A Novel Optical Sensor for Metal Ions Based on Ground-State Intermolecular Charge-Transfer Complexation

A novel fluorescent sensor for diammonium and metal ions based on a supramolecular charge-transfer complex of bis(aza-18-crown-6)-containing dienone

A bis(aza-18-crown-6)-containing 2,5-di(benzylidene)cyclopentanone and a bis(ammoniopropyl) derivative of 1,2-di(4-pyridyl)ethylene in MeCN were found to form a supramolecular charge-transfer complex, which can act as an "off-on" fluorescent sensor for the Ca2+ and 1,12-dodecanediammonium ions. The molecular structure of this complex in solution was studied by density functional theory calculations.

Charge transfer complexes: Emerging and promising colorimetric real-time chemosensors for hazardous materials

After introducing the concept of charge transfer (CT) complex formation by Mulliken and the discovery of crystalline picrate (association of picric acid and aromatic hydrocarbons) by Fritzsches, a large interest has been drawn in this field. CT complexes have been explored and exploited for different applications for several decades. The research has been aimed mostly for discovering and characterizing new CT materials and exploring applications mainly in the field of optoelectronic properties, antimicrobial activities and DNA/protein binding properties for the last six years. However, nowadays, CT complexes are exploited for their photocatalytic activities and designing chemosensors for the colorimetric real-time detection of hazardous materials like nitro explosives, anions and toxic heavy metal ions in an aqueous medium. This review sheds light on updates on CT complexes, their types, synthesis and applications. The brief discussion on the emergence of CT complexes as highly potential chemosensors along with the explanation of sensing mechanism through article summarization is the centerpiece of this review. The final outcomes are discussed and concluded.

Highly Stable Supramolecular Donor-Acceptor Complexes Involving a Bis(18-Crown-6)azobenzene as Weak Donor: Structure-Property Relationships

The physicochemical properties of highly stable supramolecular donor-acceptor (D-A) complexes of a bis(18-crown-6)azobenzene (weak π-donor) with a series of bis(ammonioalkyl) derivatives of viologen-like molecules (π-acceptors) in acetonitrile were studied using cyclic voltammetry, UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, ¹H NMR spectroscopy, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The crystalline structures of the bis(crown)azobenzene and its complex with a bis(ammoniopropyl) derivative of 2,7-diazapyrene were determined by X-ray diffraction analysis. In solution, all of the supramolecular D-A complexes studied have a pseudocyclic structure owing to ditopic coordination of the ammonium groups of the acceptor to the crown ether moieties of the donor. These complexes show somewhat lower stability as compared with the previously studied complexes of the related derivative of stilbene (strong π-donor), which is explained by the relatively weak intermolecular charge-transfer (CT) interactions. Time-dependent DFT calculations predict that the low-energy CT transition in the D-A complex of the bis(crown)azobenzene with a bis(ammoniopropyl) derivative of 4,4'-bipyridine lies between the local ππ* and nπ* transitions of the azobenzene. The absorption band associated with the CT transition is indiscernible in the spectrum since it is overlapped with broad and more intense ππ* and nπ* bands. It was found that the E → Z photoisomerization quantum yield of the bis(crown)azobenzene decreases by almost an order of magnitude upon the complexation with the 4,4'-bipyridine derivative. This effect was tentatively attributed to the intermolecular electron transfer that occurs in the ¹ππ* excited state of the azobenzene and competes with the ¹ππ* → ¹ nπ* internal conversion.

Femtosecond excited state dynamics of stilbene-viologen complexes with a weakly pronounced charge transfer

The femtosecond dynamics of photoinduced electron transfers in supramolecular donor-acceptor complexes between (E)-bis(18-crown-6)stilbene (D) and tetraperchlorates of 2,7-di(2-ammonioethyl)(2,7-diazapyrenium) (A1), 3,3'-(E)-ethene-1,2-diylbis[1-(3-ammoniopropyl)pyridinium] (A2) and 4,4'-ethane-1,2-diylbis[1-(3-ammoniopropyl)pyridinium] (A3) was studied. The acceptors A2 and A3 are weak electron acceptors whose first reduction potentials are equal to -1.0 and -1.2 V (Ag), respectively, while A1 is a strong acceptor with a reduction potential of -0.42 V. It was shown that the back electron transfer time in CT-states of the complexes D·A2 and D·A3 is 30-40 ps, which is approximately 50 times greater than the analogous time for the charge transfer complexes studied earlier. The complex D·A1 is characterized by ultrafast back electron transfer (770 fs). The relaxation pathway of excited states of D·A1 depends on the wavelength of the excitation light. When excited at 356 nm, the accumulation of a transient locally excited (LE) state with a 250 fs lifetime was observed. But when excited at 425 nm, the formation of the LE-state was not observed.

Formation of a supramolecular charge-transfer complex. Ultrafast excited state dynamics and quantum-chemical calculations

The relaxation scheme of the 1·3 singlet state excited by a 25 fs laser pulse was proposed. It includes very fast vibrational relaxation, and direct and back electron transfer resulting in complete fluorescence quenching.

Evidence for Anisotropic Electronic Coupling of Charge Transfer States in Weakly Interacting Organic Semiconductor Mixtures

We present a comprehensive investigation of the charge-transfer (CT) effect in weakly interacting organic semiconductor mixtures. The donor-acceptor pair diindenoperylene (DIP) and N,N'-bis(2-ethylhexyl)-1,7-dicyanoperylene-3,4/9,10-bis(dicarboxyimide) (PDIR-CN₂) has been chosen as a model system. A wide range of experimental methods was used in order to characterize the structural, optical, electronic, and device properties of the intermolecular interactions. By detailed analysis, we demonstrate that the partial CT in this weakly interacting mixture does not have a strong effect on the ground state and does not generate a hybrid orbital. We also find a strong CT transition in light absorption as well as in photo- and electroluminescence. By using different layer sequences and compositions, we are able to distinguish electronic coupling in-plane vs out-of-plane and, thus, characterize the anisotropy of the CT state. Finally, we discuss the impact of CT exciton generation on charge-carrier transport and on the efficiency of photovoltaic devices.

Femtosecond excited state dynamics of a stilbene–viologen charge transfer complex assembled via host–guest interaction

The ultrafast photoinduced electron transfer in a supramolecular charge transfer complex was studied.

Intraparticle charge delocalization of carbene-functionalized ruthenium nanoparticles manipulated by selective ion binding

Olefin metathesis reactions of carbene-stabilized ruthenium nanoparticles were exploited for the incorporation of multiple functional moieties onto the nanoparticle surface. When the nanoparticles were cofunctionalized with 4-vinylbenzo-18-crown-6 and 1-vinylpyrene, the resulting particles exhibited fluorescence characteristics that were consistent with dimeric pyrene with a conjugated chemical bridge, with three peaks observed in the emission spectra at 391, 410, and 485 nm. The behaviors were ascribed to intraparticle charge delocalization between the pyrene moieties afforded by the conjugated Ru═carbene interfacial linkages. Notably, upon the binding of metal ions in the crown ether cavity, the emission intensity of the nanoparticle fluorescence was found to diminish at 485 nm and concurrently increase at 391 and 410 nm rather markedly, with the most significant effects observed with K(+). This was accounted for by the selective binding of 18-crown-6 to potassium ions, where the positively charged ions led to the polarization of the nanoparticle core electrons that was facililated by the conjugated linkage to the metal surface and hence impeded intraparticle charge delocalization. Control experiments with a pyrene-crown ether conjugate (2) and with ruthenium nanoparticles cofunctionalized with 4-vinylbenzo-18-crown-6 and 1-allylpyrene suggested that the through-bond pathway played a predominant role in the manipulation of intraparticle electronic communication whereas the contributions from simple electrostatic interactions (i.e., through-space pathway) were minimal.

Cooperative Recognition of C60-Ammonium Substrates by a Ditopic Oligophenylenevinylene/Crown Ether Host

A new fullerene derivative with an ammonium subunit has been prepared. Its ability to form supramolecular complexes with oligophenylenevinylene derivatives bearing one or two crown ether moieties has been evidenced by electrospray mass spectrometry, and UV-visible and luminescence spectroscopy experiments. Interestingly, the assembly of the C60-ammonium cation with the oligophenylenevinylene derivative bearing two crown ether moieties leads to the cooperative formation of the 2:1 complex owing to intramolecular fullerene-fullerene interactions.

Selective Calcium Ion Sensing with a Bichromophoric Squaraine Foldamer

Several squaraine tethered bichromophoric podand systems 1a-d and a monochromophoric analogue 2 were prepared and characterized. Among these, the bichromophore, 1b, containing five oxygen atoms in the flexible podand moiety was found to specifically bind Ca(2+) in the presence of other metal ions such as K(+), Na(+), and Mg(2+). The selective binding of Ca(2+) is clear from the absorption and emission spectral changes as well as by the visual color change of 1b from light-blue to an intense purple-blue. Benesi-Hildebrand and Job plots confirmed a 1:1 binding between 1b and Ca(2+). Signaling of the binding event is achieved by the cation-induced folding of the bichromophore and the resultant exciton coupling between the squaraine chromophores. The monochromophoric squaraine dye 2 failed to give optical signals upon Ca(2+) binding, due to the absence of exciton interaction in the bound complex. Titration of the folded complex 9 with EDTA released the metal ion from the complex, thereby regaining the original absorption and emission properties of the bichromophore. The squaraine foldamer 1b reported here is the first example of a selective chromogenic Ca(2+) sensor, which works on the principle of exciton interaction in the folded Ca(2+) complex of a bichromophore, the optical properties of which are similar to those of the "H"-type aggregates of analogous squaraine dyes.

A Controlled Supramolecular Approach toward Cation-Specific Chemosensors: Alkaline Earth Metal Ion-Driven Exciton Signaling in Squaraine Tethered Podands

Three different squaraine tethered bichromophoric podands 3a-c with one, two, and three oxygen atoms in the podand chain and an analogous monochromophore 4a were synthesized and characterized. Among these, the bichromophores 3a-c showed high selectivity toward alkaline earth metal cations, particularly to Mg(2+) and Ca(2+) ions, whereas they were optically silent toward alkali metal ions. From the absorption and emission changes as well as from the Job plots, it is established that Mg(2+) ions form 1:1 folded complexes with 3a and 3b whereas Ca(2+) ions prefer to form 1:2 sandwich dimers. However, 3c invariably forms weak 1:1 complexes with Mg(2+), Ca(2+), and Sr(2+) ions. The signal output in all of these cases was achieved by the formation of a sharp blue-shifted absorption and strong quenching of the emission of 3a-c. The signal transduction is achieved by the exciton interaction of the face-to-face stacked squaraine chromophores of the cation complex, which is a novel approach of specific cation sensing. The observed cation-induced changes in the optical properties are analogous to those of the "H" aggregates of squaraine dyes. Interestingly, a monochromophore 4a despite its binding, as evident from (1)H NMR studies, remained optically silent toward Mg(2+) and Ca(2+) ions. While the behavior of 4a toward Mg(2+) ion is understood, its optical silence toward Ca(2+) ion is rationalized to the preferential formation of a "Head-Tail-Tail-Head" arrangement in which exciton coupling is not possible. The present study is different from other known reports on chemosensors in the sense that cation-specific supramolecular host-guest complexation has been exploited for controlling chromophore interaction via cation-steered exciton coupling as the mode of signaling.