Reductive Photoinduced Electron Transfer Research Articles

Enhanced fluorescence of mercaptopropionic acid-capped zinc sulfide quantum dots with moxifloxacin in food and water samplesviareductive photoinduced electron transfer

MZS QDs based fluorometric nanosensor for the detection of MOXIviaphotoinduced electron transfer.

Hybrid Azo-fluorophore Organic Nanoparticles as Emissive Turn-on Probes for Cellular Endocytosis.

The development of fluorescent organic nanoparticles, serving as bioimaging agents or drug cargos, represents a buoyant field of investigations. Nevertheless, their ulterior fate and structural integrity after cell uptake remain elusive. Toward this aim, we have elaborated original photoactive organic nanoparticles (dTEM ∼ 35-50 nm wide) with an off-on signal upon cellular internalization. Such nanoparticles are based on the noncovalent association of red-emitting benzothiadiazole (BDZ) derivatives and azo dyes, acting as fluorescence quenchers. Upon varying the azo/BDZ ratio, we found that quantitative emission quenching could be obtained with only a 0.2:1 azo/BDZ ratio and originated from exergonic oxidative and reductive photoinduced electron transfer from the azo units (ΔelG0 = -0.21 and -0.29 eV, respectively). Such results revisited the origin of emission quenching, often confusedly ascribed to Förster resonance energy transfer. A nonlinear and sharp drop of the emission intensity with the increase in the azo unit density n was observed and presents comparable evolution to a n-1/3 mathematical law. Thorough biological examinations involving cancer cells prove a receptor-independent endocytosis pathway, leading to progressive cell lighting upon nanoparticle accumulation in the late endosomal/lysosomal compartments. Complete emission recovery of the initially quenched azo/BDZ nanosystems could be achieved by using mefloquine, which caused endosomal/lysosomal disruption, and release of their content in the cytoplasm. Such results demonstrate that the dotlike emission from endosomes actually stems from fully dissociated individual dyes and not integer nanoparticles. They conclude on the high spatial confinement promoted by organelles and finally question its severe impact on functional compounds or nanoparticles whose properties are strongly distance dependent.

Photoinduced Intercomponent Processes in Selectively Addressable Bichromophoric Dyads Made of Linearly Arranged Ru(II) Terpyridine and Expanded Pyridinium Components.

Three new linearly arranged bichromophoric systems 1-3 have been prepared, and their photophysical properties have been studied, taking also advantage of femtosecond pump-probe transient absorption spectroscopy. The three compounds contain the same chromophores, that is a Ru(II)-terpy-like species and a fused expanded bipyridinium (FEBP) unit, separated by three different, variously methylated biphenylene-type bridges. The chromophores have been selected to be selectively addressable, and excitation involving the Ru-based or the FEBP-based dyes results in different excited-state decays. Upon Ru-based excitation at 570 nm, oxidative photoinduced electron transfer (OPET) takes place in 1-3 from the 3MLCT state; however, the charge-separated species does not accumulate, indicating that the charge recombination rate constant exceeds the OPET rate constant. Upon excitation of the organic dye at 400 nm, the FEBP-based 1π-π* level is prepared, which undergoes a series of intercomponent decay events, including (i) electron-exchange energy transfer leading to the MLCT manifold (SS-EnT), which successively decays according to 570 nm excitation, and (ii) reductive photoinduced electron transfer (RPET), leading to the preparation of the charge-separated (CS) state. Reductive PET, involving the FEBP-based singlet state, is much faster than oxidative PET, involving the MLCT triplet state, essentially because of driving force reasons. The rate constant of CR is intermediate between the rate constants of OPET and RPET, and this makes 1-3 capable to selectively read the 400 nm excitation as an active input to prepare the CS state, whereas excitation at wavelengths longer than 480 nm is inefficient to accumulate the CS state. Moreover, intriguing differences between the rate constants of the various processes in 1-3 have been analyzed and interpreted according to the superexchange theory for electron transfer. This allowed us to uncover the role of the electron-transfer and hole-transfer superexchange pathways in promoting the various intercomponent photoinduced decay processes occurring in 1-3.

Photoluminescence sensing of bilirubin in human serum using l-cysteine tailored manganese doped zinc sulphide quantum dots

Bilirubin (BR) is a protective antioxidant generated as end-product of heme catabolism in human. However, BR accumulation in biological tissues in connection with neonatal and hereditary jaundice causes severe hyperbilirubinemia and neurotoxicity. Herein, a fluorescence turn-off sensor for the detection of BR, a major biomarker for jaundice, is designed based on l-cysteine capped manganese doped zinc sulphide quantum dots (Mn:ZnS QDs). The QDs were synthesized by a microwave assisted chemical co-precipitation method. Under optimum conditions, the luminescence quenching response of Mn:ZnS QDs can be effectively used for detection of BR in the linear range of 10.99 μM - 63.84 μM BR. The limit of detection (LOD) is as low as 1.8 μM and limit of quantification (LOQ) is 6 μM. The plausible mechanism behind BR induced luminescence quenching is reductive photo-induced electron transfer (PET) in which Mn:ZnS QDs act as electron acceptor and BR act as electron donor. The developed sensor show good selectivity for BR over other co-existing biomolecules such as creatine, cholesterol, bisphenol, glutathione, uric acid, urea, hemoglobin, fructose, galactose and glucose. The developed sensor was validated by the detection of BR in spiked human serum and urine samples. For practical applications, a paper strip based sensor was also developed.

Hypochlorite-Mediated Modulation of Photoinduced Electron Transfer in a Phenothiazine-Boron dipyrromethene Electron Donor-Acceptor Dyad: A Highly Water Soluble "Turn-On" Fluorescent Probe for Hypochlorite.

A highly water-soluble phenothiazine (PTZ)-boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY)-based electron donor-acceptor dyad (WS-Probe), which contains BODIPY as the signaling antennae and PTZ as the OCl- reactive group, was designed and used as a fluorescent chemosensor for the detection of OCl- . Upon addition of incremental amounts of NaOCl, the quenched fluorescence of WS-Probe was enhanced drastically, which indicated the inhibition of reductive photoinduced electron transfer (PET) from PTZ to 1 BODIPY*; the detection limit was calculated to be 26.7 nm. Selectivity studies with various reactive oxygen species, cations, and anions revealed that WS-Probe was able to detect OCl- selectively. Steady-state fluorescence studies performed at varied pH suggested that WS-Probe can detect NaOCl and exhibits maximum fluorescence in the pH range of 7 to 8, similar to physiological conditions. ESI-MS analysis and 1 H NMR spectroscopy titrations showed the formation of sulfoxide as the major oxidized product upon addition of hypochlorite. More interestingly, when WS-Probe was treated with real water samples, the fluorescence response was clearly visible with tap water and disinfectant, which indicated the presence of OCl- in these samples. The in vitro cell viability assay performed with human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK 293) cells suggested that WS-probe is non-toxic up to 10 μm and implicates the use of the probe for biological applications.

Synthesis and spectral properties of probes based on pyrene and 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-H- or 1-oxyl

The spectral properties of novel pyrene-piperidine/pyrene-piperidine-1-oxyl adducts with varying linkers differing in electronic conjugation between these two functionalities were investigated in solvents of different polarity. Tuning their fluorescence efficiency via structure modification is discussed in terms of increased conjugation, solvent polarity effect, main non-radiative de-excitation pathways and static/dynamic excimer or solute-solvent exciplex fluorescence. Compared to parent pyrene molecule, the main additional non-radiative de-excitation pathways leading to significant fluorescence quenching were studied using time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy and quantum-chemical DFT (Density Functional Theory) calculations and were identified as reductive photo-induced electron transfer and intramolecular paramagnetic quenching.

Diazaoxatriangulenium: synthesis of reactive derivatives and conjugation to bovine serum albumin.

The azaoxa-triangulenium dyes are characterised by emission in the red and a long fluorescence lifetime (up to 25 ns). These properties have been widely explored for the azadioxatrianguelnium (ADOTA) dye. Here, the syntheses of reactive maleimide and NHS-ester forms of the diazaoxatriangulenium (DAOTA) system are reported. The DAOTA fluorophore was conjugated to bovine serum albumin (BSA) and investigated in comparison to the corresponding ADOTA-BSA conjugate. It was found that the fluorescence of DAOTA experienced a significantly higher degree of solvent quenching if compared to ADOTA as non-conjugated dyes in aqueous solution, while the fluorescence quenching observed upon conjugation to BSA was significantly reduced for DAOTA when compared to ADOTA. The differences in observed quenching for the conjugates can be explained by the different electronic structures of the dyes, which renders DAOTA significantly less prone to reductive photoinduced electron transfer (PET) quenching from e.g. tryptophan. We conclude that DAOTA, with emission in the red and inherent resistance to PET quenching, is an ideal platform for the development of long fluorescence lifetime probes for time-resolved imaging and fluorescence polarisation assay.

Density functional theory based analysis of photoinduced electron transfer in a triazacryptand based K⁺ sensor.

The electronic structure and photoinduced electron transfer processes in a K(+) fluorescent sensor that comprises a 4-amino-naphthalimide derived fluorophore with a triazacryptand ligand is investigated using density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) in order to rationalize the function of the sensor. The absorption and emission energies of the intense electronic excitation localized on the fluorophore are accurately described using a ΔSCF Kohn-Sham DFT approach, which gives excitation energies closer to experiment than TDDFT. Analysis of the molecular orbital diagram arising from DFT calculations for the isolated molecule or with implicit solvent cannot account for the function of the sensor, and it is necessary to consider the relative energies of the electronic states formed from the local excitation on the fluorophore and the lowest fluorophore → chelator charge transfer state. The inclusion of solvent in these calculations is critical since the strong interaction of the charge transfer state with the solvent lowers its energy below the local fluorophore excited state making a reductive photoinduced electron transfer possible in the absence of K(+), while no such process is possible when the sensor is bound to K(+). The rate of electron transfer is quantified using Marcus theory, which gives a rate of electron transfer of k(ET) = 5.98 × 10(6) s(-1).

A novel turn-off fluorescent Pb(II) probe based on 2,5-di(thien-2-yl)pyrrole with a pendant crown ether

The synthesis, optical, and ion-sensing characteristics of a novel compound, 1, which is based on a 2,5-di(thien-2-yl)pyrrole scaffold with a 15-crown-5 unit, are reported. It is noteworthy that 1 can be utilized for turn-off fluorimetric detection of Pb(II) ions. The fluorescence response is based on cation-mediated reductive photoinduced electron transfer.

On the effect of the nature of the bridge on oxidative or reductive photoinduced electron transfer in donor–bridge–acceptor systems

Photoinduced electron transfer is a topical issue in chemistry. In multicomponent donor-bridge-acceptor systems, electron transfer is usually discussed within the frame of superexchange theory, which takes into account electronic coupling mediated by virtual states involving bridge orbitals. However, the schematization used for superexchange in thermal electron transfer processes is not suitable to immediately understand some intriguing aspects of photoinduced charge separation and recombination processes, which are only uncovered by analyzing the virtual states involved in forward and backward excited-state electron transfer. In particular, for oxidative photoinduced electron transfer, a low-energy virtual state which cannot mediate the forward charge separation can efficiently mediate charge recombination via the hole-transfer superexchange route, whereas for reductive photoinduced electron transfer, a low-energy virtual state which cannot mediate the forward process can efficiently mediate charge recombination via electron-transfer superexchange. As a consequence, to obtain long-lived charge-separated states upon oxidative photoinduced electron transfer in donor-bridge-acceptor systems it is preferable to avoid easy-to-oxidize bridges, whereas easy-to-reduce bridges should better be avoided in reductive photoinduced charge separation. These considerations, exemplified by the analysis of some literature cases, can be useful hints for the design of long-lived charge-separated states.

Experimentation and Theoretic Calculation of a BODIPY Sensor Based on Photoinduced Electron Transfer for Ions Detection

A boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY)-based fluorescence probe with a N,N'-(pyridine-2, 6-diylbis(methylene))-dianiline substituent (1) has been prepared by condensation of 2,6-pyridinedicarboxaldehyde with 8-(4-amino)-4,4-difluoro-1,3,5,7-tetramethyl-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene and reduction by NaBH(4). The sensing properties of compound 1 toward various metal ions are investigated via fluorometric titration in methanol, which show highly selective fluorescent turn-on response in the presence of Hg(2+) over the other metal ions, such as Li(+), Na(+), K(+), Ca(2+), Mg(2+), Pb(2+), Fe(2+), Co(2+), Ni(2+), Cu(2+), Zn(2+), Cd(2+), Ag(+), and Mn(2+). Computational approach has been carried out to investigate the mechanism why compound 1 provides different fluorescent signal for Hg(2+) and other ions. Theoretic calculations of the energy levels show that the quenching of the bright green fluorescence of boradiazaindacene fluorophore is due to the reductive photoinduced electron transfer (PET) from the aniline subunit to the excited state of BODIPY fluorophore. In metal complexes, the frontier molecular orbital energy levels changes greatly. Binding Zn(2+) or Cd(2+) ion leads to significant decreasing of both the HOMO and LUMO energy levels of the receptor, thus inhibit the reductive PET process, whereas an oxidative PET from the excited state fluorophore to the receptor occurs, vice versa, which also quenches the fluorescence. However, for 1-Hg(2+) complex, both the reductive and oxidative PETs are prohibited; therefore, strong fluorescence emission from the fluorophore can be observed experimentally. The agreement of the experimental results and theoretic calculations suggests that our calculation method can be applicable as guidance for the design of new chemosensors for other metal ions.

Synthesis and Characterization of Iridium(III) Cyclometalated Complexes with Oligonucleotides: Insights into Redox Reactions with DNA

Heteroleptic cyclometalated complexes of Ir(III) containing the dipyridophenazine ligand are synthesized through the direct introduction of a functionalized dipyridophenazine ligand onto a bis(dichloro)-bridged Ir(III) precusor and characterized by 1H NMR, mass spectrometry, as well as spectroscopic and electrochemical properties. The excited state of the Ir(III) complexes have sufficient driving force to oxidize purines and to reduce pyrimidine nucleobases. Luminescence and EPR measurements of the Ir(III) complex with an unmodified dppz bound to DNA show the formation of a guanine radical upon irradiation, resulting from an oxidative photoinduced electron-transfer process. Evidence is also obtained indirectly for reductive photoinduced electron transfer from the excited complex to the thymine base in DNA. We have also utilized cyclopropylamine-substituted nucleosides as ultrafast kinetic traps to report transient charge occupancy in oligonucleotides when DNA is irradiated in the presence of noncovalently bound complexes. These experiments establish that the derivatized Ir(III) complexes, with photoactivation, can trigger the oxidation of guanine and the reduction of cytosine.

Synthesis and photoinitiated radical cyclization of allyl- and propynyloxymethyl substituted cyclopentanones to tetrahydrocyclopenta[ c]furanols

Bicyclic cyclopentafuranols were formed by photoinitiated radical cyclization of allyl- and propinyloxymethyl substituted cyclopentanones with high regioselectivity. The irradiations were carried out at a wavelength of 300 nm in aprotic solvents such as benzene and acetonitrile. We could also show that reductive photoinduced electron transfer (PET) of the propynyloxymethyl substituted cyclopentanone 5 does not lead to any cyclization. The starting materials were synthesized in good yields following known procedures.

Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation of a Biomimetic Artificial Photolyase Model

Two new artificial photolyase models that recognize pyrimidine dimers in protic and aprotic organic solvents as well as in water through a combination of charge and hydrogen-bonding interactions and use a mimic of the flavine to achieve repair through reductive photoinduced electron transfer are presented. Fluorescence and NMR titration studies show that it forms a 1:1 complex with pyrimidine dimers with binding constants of approximately 10(3) M(-1) in acetonitrile or methanol, while binding constants in water at pH 7.2 are slightly lower. Excitation of the complex with visible light leads to clean and rapid cycloreversion of the pyrimidine dimer through photoinduced electron transfer catalysis. The reaction in water is significantly faster than in organic solvents. The reaction slows down at higher conversions due to product inhibition.

Fluorescence quenching of flavin adenine dinucleotide in aqueous solution by pH dependent isomerisation and photo-induced electron transfer

Abstract The fluorescence behaviour of flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) in aqueous solution is investigated over a wide hydrogen ion range from pH=1 to pH=11.3. The accessible pH range is limited by room temperature hydrolysis of FAD to flavin-mononucleotide and adenosine-monophosphate at high and low pH. Fluorescence quantum distributions, fluorescence quantum yields, and fluorescence signal decays are measured. The results are compared with the pH dependence of riboflavin in aqueous solution. In the range from pH ≈ 4 to pH ≈ 9 the fluorescence quantum yield is approximately constant at φ F ≈0.033. Below pH=4 the fluorescence rises up to φ F ≈0.13 around pH=2.5 and then reduces similar as riboflavin. The fluorescence behaviour is discussed in terms of a two conformation system. In the range from pH ≈ 3.5 to pH ≈ 11 the stacked (closed) isoalloxazine–adenine conformation dominates over the un-stacked (open) conformation in the S 0 ground-state. At higher and lower pH the ground-state isomerisation equilibrium shifts towards un-stacked conformation dominance. S 1 state photo-isomerisation converts un-stacked molecules to stacked molecules, especially in the range from pH ≈ 3 to pH ≈ 11. The stacked molecules are practically non-fluorescent due to reductive photo-induced electron transfer from the adenine moiety to the isoalloxazine moiety.

Reductive PET-fragmentation–cyclization processes of bicyclo[ n.3.0]alkanones: synthesis of angular quasi-triquinane and propellane systems

Bicyclo[3.3.0]octanone and bicyclo[4.3.0]nonanone derivatives with a cyclopropane unit in the α-position and an unsaturated side chain in the γ-position of the carbonyl group undergo fragmentation–cyclization processes leading to quasi-triquinane systems upon reductive photoinduced electron transfer (PET). For example, the new angular triquinane derivative 6 and the new propellane derivative 12 were synthesized in one step from these starting materials in moderate to good yields.

Photoinduced Electron Transfer Reactions of alpha-Cyclopropyl- and alpha-Epoxy Ketones. Tandem Fragmentation-Cyclization to Bi-, Tri-, and Spirocyclic Ketones.

Reductive photoinduced electron transfer (PET) reactions have been performed with various bicyclic alpha-cyclopropyl-substituted ketones and tertiary amines. The reaction resulted in a regioselective cleavage of one cyclopropyl bond under formation of an exocyclic radical with an endocyclic enolate unit. In the case of bicyclic ketones with an unsaturated side chain, various bicyclic, spirocyclic, and tricyclic products are accessible via radical cyclization, depending on the position of the alkenyl substituent. In addition to triethylamine, N-silylated amines have also been used as electron donors, leading to a variety of compounds, among them are silylated fragmentation products, indicating that a proton is transferred from not only the amine radical cation but also the cationic silyl group. The intramolecular Paternó-Büchi reaction has also been studied for cyclopropane derivatives of the jasmone type leading to tetracyclic oxetanes. Finally, alpha-epoxy-substituted ketones have been investigated under PET conditions, yielding ring-opened products.

Charge transfer emissive singlet excited states and photoinduced electron transfer properties in the diarylideneacetone compounds (RCHCH)2CO; R = phenyl, 1- and 2-naphthyl, 3-(N-ethylcarbazoyl), and 4-(C5H5)Fe(C5H4C6H4CHCH(CO)CHCHC6H5)

Four diarylideneacetone compounds ((RCHCH)2CO, where the aryl groups are phenyl (dba), 1-naphthyl (1-dNapha), 2-naphthyl (2-dNapha), and 3-(N-ethylcarbazoyl) (dNECa)), and 4-(C5H5)Fe(C5H4C6H4CHCH(CO)CHCH(C6H5) (dba-Fc) have been prepared and characterized. The compounds are found to be fluorescent and photochemically and reversibly electrochemically active. The lowest-energy absorption bands for the diarylideneacetones are assigned to a charge transfer (CT) electronic transition, except for dba-Fc, in which a ferrocenyl ligand field transition assignment is made. The 77 K CT absorption and fluorescence bands are vibrationally structured (vibrational spacings = 1260–1360 cm−1). While the fluorescence decay at 293 K is monoexponential, the excited state fluorescence lifetimes (τF) for the 77 K samples exhibit double exponential decays, the short component being 0.38–0.64 ns and the long one 3.5–10.9 ns. The photophysical results are interpreted in terms of excited state deactivation processes dominated by radiationless pathways that are associated with the presence of fluorescent species with different geometries. Only the dNECa compound is found to be fluorescent in solution at 298 K [Formula: see text]. Cyclic voltammetry and coulometry measurements suggest that a reversible one-electron reduction process and an irreversible higher potential one-electron reduction process take place in the −1 to −2 V vs. SSCE range. In addition, dba-Fc also exhibits an electrochemically reversible one-electron oxidation wave at 0.52 V vs. SSCE centered at the ferrocenyl group. These results together with the spectroscopic electronic data have permitted evaluation of the reduction potentials of the lowest singlet (CT excited states (E1−/*);they range from 1.4 to 2.2 V vs. SSCE, with dba being the strongest photooxidizing agent and dNECa the weakest. Photoinduced intermolecular electron transfer reactions have been investigated by steady state fluorescence techniques and picosecond flash photolysis spectroscopy for dNECa and dba, respectively. The bimolecular deactivation rate constants, kq, for the reductive photoinduced electron transfer reactions of dNECa with diphenylamine (DPA) (kq = (2.65 ± 0.25) × 107 M−1 s−1) and N, N, N′, N′-tetramethylphenylenediamine (TMPM) (kq = (1.38 ± 0.03) × 108 M−1 s−1) have been obtained in THF solutions at 293 K. No fluorescence quenching is observed when oxidative and energy transfer quenchers are used with dNECa. For the non-emissive dba compound at room temperature, picosecond flash photolysis experiments show that quenching of the broad dba transient band (~500 nm) does indeed occur between 5 and 10 ns. Keywords: dibenzylideneacetone, charge transfer, photoelectron transfer.