1
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Xu J, Janicki MJ, Szabla R, Sutherland JD. Prebiotic synthesis of dihydrouridine by photoreduction of uridine in formamide. Chem Commun (Camb) 2024; 60:7081-7084. [PMID: 38896044 PMCID: PMC11223185 DOI: 10.1039/d4cc01823k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
In this report, we show that a very common modification (especially in tRNA), dihydrouridine, was efficiently produced by photoreduction of the canonical pyrimidine ribonucleoside, uridine in formamide. Formamide not only acts as a solvent in this reaction, but also as the reductant. The other three components of the canonical alphabet (C, A, G) remained intact under the same conditions, suggesting that dihydrouridine might have coexisted with all four canonical RNA nucleosides (C, U, A, G) at the dawn of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianfeng Xu
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, UK.
| | - Mikołaj J Janicki
- Department of Physical and Quantum Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370, Wrocław, Poland.
| | - Rafał Szabla
- Institute of Advanced Materials, Faculty of Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370, Wrocław, Poland
| | - John D Sutherland
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, UK.
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2
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Ma C, Xiong Q, Lin J, Zeng X, Wang M, Kwok WM. Is 1-methylcytosine a faithful model compound for ultrafast deactivation dynamics of cytosine nucleosides in solution? Phys Chem Chem Phys 2024; 26:2963-2972. [PMID: 38214513 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp05509d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
1-Methylcytosine (1mCyt) is the base for nucleoside N1-methylpseudodeoxycytidine of Hachimoji nucleic acids and a frequently used model compound for theoretical studies on excited states of cytosine nucleosides. However, there is little experimental characterization of spectra and photo-dynamic properties of 1mCyt. Herein, we report a comprehensive investigation into excited state dynamics and effects of solvents on fluorescence dynamics of 1mCyt in both water and acetonitrile. The study employed femtosecond broadband time-resolved fluorescence, transient absorption, and steady-state spectroscopy, along with density functional theory and time-dependent density functional theory calculations. The results obtained provide the first experimental evidence for identifying a dark-natured ∼5.7 ps lifetime nπ* state in the ultrafast non-radiative deactivation with 1mCyt in aqueous solution. This study also demonstrates a significant effect of the solvent on 1mCyt's fluorescence emission, which highlights the crucial role of solute-solvent hydrogen bonding in altering structures and reshaping the radiative as well as nonradiative dynamics of the 1mCyt's ππ* state in the aprotic solvent compared to the protic solvent. The solvent effect exhibited by 1mCyt is distinctive from that known for deoxycytidine, indicating the need for caution in using 1mCyt for modelling the ultrafast dynamics of Cyt nucleosides in solvents with varying properties. Overall, our study unveils a deactivation mechanism that confers a high degree of photo-stability for 1mCyt in solution, shedding light on the molecular basis for solvent-induced effects on the excited state dynamics of nucleobases and derivatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chensheng Ma
- College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518071, P. R. China.
| | - Qingwu Xiong
- College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518071, P. R. China.
- College of Physics and optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Jingdong Lin
- College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518071, P. R. China.
| | - Xiaoyan Zeng
- College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518071, P. R. China.
| | - Mingliang Wang
- College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518071, P. R. China.
| | - Wai-Ming Kwok
- Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China.
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3
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Hoehn SJ, Krul SE, Pogharian MM, Mao E, Crespo-Hernández CE. Photochemical Stability of 5-Methylcytidine Relative to Cytidine: Photophysical Insight for mRNA Therapeutic Applications. J Phys Chem Lett 2023; 14:10856-10862. [PMID: 38032072 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c01606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
5-Methylcytidine (5mCyd) has recently been investigated with renewed interest in its utilization in mRNA therapeutics. However, its photostability following exposure to electromagnetic radiation has been overlooked. This Letter compares the photostability and excited-state dynamics of 5mCyd with those of the canonical RNA nucleoside, cytidine (Cyd), using steady-state and femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy under physiologic conditions. 5mCyd is shown to have a 5-fold higher fluorescence yield and a 5-fold longer 1ππ* excited-state decay lifetime. Importantly, however, the excited-state population in 5mCyd decays primarily by internal conversion, with a photodegradation rate 3 times smaller than that in Cyd. In Cyd, the population of a 1nπ* state with a lifetime of ca. 45 ps is implicated in the formation 6-hydroxycytidine and other photoproducts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean J Hoehn
- Department of Chemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
| | - Sarah E Krul
- Department of Chemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
| | - Michael M Pogharian
- Department of Chemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
| | - Erqian Mao
- Department of Chemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
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4
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Zhao L, Geng X, Han G, Guo Y, Liu R, Chen J. Revealing the excited-state dynamics of cytidine and the role of excited-state proton transfer process. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:32002-32009. [PMID: 37975722 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp03683a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
The high photostability of DNAs and RNAs is inextricably related to the photochemical and photophysical properties of their building blocks, nucleobases and nucleosides, which can dissipate the absorbed UV light energy in a harmless manner. The deactivation mechanism of the nucleosides, especially the decay pathways of cytidine (Cyd), has been a matter of intense debate. In the current study, we employ high-level electronic structure calculations combined with excited state non-adiabatic dynamic simulations to provide a clear picture of the excited state deactivation of Cyd in both gas phase and aqueous solution. In both environments, a barrierless decay path driven by the ring-puckering motion and a relaxation channel with a small energy barrier driven by the elongation motion of CO bond are assigned to <200 fs and sub-picosecond decay time component, respectively. The presence of ribose group has a subtle effect on the dynamic behavior of Cyd in gas phase as the ribose-to-base hydrogen/proton transfer process is energetically inaccessible with a sizable energy barrier of about 1.4 eV. However, this energy barrier is significantly reduced in water, especially when an explicit water molecule is present. Therefore, we argue that the long-lived decay channel found in aqueous solution could be assigned to the Cyd-water intermolecular hydrogen/proton transfer process. The present study postulates a novel scenario toward deep understanding the intrinsic photostability of DNAs and RNAs and provides solid evidence to disclose the long history debate of cytidine excited-state decay mechanism, especially for the assignment of experimentally observed time components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Zhao
- College of Science, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, Shandong, China.
| | - Xuehui Geng
- College of Science, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, Shandong, China.
| | - Guoxia Han
- College of Science, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, Shandong, China.
| | - Yahui Guo
- College of Science, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, Shandong, China.
| | - Runze Liu
- Institute of Molecular Sciences and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266235, P. R. China
| | - Junsheng Chen
- Nano-Science Center & Department of Chemistry, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 5, 2100 KøbenhavnØ, Denmark.
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5
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Miura Y, Yamamoto YI, Karashima S, Orimo N, Hara A, Fukuoka K, Ishiyama T, Suzuki T. Formation of Long-Lived Dark States during Electronic Relaxation of Pyrimidine Nucleobases Studied Using Extreme Ultraviolet Time-Resolved Photoelectron Spectroscopy. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:3369-3381. [PMID: 36724068 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c09803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Ultrafast electronic relaxation of nucleobases from 1ππ* states to the ground state (S0) is considered essential for the photostability of DNA. However, transient absorption spectroscopy (TAS) has indicated that some nucleobases in aqueous solutions create long-lived 1nπ*/3ππ* dark states from the 1ππ* states with a high quantum yield of 0.4-0.5. We investigated electronic relaxation in pyrimidine nucleobases in both aqueous solutions and the gas phase using extreme ultraviolet (EUV) time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy. Femtosecond EUV probe pulses cause ionization from all electronic states involved in the relaxation process, providing a clear overview of the electronic dynamics. The 1nπ* quantum yields for aqueous cytidine and uracil (Ura) derivatives were found to be considerably lower (<0.07) than previous estimates reported by TAS. On the other hand, aqueous thymine (Thy) and thymidine exhibited a longer 1ππ* lifetime and a higher quantum yield (0.12-0.22) for the 1nπ* state. A similar trend was found for isolated Thy and Ura in the gas phase: the 1ππ* lifetimes are 39 and 17 fs and the quantum yield for 1nπ* are 1.0 and 0.45 for Thy and Ura, respectively. The result indicates that single methylation to the C5 position hinders the out-of-plane deformation that drives the system to the conical intersection region between 1ππ* and S0, providing a large impact on the photophysics/photochemistry of a pyrimidine nucleobase. The significant reduction of 1nπ* yield in aqueous solution is ascribed to the destabilization of the 1nπ* state induced by hydrogen bonding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuta Miura
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwakecho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto606-8502, Japan
| | - Yo-Ichi Yamamoto
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwakecho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto606-8502, Japan
| | - Shutaro Karashima
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwakecho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto606-8502, Japan
| | - Natsumi Orimo
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwakecho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto606-8502, Japan
| | - Ayano Hara
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwakecho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto606-8502, Japan
| | - Kanae Fukuoka
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwakecho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto606-8502, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Ishiyama
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, University of Toyama, Toyama930-8555, Japan
| | - Toshinori Suzuki
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwakecho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto606-8502, Japan
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6
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Janicki MJ, Szabla R, Šponer J, Góra RW. Photoinduced water-chromophore electron transfer causes formation of guanosine photodamage. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:8217-8224. [PMID: 35319053 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp00801g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
UV-induced photolysis of aqueous guanine nucleosides produces 8-oxo-guanine and Fapy-guanine, which can induce various types of cellular malfunction. The mechanistic rationale underlying photodestructive processes of guanine nucleosides is still largely obscure. Here, we employ accurate quantum chemical calculations and demonstrate that an excited-state non-bonding interaction of guanosine and a water molecule facilitates the electron-driven proton transfer process from water to the chromophore fragment. This subsequently allows for the formation of a crucial intermediate, namely guanosine photohydrate. Further (photo)chemical reactions of this intermediate lead to the known products of guanine photodamage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikołaj J Janicki
- Faculty of Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370, Wrocław, Poland.
| | - Rafał Szabla
- Faculty of Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370, Wrocław, Poland.
| | - Jiří Šponer
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 135, 61265 Brno, Czech Republic.,National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Robert W Góra
- Faculty of Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370, Wrocław, Poland.
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7
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Ortín-Fernández J, González-Vázquez J, Martínez-Fernández L, Corral I. Molecular Identification of the Transient Species Mediating the Deactivation Dynamics of Solvated Guanosine and Deazaguanosine. Molecules 2022; 27:989. [PMID: 35164254 PMCID: PMC8839017 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27030989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Small structural alterations of the purine/pyrimidine core have been related to important photophysical changes, such as the loss of photostability. Similarly to canonical nucleobases, solute-solvent interactions can lead to a change in the excited state lifetimes and/or to the interplay of different states in the photophysics of these modified nucleobases. To shed light on both effects, we here report a complete picture of the absorption spectra and excited state deactivation of deoxyguanosine and its closely related derivative, deoxydeazaguanosine, in water and methanol through the mapping of the excited state potential energy surfaces and molecular dynamics simulations at the TD-DFT level of theory. We show that the N by CH exchange in the imidazole ring of deoxyguanosine translates into a small red-shift of the bright states and slightly faster dynamics. In contrast, changing solvent from water to methanol implies the opposite, i.e., that the deactivation of both systems to the ground state is significantly hindered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Ortín-Fernández
- Departamento de Química, Módulo 13, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain; (J.O.-F.); (J.G.-V.)
| | - Jesús González-Vázquez
- Departamento de Química, Módulo 13, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain; (J.O.-F.); (J.G.-V.)
- Institute for Advanced Research in Chemistry (IAdChem), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Lara Martínez-Fernández
- Departamento de Química, Módulo 13, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain; (J.O.-F.); (J.G.-V.)
- Institute for Advanced Research in Chemistry (IAdChem), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Inés Corral
- Departamento de Química, Módulo 13, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain; (J.O.-F.); (J.G.-V.)
- Institute for Advanced Research in Chemistry (IAdChem), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
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8
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Yaghoubi Jouybari M, Liu Y, Improta R, Santoro F. Ultrafast Dynamics of the Two Lowest Bright Excited States of Cytosine and 1-Methylcytosine: A Quantum Dynamical Study. J Chem Theory Comput 2020; 16:5792-5808. [PMID: 32687360 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.0c00455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The nonadiabatic quantum dynamics (QD) of cytosine and 1-methylcytosine in the gas phase is simulated for 250 fs after a photoexcitation to one of the first two bright states. The nuclear wavepacket is propagated on the coupled diabatic potential energy surfaces of the lowest seven excited states, including ππ*, nπ*, and Rydberg states along all the vibrational degrees of freedom. We focus in particular on the interplay between the bright and the dark nπ* states, not considering the decay to the ground electronic state. To run these simulations, we implemented an automatic general procedure to parametrize linear vibronic coupling (LVC) models with time-dependent density functional theory (DFT) computations and interfaced it with Gaussian package. The wavepacket was propagated with the multilayer version of the multiconfigurational time dependent Hartree method. Two different density functionals, PBE0 and CAM-B3LYP, which provide a different description of the relative stability of the lowest energy dark states, were used to parametrize the LVC Hamiltonian. Part of the photoexcited population on lowest HOMO-LUMO transition (πHπL*) decays within less than 100 fs to a nπ* state which mainly involves a promotion of an electron from the oxygen lone pair to the LUMO (nOπL*). The population of the second ππ* state decays almost completely, in <100 fs, not only to πHπL* and to nOπL* states but also to another nπL* state involving the nitrogen lone pair. The efficiency of the adopted protocol allowed us to check the accuracy of the predictions by repeating the QD simulations with different LVC Hamiltonians parametrized either at the ground-state minimum or at stationary structures of different relevant excited states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martha Yaghoubi Jouybari
- CNR-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Chimica dei Composti Organo Metallici (ICCOM-CNR), SS di Pisa, Area della Ricerca, via G. Moruzzi 1, I-56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Yanli Liu
- School of Physics and Optoelectronics Engineering, Ludong University, 264025 Yantai, Shandong, PR China
| | - Roberto Improta
- CNR-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini (IBB-CNR), via Mezzocannone 16, I-80136 Napoli, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Santoro
- CNR-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Chimica dei Composti Organo Metallici (ICCOM-CNR), SS di Pisa, Area della Ricerca, via G. Moruzzi 1, I-56124 Pisa, Italy
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9
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Subramaniyan SB, Annes SB, Yuvasri M, Nivedha K, Ramesh S, Anbazhagan V. 1,3,5‐Triphenylpyrazoline Based Fluorescent Probe for Selective Sensing and Imaging of Glutathione in Live Cell under Oxidative Stress. ChemistrySelect 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/slct.201904169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Siva Bala Subramaniyan
- Department of Chemistry, School of Chemical & Biotechnology SASTRA Deemed University, Thanjavur – 613401 Tamil Nadu India
| | - Sesuraj Babiola Annes
- Department of Chemistry, School of Chemical & Biotechnology SASTRA Deemed University, Thanjavur – 613401 Tamil Nadu India
| | - Manokaran Yuvasri
- Department of Chemistry, School of Chemical & Biotechnology SASTRA Deemed University, Thanjavur – 613401 Tamil Nadu India
| | - Kolanchinathan Nivedha
- Department of Chemistry, School of Chemical & Biotechnology SASTRA Deemed University, Thanjavur – 613401 Tamil Nadu India
| | - Subburethinam Ramesh
- Department of Chemistry, School of Chemical & Biotechnology SASTRA Deemed University, Thanjavur – 613401 Tamil Nadu India
| | - Veerappan Anbazhagan
- Department of Chemistry, School of Chemical & Biotechnology SASTRA Deemed University, Thanjavur – 613401 Tamil Nadu India
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10
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Szkaradek KE, Stadlbauer P, Šponer J, Góra RW, Szabla R. UV-induced hydrogen transfer in DNA base pairs promoted by dark nπ* states. Chem Commun (Camb) 2020; 56:201-204. [DOI: 10.1039/c9cc06180k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Formation of an excited-state complex enables ultrafast photorelaxation of dark nπ* states in GC and HC base pairs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kinga E. Szkaradek
- Department of Physical and Quantum Chemistry
- Wroclaw University of Science and Technology
- Faculty of Chemistry
- Wrocław
- Poland
| | - Petr Stadlbauer
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials
- Faculty of Science
- Palacky University
- 771 46 Olomouc
- Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Šponer
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials
- Faculty of Science
- Palacky University
- 771 46 Olomouc
- Czech Republic
| | - Robert W. Góra
- Department of Physical and Quantum Chemistry
- Wroclaw University of Science and Technology
- Faculty of Chemistry
- Wrocław
- Poland
| | - Rafał Szabla
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences
- 61265 Brno
- Czech Republic
- Institute of Physics
- Polish Academy of Sciences
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11
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Chen WK, Fang WH, Cui G. Integrating Machine Learning with the Multilayer Energy-Based Fragment Method for Excited States of Large Systems. J Phys Chem Lett 2019; 10:7836-7841. [PMID: 31786927 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.9b03113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
In this work we have combined machine learning techniques with our recently developed multilayer energy-based fragment method for studying excited states of large systems. The photochemically active and inert regions are separately treated with the complete active space self-consistent field method and the trained models. This method is demonstrated to provide accurate energies and gradients leading to essentially the same excited-state potential energy surfaces and nonadiabatic dynamics compared with full ab initio results. Furthermore, in conjunction with the use of machine learning models, this method is highly parallel and exhibits low-scaling computational cost. Finally, the present work could encourage the marriage of machine learning with fragment-based electronic structure methods to explore photochemistry of large systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Kai Chen
- Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Photochemistry, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry , Beijing Normal University , Beijing 100875 , People's Republic of China
| | - Wei-Hai Fang
- Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Photochemistry, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry , Beijing Normal University , Beijing 100875 , People's Republic of China
| | - Ganglong Cui
- Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Photochemistry, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry , Beijing Normal University , Beijing 100875 , People's Republic of China
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12
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Gate G, Szabla R, Haggmark MR, Šponer J, Sobolewski AL, de Vries MS. Photodynamics of alternative DNA base isoguanine. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2019; 21:13474-13485. [DOI: 10.1039/c9cp01622h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Pump–probe experiments and quantum-chemical simulations of UV-excited isoguanine elucidate its tautomer dependent photochemical properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory Gate
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
- University of California
- Santa Barbara
- USA
| | - Rafał Szabla
- Institute of Physics
- Polish Academy of Sciences
- 02-668 Warsaw
- Poland
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences
| | - Michael R. Haggmark
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
- University of California
- Santa Barbara
- USA
| | - Jiří Šponer
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences
- 61265 Brno
- Czech Republic
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13
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Pepino AJ, Segarra-Martí J, Nenov A, Rivalta I, Improta R, Garavelli M. UV-induced long-lived decays in solvated pyrimidine nucleosides resolved at the MS-CASPT2/MM level. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2018; 20:6877-6890. [PMID: 29459916 DOI: 10.1039/c7cp08235e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The most relevant 'dark' electronic excited states in DNA/RNA pyrimidine nucleosides are mapped in water employing hybrid MS-CASPT2/MM optimisations with explicit solvation and including the sugar. Conical intersections (CIs) between initially accessed bright 1ππ* and the lowest energy dark 1nπ* excited states, involving the lone pair localised on the oxygen and/or nitrogen atoms are characterised. They are found in the vicinities of the Franck-Condon (FC) region and are shown to facilitate non-adiabatic population transfer. The excited state population of the 1nOπ* state, localised in the carbonyl moiety on all pyrimidine nucleosides, is predicted to rapidly evolve to its minimum, displaying non-negligible potential energy barriers along its non-radiative decay, and accounting for the ps signal registered in pump-probe experiments as well as for an efficient population of the triplet state. Cytidine displays an additional 1nNπ* state localised in the N3 atom and that leads to its excited state minimum displaying large potential energy barriers in the pathway connecting to the CI with the ground state. Sugar-to-base hydrogen/proton transfer processes are assessed in solution for the first time, displaying a sizable barrier along its decay and thus being competitive with other slow decay channels in the ps and ns timescales. A unified deactivation scheme for the long-lived channels of pyrimidine nucleosides is delivered, where the 1nOπ* state is found to mediate the long-lived decay in the singlet manifold and act as the doorway for triplet population and thus accounting for the recorded phosphorescence and, more generally, for the transient/photoelectron spectral signals registered up to the ns timescale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Julieta Pepino
- Dipartimento di Chimica Industriale "Toso Montanari", Università di Bologna, Viale del Risorgimento 4, I-40136 Bologna, Italy.
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14
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Pang X, Ehrmaier J, Wu X, Jiang C, Xie W, Sobolewski AL, Domcke W. Photoinduced hydrogen-transfer reactions in pyridine-water clusters: Insights from excited-state electronic-structure calculations. Chem Phys 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chemphys.2018.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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15
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Janicki MJ, Szabla R, Šponer J, Góra RW. Solvation effects alter the photochemistry of 2-thiocytosine. Chem Phys 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chemphys.2018.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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16
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Lischka H, Nachtigallová D, Aquino AJA, Szalay PG, Plasser F, Machado FBC, Barbatti M. Multireference Approaches for Excited States of Molecules. Chem Rev 2018; 118:7293-7361. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.8b00244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 197] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hans Lischka
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, P.R. China
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 79409, United States
- Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Vienna, Währinger Straße 17, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Dana Nachtigallová
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry v.v.i., The Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo nám. 2, 16610 Prague 6, Czech Republic
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Palacký University, 78371 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Adélia J. A. Aquino
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, P.R. China
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 79409, United States
- Institute for Soil Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Peter-Jordan-Strasse 82, A-1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Péter G. Szalay
- ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Felix Plasser
- Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Vienna, Währinger Straße 17, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Department of Chemistry, Loughborough University, Leicestershire LE11 3TU, United Kingdom
| | - Francisco B. C. Machado
- Departamento de Química, Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica, São José dos Campos 12228-900, São Paulo, Brazil
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17
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Wang X, Zhou Z, Tang Y, Chen J, Zhong D, Jianhua Xu. Excited State Decay Pathways of 2'-Deoxy-5-methylcytidine and Deoxycytidine Revisited in Solution: A Comprehensive Kinetic Study by Femtosecond Transient Absorption. J Phys Chem B 2018; 122:7027-7037. [PMID: 29939745 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.8b00927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Methylated cytosine is proved to have an important role as an epigenetic signal in gene regulation and is often referred to "the fifth base of DNA". A comprehensive understanding of the electronic excited state relaxation in cytosine and its methylated derivatives is crucial for revealing UV-induced photodamage to the biological genome. Because of the existence of multiple closely lying "bright" and "dark" excited states, the decay pathways in these DNA nucleosides are the most complex and the least understood so far. In this study, femtosecond transient absorption with different excitation wavelengths (240-296 nm) was used to study the relaxation of excited electronic states of 5-methylcytosine (5mC) and 2'-deoxy-5-methylcytidine (5mdCyd) in phosphate buffered aqueous solution and in acetonitrile solution. Two distinct nonradiative decay channels were directly observed. The first one is a several picosecond internal conversion channel that involves two bright ππ* states (ππ*2 and ππ*1) when ππ*2 state is initially populated. The second channel contains the lower energy ππ*1 state and a so far experimental unidentified long-lived state which exhibits a several nanosecond lifetime. The long-lived state can only be accessed by the initially excited ππ*1 state. Inspired by this new discovery in 5mC and 5mdCyd, we revisited the decay of excited state of 2'-deoxycytidine (dCyd), revealing very similar decay pathways. Additionally, a well-known dark nOπ* state (carbonyl lone pair) with ∼30 ps lifetime is present in both decay channels in dCyd. With our detailed experimental results, we successfully reconcile the long history debate of cytosine excited state relaxation mechanism by pointing out that the reason for the complex dynamics under traditional 266 nm excitation is mixed signals from the above-mentioned two distinct decay pathways. Our findings lead to a dramatically different and new picture of electronic energy relaxation in 5mdCyd/dCyd and could help to understand photostability as well as UV-induced photodamage of these nucleotides and related DNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueli Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy , East China Normal University , Shanghai , 200062 China
| | - Zhongneng Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy , East China Normal University , Shanghai , 200062 China
| | - Yuankai Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy , East China Normal University , Shanghai , 200062 China
| | - Jinquan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy , East China Normal University , Shanghai , 200062 China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of Extreme Optics , Shanxi University , Taiyuan , Shanxi 030006 , China
| | - Dongping Zhong
- Department of Physics, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Programs of Biophysics, Chemical Physics, and Biochemistry , The Ohio State University , Columbus , Ohio 43210 , United States
| | - Jianhua Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy , East China Normal University , Shanghai , 200062 China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of Extreme Optics , Shanxi University , Taiyuan , Shanxi 030006 , China
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18
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De Vetta M, Menger MFSJ, Nogueira JJ, González L. Solvent Effects on Electronically Excited States: QM/Continuum Versus QM/Explicit Models. J Phys Chem B 2018; 122:2975-2984. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.7b12560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Martina De Vetta
- Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Vienna, Währinger Str. 17, A-1090 Wien, Austria
- Departamento de Química, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, c/Francisco Tomás y Valiente 7, 28049 Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Maximilian F. S. J. Menger
- Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Vienna, Währinger Str. 17, A-1090 Wien, Austria
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Juan J. Nogueira
- Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Vienna, Währinger Str. 17, A-1090 Wien, Austria
| | - Leticia González
- Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Vienna, Währinger Str. 17, A-1090 Wien, Austria
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19
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Szabla R, Kruse H, Stadlbauer P, Šponer J, Sobolewski AL. Sequential electron transfer governs the UV-induced self-repair of DNA photolesions. Chem Sci 2018; 9:3131-3140. [PMID: 29732095 PMCID: PMC5916108 DOI: 10.1039/c8sc00024g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2018] [Accepted: 02/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CpDs) are among the most common DNA lesions occurring due to the interaction with ultraviolet light. While photolyases have been well known as external factors repairing CpDs, the intrinsic self-repairing capabilities of the GAT 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 1111111111111111111111111111111111 1111111111111111111111111111111111 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 1111111111111111111111111111111111 1111111111111111111111111111111111 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 T DNA sequence were discovered only recently and are still largely obscure. Here, we elucidate the mechanistic details of this self-repair process by means of MD simulations and QM/MM computations involving the algebraic diagrammatic construction to the second order [ADC(2)] method. We show that local UV-excitation of guanine may be followed by up to three subsequent electron transfers, which may eventually enable efficient CpD ring opening when the negative charge resides on the T 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 1111111111111111111111111111111111 1111111111111111111111111111111111 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 1111111111111111111111111111111111 1111111111111111111111111111111111 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 T dimer. Consequently, the molecular mechanism of GAT 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 1111111111111111111111111111111111 1111111111111111111111111111111111 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 1111111111111111111111111111111111 1111111111111111111111111111111111 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 T self-repair can be envisaged as sequential electron transfer (SET) occurring downhill along the slope of the S1 potential energy surface. Even though the general features of the SET mechanism are retained in both of the studied stacked conformers, our optimizations of different S1/S0 state crossings revealed minor differences which could influence their self-repair efficiencies. We expect that such assessment of the availability and efficiency of the SET process in other DNA oligomers could hint towards other sequences exhibiting similar photochemical properties. Such explorations will be particularly fascinating in the context of the origins of biomolecules on Earth, owing to the lack of external repairing factors in the Archean age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafał Szabla
- Institute of Physics , Polish Academy of Sciences , Al. Lotników 32/46 , PL-02668 Warsaw , Poland.,Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences , Královopolská 135 , 61265 Brno , Czech Republic .
| | - Holger Kruse
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences , Královopolská 135 , 61265 Brno , Czech Republic .
| | - Petr Stadlbauer
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences , Královopolská 135 , 61265 Brno , Czech Republic . .,Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials , Department of Physical Chemistry , Faculty of Science , Palacký University , 17. Listopadu 1192/12 , 77146 Olomouc , Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Šponer
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences , Královopolská 135 , 61265 Brno , Czech Republic .
| | - Andrzej L Sobolewski
- Institute of Physics , Polish Academy of Sciences , Al. Lotników 32/46 , PL-02668 Warsaw , Poland
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20
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Janicki MJ, Szabla R, Šponer J, Góra RW. Electron-driven proton transfer enables nonradiative photodeactivation in microhydrated 2-aminoimidazole. Faraday Discuss 2018; 212:345-358. [DOI: 10.1039/c8fd00086g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Prebiotically credible activator of non-enzymatic RNA template-copying, 2-aminoimidazole, is protected from destructive photochemistry by photoacidity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikołaj J. Janicki
- Department of Physical and Quantum Chemistry
- Faculty of Chemistry
- Wrocław University of Science and Technology
- 50-370 Wrocław
- Poland
| | - Rafał Szabla
- Institute of Physics
- Polish Academy of Sciences
- 02-668 Warsaw
- Poland
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences
| | - Jiří Šponer
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences
- Brno
- Czech Republic
| | - Robert W. Góra
- Department of Physical and Quantum Chemistry
- Faculty of Chemistry
- Wrocław University of Science and Technology
- 50-370 Wrocław
- Poland
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21
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Rodríguez-Prieto F, Corbelle CC, Fernández B, Pedro JA, Ríos Rodríguez MC, Mosquera M. Fluorescence quenching of the N-methylquinolinium cation by pairs of water or alcohol molecules. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2018; 20:307-316. [DOI: 10.1039/c7cp07057h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The proposed mechanism involves an electron transfer from H2O/ROH to the excited quinolinium, concerted with proton transfer to the second hydroxy molecule.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flor Rodríguez-Prieto
- Centro Singular de Investigación en Química Biolóxica e Materiais Moleculares (CIQUS)
- Universidade de Santiago de Compostela
- E-15782 Santiago de Compostela
- Spain
- Departamento de Química Física
| | - Carlos Costa Corbelle
- Departamento de Química Física
- Facultade de Química
- Universidade de Santiago de Compostela
- E-15782 Santiago de Compostela
- Spain
| | - Berta Fernández
- Departamento de Química Física
- Facultade de Química
- Universidade de Santiago de Compostela
- E-15782 Santiago de Compostela
- Spain
| | - Jorge A. Pedro
- Centro Singular de Investigación en Química Biolóxica e Materiais Moleculares (CIQUS)
- Universidade de Santiago de Compostela
- E-15782 Santiago de Compostela
- Spain
| | - M. Carmen Ríos Rodríguez
- Centro Singular de Investigación en Química Biolóxica e Materiais Moleculares (CIQUS)
- Universidade de Santiago de Compostela
- E-15782 Santiago de Compostela
- Spain
- Departamento de Química Física
| | - Manuel Mosquera
- Centro Singular de Investigación en Química Biolóxica e Materiais Moleculares (CIQUS)
- Universidade de Santiago de Compostela
- E-15782 Santiago de Compostela
- Spain
- Departamento de Química Física
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