Large fluorescence response by alcohol from a bis(benzoxazole)-zinc(II) complex: the role of excited state intramolecular proton transfer

Theoretical study based on the excited state dynamical of an oxadiazole derivative: A novel fluorescence mechanism

Excited intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) has been widely studied as a model system for proton transfer. In recent years, materials and biological systems containing two proton transfers have received special attention from researchers. In this work, the excited state intramolecular double-proton-transfer (ESIDPT) mechanism of a fluorescent compound based on an oxadiazole derivative, 2,5-bis-[5-(4-tert-butyl-phenyl)-[1,3,4]oxadiazol-2-yl]-benzene-1,4-diol (DOX), has been comprehensively investigated through theoretical calculations. The potential energy surface curve of the reaction shows that ESIDPT can occur in the first excited state. This work proposes a new and reasonable fluorescence mechanism based on previous experiments, which has theoretical significance for the future research of DOX compounds in biomedicine and optoelectronics.

Synthesis of a bis[2-(2′-hydroxyphenyl)benzoxazole]pyridinium derivative: the fluoride-induced large spectral shift for ratiometric response

A highly sensitive probe for the detection of fluoride by triggered NIR emission.

Theoretical insights into excited-state hydrogen bonding effects and intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) mechanism for BTS system

In this work, N,N'-bis(salicylidene)-(2-(3',4'-diaminophenyl)benzothiazole) (named as "BTS") system was studied about its excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) process. The analyses about reduced density gradient (RDG) reveal the formation of two intramolecular hydrogen bonds in BTS system. Bond lengths and angles, infrared (IR) vibrations as well as frontier molecular orbitals (MOs) using TDDFT method indicate that the strength of hydrogen bond should be enhanced in the S1 state. Particularly, hydrogen bond O1-H2···N3 undergoes larger variations compared with O4-H5···N6, which infers that hydrogen bond O1-H2···N3 may play a decisive role in the ESIPT process of BTS system. Given the two hydrogen bonds of BTS molecule, two types of potential energy curves have been constructed, which confirms that only single proton transfer process occurs due to lower energy barrier along with O1-H2···N3 rather than O4-H5···N6. This work not only presents a reasonable explanation for previous experiment, but also clarifies the specific ESIPT mechanism for BTS system.

N2S2 pyridinophane-based fluorescent chemosensors for selective optical detection of Cd2+ in soils

A fluorescent sensor array for the quantitative determination of Cd²⁺ in soils based on two N₂S₂ pyridinophane chemosensors is presented.

Synthesis, characterization and DNA binding studies of a new ibuprofen-platinum(II) complex

The study is focused on the synthesis of a novel complex of ibuprofen and Platinum(II). The formation of the product was characterized through analytical tools including Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, proton nuclear magnetic resonance, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, mass spectrometry as well as density functional theory. Using the continuous variation method, the stoichiometry of Pt(HIb)₂(Cl)₂ binding on DNA (ct-DNA) determines as a single class of binding. Based on the results of Stern-Volmer analysis on the fluorescence quenching data, the quenching mechanism was determined to be static in nature. The studies indicated that the complex could bind DNA molecules via groove binding for four major reasons. Initially, the complex-DNA binding constant determined based on spectrophotometric data were found to be comparable to those of groove-binding drugs. In addition, the competitive fluorimetric based on the applications of Hoechst 33258 proved the ability of Pt(HIb)₂(Cl)₂ to displace with Hoechst in its DNA-bounded form, reflecting the competition between Pt(HIb)₂(Cl)₂ and Hoechst for groove binding. Further, no considerable changes were observed in the intensity of the methylene blue (MB)-DNA system after adding the Pt(HIb)₂(Cl)₂ complex, reflecting the stability of MB molecules in the DNA helix and a non-intercalative bonds of Pt(HIb)₂(Cl)₂ interaction on DNA. Finally, minor changes in the viscosity of DNA in the presence of Pt(HIb)₂(Cl)₂, indicated that changes in the length of DNA in the presence of the complex are negligible, supporting the assumption of DNA groove-binding. Also induced CD spectral changes and docking simulations were in favor of the groove mechanism for the Pt(HIb)₂(Cl)₂-DNA binding.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Low-Lying Excited States of hqxcH and Zn-hqxc Complex: Toward Understanding Intramolecular Proton Transfer Emission

Excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) has been a topic of interest due to its potential to lead to multiple emissions. Although many organic molecules showing ESIPT emission are already known, studies on metal complexes showing ESIPT and their related theoretical understandings are very limited. In this study, we focus on [Zn(hqxc)₂(DMSO)₂] (Zn-hqxc: hqxc = 3-hydroxy-2-quinoxalinecarboxylate, DMSO = dimethyl sulfoxide), which shows ESIPT emission in the solid state, even though the hqxcH ligand does not show ESIPT emission. To gain insights into the role of the zinc atom and the emission mechanisms, we examined excited states of free hqxcH and the Zn-hqxc complex using time-dependent density functional theory calculations. From the results, it was shown that the zinc atom triggers a structural change of the hqxcH ligand from the lactam form (3,4-dihydro-3-oxo-2-quinoxalinecarboxylic acid) to the enol form (3-hydroxy-2-quinoxalinecarboxylic acid), where the latter form has several stable excited states. Several stable geometries were found for singlet and triplet excited states, suggesting that emissions for the Zn-hqxc complex can be both phosphorescence and fluorescence caused by the enol-enol, keto-keto, and keto-enol forms of the two hqcx ligands in the complex. We found that the photophysical properties of the Zn-hqxc complex are dominated by the ligand due to the filled d¹⁰ of Zn(II). The presented results suggest that, to design new ESIPT metal complexes, one possible approach is to combine a metal atom showing ligand centered emission and a ligand that has separate ESIPT and coordination sites.

Water-assisted ground state intra-molecular proton transfer in 2,5-dihydroxy-substituted azobenzenes: experimental and computational studies

The phenomenon of ground-state proton transfer in a series of 2,5-dihydroxy azobenzene derivatives has been studied. In addition, the effect of the substitutions and water molecules has been investigated by the theoretical calculation.

Separately enhanced dual emissions of the amphiphilic derivative of 2-(2'-hydroxylphenyl) benzothiazole by supramolecular complexation

Here, we report separately enhanced dual emissions of the amphiphilic derivative of 2-(2'-hydroxyphenyl)benzothiazole (denoted as HBT-11) by supramolecular complexation with cyclodextrins (CDs). When dispersed in water, HBT-11 shows two relatively weak emission bands, which can be assigned to the emissions of enol- and keto-forms, the two tautomers, owing to excited-state intramolecular proton transfers. Upon the addition of α-CD and β-CD, the keto- and enol-emissions, respectively, are separately enhanced; the enhancement effect is due to the formation of HBT-11/α-CD and HBT-11/β-CD complexes through multiple hydrogen bonding and host-guest interactions, respectively. It is worth to note that the keto-emission caused by the complex of HBT-11/α-CD has a much shorter wavelength compared with that of the aggregates formed by pure HBT-11. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that a study on keto-emission of the isolated HBT chromophore has been reported.

A theoretical investigation on excited-state single or double proton transfer process for aloesaponarin I

The excited-state proton transfer (ESPT) dynamical behavior of aloesaponarin I (ASI) was studied using density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TDDFT) methods. Our calculated vertical excitation energies based on TDDFT reproduced the experimental absorption and fluorescence spectra well [Nagaoka et al. J. Phys. Chem. B, 117, 4347 (2013)]. Two intramolecular hydrogen bonds were confirmed to be strengthened in the S1 state, which makes ESPT possible. Herein, the ESPT process is more likely to happen, along with one hydrogen bond (O1–H2⋯O3). Qualitative analyses about charge distribution further demonstrate that the ESPT process could occur because of the intramolecular charge transfer. Our constructed potential energy surfaces of both S0 and S1 states show that a single proton transfer reactive is more reasonable along with the intramolecular hydrogen bond (O1–H2⋯O3) rather than O4–H5⋯O6 in the S1 stated potential energy surface. Then, ASI-SPT* decays to the ground state with a 640 nm fluorescence; subsequently, the ASI-SPT form shows that reverse ground state single-proton transfer back to the ASI structure occurs. Particularly, dependent on relatively accurate potential energy barriers among these excited-state stable structures, we confirmed the excited-state single proton transfer process rather than using the controversial nodal plane model.

Low-Affinity Zinc Sensor Showing Fluorescence Responses with Minimal Artifacts

The study of the zinc biology requires molecular probes with proper zinc affinity. We developed a low-affinity zinc probe (HBO-ACR) based on an azacrown ether (ACR) and an 2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)benzoxazole (HBO) fluorophore. This probe design imposed positive charge in the vicinity of a zinc coordination center, which enabled fluorescence turn-on responses to high levels of zinc without being affected by the pH and the presence of other transition-metal ions. Steady-state and transient photophysical investigations suggested that such a high tolerance benefits from orchestrated actions of proton-induced nonradiative and zinc-induced radiative control. The zinc bioimaging utility of HBO-ACR has been fully demonstrated with the use of human pancreas epidermoid carcinoma, PANC-1 cells, and rodent hippocampal neurons from cultures and acute brain slices. The results obtained through our studies established the validity of incorporating positively charged ionophores for the creation of low-affinity probes for the visualization of biometals.

2-Phenylbenzoxazole derivatives: a family of robust emitters of solid-state fluorescence

In addition to thermal, chemical and photochemical stability, the 2-phenylbenzoxazole fragment exhibits attractive emission properties in the solid state, thus leading to highly photoluminescent materials and sensors.

Conjugates of Benzoxazole and GFP Chromophore with Aggregation-Induced Enhanced Emission: Influence of the Chain Length on the Formation of Particles and on the Dye Uptake by Living Cells

Six conjugates of benzoxazole and green fluorescent protein chromophore that differ by the length of their alkyl chain (from C1 to C16) are investigated. They exhibit rigidofluorochromism and clear aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE) behavior with emission in the orange-red that is specific to the solid state. A preparation method based on solvent exchange is used to prepare particles. The self-association properties of these molecules depend on the length of the alkyl chain. Microfibers, platelets, and rounded microparticles are successively obtained by increasing the chain length. The same method is used to prepare nanoparticles (NPs) that are fully characterized. In particular, homogeneous populations of stable NPs measuring around 70 nm are obtained with the analogs whose chains contain four to eight carbon atoms. The behavior with respect to living cells is also influenced by the nature of the compounds. Only the dyes with intermediate hydrophobicity are efficiently uptaken by both normal and tumor cells, and fluorescence only originates from dispersed dye molecules. There is no evidence for incorporation of NPs into cells. This work shows that small variations of the chemical structure must be taken into account for making the best use of AIEE compounds in view of precise applications.

How was the proton transfer process in bis-3, 6-(2- benzoxazolyl)-pyrocatechol, single or double proton transfer?

A theoretical analysis of proton transfer process for the symmetric systems with two intramolecular hydrogen bonds, bis-3,6-(2-benzoxazolyl)-pyrocatechol(BBPC) in hexane solvent, has been researched. In this study, we utilized ωB97X-D/ 6-311 + g (d,p) and B3LYP/6-31 + G(d) two procedures calculating the foremost bond length and bond angle, respectively. Our calculations demonstrate the two intramolecular hydrogen bonds were strengthened in S1 state, thus the proton transfer reaction can be facilitated. Furthermore, the calculated IR vibrational spectra confirmed hydrogen bonds were enhanced in S1 state. We found three local minima A B and C from the potential energy surfaces (PESs) on the S1 state, and the energy of B point and C point are identical. A new ESIPT mechanism has been proposed that was not equal to the previous conclusions. The new ESIPT mechanism elucidates that single proton transfer more likely occurs in the symmetric BBPC molecule in comparison with the double proton transfer reaction. And the frontier molecular orbitals(MOs) further illustrate the trend of ESIPT reaction.

Competitive excited-state single or double proton transfer mechanisms for bis-2,5-(2-benzoxazolyl)-hydroquinone and its derivatives

The excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) mechanisms of 2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)benzoxazole (HBO), bis-2,5-(2-benzoxazolyl)-hydroquinone (BBHQ) and 2,5-bis(5'-tert-butyl-benzoxazol-2'-yl)hydroquinone (DHBO) have been investigated using time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT). The calculated vertical excitation energies based on the TDDFT method reproduced the experimental absorption and emission spectra well. Three kinds of stable structures were found on the S1 state potential energy surface (PES). A new ESIPT mechanism that differs from the one proposed previously (Mordzinski et al., Chem. Phys. Lett., 1983, 101, 291. and Lim et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2006, 128, 14542.) is proposed. The new mechanism includes the possibility of simultaneous double proton transfer, or successive single transfers, in addition to the accepted single proton transfer mechanism. Hydrogen bond strengthening in the excited state was based on primary bond lengths, angles, IR vibrational spectra and hydrogen bond energy. Intramolecular charge transfer based on the frontier molecular orbitals (MOs) also supports the proposed mechanism of the ESIPT reaction. To further elucidate the proposed mechanism, reduced dimensionality PESs of the S0 and S1 states were constructed by keeping the O-H distance fixed at a series of values. The potential barrier heights among the local minima on the S1 surface imply competitive single and double proton transfer branches in the mechanism. Based on the new ESIPT mechanism, the observed fluorescence quenching can be satisfactorily explained.

Deciphering the CHEF-PET-ESIPT liaison mechanism in a Zn2+ chemosensor and its applications in cell imaging study

Proper fusion of fluorescence mechanisms in a single fluorophore unit is highly desirable to obtain better sensitivity, as well as selectivity towards a particular metal ion.

A novel 2-(2′-aminophenyl)benzothiazole derivative displays ESIPT and permits selective detection of Zn2+ ions: experimental and theoretical studies

Synthesis of a novel 2-(2′-aminophenyl)benzothiazole based probe (1) and demonstration of excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) with a large Stokes shift (∼246 nm) are presented.

New excited-state proton transfer mechanisms for 1,8-dihydroxydibenzo[a,h]phenazine

The excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) mechanisms of 1,8-dihydroxydibenzo[a,h]phenazine (DHBP) in toluene solvent have been investigated based on time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT). The results suggest that both a single and double proton transfer mechanisms are relevant, in constrast to the prediction of a single one proposed previously (Piechowska et al. J. Phys. Chem. A 2014, 118, 144-151). The calculated results show that the intramolecular hydrogen bonds were formed in the S0 state, and upon excitation, the intramolecular hydrogen bonds between -OH group and pyridine-type nitrogen atom would be strengthened in the S1 state, which can facilitate the proton transfer process effectively. The calculated vertical excitation energies in the S0 and S1 states reproduce the experimental UV-vis absorption and fluorescence spectra well. The constructed potential energy surfaces of the S0 and S1 states have been used to explain the proton transfer process. Four minima have been found on the S1 state surface, with potential barriers between these excited-state minima of less than 10 kcal/mol, which supports concomitant single and double proton transfer mechanisms. In addition, the fluorescence quenching can be explained reasonably based on the proton transfer process.

Highly selective turn-on fluorescent sensor for nanomolar detection of biologically important Zn2+ based on isonicotinohydrazide derivative: application in cellular imaging

A new Zn(2+) selective chemosensor (3) was synthesized by condensation of commercially available substituted salicylaldehyde and isonicotinohydrazide, and characterized by single crystal X-ray crystallography. Receptor 3 with Zn(2+) exhibited a highly selective and pronounced enhancement in the fluorescence emission among different cations by forming a 2:1 complex. The receptor can detect Zn(2+) up to nanomolar level (6.75 nM) with good tolerance of other metal ions and can be used for in vitro cellular imaging.

A Mononuclear Zinc Complex for Selective Detection of Diphosphate via Fluorescence ESIPT Turn-On

A mononuclear zinc complex has been found to exhibit unexpected selectivity for biologically important diphosphate anions (PPi and ADP). The diphosphate binding could turn-on the ESIPT, whose study reveals mechanistic insight to aid the future design of new sensors.

An ESIPT fluorescent dye based on HBI with high quantum yield and large Stokes shift for selective detection of Cys

DPIN shows prominent ESIPT emission even in protic/polar solvents, and is further employed as a sensor for selective detection of Cys.