Laser Flash Photolysis Measurements Research Articles

Kinetic Model for Predicting Perfluoroalkyl Acid Degradation During UV-Sulfite Treatment.

Hydrated electron (eaq-) treatment processes show great potential in remediating recalcitrant water contaminants, including perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). However, treatment efficacy depends upon many factors relating to source water composition, UV light source characteristics, and contaminant reactivity. Here, we provide critical insights into the complex roles of solution parameters on contaminant abatement through application of a UV-sulfite kinetic model that incorporates first-principles information on eaq- photogeneration and reactivity. The model accurately predicts decay profiles of short-chain perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) during UV-sulfite treatment and facilitates quantitative interpretation of the effects of changing solution composition on PFAS degradation rates. Model results also confirm that the enhanced degradation of PFAAs observed under highly alkaline pH conditions results from changes in speciation of nontarget eaq- scavengers. Reverse application of the model to UV-sulfite data collected for longer chain PFAAs enabled estimation of bimolecular rate constants (k2, M-1 s-1), providing an alternative to laser flash photolysis (LFP) measurements that are not feasible due to the water solubility limitations of these compounds. The proposed model links the disparate means of investigating eaq- processes, namely, UV photolysis and LFP, and provides a framework to estimate UV-sulfite treatment efficacy of PFAS in diverse water sources.

Solar-driven gas phase photocatalytic CO2 methanation by multimetallic UiO-66 solids decorated with RuOx nanoparticles

As there is an urgent need to produce solar fuels from CO2, we here report on the development of a series of multimetallic UiO-66(Zr/Ce/Ti) solids-supported RuOx nanoparticles as photocatalysts for selective gas phase CO2 methanation by H2 under simulated sunlight irradiation. The trimetallic UiO-66(Zr/Ce/Ti) based-photocatalyst exhibits higher activity (1,900 μmol g−1 of CH4 after 22 h) than analogous mono- [UiO-66(Zr) or UiO-66(Ce)] and bimetallic [UiO-66(Zr/Ce) or UiO-66(Zr/Ti)] derivatives, as well as higher than previous reports on metal–organic frameworks (MOFs). The experimental evidence on the observed order of photocatalytic activity and insights into the occurrence of a dual photochemical and photothermal mechanism for the most active trimetallic sample were obtained by means of spectroscopic techniques including fluorescence and laser flash photolysis, photoelectrochemical and additional photocatalytic measurements. This study exemplifies the benefits of developing multimetallic MOF-supported metal nanoparticles to achieve high photocatalytic activity for solar-driven gas phase CO2 conversion.

Photochemical oxidation of phenols and anilines mediated by phenoxyl radicals in aqueous solution

Reactive intermediates formed upon irradiation of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) contribute to the degradation of various organic contaminants in surface waters. Besides well-studied “short-lived” photooxidants, such as triplet state CDOM (3CDOM*) or singlet oxygen, CDOM-derived “long-lived” photooxidants (LLPO) have been suggested as key players in the transformation of electron-rich contaminants. LLPO were hypothesized to mainly consist of phenoxyl radicals derived from phenolic moieties in the CDOM. To test this hypothesis and to better characterize LLPO, the transformation kinetics of selected target compounds (phenols and anilines) induced by a suite of electron-poor model phenoxyl radicals was studied in aerated aqueous solution at pH 8. The phenoxyl radicals were generated by photosensitized oxidation of the parent phenols using aromatic ketones as photosensitizers. Under steady-state irradiation, the presence of any of the electron-poor phenols lead to an enhanced abatement of the phenolic target compounds (at an initial concentration of 1.0 × 10−7 M) compared to solutions containing the photosensitizer but no electron-poor phenol. A trend of increasing reactivity with increasing one-electron reduction potential of the electron-poor phenoxyl radical (range: 0.85‒1.12 V vs. standard hydrogen electrode) was observed. Using the excited triplet state of 2-acetonaphthone as a selective oxidant for phenols, it was observed that the reactivity correlated with the concentration of electron-poor phenoxide present in solution. The rates of transformation of anilines induced by the 4-cyanophenoxyl radical were an order of magnitude smaller than for the phenolic target compounds. This was interpreted as a reduction of the radical intermediates back to the parent compound by the superoxide radical anion. Laser flash photolysis measurements confirmed the formation of the 4-cyanophenoxyl radical in solutions containing 2-acetonaphthone and 4-cyanophenol, and yielded values of (2.6 − 5.3) × 108 M−1 s−1 for the second-order rate constant for the reaction of this radical with 2,4,6-trimethylphenol. These and further results indicate that electron-poor model phenoxyl radicals generated through photosensitized oxidation are useful models to understand the photoreactivity of LLPO as part of the CDOM.

Fundamental Insights into Photoelectrocatalytic Hydrogen Production with a Hole-Transport Bismuth Metal-Organic Framework.

Solar fuels production is a cornerstone in the development of emerging sustainable energy conversion and storage technologies. Light-induced H2 production from water represents one of the most crucial challenges to produce renewable fuel. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are being investigated in this process, due to the ability to assemble new structures with the use of suitable photoactive building blocks. However, the identification of the reaction intermediates remains elusive, having negative impacts in the design of more efficient materials. Here, we report the synthesis and characterization of a new MOF prepared with the use of bismuth and dithieno[3,2-b:2',3'-d]thiophene-2,6-dicarboxylic acid (DTTDC), an electron-rich linker with hole transport ability. By combining theoretical studies and time-resolved spectroscopies, such as core hole clock and laser flash photolysis measurements, we have completed a comprehensive study at different time scales (fs to ms) to determine the effect of competitive reactions on the overall H2 production. We detect the formation of an intermediate radical anion upon reaction of photogenerated holes with an electron donor, which plays a key role in the photoelectrocatalytic processes. These results shed new light on the use of MOFs for solar fuel production.

Photophysics of Xanthene Dyes at High Concentrations in Solid Environments: Charge Transfer Assisted Triplet Formation

The photophysical behavior of two xanthene dyes, Eosin Y and Phloxine B, included in microcrystalline cellulose particles is studied in a wide concentration range, with emphasis on the effect of dye concentration on fluorescence and triplet quantum yields. Absolute fluorescence quantum yields in the solid-state were determined by means of diffuse reflectance and steady-state fluorescence measurements, whereas absolute triplet quantum yields were obtained by laser-induced optoacoustic spectroscopy and their dependence on dye concentration was confirmed by diffuse reflectance laser flash photolysis and time-resolved phosphorescence measurements. When both quantum yields are corrected for reabsorption and reemission of radiation, ΦF values decrease strongly on increasing dye concentration, while a less pronounced decay is observed for ΦT . Fluorescence concentration quenching is attributed to the formation of dye aggregates or virtual traps resulting from molecular crowding. Dimeric traps are however able to generate triplet states. A mechanism based on the intermediacy of charge-transfer states is proposed and discussed. Calculation of parameters for photoinduced electron transfer between dye molecules within the traps evidences the feasibility of the proposed mechanism. Results demonstrate that photoactive energy traps, capable of yielding dye triplet states, can be formed even in highly-concentrated systems with random dye distributions.

Photochemical Intramolecular C−H Addition of Dimesityl(hetero)arylboranes through a [1,6]‐Sigmatropic Rearrangement

AbstractA new reaction mode for triarylboranes under photochemical conditions was discovered. Photoirradiation of dimesitylboryl‐substituted (hetero)arenes produced spirocyclic boraindanes, where one of the C−H bonds in the ortho‐methyl groups of the mesityl substituents was formally added in a syn fashion to a C−C double bond of the (hetero)aryl group. Quantum chemical calculations and laser flash photolysis measurements indicated that the reaction proceeds through a [1,6]‐sigmatropic rearrangement. This behavior is reminiscent of the photochemical reaction mode of arylalkenylketones, thus demonstrating the isosteric relation between tricoordinate organoboron compounds and the corresponding pseudo‐carbocationic species in terms of pericyclic reactions. Despite the disrupted π‐conjugation, the resulting spirocyclic boraindanes exhibited a characteristic absorption band at relatively long wavelengths (λ=370—400 nm).

Photochemical Intramolecular C-H Addition of Dimesityl(hetero)arylboranes through a [1,6]-Sigmatropic Rearrangement.

A new reaction mode for triarylboranes under photochemical conditions was discovered. Photoirradiation of dimesitylboryl-substituted (hetero)arenes produced spirocyclic boraindanes, where one of the C-H bonds in the ortho-methyl groups of the mesityl substituents was formally added in a syn fashion to a C-C double bond of the (hetero)aryl group. Quantum chemical calculations and laser flash photolysis measurements indicated that the reaction proceeds through a [1,6]-sigmatropic rearrangement. This behavior is reminiscent of the photochemical reaction mode of arylalkenylketones, thus demonstrating the isosteric relation between tricoordinate organoboron compounds and the corresponding pseudo-carbocationic species in terms of pericyclic reactions. Despite the disrupted π-conjugation, the resulting spirocyclic boraindanes exhibited a characteristic absorption band at relatively long wavelengths (λ=370-400 nm).

(Invited) One-Step Aerobic Oxygenation of Hydrocarbons By Electron Transfer

Photoinduced oxygenation of neat cyclohexane in the presence of O2 occurred under visible light irradiation of 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-p-benzoquinone (DDQ) which acts as a super photooxidant [1-3]. The products detected by GC and NMR analyses were cyclohexanol, cyclohexanone and cyclohexane hydroperoxide with 70, 40, 210% yields, respectively. When cyclohexane was replaced by n-butane, n-pentane and 3-methylpentane, the oxygenation reactions also took place to form the corresponding oxygenated products under the otherwise same photochemical reaction conditions. The reaction mechanism was clarified by femtosecond and nanosecond laser flash photolysis measurements. Femtosecond laser irradiation of DDQ in cyclohexane results in formation of the singlet excited state of DDQ (1DDQ*; * denotes the excited state) detected as a transient absorption band at 480 nm. The band of 1DDQ* decayed with increasing a new absorption band at 590 nm and 630 nm, which are assigned to 3DDQ* and DDQ semiquinone radical anion (DDQ•–), respectively. Thus, the photocatalytic reactions are initiated by electron-transfer oxidation of cyclohexane (CyH) with 1DDQ* to form the cyclohexane radical cation (CyH•+), which reacts with DDQ•– to produce the cyclohexyl radical (Cy•) and DDQ semiquinone radical (DDQH•). The triplet excited state (3DDQ*) generated by the intersystem crossing of 3DDQ* is also reacts with CyH to produce radical ion pair. Cy• reacts with O2to produce the final oxygenated products via radical chain process. [1] Ohkubo, K.; Fujimoto, A.; Fukuzumi, S. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2013, 135, 5368. [2] Ohkubo, K.; Hirose, K.; Fukuzumi, S. Chem.–Eur. J. 2015, 21, 2855. [3] Fukuzumi, S.; Ohkubo, K. Asian J. Org. Chem. 2015, 4, 836 (Focus Review).

Photocatalytic Hydroxylation of Benzene by Dioxygen to Phenol with a Cyano-Bridged Complex Containing Fe(II) and Ru(II) Incorporated in Mesoporous Silica-Alumina.

Photocatalytic hydroxylation of benzene to phenol was achieved by using O2 as an oxidant as well as an oxygen source with a cyano-bridged polynuclear metal complex containing Fe(II) and Ru(II) incorporated in mesoporous silica-alumina ([Fe(H2O)3]2[Ru(CN)6]@sAl-MCM-41). An apparent turnover number (TON) of phenol production per the monomer unit of [Fe(H2O)3]2[Ru(CN)6] was 41 for 59 h. The cyano-bridged polynuclear metal complex, [Fe(H2O)3]2[Ru(CN)6], exhibited catalytic activity for thermal hydroxylation of benzene by H2O2 in acetonitrile (MeCN), where the apparent TON of phenol production reached 393 for 60 h. The apparent TON increased to 2500 for 114 h by incorporating [Fe(H2O)3]2[Ru(CN)6] in sAl-MCM-41. Additionally, [Fe(H2O)3]2[Ru(CN)6] acts as a water oxidation catalyst by using [Ru(bpy)3](2+) (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine) and Na2S2O8 as a photosensitizer and a sacrificial electron acceptor as evidenced by (18)O-isotope labeling experiments. Photoirradiation of an O2-saturated MeCN solution containing [Fe(H2O)3]2[Ru(CN)6]@sAl-MCM-41 and scandium ion provided H2O2 formation, where photoexcited [Ru(CN)6](4-) moiety reduces O2 as indicated by laser flash photolysis measurements. Thus, hydroxylation of benzene to phenol using molecular oxygen photocatalyzed by [Fe(H2O)3]2[Ru(CN)6] occurred via a two-step route; (1) molecular oxygen was photocatalytically reduced to peroxide by using water as an electron donor, and then (2) peroxide thus formed is used as an oxidant for hydroxylation of benzene.

Photocatalytic Oxygenation of Substrates by Dioxygen with Protonated Manganese(III) Corrolazine.

UV-vis spectral titrations of a manganese(III) corrolazine complex [Mn(III)(TBP8Cz)] with HOTf in benzonitrile (PhCN) indicate mono- and diprotonation of Mn(III)(TBP8Cz) to give Mn(III)(OTf)(TBP8Cz(H)) and [Mn(III)(OTf)(H2O)(TBP8Cz(H)2)][OTf] with protonation constants of 9.0 × 10(6) and 4.7 × 10(3) M(-1), respectively. The protonated sites of Mn(III)(OTf)(TBP8Cz(H)) and [Mn(III)(OTf)(H2O)(TBP8Cz(H)2)][OTf] were identified by X-ray crystal structures of the mono- and diprotonated complexes. In the presence of HOTf, the monoprotonated manganese(III) corrolazine complex [Mn(III)(OTf)(TBP8Cz(H))] acts as an efficient photocatalytic catalyst for the oxidation of hexamethylbenzene and thioanisole by O2 to the corresponding alcohol and sulfoxide with 563 and 902 TON, respectively. Femtosecond laser flash photolysis measurements of Mn(III)(OTf)(TBP8Cz(H)) and [Mn(III)(OTf)(H2O)(TBP8Cz(H)2)][OTf] in the presence of O2 revealed the formation of a tripquintet excited state, which was rapidly converted to a tripseptet excited state. The tripseptet excited state of Mn(III)(OTf)(TBP8Cz(H)) reacted with O2 with a diffusion-limited rate constant to produce the putative Mn(IV)(O2(•-))(OTf)(TBP8Cz(H)), whereas the tripseptet excited state of [Mn(III)(OTf)(H2O)(TBP8Cz(H)2)][OTf] exhibited no reactivity toward O2. In the presence of HOTf, Mn(V)(O)(TBP8Cz) can oxidize not only HMB but also mesitylene to the corresponding alcohols, accompanied by regeneration of Mn(III)(OTf)(TBP8Cz(H)). This thermal reaction was examined for a kinetic isotope effect, and essentially no KIE (1.1) was observed for the oxidation of mesitylene-d12, suggesting a proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) mechanism is operative in this case. Thus, the monoprotonated manganese(III) corrolazine complex, Mn(III)(OTf)(TBP8Cz(H)), acts as an efficient photocatalyst for the oxidation of HMB by O2 to the alcohol.

Photoinduced One-Electron Oxidation of Benzyl Methyl Sulfides in Acetonitrile: Time-Resolved Spectroscopic Evidence for a Thionium Ion Intermediate.

The photo-oxidation of 4-methoxybenzyl methyl sulfide (1a), benzyl methyl sulfide (1b), and 4-cyanobenzyl methyl sulfide (1c) has been investigated in the presence of N-methoxy phenanthridinium hexafluorophosphate (MeOP(+)PF6(-)) under nitrogen in CH3CN. The steady-state photolysis experiments showed for the investigated sulfides exclusively the formation of the corresponding benzaldehyde as the oxidation product, reasonably due to a deprotonation of the sulfide radical cations. Photo-oxidation of 1a-1c occurs through an electron transfer process. Indeed, laser flash photolysis measurements showed an efficient formation of sulfide radical cations, detected in their dimeric form [(4-X-C6H4CH2SCH3)2(+•)] at ≈520 nm. At longer delay times, the absorption of the dimer radical cation was replaced by an absorption band assigned to the (α-thio)benzyl cation (thionium ion, λmax = 420-400 nm), formed by oxidation of the benzyl radical and not by that of the (α-thiomethyl)benzyl radical, as expected if a Cα-H bond cleavage is operative. This finding highlights a particular stability of this kind of cation never reported before, even though its involvement in one-electron oxidation mechanisms of various sulfides has already been invoked. Density functional theory calculations allowed identification of a significant charge and spin delocalization involving both the phenyl ring and the sulfur atom of the radical cations.

Coronenetetraimide-centered cruciform pentamers containing multiporphyrin units: synthesis and sequential photoinduced energy- and electron-transfer dynamics.

A series of coronenetetraimide (CorTIm)-centered cruciform pentamers containing multiporphyrin units, in which four porphyrin units are covalently linked to a CorTIm core through benzyl linkages, were designed and synthesized to investigate their structural, spectroscopic, and electrochemical properties as well as photoinduced electron- and energy-transfer dynamics. These systems afforded the first synthetic case of coroneneimide derivatives covalently linked with dye molecules. The steady-state absorption and electrochemical results indicate that a CorTIm and four porphyrin units were successfully characterized by the corresponding reference monomers. In contrast, the steady-state fluorescence measurements demonstrated that strong fluorescence quenching relative to the corresponding monomer units was observed in these pentamers. Nanosecond laser flash photolysis measurements revealed the occurrence of intermolecular electron transfer from triplet excited state of zinc porphyrins to CorTIm. Femtosecond laser-induced transient absorption measurements for excitation of the CorTIm unit clearly demonstrate the sequential photoinduced energy and electron transfer between CorTIm and porphyrins, that is, occurrence of the initial energy transfer from CorTIm (energy donor) to porphyrins (energy acceptor) and subsequent electron transfer from porphyrins (electron donor) to CorTIm (electron acceptor) in these pentamers, whereas only the electron-transfer process from porphyrins to CorTIm was observed when we mainly excite porphyrin units. Finally, construction of high-order supramolecular patterning of these pentamers was performed by utilizing self-assembly and physical dewetting during the evaporation of solvent.

Mechanism of photocatalytic hydrogen generation by a polypyridyl-based cobalt catalyst in aqueous solution.

The mechanism of photocatalytic hydrogen production was studied with a three-component system consisting of fac-[Re(py)(CO)3bipy](+) (py = pyridine, bipy = 2,2'-bipyridine) as photosensitizer, [Co(TPY-OH)(OH2)](2+) (TPY-OH = 2-bis(2-pyridyl)(hydroxy)methyl-6-pyridylpyridine), a polypyridyl-based cobalt complex, as water reduction catalyst (WRC), and triethanolamine (TEOA) as sacrificial electron donor in aqueous solution. A detailed mechanistic picture is provided, which covers all processes from excited state quenching on the time scale of a few nanoseconds to hydrogen release taking place between seconds and minutes at moderately basic reaction conditions. Altogether these processes span 9 orders of magnitude in time. The following reaction sequence was found to be the dominant pathway for hydrogen generation: After reductive quenching by TEOA, the reduced photosensitizer (PS) transfers an electron to the Co(II)-WRC. Protonation of Co(I) yields Co(III)H which is reduced in the presence of excess Co(I). Co(II)H releases hydrogen after a second protonation step, which is detected time-resolved by a clark-type hydrogen electrode. Aside from these productive steps, the role of side and back reactions involving TEOA-derived species is assessed, which is particularly relevant in laser flash photolysis measurements with significantly larger transient concentrations of reactive species as compared to continuous photolysis experiments. Most notable is an equilibrium reaction involving Co(I), which is explained by a nucleophilic addition of Co(I) to the oxidation product of TEOA, an electrophilic iminium ion. Quantum chemical calculations indicate that the reaction is energetically feasible. The calculated spectra of the adduct are consistent with the spectroscopic observations.

Solvent-free one-step photochemical hydroxylation of benzene derivatives by the singlet excited state of 2,3-Dichloro-5,6-dicyano-p-benzoquinone acting as a super oxidant.

Photoinduced hydroxylation of neat deaerated benzene to phenol occurred under visible-light irradiation of 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-p-benzoquinone (DDQ), which acts as a super photooxidant in the presence of water. Photocatalytic solvent-free hydroxylation of benzene derivatives with electron-withdrawing substituents such as benzonitrile, nitrobenzene, and trifluoromethylbenzene used as neat solvents has been achieved for the first time by using DDQ as a super photooxidant to yield the corresponding phenol derivatives and 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyanohydroquinone (DDQH2 ) in the presence of water under deaerated conditions. In the presence of dioxygen and tert-butyl nitrite, the photocatalytic hydroxylation of neat benzene occurred with DDQ as a photocatalyst to produce phenol. The photocatalytic reactions are initiated by oxidation of benzene derivatives with the singlet and triplet excited states of DDQ to form the corresponding radical cations, which associate with benzene derivatives to produce the dimer radical cations, which were detected by the femto- and nanosecond laser flash photolysis measurements to clarify the photocatalytic reaction mechanisms. Radical cations of benzene derivatives react with water to yield the OH-adduct radicals. On the other hand, DDQ(.) (-) produced by the photoinduced electron transfer from benzene derivatives reacts with the OH-adduct radicals to yield the corresponding phenol derivatives and DDQH2 . DDQ is recovered by the reaction of DDQH2 with tert-butyl nitrite when DDQ acts as a photocatalyst for the hydroxylation of benzene derivatives by dioxygen.

Binding of scandium ions to metalloporphyrin-flavin complexes for long-lived charge separation.

A porphyrin-flavin-linked dyad and its zinc and palladium complexes (MPor-Fl: 2-M, M=2 H, Zn, and Pd) were newly synthesized and the X-ray crystal structure of 2-Pd was determined. The photodynamics of 2-M were examined by femto- and nanosecond laser flash photolysis measurements. Photoinduced electron transfer (ET) in 2-H2 occurred from the singlet excited state of the porphyrin moiety (H2 Por) to the flavin (Fl) moiety to produce the singlet charge-separated (CS) state (1) (H2 Por(.+) -Fl(.-) ), which decayed through back ET (BET) to form (3) [H2 Por]*-Fl with rate constants of 1.2×10(10) and 1.2×10(9) s(-1) , respectively. Similarly, photoinduced ET in 2-Pd afforded the singlet CS state, which decayed through BET to form (3) [PdPor]*Fl with rate constants of 2.1×10(11) and 6.0×10(10) s(-1) , respectively. The rate constant of photoinduced ET and BET of 2-M were related to the ET and BET driving forces by using the Marcus theory of ET. One and two Sc(3+) ions bind to the flavin moiety to form the Fl-Sc(3+) and Fl-(Sc(3+) )2 complexes with binding constants of K1 =2.2×10(5) M(-1) and K2 =1.8×10(3) M(-1) , respectively. Other metal ions, such as Y(3+) , Zn(2+) , and Mg(2+) , form only 1:1 complexes with flavin. In contrast to 2-M and the 1:1 complexes with metal ions, which afforded the short-lived singlet CS state, photoinduced ET in 2-Pd⋅⋅⋅Sc(3+) complexes afforded the triplet CS state ((3) [PdPor(.+) -Fl(.-) (Sc(3+) )2 ]), which exhibited a remarkably long lifetime of τ=110 ms (kBET =9.1 s(-1) ).

A photoresponsive graphene oxide-C60 conjugate.

An all-carbon donor-acceptor hybrid combining graphene oxide (GO) and C60 has been prepared. Laser flash photolysis measurements revealed the occurrence of photoinduced electron transfer from the GO electron donor to the C60 electron acceptor in the conjugate.

Photoinduced electron transfer in a carbon nanohorn–C60 conjugate

A nanohybrid combining two allotropic forms of carbon, namely carbon nanohorns (CNH) and C60, has been obtained from a C60 derivative bearing a benzocrown ether subunit (crown–C60) and a CNH functionalized with NH3+ groups (CNH-sp-NH3+F−) through ammonium–crown ether interactions. The resulting CNH–C60 nanohybrid has been characterized by Raman and XPS spectroscopies, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). The photophysical properties of the CNH–C60 conjugate have been investigated in benzonitrile. Femtosecond laser flash photolysis measurements revealed the occurrence of an efficient electron transfer from the singlet excited state of the C60 moiety to the CNH with a rate constant of 6.5 × 1010 s−1 to produce a radical ion pair, which decayed by charge recombination with a lifetime of 1.0 ns to afford the triplet excited state of CNH-sp-NH3+F− and crown–C60. The two carbon nanoforms play therefore complementary roles in the CNH–C60 conjugate, the CNH acting as an electron donor and C60 as an electron acceptor.

Seeking the mechanism responsible for fluoroquinolone photomutagenicity: a pulse radiolysis, steady-state, and laser flash photolysis study

The mechanism responsible for the remarkable photomutagenicity of fluoroquinolone (FQ) antibiotics remains unknown. For this reason, it was considered worthwhile to study in detail the interactions between DNA and a dihalogenated FQ such as lomefloxacin (LFX; one of the most photomutagenic FQs) and its N-acetyl derivative ALFX. Studies of photosensitized DNA damage by (A)LFX, such as formation of DNA single-strand breaks (SSBs), together with pulse radiolysis, laser flash photolysis, and absorption and fluorescence measurements, have shown the important effects of the cationic character of the piperazinyl ring on the affinity of this type of drug for DNA. Hence, the formation of SSBs was detected for LFX, whereas ALFX and ciprofloxacin (a monofluorated FQ) needed a considerably larger dose of light to produce some damage. In this context, it was determined that the association constant (Ka) for the binding of LFX to DNA is ca. 2×103M−1, whereas in the case of ALFX it is only ca. 0.5×103M−1. This important difference is attributed to an association between the cationic peripheral ring of LFX and the phosphate moieties of DNA and justifies the DNA SSB results. The analysis of the transient species detected and the photomixtures has allowed us to establish the intermolecular processes involved in the photolysis of FQ in the presence of DNA and 2'-deoxyguanosine (dGuo). Interestingly, although a covalent binding of the dihalogenated FQ to dGuo occurs, the photodegradation of FQ…DNA complexes did not reveal any significant covalent attachment. Another remarkable outcome of this study was that (A)LFX radical anions, intermediates required for the onset of DNA damage, were detected by pulse radiolysis but not by laser flash photolysis.

Photocatalytic Monofluorination of Benzene by Fluoride via Photoinduced Electron Transfer with 3-Cyano-1-methylquinolinium

The photocatalytic fluorination of benzene occurs under photoirradiation of an oxygen-saturated acetonitrile (MeCN) of the 3-cyano-1-methylquinolinium ion (QuCN(+)) containing benzene and tetraethylammonium fluoride tetrahydrofluoride (TEAF·4HF) with a xenon lamp (500 W) attached to a colored-glass filter (λ < 290 nm) to yield fluorobenzene and hydrogen peroxide. The quantum yield of formation of fluorobenzene was 6%. Nanosecond laser flash photolysis measurements were performed to elucidate the mechanistic details for photocatalytic fluorination. Transient absorption spectra taken after the nanosecond laser excitation at 355 nm of a degassed MeCN solution of QuCN(+) and benzene exhibited absorption bands due to QuCN(•) (λmax = 500 nm) and the benzene dimer radical cation (λmax = 900 nm), which were generated by photoinduced electron transfer from benzene to the singlet excited state of QuCN(+). The decay rate of the transient absorption band due to the benzene dimer radical cation was accelerated by the addition of TEAF·4HF. The observed rate constant increased with increasing concentration of TEAF·4HF. The rate constant of the electrophilic addition of fluoride to the benzene radical cation was determined to be 9.4 × 10(9) M(-1) s(-1). Thus, the photocatalytic reaction is initiated by intermolecular photoinduced electron transfer from benzene to the single excited state of QuCN(+). The benzene radical cation formed by photoinduced electron transfer reacts with the fluoride anion to yield the F-adducted radical. However, QuCN(•) can reduce O2 to O2(•-), and this is followed by the protonation of O2(•-) to afford HO2(•). The hydrogen abstraction of HO2(•) from the F-adduct radical affords fluorobenzene and H2O2 as the final products.

Small Reorganization Energies of Photoinduced Electron Transfer between Spherical Fullerenes

Rate constants of photoinduced electron transfer between spherical fullerenes were determined using triscandium nitride encapsulated C80 fullerene (Sc3N@C80) as an electron donor and the triplet excited state of lithium ion-encapsulated C60 fullerene (Li(+)@C60) as an electron acceptor in polar and less polar solvents by laser flash photolysis measurements. Upon nanosecond laser excitation at 355 nm of a benzonitrile (PhCN) solution of Li(+)@C60 and Sc3N@C80, electron transfer from Sc3N@C80 to the triplet excited state [(3)(Li(+)@C60)*] occurred to produce Sc3N@C80(•+) and Li(+)@C60(•-) (λ(max) = 1035 nm). The rates of the photoinduced electron transfer were monitored by the decay of absorption at λ(max) = 750 nm due to (3)(Li(+)@C60)*. The second-order rate constant of electron transfer from Sc3N@C80 to (3)(Li(+)@C60)* was determined to be k(et) = 1.5 × 10(9) M(-1) s(-1) from dependence of decay rate constant of (3)(Li(+)@C60)* on the Sc3N@C80 concentration. The rate constant of back electron transfer from Li(+)@C60(•-) to Sc3N@C80(•+) was also determined to be k(bet) = 1.9 × 10(9) M(-1) s(-1), which is close to be the diffusion limited value in PhCN. Similarly, the rate constants of photoinduced electron transfer from C60 to (3)(Li(+)@C60)* and from Sc3N@C80 to (3)C60* were determined together with the back electron-transfer reactions. The driving force dependence of log k(et) and log k(bet) was well fitted by using the Marcus theory of outer-sphere electron transfer, in which the internal (bond) reorganization energy (λi) was estimated by DFT calculations and the solvent reorganization energy (λs) was calculated by the Marcus equation. When PhCN was replaced by o-dichlorobenzene (o-DCB), the λ value was decreased because of the smaller solvation changes of highly spherical fullerenes upon electron transfer in a less polar solvent.