Optical properties and response mechanism analysis of multi-branched fluorescent probes based on intramolecular charge transfer

Abstract

In this work, the optical properties of fluorescent probes used for detection of biothiol were studied by employing time-dependent density functional theory. By calculating the single photon absorption and emission properties of probe Mol.1, Mol.2 and Mol.3 before and after reaction with cysteine and homocysteine, we have investigated the effect of carbon-carbon triple bond and benzene ring on the properties of fluorescent probes. It is found that the oscillator strength of probe molecules increases gradually with the improvement of the structure of the electron donor triphenylamine and the addition of carbon-carbon triple bonds, and better properties of fluorescence probes have also been demonstrated. At the same time, the effect of different number of side branches on the molecular properties of the probe was also studied. The results showed that compared with single-branched molecule Z1 and tribranched probe Mol.3, two side probe molecules Z2 had higher oscillator strength and better detection effect. In addition, the new single-branched probe Mol.4 with the addition of carbon-carbon triple bonds and benzene rings has better probe properties and simpler structure than the tribranched probe Mol.3.