IHB and solvent coordinates. Using tetrahydrofurane and acetonitrile, we observed a breaking of the IHB due to specific intermolecular interactions with solvent molecules. This leads to the formation of open-enol forms, which undergo an ICT reaction as it occurs in 5A-MBO. These results bring new findings in the coupled ICT and ESIPT reactions. The photobehaviour of this new dye remarkably changes with the solvent nature, opening up the window for further research and possible applications in sensing polarity or H-bonding of media similar to that of the biological ones.

The kinetics and mechanism of photooxygenation of 4'-diethylamino-3-hydroxyflavone

The photolysis reactions of 4'-diethylamino-3-hydroxyflavone (D), a versatile fluorescent probe showing excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT), and the magnesium chelate of D (MgD(2+)) have been studied in acetonitrile solution. Upon UV irradiation both species were oxidized into O-4-diethylaminobenzoyl salicylic acid, differently from the photoreaction of the parent compound 3-hydroxyflavone (3HF) which was described to undergo rearrangement to 3-hydroxy-3-phenyl-indan-1,2-dione. The photooxygenation of the Mg(2+) complex was found to be significantly faster than the reaction of the pure dye. As the kinetic analysis of the absorption spectra of samples under irradiation showed, the rate coefficients for the oxygenations of the excited state dye and complex have close values, kox(D*) = 2.4 × 10(7) min(-1), kox(MgD(2+)*) = 3.9 × 10(7) min(-1); the difference arises from the higher photooxygenation quantum yield of the complex, Φ(MgD(2+)) = 2.3 × 10(-3), than the respective value for the pure dye, Φ(D) = 1.5 × 10(-4). The potential energy surface of the photooxygenation of D was calculated assuming a reaction path in which the phototautomer formed from Dvia ESIPT, reacts in its triplet state with triplet molecular oxygen O2, a mechanism similar to that suggested for the photoreaction of the parent 3HF. The moderate values for the transition state energies confirmed the plausibility of the hypothetical mechanism.

Unusually slow intramolecular proton transfer dynamics of 4′-N,N-dimethylamino-3-hydroxyflavone in high n-alcohols: involvement of solvent relaxation

The S₁ energy surface of DMA3HF as a function of solvation and ESIPT coordinates, viewed down the energy axis as a 2-dimensional projection.

Fluorescence lifetime imaging of membrane lipid order with a ratiometric fluorescent probe

To monitor the lateral segregation of lipids into liquid-ordered (Lo) and -disordered (Ld) phases in lipid membranes, environment-sensitive dyes that partition in both phases but stain them differently have been developed. Of particular interest is the dual-color F2N12S probe, which can discriminate the two phases through the ratio of its two emission bands. These bands are associated with the normal (N(∗)) and tautomer (T(∗)) excited-state species that result from an excited-state intramolecular proton transfer. In this work, we investigated the potency of the time-resolved fluorescence parameters of F2N12S to discriminate lipid phases in model and cell membranes. Both the long and mean lifetime values of the T(∗) form of F2N12S were found to differ by twofold between Ld and Lo phases as a result of the restriction in the relative motions of the two aromatic moieties of F2N12S imposed by the highly packed Lo phase. This differed from the changes in the ratio of the two emission bands between the two phases, which mainly resulted from the decreased hydration of the N(∗) form in the Lo phase. Importantly, the strong difference in lifetimes between the two phases was preserved when cholesterol was added to the Ld phase. The two phases could be imaged with high contrast by fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) on giant unilamellar vesicles. FLIM images of F2N12S-labeled live HeLa cells confirmed that the plasma membrane was mainly in the Lo-like phase. Furthermore, the two phases were found to be homogeneously distributed all over the plasma membrane, indicating that they are highly mixed at the spatiotemporal resolution of the FLIM setup. Finally, FLIM could also be used to sensitively monitor the change in lipid phase upon cholesterol depletion and apoptosis.

Proton Transfer Dynamics of 4'-N,N-Dimethylamino-3-hydroxyflavone Observed in Hydrogen-Bonding Solvents and Aqueous Micelles

Photophysical studies on the 4'-N,N-dimethylamino-3-hydroxyflavone fluorophore were performed in hydrogen-bonding solvents. Both in hydrogen-bonding acids and bases, clear evidence of excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) emerged from steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopies. The same was also observed for the fluorophores residing in the hydrophilic shell region of aqueous micelles, where they come into close contact with water molecules at the micelle-water interface. Slow ∼100 ps ESIPT time-constants were determined in these systems that correlated well with solvation dynamics. The slow ESIPT time-constants are attributed to activated barrier crossing from the solvent-relaxed enol form to tautomer form in the excited state energy surface of the flavone. In contrast to the barrier-less ESIPT occurring in early (<1 ps) time-scales, this activated proton-transfer event necessarily requires extensive reorganization of flavone···solvent intermolecular hydrogen bonds, a process heavily modulated by the relatively slower dynamics of solvent relaxation around the excited fluorophore.

An abnormally slow proton transfer reaction in a simple HBO derivative due to ultrafast intramolecular-charge transfer events

We report on the steady-state, picosecond and femtosecond time-resolved studies of a charge and proton transfer dye 6-amino-2-(2'-hydroxyphenyl)benzoxazole (6A-HBO) and its methylated derivative 6-amino-2-(2'-methoxyphenyl)benzoxazole (6A-MBO), in different solvents. With femtosecond resolution and comparison with the photobehaviour of 6A-MBO, we demonstrate for 6A-HBO in solution, the photoproduction of an intramolecular charge-transfer (ICT) process at S1 taking place in ∼140 fs or shorter, followed by solvent relaxation in the charge transferred species. The generated structure (syn-enol charge transfer conformer) experiences an excited-state intramolecular proton-transfer (ESIPT) reaction to produce a keto-type tautomer. This subsequent proton motion occurs in 1.2 ps (n-heptane), 14 ps (DCM) and 35 ps (MeOH). In MeOH, it is assisted by the solvent molecules and occurs through tunneling for which we got a large kinetic isotope effect (KIE) of about 13. For the 6A-DBO (deuterated sample in CD3OD) the global proton-transfer reaction takes place in 200 ps, showing a remarkable slow KIE regime. The slow ESIPT reaction in DCM (14 ps), not through tunnelling as it is not sensitive to OH/OD exchange, has however to overcome an energy barrier using intramolecular as well as solvent coordinates. The rich ESIPT dynamics of 6A-HBO in the used solutions is governed by an ICT reaction, triggered by the amino group, and it is solvent dependent. Thus, the charge injection to a 6A-HBO molecular frame makes the ICT species more stable, and the phenol group less acidic, slowing down the subsequent ESIPT reaction. Our findings bring new insights into the coupling between ICT and ESIPT reactions on the potential-energy surfaces of several barriers.