Competitive Electron Transfer and Enhanced Intersystem Crossing in Photoexcited Covalent TEMPO−Perylene-3,4:9,10-bis(dicarboximide) Dyads: Unusual Spin Polarization Resulting from the Radical−Triplet Interaction

Elucidation of the exchange interaction in photoexcited three-spin systems - a second-order perturbational approach

Photogenerated three-spin systems show great potential for applications in the field of molecular spintronics. In these systems, the exchange interaction in the electronically excited state dictates their magnetic properties. To design such molecules for specific applications, it is thus important to understand how the sign and magnitude of the exchange interaction can be controlled. For this purpose, we developed a perturbational approach, based on previous work by the groups of de Loth and Malrieu, that allows for the direct calculation of the exchange interaction and its individual contributions up to the second order and implemented it within the ORCA program package. Within this manuscript, we present the derivation of the individual second-order contributions, provide an overview of the implementation of the code and illustrate its performance. We show that, using this perturbational approach in combination with state-averaged orbitals from minimal active space calculations, accurate values for the exchange interaction can be computed for organic nitroxides. Further, we demonstrate that the weight of the ionic determinants in the orbital optimisation of the CASSCF procedure is crucial for the computation of accurate exchange couplings. In the case of photoexcited chromophore-radical systems, we find that the dynamic spin polarisation effect constitutes the most important contribution to the exchange interaction, whereby the sign of this contribution determines the sign of the exchange interaction.

Radical enhanced intersystem crossing mechanism, electron spin dynamics of high spin states and their applications in the design of heavy atom-free triplet photosensitizers

Heavy atom-free triplet photosensitizers (PSs) can overcome the high cost and biological toxicity of traditional molecular systems containing heavy atoms (such as Pt(II), Ir(III), Ru(II), Pd(II), Lu(III), I, or Br atoms) and, therefore, are developing rapidly. Connecting a stable free radical to the chromophore can promote the intersystem crossing (ISC) process through electron spin exchange interaction to produce the triplet state of the chromophore or the doublet (D) and quartet (Q) states when taking the whole spin system into account. These molecular systems based on the radical enhanced ISC (REISC) mechanism are important in the field of heavy atom-free triplet PSs. The REISC system has a simple molecular structure and good biocompatibility, and it is especially helpful for building high-spin quantum states (D and Q states) that have the potential to be developed as qubits in quantum information science. This review introduces the molecular structure design for the purpose of high-spin states. Time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance (TREPR) is the most important characterization method to reveal the properties of these molecular systems, generation mechanism and electron spin polarization (ESP) of the high spin states. The spin polarization manipulation of high spin states and potential application in the field of quantum information engineering are also summarized. Moreover, molecular design principles of the REISC system to obtain long absorption wavelength, high triplet state quantum yield and long triplet state lifetime are introduced, as well as applications of the compounds in triplet-triplet annihilation upconversion, photodynamic therapy and bioimaging. This review is useful for the design of heavy atom-free triplet PSs based on the radical-chromophore molecular structure motif and the study of the photophysics of the compounds, as well as the electron spin dynamics of the multi electron system upon photoexcitation.

Radical Spin Polarization and Magnetosensitivity from Reversible Energy Transfer

Molecular spins provide potential building units for future quantum information science and spintronic technologies. In particular, doublet (S = 1/2) and triplet (S = 1) molecular spin states have the potential for excellent optical and spin properties for these applications if useful photon-spin mechanisms at room temperature can be devised. Here we explore the potential of exploiting reversible energy transfer between triplet and doublet states to establish magnetosensitive luminescence and spin polarization. We investigate the dependence of the photon-spin mechanism on the magnitude and sign of the exchange interaction between the doublet and triplet spin components in amorphous and crystalline model systems. The design of a magnetic field inclination sensor is proposed from understanding the required "structure" (spin interactions) to "function" (magnetosensitivity).

Synthesis and dark state EPR properties of PDI-trityl dyads and triads

Covalently-linked chromophore-radical systems with their unique optical and magnetic properties are useful for applications in, e. g., quantum information science. To expand the catalog of molecular systems, we synthesized and characterized six novel chromophore-radical and radical-chromophore-radical systems employing derivatives of perylene diimide (PDI) as the chromophore and trityl as the radical. The EPR properties of these compounds were evaluated in solution at cryogenic and room temperatures. In addition, the electron spin-spin coupling in the two bistrityl systems was investigated using DQC measurements. The presented results serve as a basis for further spectroscopic investigations under photoexcitation of the PDI core.

Luminescent Radicals

Organic radicals are attracting increasing interest as a new class of molecular emitters. They demonstrate electronic excitation and relaxation dynamics based on their doublet or higher multiplet spin states, which are different from those based on singlet-triplet manifolds of conventional closed-shell molecules. Recent studies have disclosed luminescence properties and excited state dynamics unique to radicals, such as highly efficient electron-photon conversion in OLEDs, NIR emission, magnetoluminescence, an absence of heavy atom effect, and spin-dependent and spin-selective dynamics. These are difficult or sometimes impossible to achieve with closed-shell luminophores. This review focuses on luminescent organic radicals as an emerging photofunctional molecular system, and introduces the material developments, fundamental properties including luminescence, and photofunctions. Materials covered in this review range from monoradicals, radical oligomers, and radical polymers to metal complexes with radical ligands demonstrating radical-involved emission. In addition to stable radicals, transiently formed radicals generated in situ by external stimuli are introduced. This review shows that luminescent organic radicals have great potential to expand the chemical and spin spaces of luminescent molecular materials and thus broaden their applicability to photofunctional systems.

Competitive reversed quartet mechanisms for photogenerated ground state electron spin polarization

Photoinduced electron spin polarization (ESP) of a spin-½ organic radical (nitronyl nitroxide, NN) in a series of Pt(ii) complexes comprised of 4,4'-di-tert-butyl-2,2'-bipyridine (bpy) and 3-tert-butylcatecholate (CAT) ligands, where the CAT ligand is substituted with (CH3)n-meta-phenyl-NN (bridge-NN) groups, is presented and discussed. We show the importance of attenuating the energy gap between localized NN radical and chromophoric excited states to control both the magnitude and sign of the optically-generated ESP, and to provide deeper insight into the details of the ESP mechanism. Understanding electronic structure contributions to optically generated ESP will enhance our ability to control the nature of prepared states for a variety of quantum information science applications, where strong ESP facilitates enhanced sensitivity and readout capabilities at low applied magnetic fields and higher temperatures.

Preparation of Xanthene-TEMPO Dyads: Synthesis and Study of the Radical Enhanced Intersystem Crossing

We prepared a rhodamine-TEMPO chromophore-radical dyad (RB-TEMPO) to study the radical enhanced intersystem crossing (REISC). The visible light-harvesting chromophore rhodamine is connected with the TEMPO (a nitroxide radical) via a C-N bond. The UV-vis absorption spectrum indicates negligible electron interaction between the two units at the ground state. Interestingly, the fluorescence of the rhodamine moiety is strongly quenched in RB-TEMPO, and the fluorescence lifetime of the rhodamine moiety is shortened to 0.29 ns, from the lifetime of 3.17 ns. We attribute this quenching effect to the intramolecular electron spin-spin interaction between the nitroxide radical and the photoexcited rhodamine chromophore. Nanosecond transient absorption spectra confirm the REISC in RB-TEMPO, indicated by the detection of the rhodamine chromophore triplet excited state; the lifetime was determined as 128 ns, which is shorter than the native rhodamine triplet state lifetime (0.58 μs). The zero-field splitting (ZFS) parameters of the triplet state of the chromophore were determined with the pulsed laser excited time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance (TREPR) spectra. RB-TEMPO was used as a photoinitiator for the photopolymerization of pentaerythritol triacrylate (PETA). These studies are useful for the design of heavy atom-free triplet photosensitizers, the study of the ISC, and the electron spin dynamics of the radical-chromophore systems upon photoexcitation.

Distance dependence of enhanced intersystem crossing in BODIPY-nitroxide dyads

Photogenerated organic triplet-doublet systems have attracted an increasing amount of attention in recent years due to their versatility and suitability for a range of technological applications in the emerging field of molecular spintronics. Such systems are typically generated by enhanced intersystem crossing (EISC) preceded by photoexcitation of an organic chromophore covalently linked to a stable radical. After formation of the chromophore triplet state by EISC, triplet state and stable radical may interact, whereby the nature of the interaction depends on the exchange interaction J_TR between them. If J_TR surpasses all other magnetic interactions in the system, molecular quartet states may be formed by spin mixing. For the design of new spintronic materials based on photogenerated triplet-doublet systems, it is crucial to gain further knowledge about the factors influencing the EISC process and the yield of the subsequent quartet state formation. Here we investigate a series of three BODIPY-nitroxide dyads characterised by different separation distances and different relative orientations of the two spin centres. Our combined results from optical spectroscopy, transient electron paramagnetic resonance, and quantum chemical calculations suggest that the chromophore triplet formation by EISC is mediated by dipolar interactions and depends primarily on the distance between the chromophore and radical electrons, while the yield of the subsequent quartet state formation by triplet-doublet spin mixing is influenced by the absolute magnitude of J_TR.

Computational tools for the simulation and analysis of spin-polarized EPR spectra

The EPR spectra of paramagnetic species induced by photoexcitation typically exhibit enhanced absorptive and emissive features resulting from sublevel populations that differ from thermal equilibrium. The populations and the resulting spin polarization of the spectra are dictated by the selectivity of the photophysical process generating the observed state. Simulation of the spin-polarized EPR spectra is crucial in the characterization of both the dynamics of formation of the photoexcited state as well as its electronic and structural properties. EasySpin, the simulation toolbox for EPR spectroscopy, now includes extended support for the simulation of the EPR spectra of spin-polarized states of arbitrary spin multiplicity and formed by a variety of different mechanisms, including photoexcited triplet states populated by intersystem crossing, charge recombination or spin polarization transfer, spin-correlated radical pairs created by photoinduced electron transfer, triplet pairs formed by singlet fission and multiplet states arising from photoexcitation in systems containing chromophores and stable radicals. In this paper, we highlight EasySpin's capabilities for the simulation of spin-polarized EPR spectra on the basis of illustrative examples from the literature in a variety of fields ranging across chemistry, biology, material science and quantum information science.

Optical Spin Polarization of a Narrow-Linewidth Electron-Spin Qubit in a Chromophore/Stable-Radical System

Photoexcited organic chromophores appended to stable radicals can serve as qubit and/or qudit candidates for quantum information applications. 1,6,7,12-Tetra-(4-tert-butylphenoxy)-perylene-3,4 : 9,10-bis(dicarboximide) (tpPDI) linked to a partially deuterated α,γ-bisdiphenylene-β-phenylallyl radical (BDPA-d₁₆ ) was synthesized and characterized by time-resolved optical and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopies. Photoexcitation of tpPDI-BDPA-d₁₆ results in ultrafast radical-enhanced intersystem crossing to produce a quartet state (Q) followed by formation of a spin-polarized doublet ground state (D₀ ). Pulse-EPR experiments confirmed the spin multiplicity of Q and yielded coherence times of T_m =2.1±0.1 μs and 2.8±0.2 μs for Q and D₀ , respectively. BDPA-d₁₆ eliminates the dominant ¹ H hyperfine couplings, resulting in a single narrow line for both the Q and D₀ states, which enhances the spectral resolution needed for good qubit addressability.

Properties and applications of photoexcited chromophore–radical systems

Photoexcited organic chromophore-radical systems hold great promise for a range of technological applications in molecular spintronics, including quantum information technology and artificial photosynthesis. However, further development of such systems will depend on the ability to control the magnetic properties of these materials, which requires a profound understanding of the underlying excited-state dynamics. In this Review, we discuss photogenerated triplet-doublet systems and their potential to be used for applications in molecular spintronics. We outline the theoretical description of the spin system in the different coupling regimes and the invoked excited-state mechanisms governing the generation and transfer of spin polarization. The main characterization techniques used to evaluate the optical and magnetic properties of chromophore-radical systems are discussed. We conclude by giving an overview of previously investigated covalently linked triplet-radical systems, and highlight the need for further systematic investigations to improve our understanding of the magnetic interactions in such systems.

Accessing the triplet state of perylenediimide by radical-enhanced intersystem crossing

Owing to their exceptional photophysical properties and high photostability, perylene diimide (PDI) chromophores have found various applications as building blocks of materials for organic electronics. In many light-induced processes in PDI derivatives, chromophore excited states with high spin multiplicities, such as triplet or quintet states, have been revealed as key intermediates. The exploration of their properties and formation conditions is thus expected to provide invaluable insight into their underlying photophysics and promises to reveal strategies for increasing the performance of optoelectronic devices. However, accessing these high-multiplicity excited states of PDI to increase our mechanistic understanding remains a difficult task, due to the fact that the lowest excited singlet state of PDI decays with near-unity quantum yield to its ground state. Here we make use of radical-enhanced intersystem crossing (EISC) to generate the PDI triplet state in high yield. One or two 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyloxyl (TEMPO) stable radicals were covalently attached to the imide position of PDI chromophores with and without p-tert-butylphenoxy core substituents. By combining femtosecond UV-vis transient absorption and transient electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopies, we demonstrate strong magnetic exchange coupling between the PDI triplet state and TEMPO, resulting in the formation of excited quartet or quintet states. Important differences in the S₁ state deactivation rate constants and triplet yields are observed for compounds bearing PDI moieties with different core substitution patterns. We show that these differences can be rationalized by considering the varying importance of competitive excited state decay processes, such as electron and excitation energy transfer. The comparison of the results obtained for different PDI–TEMPO derivatives leads us to propose design guidelines for optimizing the efficiency of triplet sensitization in molecular assemblies by EISC.

The triplet state of PDI can be sensitized efficiently by radical-enhanced intersystem crossing. A detailed study of several related structures allows us to propose new strategies to optimize triplet formation in materials for optoelectronic devices.

Radical-Enhanced Intersystem Crossing in Perylene-Oxoverdazyl Radical Dyads

Linking stable radicals to organic chromophores is an effective method to enhance the intersystem crossing (ISC) of chromophores. Herein we prepared perylene-oxoverdazyl dyads either by directly connecting the two units or using an intervening phenyl spacer. We investigated the effect of the radical on the photophysical properties of perylene and observed strong fluorescence quenching due to radical enhanced intersystem crossing (REISC). Compared with a previously reported perylene fused nitroxide radical compound (triplet lifetime = 0.1 µs), these new adducts show a longer-lived triplet excited state (9.5 µs). Based on the singlet oxygen quantum yield (7%), we propose that the radical enhanced internal conversion also plays a role in the relaxation of the excited state. Femtosecond fluorescence up-conversion indicates a fast decay of the excited state (<1.0 ps), suggesting a strong spin-spin exchange interaction between the two units. Femtosecond transient absorption (fs-TA) spectra confirmed direct triplet state population (within 0.5 ps). Interestingly, by fs-TA, we observed the interconversion of the two states (D1/Q1) at ~80 ps time scale. Time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance (TREPR) spectral study confirmed the formation of the quartet sate ,  we observed triplet and quartet states simultaneously with weights of 0.7 and 0.3, respectively. DFT computations showed that the interaction between radical and chromophore is ferromagnetic ( J >0, 0.05~0.10 eV).

A long-life lithium-oxygen battery via a molecular quenching/mediating mechanism

The advancement of lithium-oxygen (Li-O2) batteries has been hindered by challenges including low discharge capacity, poor energy efficiency, severe parasitic reactions, etc. We report an Li-O2 battery operated via a new quenching/mediating mechanism that relies on the direct chemical reactions between a versatile molecule and superoxide radical/Li2O2. The battery exhibits a 46-fold increase in discharge capacity, a low charge overpotential of 0.7 V, and an ultralong cycle life >1400 cycles. Featuring redox-active 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxy moieties bridged by a quenching-active perylene diimide backbone, the tailor-designed molecule acts as a redox mediator to catalyze discharge/charge reactions and serves as a reusable superoxide quencher to chemically react with superoxide species generated during battery operation. The all-in-one molecule can simultaneously tackle issues of parasitic reactions associated with superoxide radicals, singlet oxygen, high overpotentials, and lithium corrosion. The molecular design of multifunctional additives combining various capabilities opens a new avenue for developing high-performance Li-O2 batteries.

Chromophore-radical excited state antiferromagnetic exchange controls the sign of photoinduced ground state spin polarization

A change in the sign of the ground-state electron spin polarization (ESP) is reported in complexes where an organic radical (nitronylnitroxide, NN) is covalently attached to a donor-acceptor chromophore via two different meta-phenylene bridges in (bpy)Pt(CAT-m-Ph-NN) (mPh-Pt) and (bpy)Pt(CAT-6-Me-m-Ph-NN) (6-Me-mPh-Pt) (bpy = 5,5'-di-tert-butyl-2,2'-bipyridine, CAT = 3-tert-butylcatecholate, m-Ph = meta-phenylene). These molecules represent a new class of chromophores that can be photoexcited with visible light to produce an initial exchange-coupled, 3-spin (bpy˙-, CAT+˙ = semiquinone (SQ), and NN), charge-separated doublet 2S1 (S = chromophore excited spin singlet configuration) excited state. Following excitation, the 2S1 state rapidly decays to the ground state by magnetic exchange-mediated enhanced internal conversion via the 2T1 (T = chromophore excited spin triplet configuration) state. This process generates emissive ground state ESP in 6-Me-mPh-Pt while for mPh-Pt the ESP is absorptive. It is proposed that the emissive polarization in 6-Me-mPh-Pt results from zero-field splitting induced transitions between the chromophoric 2T1 and 4T1 states, whereas predominant spin-orbit induced transitions between 2T1 and low-energy NN-based states give rise to the absorptive polarization observed for mPh-Pt. The difference in the sign of the ESP for these molecules is consistent with a smaller excited state 2T1 - 4T1 gap for 6-Me-mPh-Pt that derives from steric interactions with the 6-methyl group. These steric interactions reduce the excited state pairwise SQ-NN exchange coupling compared to that in mPh-Pt.

Electron spin dynamics in excited state photochemistry: recent development in the study of intersystem crossing and charge transfer in organic compounds

Electron spin dynamics are crucial to photochemical and photophysical processes. However, to a large extent, they are neglected in routine photochemistry studies. Herein, we summarized the recent developments of electron spin dynamics in organic molecular systems. The electron-spin selective intersystem crossing (ISC) as well as charge separation (CS) and charge recombination (CR) of the organic molecular system are discussed, including ISC of the compounds with twisted π-conjugation frameworks and CR-induced ISC in compact orthogonal electron donor-acceptor dyads. We found that the electron spin polarization (ESP) of the triplet state formed in these systems is highly dependent on the molecular structure and geometry. The zero-field-splitting (ZFS) D and E parameters of the triplet state of series chromophores determined with time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance (TREPR) spectroscopy are presented. Some unanswered questions in related areas are raised, which may inspire further theoretical investigations. The examples demonstrate that the study of electron spin dynamics is not only important in fundamental photochemistry to attain in-depth understanding of the ISC and the charge transfer processes, but is also useful for designing new efficient organic molecular materials for applications including photodynamic therapy, organic light-emitting diodes, and photon upconversion.

Heavy-Atom-Free Bay-Substituted Perylene Diimide Donor-Acceptor Photosensitizers

Perylene diimide (PDI) dyes are extensively investigated because of their favorable photophysical characteristics for a wide range of organic material applications. Fine-tuning of the optoelectronic properties is readily achieved by functionalization of the electron-deficient PDI scaffold. Here, we present four new donor-acceptor type dyads, wherein the electron donor units - benzo[1,2-b : 4,5-b']dithiophene, 9,9-dimethyl-9,10-dihydroacridine, dithieno[3,2-b : 2',3'-d]pyrrole, and triphenylamine-are attached to the bay-positions of the PDI acceptor. Intersystem crossing occurs for these systems upon photoexcitation, without the aid of heavy atoms, resulting in singlet oxygen quantum yields up to 80 % in toluene solution. Furthermore, this feature is retained when the system is directly irradiated with energy corresponding to the intramolecular charge-transfer absorption band (at 639 nm). Geometrical optimization and (time-dependent) density functional theory calculations afford more insights into the requirements for intersystem crossing such as spin-orbit coupling, dihedral angles, the involvement of charge-transfer states, and energy level alignment.

Exploring Photogenerated Molecular Quartet States as Spin Qubits and Qudits

Photogenerated molecular spin systems hold great promise for applications in quantum information science because they can be prepared in well-defined spin states at modest temperatures, they often exhibit long coherence times, and their properties can be tuned by chemical synthesis. Here, we investigate a molecular spin system composed of a 1,6,7,12-tetra(4-tert-butylphenoxy)perylene-3,4:9,10-bis(dicarboximide) (PDI) chromophore covalently linked to a stable nitroxide radical (TEMPO) by optical and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) techniques. Upon photoexcitation of the spin system, a quartet state is formed as confirmed by transient nutation experiments. This quartet state has spin polarization lifetimes longer than 0.1 ms and is characterized by relatively long coherence times of ∼1.8 μs even at 80 K. Rabi oscillation experiments reveal that more than 60 single-qubit logic operations can be performed with this system at 80 K. The large magnitude of the nitroxide ¹⁴N hyperfine coupling in the quartet state of PDI-TEMPO is resolved in the transient EPR spectra and leads to a further splitting of the quartet state electron spin sublevels. We discuss the properties of this photogenerated multilevel system, comprising 12 electron-nuclear spin states, in the context of its viability as a qubit for applications in quantum information science.

Interaction of Luminescent Defects in Carbon Nanotubes with Covalently Attached Stable Organic Radicals

The functionalization of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with luminescent sp³ defects has greatly improved their performance in applications such as quantum light sources and bioimaging. Here, we report the covalent functionalization of purified semiconducting SWCNTs with stable organic radicals (perchlorotriphenylmethyl, PTM) carrying a net spin. This model system allows us to use the near-infrared photoluminescence arising from the defect-localized exciton as a highly sensitive probe for the short-range interaction between the PTM radical and the SWCNT. Our results point toward an increased triplet exciton population due to radical-enhanced intersystem crossing, which could provide access to the elusive triplet manifold in SWCNTs. Furthermore, this simple synthetic route to spin-labeled defects could enable magnetic resonance studies complementary to in vivo fluorescence imaging with functionalized SWCNTs and facilitate the scalable fabrication of spintronic devices with magnetically switchable charge transport.

Detection and structural analysis of lipid-derived radicals in vitro and in vivo

Lipids can be oxidized by reactive oxygen species, resulting in lipid peroxidation and the formation of reactive metabolites such as lipid-derived electrophiles. These products have been reported to induce inflammation, angiogenesis, and ferroptosis. Lipid peroxidation can produce many different products, each of which performs a different function, and which can be challenging to detect in vivo. The initial products of lipid oxidation are lipid-derived radicals, which can cause extensive chain reactions leading to lipid peroxidation. Hence, the ability to detect lipid radicals may provide information about this important class of molecules and the mechanism by which they cause cellular and tissue damage in a wide range of oxidative conditions. In this review, we report recent scientific advances in the detection of lipid-derived radicals in vitro and in cultured cells. We also introduce the possibility of visualization and structural analysis of lipid-derived radicals generated not only in in cells but also in animal tissue samples from oxidative disease models, using fluorescence-based lipid radicals' detection probes. We anticipate that the various innovative techniques summarized in this paper will be applied and further developed to clarify the role of lipid peroxidation in the pathogenesis of oxidative stress-associated diseases.

Heavy-Atom-Free Photosensitizers: From Molecular Design to Applications in the Photodynamic Therapy of Cancer

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a clinically approved therapeutic modality that has shown great potential for the treatment of cancers owing to its excellent spatiotemporal selectivity and inherently noninvasive nature. However, PDT has not reached its full potential, partly due to the lack of ideal photosensitizers. A common molecular design strategy for effective photosensitizers is to incorporate heavy atoms into photosensitizer structures, causing concerns about elevated dark toxicity, short triplet-state lifetimes, poor photostability, and the potentially high cost of heavy metals. To address these drawbacks, a significant advance has been devoted to developing advanced smart photosensitizers without the use of heavy atoms to better fit the clinical requirements of PDT. Over the past few years, heavy-atom-free nonporphyrinoid photosensitizers have emerged as an innovative alternative class of PSs due to their superior photophysical and photochemical properties and lower expense. Heavy-atom-free nonporphyrinoid photosensitizers have been widely explored for PDT purposes and have shown great potential for clinical oncologic applications. Although many review articles about heavy-atom-free photosensitizers based on porphyrinoid structure have been published, no specific review articles have yet focused on the heavy-atom-free nonporphyrinoid photosensitizers.In this account, the specific concept related to heavy-atom-free photosensitizers and the advantageous properties of heavy-atom-free photosensitizers for cancer theranostics will be briefly introduced. In addition, recent progress in the development of heavy-atom-free photosensitizers, ranging from molecular design approaches to recent innovative types of heavy-atom-free nonporphyrinoid photosensitizers, emphasizing our own research, will be presented. The main molecular design approaches to efficient heavy-atom-free PSs can be divided into six groups: (1) the approach based on traditional tetrapyrrole structures, (2) spin-orbit charge-transfer intersystem crossing (SOCT-ISC), (3) reducing the singlet-triplet energy gap (ΔE_ST), (4) the thionation of carbonyl groups of conventional fluorophores, (5) twisted π-conjugation system-induced intersystem crossing, and (6) radical-enhanced intersystem crossing. The innovative types of heavy-atom-free nonporphyrinoid photosensitizers and their applications in cancer diagnostics and therapeutics will be discussed in detail in the third section. Finally, the challenges that need to be addressed to develop optimal heavy-atom-free photosensitizers for oncologic photodynamic therapy and a perspective in this research field will be provided. We believe that this review will provide general guidance for the future design of innovative photosensitizers and spur preclinical and clinical studies for PDT-mediated cancer treatments.

Enhanced intersystem crossing of boron dipyrromethene by TEMPO radical

Radical enhanced intersystem crossing (EISC) of organic chromophores is an important approach to generate a long-lived triplet state for various electronic and optoelectronic applications. However, structural factors and design rules to promote EISC are not entirely clear. In this work, we report a series of boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) derivatives covalently linked with a 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxyl (TEMPO) radical with varying distances and topologies. We show that the incorporation of the TEMPO radical to BODIPY results in strong fluorescence quenching by up to 85% as a result of EISC and enhanced internal conversion. In BDP-2AR [2-(4-methyleneamino-TEMPO) BODIPY], a dyad with the shortest BODIPY-TEMPO through-bond distance, we observe the fastest EISC rate (τ_isc = 1.4 ns) and the longest triplet excited state lifetime (τ_T = 32 µs) compared to other distance and geometry variations. Contrary to previous reports and a general presumption, the BODIPY-TEMPO through-bond distance in this system does not play a significant role on the triplet formation rate and yield. Density functional theory suggests a folding of the TEMPO radical to form a sandwich-like structure with a BODIPY ring that leads to a decrease in the through-space distance, providing a new and an interesting insight for the radical enhanced intersystem.

A water soluble carbazolyl-BODIPY photosensitizer with an orthogonal D-A structure for photodynamic therapy in living cells and zebrafish

A novel photosensitizer carbazolyl-BODIPY (Cz-BODIPY) with an orthogonal donor-acceptor structure was developed for photodynamic therapy (PDT). The photosensitizer Cz-BODIPY showed strong singlet oxygen sensitizing capability (ΦΔ = 0.68 in MeOH), excellent water solubility in dilute solution, and high photostability. The photosensitizer Cz-BODIPY exhibited negligible dark cytotoxicity and high phototoxicity (IC50 0.45 μM). Cz-BODIPY could induce cell apoptosis upon light illumination. Three cell states including living cells, apoptotic cells, and dead cells in the PDT process of Cz-BODIPY were determined via the Hoechst 33342/PI dual staining assays. The ROS (reactive oxygen species) generation in living cells during the PDT process of Cz-BODIPY was captured by the ROS detector, dihydroethidium (DHE). The photosensitizer Cz-BODIPY could be assimilated by zebrafish to generate ROS and diminish the integrity of zebrafish tissue upon light illumination. Tumor cell growth could be inhibited by Cz-BODIPY upon light illumination. The photosensitizer Cz-BODIPY displayed potential in real PDT application.

Polymer Light Emitting Diodes with Doublet Emission

Organic light-emitting radicals have developed rapidly due to their unique doublet emission and great potential in display technology. Although some organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) exploiting small-molecular radicals as the emitters have been reported, there is no report about the polymer-radical-based OLEDs until now. Herein, a kind of polymer radical, PS-CzTTM, is adopted as the emitter to fabricate solution-processed OLEDs. A maximum external quantum efficiency of 3.0% is achieved for a deep-red device with an emissive layer of PS-CzTTM lightly doped in 2,2',2″-(1,3,5-benzinetriyl)-tris(1-phenyl-1H-benzimidazole) (TPBi). Temperature-dependent time-resolved photoluminescent spectra and transient electroluminescence of radical emitters and devices are first measured. The results demonstrate that the emission channels for both thin films and devices are from the transition of doublet excitons, indicating that the unique doublet emission mechanism of radicals is maintained in PS-CzTTM films and PS-CzTTM-based OLEDs.

Intersystem Crossing in Naphthalenediimide-Oxoverdazyl Dyads: Synthesis and Study of the Photophysical Properties

Oxoverdazyl (Vz) radical units were covalently linked to the naphthalenediimide (NDI) chromophore to study the effect of the radical on the photophysical properties, especially the radical enhanced intersystem crossing (REISC), which is a promising approach to develop heavy-atom-free triplet photosensitizers. Rigid phenyl or ethynylphenyl linkers between the two moieties were used, thus REISC and formation of doublet (D₁ , total spin quantum number S=1/2) and quartet states (Q₁ , S=3/2) are anticipated. The photophysical properties of the dyads were studied with steady-state and femtosecond/nanosecond transient absorption (TA) spectroscopies and DFT computations. Femtosecond transient absorption spectra show a fast electron transfer (<150 fs), and ISC (ca. 1.4-1.85 ps) is induced by charge recombination (CR, in toluene). Nanosecond transient absorption spectra demonstrated a biexponential decay of the triplet state of the NDI moiety. The fast component (lifetime: 50 ns; population ratio: 80 %) is assigned to the D₁ →D₀ decay, and the slow decay component (2.0 μs; 20 %) to the Q₁ →D₀ ISC. DFT computations indicated ferromagnetic interactions between the radical and chromophore (J=0.07-0.13 eV). Reversible formation of the radical anion of the NDI moiety by photoreduction of the radical-NDI dyads in the presence of sacrificial electron donor triethanolamine (TEOA) is achieved. This work is useful for design of new triplet photosensitizers based on the REISC effect.

Synthesis of Unsymmetrical Derivatives of Pentacene for Materials Applications

Pentacene shows unique electronic properties that have long been appreciated and exploited. Over the past 20 years, new synthetic schemes have been developed to address some of the problems encountered with pristine pentacene (e.g., stability and solubility), and pentacene derivatives have become a mainstay in the realm of organic semiconductors in applications such as organic light-emitting diodes, organic field-effect transistors (OFETs), and organic photovoltaics. At the onset of our work, the vast majority of known pentacene derivatives featured a symmetrical structure, often as the result of synthetic protocols that rely on nucleophilic additions to 6,13-pentacenequinone (PQ). The assembly of pentacenes featuring an unsymmetrical framework held great appeal, but the stepwise formation of derivatives, in which a specific function might be incorporated through each individual addition step, did not exist. This Account presents contributions from our lab and others to the synthesis and study of unsymmetrical pentacene derivatives. PQ offers an ideal platform for desymmetrization through the sequential addition of nucleophiles to each of the two ketone groups. Addition can be completed in a one-pot protocol, or through individual steps in which the product of the first addition is isolated and used as a precursor in the divergent synthesis of a series of structurally related molecules. This general approach has been used to assemble pentacene derivatives appended with alkynyl/aryl/alkyl groups, polarized frameworks via substitution with donor and/or acceptor groups, and conjugated oligomers linked by butadiynyl moieties. Stepwise substitution also provides derivatives with remarkable functionality, including pentacene-porphyrin dyads, pendent TEMPO free radicals, cyanoacrylic acid anchor groups (for incorporation into dye-sensitized solar cells), and derivatives with ambipolar behavior for OFET devices. The study of intramolecular singlet fission (iSF) has emerged as one of the most fruitful applications of unsymmetrical pentacene derivatives. SF involves the spontaneous splitting of a photoexcited singlet state (S₁) in one chromophore into a pair of triplets (T₁) shared with a neighboring chromophore. Pentacene derivatives are particularly well suited for this since E(S₁) ≥ 2E(T₁) satisfies the thermodynamic requirements for SF, and they have the additional feature that two chromophores can be tethered together by a "spacer" that allows spectroscopic studies of iSF to be done in dilute solution. From a synthetic perspective, the major advantage of the dimeric structure is the ability to modify the spacer, which allows for control over the distance, geometric relationship, and electronic coupling between the two pentacene groups. Dimeric pentacenes are central to providing an in-depth understanding of the molecular mechanism of SF, often providing advances not possible from measurements in the solid state.

Zr-Metal-Organic Frameworks Featuring TEMPO Radicals: Synergistic Effect between TEMPO and Hydrophilic Zr-Node Defects Boosting Aerobic Oxidation of Alcohols

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) featuring multiple catalytic units are excellent platforms for heterogeneous catalysis. However, the synergism between multiple catalytic units for catalysis is far from being well understood. Herein, we reported the synthesis of a robust 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyloxy (TEMPO) radical-functionalized Zr-MOF (UiO-68-TEMPO) in the form of single-crystalline and microsized crystals with varied missing linker defects. Detailed catalytic studies and theoretical calculations reveal that the synergistic effect between the TEMPO radicals and hydrophilic and defective Zr-nodes endows UiO-68-TEMPO with superior catalytic activity toward aerobic oxidation of alcohols. Our work not only offers a new route to design and synthesize highly effective MOF catalysts but also provides insights into the synergism between multiple catalytic sites.

Circularly polarized luminescence of achiral open-shell π-radicals

Doublet emission-based circularly polarized luminescence was successfully realized in luminescent π-radicals by applying three kinds of approaches, namely, induction by a longitudinal magnetic field, supramolecular chiral co-assembly, and doping into chiral liquid crystals.

Efficient Radical-Enhanced Intersystem Crossing in an NDI-TEMPO Dyad: Photophysics, Electron Spin Polarization, and Application in Photodynamic Therapy

A compact naphthalenediimide (NDI)-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyloxy (TEMPO) dyad has been prepared with the aim of studying radical-enhanced intersystem crossing (EISC) and the formation of high spin states as well as electron spin polarization (ESP) dynamics. Compared with the previously reported radical-chromophore dyads, the present system shows a very high triplet state quantum yield (Φ_T =74 %), a long-lived triplet state (τ_T =8.7 μs), fast EISC (1/k_EISC =338 ps), and absorption in the red spectral region. Time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance (TREPR) spectroscopy showed that, upon photoexcitation in fluid solution at room temperature, the D₀ state of the TEMPO moiety produces strong emissive (E) polarization owing to the quenching of the excited singlet state of NDI by the radical moiety (electron exchange J>0). The emissive polarization then inverts into absorptive (A) polarization within about 3 μs, and then relaxes to a thermal equilibrium while quenching the triplet state of NDI. The formation and decay of the quartet state were also observed. The dyad was used as a three-spin triplet photosensitizer for triplet-triplet annihilation upconversion (quantum yield Φ_UC =2.6 %). Remarkably, when encapsulated into liposomes, the red-light-absorbing dyad-liposomes show good biocompatibility and excellent photodynamic therapy efficiency (phototoxicity EC₅₀ =3.22 μm), and therefore is a promising candidate for future less toxic and multifunctional photodynamic therapeutic reagents.

Spin the light off: rapid internal conversion into a dark doublet state quenches the fluorescence of an RNA spin label

The spin label Çm and the fluorophore Çmf are close isosteric relatives: the secondary amine Çmf can be easily oxidized to a nitroxide group to form Çm. Thus, both compounds can serve as EPR and fluorescence labels, respectively, and their high structural similarity allows direct comparison of EPR and fluorescence data, e.g. in the context of investigations of RNA conformation and dynamics. Detailed UV/vis-spectroscopic studies demonstrate that the fluorescence lifetime and the quantum yield of Çmf are directly affected by intermolecular interactions, which makes it a sensitive probe of its microenvironment. On the other hand, Çm undergoes effective fluorescence quenching in the ps-time domain. The established quenching mechanisms that are usually operational for fluorophore-nitroxide compounds, do not explain the spectroscopic data for Çm. Quantum chemical calculations revealed that the lowest excited doublet state D₁, which has no equivalent in Çmf, is a key state of the ultrafast quenching mechanism. This dark state is localized on the nitroxide group and is populated via rapid internal conversion.

Effects of substituents on luminescent efficiency of stable triaryl methyl radicals

The factors affecting the photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQYs) of perchlorotriphenyl methyl (PTM) and tris(2,4,6-trichlorophenyl)methyl (TTM) radical derivatives were studied systematically for the first time.

A near-infrared heptamethine aminocyanine dye with a long-lived excited triplet state for photodynamic therapy

A water-soluble near-infrared aminocyanine dye has been developed with a long triplet-state lifetime (τ = 9.16 μs in deaerated ethanol).

Doublet-Triplet Energy Transfer-Dominated Photon Upconversion

Stable luminescent π-radicals with doublet emission have aroused a growing interest for functional molecular materials. We have demonstrated a neutral π-radical dye (4-N-carbazolyl-2,6-dichlorophenyl)bis(2,4,6-trichlorophenyl)-methyl (TTM-1Cz) with remarkable doublet emission, which could be used as triplet sensitizer to initiate the photophysical process of triplet-triplet annihilation photon upconversion (TTA-UC). Dexter-like excited doublet-triplet energy transfer (DTET) was confirmed by theoretical calculation. With the same sensitizer, a mixed solution of TTM-1Cz and aromatic emitters could upconvert red light (λ = 635 nm) to blue or cyan light. An anti-Stokes energy shift as large as 0.92 eV was observed from red to blue light upconversion. This finding of DTET phenomena offers a new kind of triplet sensitizer for TTA-UC.

Picosecond Control of Photogenerated Radical Pair Lifetimes Using a Stable Third Radical

Photoinduced electron transfer reactions in organic donor-acceptor systems leading to long-lived radical ion pairs (RPs) have attracted broad interest for their potential applications in fields as diverse as solar energy conversion and spintronics. We present the photophysics and spin dynamics of an electron donor - electron acceptor - stable radical system consisting of a meta-phenylenediamine (mPD) donor covalently linked to a 4-aminonaphthalene-1,8-dicarboximide (ANI) electron-accepting chromophore as well as an α,γ-bisdiphenylene-β-phenylallyl (BDPA) stable radical. Selective photoexcitation of ANI produces the BDPA-mPD(+•)-ANI(-•) triradical in which the mPD(+•)-ANI(-•) RP spins are strongly exchange coupled. The presence of BDPA is found to greatly increase the RP intersystem crossing rate from the initially photogenerated BDPA-(1)(mPD(+•)-ANI(-•)) to BDPA-(3)(mPD(+•)-ANI(-•)), resulting in accelerated RP recombination via the triplet channel to produce BDPA-mPD-(3*)ANI as compared to a reference molecule lacking the BDPA radical. The RP recombination rates observed are much faster than those previously reported for weakly coupled triradical systems. Time-resolved EPR spectroscopy shows that this process is also associated with strong spin polarization of the stable radical. Overall, these results show that RP intersystem crossing rates can be strongly influenced by stable radicals nearby strongly coupled RP systems, making it possible to use a third spin to control RP lifetimes down to a picosecond time scale.