Photoisomerization of stilbene dendrimers: the need for a volume-conserving isomerization mechanisms

Perspectives on dendritic architectures and their biological applications: From core to cell

The challenges of medicine today include the increasing stipulation for sensitive and effective systems that can improve the pathological responses with a simultaneous reduction in accumulation and drug side effects. The demand can be fulfilled through the advancements in nanomedicine that includes nanostructures and nanodevices for diagnosing, treating, and prevention of various diseases. In this respect, the nanoscience provides various novel techniques with carriers such as micelles, dendrimers, particles and vesicles for the transportation of active moieties. Further, an efficient way to improve these systems is through stimuli a responsive system that utilizes supramolecular hyperbranched structures to meet the above criteria. The stimuli-responsive dendritic architectures exhibit spatial, temporal, convenient, effective, safety and controlled drug release in response to specific trigger through electrostatic interactions plus π stacking. The stimuli-responsive systems are capable of sequestering the drug molecules underneath a predefined set of conditions and discharge them in a different environment through either exogenous or endogenous stimulus. The incorporation of photoresponsive moieties at various components of dendrimer such as core, branches or at the peripheral end exaggerates its significance in various allied fields of nanotechnology which includes sensors, photoswitch, electronic widgets and in drug delivery systems. This is due to the light instigated geometrical modifications at the core or at the surface molecules which generates huge conformational changes throughout the hyperbranched structure. Further, numerous synthetic methodologies have been investigated for utilization of dendrimers in therapeutic drug delivery and its applicability towards stimuli responsive systems such as photo-instigated, thermal-instigated, and pH-instigated hyperbranched structures and their advancement in the field of nanomedicine. This paper highlights the fascinating theoretical advances and principal mechanisms of dendrimer synthesis and their ability to capture light that strengthens its applicability from radiant energy to medical photonics.

Unusually efficient trans-to-cis photoisomerization of diphenylbutadiene dendrimers in water

A diphenylbutadiene-cored dendrimer exhibited a remarkably high quantum yield for trans-to-cis photoisomerization in aqueous solution. Analysis of the fluorescence lifetimes and the wavelength-dependent excitation spectra suggested that the core butadiene adopts multiple conformations, one or several of which is sufficiently distorted to undergo preferential photoisomerization.

Molecular geometry optimization, two-photon absorption and electrochemistry of new diphenylethylene derivatives linking with benzophenone moiety through ether covalent bond

This paper presents the molecular geometry optimization, two-photon absorption and electrochemistry of new dyes containing benzophenone part, including 4-(p-benzoyl-benzyloxy)yl-4'-nitro-diphenylethylene (C1), 4-[N-methyl-N-(2-(p-benzoyl-benzyloxy)yl-ethyl]-4'-nitro-diphenylethylene (C2), 4-[N-ethyl-N-(2-(p-benzoyl-benzyloxy)yl-ethyl]-4'-nitro-diphenylethylene (C3), and 4-N, N-bis[(2-(p-benzoyl-benzyloxy)yl-ethyl]-4'-nitro-diphenyl ethylene (C4). The molecular structural parameters show that the coplanarity of diphenylethylene moiety is diminished in the excited state for C1, while it is enhanced for C2, C3 and C4. The electron density distribution of frontier orbital suggests that the derivatives exhibit (π, π) transition with internal charge transfer character, and the extent of charge transfer of C2, C3 and C4 is larger than that of C1. The derivatives display remarkable two-photon absorption (TPA) induced up-converted emission under 800 nm Ti: Sapphire femtosecond laser excitation. The maximal TPA emission wavelength of C2, C3 and C4 is red-shifted with respect to that of C1. TPA cross sections of C2, C3 and C4 are larger than those of C1. The cyclic voltammograms and the fluorescence lifetimes of the derivatives were determined and discussed.

Synthesis and spectroscopy of novel branched fluorescent dyes containing benzophenone parts and the possibility as fluorescence probes

This paper describes a new fluorescent family of branched dyes containing benzophenone unit including 4-N, N-diphenylamino-4'-phenacyl-stilbene (C1), 4,4'-di(4-benzoylphenylethylene)yl-triphenylamine (C2) and 4,4',4″-tri(4-benzoylphenylethylene)yl-triphenylamine (C3). Benzophenone part is coupled with core through C-C double bond. The chemical structures of the derivatives are characterized with (1)H and (13)C nuclear magnetic resonance and elemental analysis. Strong π-π stacking interactions are discovered with the analysis of the X-ray crystallographic data of C1. The absorption maxima and emission maxima of the derivatives exhibit gradual bathochromic shift from C1 to C3. The optical density of C1, C2 and C3 are shown to be related to the number of branches. The changes of dipole moments between the excited and ground states for C1, C2 and C3 were estimated to be 4.356, 8.091 and 8.479 Derby, respectively by Lippert equation, confirming that the internal charge transfer (ICT) dominates the process of excited singlet state. The possibility as fluorescence probes of the derivatives on the estimation of what region of micelles interacting with samples was evaluated.

trans-1,2-Bis(3,5-dimethoxy-phen-yl)ethene

The title compound, C₁₈H₂₀O₄, was prepared in high yield from 3,5-dimethoxy­styrene via a Ru-catalysed homo-olefin metathesis. Exclusive formation of the E-configurated isomer was observed. Inter­estingly, one symmetric unit contains two mol­ecules adopting an s-syn-anti and and an all-s-anti conformation.

A comprehensive investigation of the interrelationships between spectroscopy and photochemistry and substituents of some azulenic derivatives

Several azulenic dyes, including six azulene hydrocarbons, two azulene aldehydes, and two olefinic azulenes, have been synthesized to survey their photophysics and photochemistry. These azulenes display S(2)-->S(0) emission, but with several differences. This is the most remarkable characteristic of the effect of orbital control on color and excited state properties of the azulenic compounds. This paper emphasizes how emission spectra and photochemistry of azulenic compounds are influenced by their chemical structure and solvent. The emission spectra of the azulene hydrocarbons suggest that their excited state properties can be controlled by their molecular structure and size. It was confirmed by emission and (1)H NMR spectroscopy that azulene monoaldehyde is protonated in a strong acid, such as trifluoroacetic acid (TFA). Photochemistry of styrylazulenes was observed during irradiation. Azulenic compounds are thermally stable and color tunable, and hence they are good candidates as non-linear optical materials. Based on their unique photochemical and photophysical characteristics, novel azulenic dyes can be constructed for different uses.

Solvent Effect on the Photochemical Properties of Symmetrically Substituted trans-3,3‘,5,5‘-Tetramethoxystilbene

Photochemical properties of trans-3,3',5,5'-tetramethoxystilbene (TMST) have been studied in various polar solvents. The Stokes shift of trans-TMST was found to be increased with increasing solvent polarity. The fluorescence lifetime of trans-TMST experienced a large solvent effect changing from 2.3 ns in cyclohexane to 16.6 ns in acetonitrile. These results indicate that the excited singlet state of trans-TMST has a charge-transfer (CT) character. On the basis of the obtained results, the interior polar environment of a water-soluble TMST dendrimer is discussed.

Inhibition of the Formation and Decay of Stilbene Core Radical Cations by the Dendron during the Photoinduced Electron Transfer

Formation and decay processes of stilbene core radical cation (ST*+) during the photoinduced electron transfer have been studied for a series of stilbene bearing benzyl ether-type dendrons (D). ST*+ and the radical cation of peripheral dendron (D*+) were generated by intermolecular hole transfer from biphenyl radical cation, which was generated from photoinduced electron transfer from biphenyl to the singlet-excited 9,10-dicyanoanthracene in a mixture of acetonitrile and 1,2-dichloroethane (3:1). An intramolecular dimer radical cation of benzyl groups at the terminal of stilbene dendrimer was indicated as a hole trapping site. Subsequent hole transfer from the trapping site to the core ST generated ST*+. The shielding effects of D depending on the dendrimer generation on the growth and decay of ST*+ were observed. It was revealed for the first time that D acts as the hole trapping site and the hole conductor on the way of the exothermic hole transfer from the terminal of D to the central core ST. We also found that D inhibits the charge recombination with 9,10-dicyanoanthracene radical anion because of the steric hindrance.

Effects of Benzyl Ether Type Dendrons as Hole-Harvesting Antennas, and Shielding for the Neutralization of Stilbene Core Radical Cations with Chloride Ion during Two-Photon Ionization of Stilbene Dendrimers Having Stilbene Core and Benzyl Ether Type Dendrons

The two-photon ionization (TPI) process (308 and 266 nm) of stilbene dendrimers having a stilbene core and benzyl ether type dendrons has been investigated in an acetonitrile and 1,2-dichloroethane mixture (3:1) in order to elucidate the dendrimer effects. The quantum yield of the formation of stilbene core radical cation during the 308-nm TPI was independent of the dendron generation of the dendrimers, whereas a generation dependence of the quantum yield of the radical cation was observed during the 266-nm TPI, where both the stilbene core and benzyl ether type dendron were ionized, suggesting that the subsequent hole transfer occurs from the dendron to the stilbene core, and that the dendron acts as a hole-harvesting antenna. The neutralization rate of the stilbene core radical cation with the chloride ion, generated from the dissociative electron capture by 1,2-dichloroethane, decreased with the increase in the dendrimer generation, suggesting that the dendron is an effective shield of the stilbene core radical cation against the chloride ion.

Photochemical and photophysical properties of a poly(propylene amine) dendrimer functionalised with E-stilbene units

A second generation poly(propylene amine) dendrimer functionalized at the periphery with eight E-stilbene and eight 4-tert-butylbenzenesulfonyl units has been prepared. The absorption spectrum, fluorescence spectrum and decay, E<==>Z photoisomerization, and photocyclization of the Z-isomer of the stilbene units have been investigated in air equilibrated acetonitrile solutions. For comparison purposes, a reference compound of the peripheral dendrimer units, namely 4-tert-butyl-N-propyl-N-(4-styryl-benzyl)-benzenesulfonamide, has also been studied. The quantum yield of the E-->Z photoisomerization reaction (0.30) and the fluorescence quantum yield of the E isomer (0.014) are substantially smaller for the units appended to the dendrimer compared to those of the reference compound (0.50 and 0.046, respectively). The presence of a red tail and the biexponential decay of the emission band of the dendrimer indicate formation of excimers between the stilbene units appended at the poly(propylene amine) dendritic structure. Under the experimental conditions used (lambda(exc)= 313 nm), a Z/E photostationary state (around 9 : 1 for both reference compound and dendrimer ) is reached in the time scale of minutes. On continuing irradiation, other photoreactions take place in the time scale of hours: the stilbene moiety of compound undergoes photocyclization to phenanthrene (quantum yield 0.015), whereas in dendrimer photocyclization to phenanthrene is accompanied by other processes, including a photoreaction involving the internal amine groups.