Internal Dynamics of Dendritic Molecules Probed by Pyrene Excimer Formation

Dual Fluorescence and Phosphorescence Emissions from Dye-Modified (NCN)-Bismuth Pincer Thiolate Complexes

We report the synthesis, characterization, and photophysical properties of four new dye-modified (NCN)Bi pincer complexes with two mercaptocoumarin or mercaptopyrene ligands. Their photophysical properties were probed by UV/vis spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL) studies, and time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations. Absorption spectra of the complexes are dominated by mixed pyrene or coumarin π → π*/n(pS) → pyrene or coumarin π* transitions. While unstable toward reductive elimination of the corresponding disulfide under irradiation at room temperature, the complexes provide stable emissions at 77 K. Under these conditions, coumarin complexes 2 and 4 exhibit exclusively green phosphorescence at 508 nm. In contrast, the emissive properties of pyrene complexes 1 and 3 depend on the excitation wavelength and on sample concentration. Irradiation into the lowest-energy absorption band exclusively triggers red phosphorescence from the pyrenyl residues at 640 nm. At concentrations c < 1 μM, excitation into higher excited electronic states results in blue pyrene fluorescence. With increasing c (1-100 μM), the emission profile changes to dual fluorescence and phosphorescence emission, with a steady increase of the phosphorescence intensity, until at c ≥ 1 mM only red phosphorescence ensues. Progressive red-shifts and broadening of steady-state excitation spectra with increasing sample concentration suggest the presence of static excimers, as we observe it for concentrated solutions of pyrene. Crystalline and powdered samples of 1 indeed show intermolecular association through π-stacking. TD-DFT calculations on model dimers and a tetramer of 1 support the idea of aggregation-induced intersystem crossing (AI-ISC) as the underlying reason for this behavior.

Effect of subcritical water temperature on the chain conformation and immune activity of ginger polysaccharides

In this study, the ginger polysaccharides extracted from hot water (HW-G) were modified with subcritical water (SW-G) to effectively regulate their immune activity, and the relationship between polysaccharide chain conformation and immune activity at different subcritical water temperatures was investigated. The results indicated that, compared with HW-G, the xylose and mannose were degraded at high temperatures. The molecular weight of ginger polysaccharide decreased from 1.083 × 106 g/mol to 3.113 × 105 g/mol after subcritical water modification (100-160 °C). The chain conformation transitioned from rigid rod chain to semi-rigid chain and eventually to random coil. The degree of relaxation of the polysaccharide chains showed a continuous increase trend. Additionally, ginger polysaccharide modified by subcritical water at 130 °C was found to promote the proliferation and phagocytosis of 264.7 cells more obviously and signally increase the secretion levels of NO, IL-6, TNF-α and IL-1β. When the subcritical water temperature exceeds 130 °C, the activity of ginger polysaccharide begins to decline rapidly. These findings demonstrate a close correlation between polysaccharide chain conformation and immunomodulatory activity, confirming the feasibility of the subcritical water temperature effect as a means of immune activity regulation, which opens up a new approach to obtaining highly active polysaccharides.

Probing the inner local density of complex macromolecules by pyrene excimer formation

The direct relationship existing between the average rate constant 〈k〉 for pyrene excimer formation and the local concentration [Py]loc of ground-state pyrenyl labels covalently attached to a macromolecule was established for 55 pyrene-labeled macromolecules (PyLM). These PyLM belonged to three different families of macromolecules with the first representing short monodisperse linear chains end-labeled with pyrene (polystyrene, poly(ethylene oxide), and poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide)), the second representing long polydisperse linear chains randomly labeled with pyrene (poly(methyl acrylate), poly(methyl methacrylate), polystyrene, poly(butyl methacrylate), poly(methoxyethyl methacrylate), and poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide)), and the third being comprised of two series of pyrene end-labeled low generation dendrimers with a bis(hydroxymethyl)propionic acid or a polyamidoamine backbone. The assumption, that the polymeric segments probed by an excited pyrenyl label covalently attached to one of these macromolecules obeyed Gaussian statistics, enabled the calculation of their square root average squared end-to-end distance (LPy), which was applied to calculate [Py]loc. The log-log plots of 〈k〉 as a function of [Py]loc yielded straight lines with a slope of unity for all families of macromolecules studied in four different organic solvents demonstrating the validity and generality of the 〈k〉-vs.-[Py]loc relationship. Since an experimentalist knows how the the pyrenyl labels are covalently attached onto a macromolecule, [Py]loc offers a means to probe the local density of a macromolecule, which can be employed to characterize its conformation in solution. Consequently, the 〈k〉-vs.-[Py]loc relationship provides a novel experimental means to probe the conformation of macromolecules which should establish pyrene excimer formation as an appealing method for conformational studies of macromolecules in solution, which should nicely complement scattering techniques.

Intramacromolecular Conformational Changes in Low Generation PAMAM Dendrimers Probed by Pyrene Excimer Formation

Pyrene excimer formation (PEF) was used to probe the intramacromolecular conformational change experienced by low generation pyrene-labeled PAMAM dendrimers referred to as PyCX-PAMAM-GY, where X (=4, 8, or 12) and Y (=0, 1, or 2) represent the number of atoms in the pyrenyl linker and the dendrimer generation, respectively. Each sample was studied in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) with and without 5 mM HCl. Global analysis of the monomer and excimer time-resolved fluorescence decays using the model free analysis (MFA) yielded the average rate constant of excimer formation, ⟨k⟩, which was compared with the local pyrene concentration ([Py]loc) of the PyCX-PAMAM-GY samples calculated by assuming that the oligomeric segments constituting the dendrimer's interior obeyed Gaussian statistics. A notable decrease in ⟨k⟩ was observed upon the addition of 5 mM HCl to the PyCX-PAMAM-GY solutions and was attributed to swelling of the dendrimers resulting from the protonation of the internal tertiary amines. The reversibility of this conformational change could also be monitored via PEF. Solvent differences between DMF and DMSO were accounted for by dividing ⟨k⟩ by kdiff, the bimolecular rate constant for diffusive PEF of a n-hexyl-1-pyrenebutyramide model compound, to yield the ⟨k⟩/kdiff ratio. Comparison between the ⟨k⟩/kdiff ratios obtained for all the PyCX-PAMAM-GY samples with and without 5 mM HCl revealed a 13% increase in the radius of the PAMAM-GY dendrimers upon protonation of their internal tertiary amines in agreement with earlier reports. These experiments illustrate that PEF represents a powerful experimental means to quantitatively probe the intramacromolecular conformational changes of complex macromolecules in solution, in a manner that complements scattering techniques.

Facile Obtainment of Fluorescent PEG Hydrogels Bearing Pyrene Groups by Frontal Polymerization

Frontal polymerization (FP) was used to prepare poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether acrylate (PEGMA) fluorescent polymer hydrogels containing pyrenebutyl pendant groups as fluorescent probes. The polymerization procedure was carried out under solvent-free conditions, with different molar quantities of pyrenebutyl methyl ether methacrylate (PybuMA) and PEGMA, in the presence of tricaprylmethylammonium (Aliquat 336®) persulfate as a radical initiator. The obtained PEGPy hydrogels were characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy, confirming the effective incorporation of the PybuMA monomer into the polymer backbone. The thermal properties of the hydrogels were determined using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). After immersing the hydrogels in deionized water at 25 °C and pH = 7, their swelling behavior was investigated by mass gain at different pH and temperature values. The introduction of PybuMA comonomer into the hydrogel resulted in a decreased swelling ability due to the hydrophobicity of PybuMA. The optical properties of PEGPy were determined by UV-visible absorption and fluorescence spectroscopies. Both monomer and excimer emission bands were observed at 379–397 and 486 nm, respectively, and the fluorescence spectra of the PEGPy hydrogel series were recorded in different solvents to explore the coexistence of monomer and excimer emissions.

Characterization of the Interactions between an Unassociated Cationic Pyrene-Labeled Gemini Surfactant and Anionic Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate

The gemini surfactant PyO-3-12, made of two dimethylammonium bromides joined by a propyl linker and bearing a dodecyl pendant on one side and a 1-pyrenemethoxyhexyl group on the other side, was employed to probe the interactions between positively charged PyO-3-12 and negatively charged sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). PyO-3-12 was selected for its ability to respond to the polarity of its local environment through the fluorescence intensity ratio I₁/I₃ of the first-to-third fluorescence peaks of the pyrene monomer and the local pyrene concentration [Py]_loc through the I_E/I_M ratio of the pyrene excimer-to-pyrene monomer fluorescence intensity. Furthermore, analysis of the fluorescence decays of aqueous solutions of PyO-3-12 and SDS yielded a measure of the internal dynamics, local concentration, and state (associated vs unassociated) of PyO-3-12 in solution. By following these parameters for aqueous solutions prepared with a constant PyO-3-12 concentration of either 1, 4, or 16 μM and SDS concentrations ranging from 0 to 200 mM, six SDS concentration regimes were identified to describe the interactions between PyO-3-12 and SDS in pure water. Sharp transitions of the parameters describing the fluorescence of pyrene marked the boundaries between the different regimes. Perhaps the most important transition was the one defining the formation of the PyO-3-12/SDS aggregates, which was completed at the equicharge point, implying that they were constituted of 1 meq of PyO-3-12 and 2 meq of SDS. The low I₁/I₃ ratio obtained for the PyO-3-12/SDS aggregates suggested that they were multilamellar aggregates, which would shield the pyrenyl labels from polar water. The formation of these multilamellar aggregates was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), which demonstrated the existence of multilamellar vesicles, whose presence increased with decreasing PyO-3-12 concentration. This study suggests that the combination of pyrene excimer formation and TEM provides an interesting experimental means to probe the assemblies generated from oppositely charged surfactants at surfactant concentrations, which are much lower than their critical micelle concentration.

Development, Characterization, and Antimicrobial Evaluation of Ampicillin-Loaded Nanoparticles Based on Poly(maleic acid-co-vinylpyrrolidone) on Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Strains

This study was focused on synthesizing, characterizing, and evaluating the antimicrobial effect of polymer nanoparticles (NPs) loaded with ampicillin. For this, the NPs were produced through polymeric self-assembly in aqueous media assisted by high-intensity sonication, using anionic polymers corresponding to the sodium salts of poly(maleic acid-co-vinylpyrrolidone) and poly(maleic acid-co-vinylpyrrolidone) modified with decyl-amine, here named as PMA-VP and PMA-VP-N10, respectively. The polymeric NPs were analyzed and characterized through the formation of polymeric pseudo-phases utilizing pyrene as fluorescent probe, as well as by measurements of particle size, zeta potential, polydispersity index, and encapsulation efficiency. The antimicrobial effect was evaluated by means of the broth microdilution method employing ampicillin sensitive and resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains. The results showed that PMA-VP and PMA-VP-N10 polymers can self-assemble, forming several types of hydrophobic pseudo-phases with respect to the medium pH and polymer concentration. Likewise, the results described that zeta potential, particle size, polydispersity index, and encapsulation efficiency are extremely dependent on the medium pH, whereas the antimicrobial activity displayed an interesting recovery of antibiotic activity when ampicillin is loaded in the polymeric NPs.

Synthesis and Characterization of a Pyrene-Labeled Gemini Surfactant Sensitive to the Polarity of Its Environment

The cationic gemini surfactant PyO-3-12 was designed to include two dimethyl ammonium groups, one dodecyl tail, and 1-pyrenemethyl hexyl ether tail into the structure of the surfactant. The pyrenyl label ensured that the fluorescence of pyrene could be employed to probe the behavior of PyO-3-12 at the molecular level. The introduction of the oxygen atom in the β-position to pyrene was found to be critical for restoring the sensitivity of the pyrenyl label to the polarity of its environment. The properties of PyO-3-12 were characterized in water by surface tension and a fluorescence methodology that involved the global model-free analysis (MFA) of the pyrene monomer and excimer fluorescence decays to provide quantitative information about the state (unassociated-vs-aggregated) of PyO-3-12. The MFA was combined with a fluorescence quenching study with 2,6-dinitrotoluene to determine the size of the PyO-3-12 micelles. PyO-3-12 was found to behave like a typical gemini surfactant, exhibiting a critical micelle concentration (CMC) of 0.38 (±0.05) mM and an aggregation number (N_agg) equal to 23 (±2). Besides allowing PyO-3-12 to probe the polarity of its environment, the oxygen atom in the β-position next to pyrene brought some pyrenyl labels closer to the interface between the micellar interior and the aqueous phase, in a process that increased the effective volume of the hydrophobic part of PyO-3-12. This led to an increase in the packing parameter of PyO-3-12 and, consequently, an increase in N_agg compared to the N_agg value of 14 (±0.2) obtained for Py-3-12, a gemini surfactant, whose chemical structure was similar to that of PyO-3-12 but without the oxygen in the β-position to pyrene. The methodology described in this study to prepare and characterize pyrene-labeled surfactants is general and can be applied to study any pyrene-labeled surfactant and its interactions with oppositely charged macromolecules.

Determination of the Aggregation Number of Pyrene-Labeled Gemini Surfactant Micelles by Pyrene Fluorescence Quenching Measurements

A cationic gemini surfactant referred to as Py-3-12 and composed of two alkylated diammonium bromide head groups, a propyl spacer, and dodecyl and 1-pyrenehexyl hydrophobic tails was synthesized. Its critical micellar concentration (CMC) was determined to equal 0.15 (±0.02) mM by surface tension and time-resolved fluorescence measurements. The state of the pyrene molecules, whether they were incorporated inside the Py-3-12 micelles or unassociated in the aqueous solution, was determined by applying the global model-free analysis (MFA) to the fluorescence decays acquired with Py-3-12 aqueous solutions. The unassociated Py-3-12 surfactants emitted as pyrene monomers and showed a long fluorescence lifetime. The excited pyrenyl groups located inside Py-3-12 micelles formed an excimer by a rapid encounter with a ground-state pyrene with an average rate constant equal to 0.69 (±0.06) ns^-1. After having the photophysical properties of Py-3-12 in aqueous solution characterized, the number (N_agg) of surfactants per micelle was determined by conducting quenching experiments with dinitrotoluene (DNT). Although DNT is fairly hydrophobic, it was found to partition itself between the Py-3-12 micelles and the aqueous phase. Fluorescence quenching experiments performed on the pyrene monomer and excimer generated by the Py-3-12 aqueous solutions yielded the concentration ([Q]_b) of DNT bound to the Py-3-12 micelles and the average number ⟨n⟩_d of DNT quenching an excimer by diffusive encounters. A combination of steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence quenching experiments on the excimer yielded the number (⟨n⟩_s) of DNT molecules that were bound to the micelles and quenched the excimer in a static manner. A plot of the sum ⟨n⟩_d + ⟨n⟩_s as a function of [Q]_b yielded an N_agg value of 14.0 (±0.2) Py-3-12 units per micelle. This study represents the first example in the literature where N_agg is determined for a micelle, where each surfactant molecule is labeled with pyrene.

Tuning the mechanistic pathways of peptide self-assembly by aromatic interactions

Herein, we have unravelled the key influence of aromatic interactions on the mechanistic pathways of peptide self-assembly by introducing suitable chromophores (pyrene vs. naphthalene). Although both self-assembled peptides are indistinguishable in their morphologies, this minor structural difference strongly affects the packing modes (parallel vs. antiparallel) and the corresponding self-assembly mechanism (cooperative vs. isodemsic).

Direct Measure of the Local Concentration of Pyrenyl Groups in Pyrene-Labeled Dendrons Derived from the Rate of Fluorescence Collisional Quenching

The model-free analysis (MFA) was applied to measure the average rate constant (<k>) for pyrene excimer formation (PEF) in a series of pyrene-labeled dendrons referred to as Py_x-G(N), where x (= 2^N) is the number of pyrenyl labels born by a dendron of generation N ranging from 1 to 6. <k> was measured in four different solvents, namely tetrahydrofuran (THF), toluene, N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). <k> was found to increase linearly with increasing local pyrene concentration ([Py]_loc), where [Py]_loc had been determined mathematically for the Py_x-G(N) dendrons. The slope of each straight line changed with the nature of the solvent and represented k_diff, the bimolecular rate constant for PEF. k_diff depended on the solvent viscosity (η) and the probability (p) for PEF upon encounter between an excited and a ground-state pyrene. In a same solvent, k_diff for the Py_x-G(N) dendrons was about 360 ± 30 times smaller than k_diff obtained for ethyl 4-(1-pyrene)butyrate (PyBE), a pyrene model compound similar to the pyrene derivative used to label the dendrons. The massive decrease in k_diff observed for the Py_x-G(N) samples reflected the massive loss in mobility experienced by the pyrenyl labels after being covalently attached onto a macromolecule compared to freely diffusing PyBE. Interestingly, the k_diff values obtained for the Py_x-G(N) dendrons and the PyBE model compound followed similar trends as a function of solvent, indicating that the difference in behavior between the k_diff values obtained in different solvents were merely due to the changes in the η and p values between the solvents. Normalizing the <k> values obtained with the Py_x-G(N) dendrons by the k_diff values obtained for PyBE in the same solvents accounted for changes in η and p, resulting in a master curve upon plotting <k>/(f_diff × k_diff) as a function of [Py]_loc, where f_diff was introduced to account for some pyrene aggregation in the higher generation dendron (Py₆₄-G(6)). This result demonstrates that <k> represents a direct measure of [Py]_loc in pyrene-labeled macromolecules.

Anatomy of On-Surface Synthesized Boroxine Two-Dimensional Polymers

Synthetic two-dimensional polymers (2DPs) obtained from well-defined monomers via bottom-up fabrication strategies are promising materials that can extend the realm of inorganic 2D materials. The on-surface synthesis of such 2DPs is particularly popular, however the pathway complexity in the growth of such films formed on solid surfaces is poorly understood. In this contribution, we present a straightforward experimental protocol which allows the synthesis of large-area, defect-free 2DPs based on boroxine linkages at room temperature. We focus on unravelling the multiple pathways available to the polymerizing system for the spatial extension of the covalent bonds. Besides the anticipated 2DP, the system can evolve into self-assembled monolayers of partially fused monodisperse reaction products that are difficult to isolate by conventional synthetic methods or remain in the monomeric state. The access to each pathway can be controlled via monomer concentration and the choice of the solvent. Most importantly, the unpolymerized systems do not evolve into the corresponding 2DP upon annealing, indicating the presence of strong kinetic traps. Using high-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy, we show reversibility in the polymerization process where the attachment and the detachment of monomers to 2DP crystallites could be monitored as a function of time. Finally, we show that the way the 2DP grows depends on the choice of the solvent. Using UV-vis absorption and emission spectroscopy, we reveal that the dominant pathway for 2DP growth is via in-plane self-condensation of the monomers, whereas in the case of an aprotic solvent, the favored growth mode is via π stacking of the monomers.

Synthesis and photophysical properties of novel pyrene–metalloporphyrin dendritic systems

Energy transfer studies were performed on a series of new pyrene–metalloporphyrin (Zn, Cu, Mg and Mn) dendritic constructs.

Hypericin photodynamic activity in DPPC liposome. PART I: biomimetism of loading, location, interactions and thermodynamic properties

Hypericin (Hyp) is a potential photosensitizer drug for Photodynamic Therapy (PDT). However, the high lipophilicity of Hyp prevents its preparation in water. To overcome the Hyp solubility problem, this study uses the liposomal vesicle of DPPC. Otherwise liposome is also one of the most employed artificial systems that mimetizes cell membranes. Our present focus is the interaction of Hyp into DPPC liposome as biomimetic system. We studied the loading, interaction, and localization of Hyp (2.8 μmol L^-1) in DPPC (5.4 mmol L^-1) liposomes, as well as the thermodynamic aspects of Hyp-liposomes. The Hyp addition to the DPPC liposome dispersion showed a Encapsulation Efficiency for [Hyp] = 2.8 μmol L^-1 in [DPPC] = 5.3 mmol L^-1 of 74.3% and 89.3% at 30.0 and 50.0 °C, respectively. The encapsulation profile obeys a pseudo first-order kinetic law, with a rate constant of 1.26 × 10^-3 s^-1 at 30.0 °C. Also the data suggests this reaction is preceded by an extremely rapid step. A study on the binding of Hyp/DPPC liposomes (K_b), performed at several temperatures, showed results of 4.8 and 18.5 × 10³ L mol^-1 at 293 and 323 K, respectively. Additionally, a decrease was observed in the ΔG of the Hyp/DPPC interaction (-20.6 and - 26.4 kL mol^-1 at 293 and 323 K, respectively). The resulting ΔH > 0 with ΔS < 0 shows that the entropy is driven the process. Studies of Hyp location in the liposome at 298 K revealed the existence of two different Hyp populations with a Stern-Volmer constant (K_sv) of 4.65 and 1.87 L mol^-1 using iodide as an aquo-suppressor at concentration ranged from 0 to 0.025 mol L^-1 and from 0.025 to 0.150 mol L^-1, respectively. Furthermore, studies of Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer, using DPH as a donor and Hyp as an acceptor, revealed that Hyp is allocated in different binding sites of the liposome. This is dependent on temperature. Thermal studies revealed that the Hyp/DPPC formulation presented reasonable stability. Size and morphological investigations showed that Hyp incorporation increases the average size of DPPC liposomes from 116 to 154 nm. The study demonstrated the ability of the Hyp-DPPC liposome as an interesting system for drug delivery system that can be applied to PDT.

Energy Transfer in Dendritic Systems Having Pyrene Peripheral Groups as Donors and Different Acceptor Groups

In this feature article, a specific overview of resonance energy transfer (FRET) in dendritic molecules was performed. We focused mainly on constructs bearing peripheral pyrene groups as donor moieties using different acceptor groups, such as porphyrin, fullerene C60, ruthenium-bipyridine complexes, and cyclen-core. We have studied the effect of all the different donor-acceptor pairs in the energy transfer efficiency (FRET). In all cases, high FRET efficiency values were observed.

Conformational Transitions of Polymer Chains in Solutions Characterized by Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer

The critical overlap concentration C* is an important concept in polymer solutions and is defined as the boundary between dilute and semidilute regimes. In this study, the chain conformational changes of polystyrene (PS) with both high (M_n = 200,000 Da) and low (M_n = 13,000 Da) molecular weights in cis-decalin were compared by intrachain fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). The random labeling of donor and acceptor chromophores strategy was employed for long PS chains, whereas chain-end labeling was used for short PS chains. By monitoring the spectroscopic intensity ratio between acceptor and donor, the concentration dependence on chain conformation from dilute to semidilute solutions was determined. Both long and short chains exhibit a conformational transition concentration, above which the polymer chains begin to collapse with concentration significantly. Interestingly, for randomly labeled polymer long chains, such concentration is consistent with C* determined from the viscosity result, below which only slight conformational change of polymer chain takes place. However, for the chain-end labeled short chain, the conformational transition concentration takes place earlier than C*, below which no significant polymer conformation change is observed.

Design of Novel Pyrene-Bodipy Dyads: Synthesis, Characterization, Optical Properties, and FRET Studies

A new series of dendronized bodipys containing pyrene units was synthesized and characterized. Their optical and photophysical properties were determined by absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. This series includes three different compounds. The first one has an anisole group linked to the bodipy unit, which was used as the reference compound. In the second, the bodipy core is linked to a zero generation dendron with one pyrene unit. The third compound contains a first generation Fréchet-type dendron bearing two pyrene units. In this work, the combination pyrene-bodipy was selected as the donor-acceptor pair for this fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) study. Doubtless, these two chromophores exhibit high quantum yields, high extinction coefficients, and both their excitation and emission wavelengths are located in the visible region. This report presents a FRET study of a novel series of pyrene-bodipy dendritic molecules bearing flexible spacers. We demonstrated via spectroscopic studies that FRET phenomena occur in these dyads.

Long Range Polymer Chain Dynamics of Highly Flexible Polysiloxane in Solution Probed by Pyrene Excimer Fluorescence

A poly(dimethylsiloxane-co-(3-aminopropyl)methylsiloxane) polymer (PDMS with 20.3 mol % of (3-aminopropyl)methyl siloxane monomer) has been labeled randomly with 1-pyreneacetyl groups to generate a series of polysiloxanes (Py-PDMS) with pyrenyl contents ranging from 0.7 mol % to 5.2 mol % of the total number of structural units. The remainder of the amino groups were acetylated to avoid intra-chain quenching of the excited singlet states of pyrene via exciplex formation with free amino groups while allowing the formation of excimers to proceed. The fluorescence spectra and temporal decays of the Py-PDMS samples were acquired in tetrahydrofuran (THF), N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), and dioxane. <k^MF>^blob, the average rate constant for intra-chain pyrene excimer formation, was determined from the analysis of the fluorescence decays. <k^MF>^blob was found to equal 1.16 (±0.13) × 10⁹, 1.14 (±0.12) × 10⁹, and 0.99 (±0.10) × 10⁹ s⁻¹ in THF, DMF, and dioxane, respectively, at room temperature. They are the largest values found to date for any polymeric backbone in these solvents. The qualitative relationship found here between <k^MF>^blob and the chemical structures of the polymers indicates that the luminescence characteristics of randomly labeled polymers is a very useful method to probe the long range dynamics of chains of almost any polymer that is amenable to substitution by a lumophore.

Visible-light-driven two-way photoisomerization of 1-(1-pyrenyl)-2-(2-quinolyl)ethylene in neutral and protonated forms

Diarylethylenes with large π-systems often lose their photochemical activity (the size effect). 1-(1-Pyrenyl)-2-(2-quinolyl)ethylene (1P2QE), despite having a large conjugated π-system of 28 electrons, undergoes two-way reversible trans-cis photoisomerization both in the neutral and protonated forms with quantum yields as high as 0.13-0.83. For the neutral 1P2QE, experimental data and quantum-chemical calculations indicate a diabatic (nonadiabatic) reaction mechanism. Due to high photoisomerization quantum yields and the long-wavelength absorption band at 340-460 nm and 390-560 nm for the neutral and protonated compounds, respectively, 1P2QE can be used as a molecular photoswitch that is sensitive to visible light.

DiPyMe in SDS Micelles: Artifacts and Their Implications in the Interpretation of Micellar Properties

This study provides experimental evidence that di(1-pyrenylmethyl) ether or DiPyMe, a well-known fluorescent probe employed to determine the microviscosity of surfactant or polymeric micelles, is being hydrolyzed in the presence of water upon UV irradiation. This effect was established from a careful analysis of the fluorescence spectra and decays acquired with aqueous solutions of DiPyMe dissolved in micelles of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). The size of the SDS micelles could be adjusted from an aggregation number (N(agg)) of 70 to 172 by increasing the ionic strength of the aqueous solution from 0.0 to 0.5 M NaCl. The hydrolysis of DiPyMe was much reduced in the larger SDS micelles. While the degradation of DiPyMe in aqueous solutions of SDS micelles affected the analysis of the fluorescence spectra, model-free analysis (MFA) of the fluorescence decays of DiPyMe could reliably retrieve the rate constant ⟨k⟩ of excimer formation for DiPyMe. After calibration with mixtures of organic solvents of known macroscopic viscosity, the ⟨k⟩ values obtained for DiPyMe yielded the microviscosity (μη) of the SDS micelles as a function of salt concentration. The μη was found to increase from 4.0 to 8.8 mPa·s as the salt concentration increased from 0.0 to 0.5 M. This study demonstrated that, regardless of the problem of its hydrolysis that jeopardizes its use in steady-state fluorescence experiments, DiPyMe remains an extremely valuable probe for describing the microviscosity of hydrophobic domains in aqueous solution as long as its decays are analyzed with a model that accounts for the presence of degradation products as the MFA does.

Highly Fluorescent Pyrene-Functional Polystyrene Copolymer Nanofibers for Enhanced Sensing Performance of TNT

A pyrene-functional polystyrene copolymer was prepared via 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction (Sharpless-type click recation) between azide-functional styrene copolymer and 1-ethynylpyrene. Subsequently, nanofibers of pyrene-functional polystyrene copolymer were obtained by using electrospinning technique. The nanofibers thus obtained, found to preserve their parent fluorescence nature, confirmed the avoidance of aggregation during fiber formation. The trace detection of trinitrotoluene (TNT) in water with a detection limit of 5 nM was demonstrated, which is much lower than the maximum allowable limit set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Interestingly, the sensing performance was found to be selective toward TNT in water, even in the presence of higher concentrations of toxic metal pollutants such as Cd(2+), Co(2+), Cu(2+), and Hg(2+). The enhanced sensing performance was found to be due to the enlarged contact area and intrinsic nanoporous fiber morphology. Effortlessly, the visual colorimetric sensing performance can be seen by naked eye with a color change in a response time of few seconds. Furthermore, vapor-phase detection of TNT was studied, and the results are discussed herein. In terms of practical application, electrospun nanofibrous web of pyrene-functional polystyrene copolymer has various salient features including flexibility, reproducibility, and ease of use, and visual outputs increase their value and add to their advantage.

Electrical Properties of Multi-Pyrene/Porphyrin-Dendrimers

Dendrimers bearing pyrene donor groups have been obtained and act as efficient light-harvesting antennae capable of transferring light energy through space from their periphery to their core. The light-harvesting ability increases with each generation due to an increase in the number of peripheral pyrenes. In order to evaluate the photovoltaic properties of the compounds, thermal evaporated thin films were produced and the voltage response in the presence of visible light was obtained. The energy transfer efficiency was found to be almost quantitative for the first and second generations. The dendrimers have the potential to become integral components of molecular photonic devices.

Molecular dynamics simulation of spin–lattice NMR relaxation in poly-l-lysine dendrimers: manifestation of the semiflexibility effect

Spin–lattice NMR relaxation rate vs. reversed temperature for terminal and inner CH₂ groups of n = 2 and 4 generation poly-l-lysine dendrimers.

A pyrene-bridged macrocage showing no excimer fluorescence

A pyrene bridged macrocage shows fluorescence from a monomeric excited state without excimer due to cage effects.

Circularly polarised luminescence and circular dichroism of l- and d-oligopeptides with multiple pyrenes

Among l- and d-oligopeptides with multiple pyrenes as pendants, the dipeptides with two and three pyrenes showed blue-coloured circularly polarised luminescence as high as |g_em| ≈ (0.86−1.1) × 10⁻² at around 450 nm, reflecting from exciton couplets of twisted pyrenes.

Formation of a "Hollow" Interior in the Fourth-Generation Dendrimer with Attached Oligomeric Terminal Segments

By using the Scheutjens-Fleer self-consistent field approach, the structure of the fourth-generation dendrimer with attached terminal chemically different oligomeric segments is studied theoretically. It is demonstrated that an incompatibility of terminal segments with inner dendrimer units leads to formation of a "hollow" core with reduced polymer density in the dendrimer center. This effect is enhanced with a deterioration in the solvent quality for terminal segments. This observation is in accordance with experimental results and molecular dynamics simulation data for an analogous system. It is established that the main factor determining the hollow core formation is the segregation between inner and terminal units because the main driving force for the effect is the localization of the terminal segments at the dendrimer periphery. The influence of structural parameters of dendrimer such as the number of generations and length of the terminal chain on this effect is also studied.

Global analysis of fluorescence decays to probe the internal dynamics of fluorescently labeled macromolecules

The aim of this review is to introduce the reader first to the mathematical complexity associated with the analysis of fluorescence decays acquired with solutions of macromolecules labeled with a fluorophore and its quencher that are capable of interacting with each other via photophysical processes within the macromolecular volume, second to the experimental and mathematical approaches that have been proposed over the years to handle this mathematical complexity, and third to the information that one can expect to retrieve with respect to the internal dynamics of such fluorescently labeled macromolecules. In my view, the ideal fluorophore-quencher pair to use in studying the internal dynamics of fluorescently labeled macromolecules would involve a long-lived fluorophore, a fluorophore and a quencher that do not undergo energy migration, and a photophysical process that results in a change in fluorophore emission upon contact between the excited fluorophore and quencher. Pyrene, with its ability to form an excimer on contact between excited-state and ground-state species, happens to possess all of these properties. Although the concepts described in this review apply to any fluorophore and quencher pair sharing pyrene's exceptional photophysical properties, this review focuses on the study of pyrene-labeled macromolecules that have been characterized in great detail over the past 40 years and presents the main models that are being used today to analyze the fluorescence decays of pyrene-labeled macromolecules reliably. These models are based on Birks' scheme, the DMD model, the fluorescence blob model, and the model free analysis. The review also provides a step-by-step protocol that should enable the noneducated user to achieve a successful decay analysis exempt of artifacts. Finally, some examples of studies of pyrene-labeled macromolecules are also presented to illustrate the different types of information that can be retrieved from these fluorescence decay analyses depending on the model that is selected.

Probing the dendritic architecture through AIE: challenges and successes

Since the aggregation-induced emission (AIE) phenomenon is very sensitive to steric hindrance, we set out to use it as a tool to probe the periphery of dendrimers.

Pyrene-fullerene C60 dyads as light-harvesting antennas

A series of pyrene-fullerene C₆₀ dyads bearing pyrene units (PyFC₁₂, PyFPy, Py₂FC₁₂ and PyFN) were synthesized and characterized. Their optical properties were studied by absorption and fluorescence spectroscopies. Dyads were designed in this way because the pyrene moeities act as light-harvesting molecules and are able to produce “monomer” (PyFC₁₂) or excimer emission (PyFPy, Py₂FC₁₂ and PyFN). The fluorescence spectra of the dyads exhibited a significant decrease in the amount of pyrene monomer and excimer emission, without the appearance of a new emission band due to fullerene C₆₀. The pyrene fluorescence quenching was found to be almost quantitative, ranging between 96%–99% depending on the construct, which is an indication that energy transfer occurred from one of the excited pyrene species to the fullerene C₆₀.