Spin-orbit Charge Transfer Intersystem Crossing Research Articles

Cationized orthogonal triad as a photosensitizer with enhanced synergistic antimicrobial activity

Single-molecule-based synergistic phototherapy holds great potential for antimicrobial treatment. Herein, we report an orthogonal molecular cationization strategy to improve the reactive oxygen species (ROS) and hyperthermia generation of heptamethine cyanine (Cy7) for photodynamic and photothermal treatments of bacterial infections. Cationic pyridine (Py) is introduced at the meso‑position of the asymmetric Cy7 with intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) to construct an atypical electron-transfer triad, which reduces ΔES1-S0, circumvents rapid charge recombination, and simultaneously enhances intersystem crossing (ISC) based on spin-orbit charge-transfer ISC (SOCT-ISC) mechanism. This unique molecular construction produces anti-Stokes luminescence (ASL) because the rotatable CN bond enriched in high vibrational-rotational energy levels improves hot-band absorption (HBA) efficiency. The obtained triad exhibits higher singlet oxygen quantum yield and photothermal conversion efficiency compared to indocyanine green (ICG) under irradiation above 800 nm. Cationization with Py enables the triad to target bacteria via intense electrostatic attractions, as well as biocidal property against a broad spectrum of bacteria in the dark. Moreover, the triad under irradiation can enhance biofilm eradication performance in vitro and statistically improve healing efficacy of MRSA-infected wound in mice. Thus, this work provides a simple but effective strategy to design small-molecule photosensitizers for synergistic phototherapy of bacterial infections. Statement of SignificanceWe developed an orthogonal molecular cationization strategy to enhance the reactive oxygen species and thermal effects of heptamethine cyanine (Cy7) for photodynamic and photothermal treatments of bacterial infections. Specifically, cationic pyridine (Py) was introduced at the meso‑position of the asymmetric Cy7 to construct an atypical electron-transfer triad, which reduced ΔES1-S0, circumvented rapid charge recombination, and simultaneously enhanced intersystem crossing (ISC). This triad, with a rotatable CN bond, produced anti-Stokes luminescence due to hot-band absorption. The triad enhanced antimicrobial performance and statistically improved the healing efficacy of MRSA-infected wounds in mice. This site-specific cationization strategy may provide insights into the design of small molecule-based photosensitizers for synergistic phototherapy of bacterial infections.

Solvent and alkyl substitution effects on charge-transfer mediated triplet state generation in BODIPY dyads: a combined computational and experimental study

Donor–acceptor dyads based on BODIPYs have been recently employed to enhance the formation of triplet excited states with the process of spin–orbit charge transfer intersystem crossing (SOCT-ISC) which does not require introduction of transition metals or other heavy atoms into the molecule. In this work we compare two donor–acceptor dyads based on meso-naphthalenyl BODIPY by combining experimental and computational investigations. The photophysical and electrochemical characterization reveals a significant effect of alkylation of the BODIPY core, disfavoring the SOCT-ISC mechanism for the ethylated BODIPY dyad. This is complemented with a computational investigation carried out to rationalize the influence of ethyl substituents and solvent effects on the electronic structure and efficiency of triplet state population via charge recombination (CR) from the photoinduced electron transfer (PeT) generated charge-transfer (CT) state. Time dependent-density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations including solvent effects and spin–orbit coupling (SOC) calculations uncover the combined role played by solvent and alkyl substitution on the lateral positions of BODIPY.Graphical abstract

Substitution effects on the photoinduced excited state dynamics of perylenemonoimides in solution and thin films.

Perylene monoimide (PMI) derivatives are attracting significant attention due to their strong absorption in the visible range, thermal stability, and synthetic accessibility. These properties make them promising for application in various areas such as optoelectronic devices, photosensitizers, etc. In this work, the photophysical properties and excited state dynamics of four different PMI derivatives (PMIB, BrPMITB, PMITB, and APITB) were studied in solution and thin films utilizing steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopic techniques. Among the four PMI derivatives, APITB is designed as a donor-acceptor dyad, with thianthrene as a donor and PMI as an acceptor. The activation of the triplet state through the spin-orbit charge transfer intersystem crossing (SOCT-ISC) process in THF was observed upon substitution with the thianthrene group at the peri position of the PMI moiety. The SOCT-ISC process facilitates triplet formation in the APITB dyad within 423 ps. Meanwhile, other PMI derivatives showed fluorescence within the femtosecond timescale in THF. The PMI derivatives in thin films displayed different photo physical properties to those in THF. This discrepancy arises due to the effective intermolecular coupling between the PMI derivatives in thin films.

Heavy-atom-free orthogonal configurative dye 1,7-di-anthra-aza-BODIPY for singlet oxygen generation

Spin-orbit, charge-transfer intersystem crossing (SOCT-ISC) can directly overcome the disadvantages of the traditional heavy-atom effect and improve the generation efficiency of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Since orthogonal molecular orbitals of donor-acceptor (D-A) pairs favor the SOCT-ISC transition, herein aza-borondipyrromethenes (aza-BODIPYs) with 1,7-di-anthracyl groups (An-azaBDP) was successfully prepared, owing to steric hindrance to produce a big dihedral angle between the two molecular orbital (MO) planes. Moreover, according to density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT), the energy difference between the S1-T1 orbitals of An-azaBDP is small and more inclined towards ISC. An-azaBDP can effectively generate singlet oxygen under light irradiation. An-azaBDP with light irradiation can induce apoptosis in SW620 cells, and can serve as a potential candidate for the treatment of cancer cells and tumors.

Ambient Phosphor with High Efficiency and Long Lifetime in Poly(Methyl Methacrylate) Through Charge-Transfer-Mediated Triplet Exciton Formation for Photolithography Applications.

Currently, purely organic compounds showing ambient phosphorescence with high efficiency (ΦP ) and ultra-long lifetime (τP ) are quite rare and often need to be achieved in hydrophilic poly(vinyl alcohol)-based hosts. This severely limits their applications. Here, we provide a solution to this issue by constructing an ortho-linked donor-acceptor (D-A) dyad whose D moiety has not only a long-lived T1 state to achieve a long τP , but also a Tn state that is close to the S1 state of the dyad to trigger effective spin-orbit charge transfer intersystem crossing (SOCT-ISC). The rationality of this strategy was validated by a new phosphor OF-BCz that is able to show a τP of 1.92 s and a ΦP of 30 % even in a less rigid matrix of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). Excitingly, OF-BCz exhibited its potential as both a photocuring initiator and an in situ quality indicator, allowing for the visual detection of defects in photolithographic patterning.

Ambient Phosphor with High Efficiency and Long Lifetime in Poly(Methyl Methacrylate) Through Charge‐Transfer‐Mediated Triplet Exciton Formation for Photolithography Applications

AbstractCurrently, purely organic compounds showing ambient phosphorescence with high efficiency (ΦP) and ultra‐long lifetime (τP) are quite rare and often need to be achieved in hydrophilic poly(vinyl alcohol)‐based hosts. This severely limits their applications. Here, we provide a solution to this issue by constructing an ortho‐linked donor‐acceptor (D−A) dyad whose D moiety has not only a long‐lived T1 state to achieve a long τP, but also a Tn state that is close to the S1 state of the dyad to trigger effective spin‐orbit charge transfer intersystem crossing (SOCT‐ISC). The rationality of this strategy was validated by a new phosphor OF‐BCz that is able to show a τP of 1.92 s and a ΦP of 30 % even in a less rigid matrix of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). Excitingly, OF‐BCz exhibited its potential as both a photocuring initiator and an in situ quality indicator, allowing for the visual detection of defects in photolithographic patterning.

Efficient Spin-Orbit Charge-Transfer Intersystem Crossing and Slow Intramolecular Triplet-Triplet Energy Transfer in Bodipy-Perylenebisimide Compact Dyads and Triads.

Bodipy (BDP)-perylenebisimide (PBI) donor-acceptor dyads/triad were prepared to study the spin-orbit charge-transfer intersystem crossing (SOCT-ISC). For BDP-PBI-3, in which BDP was attached at the imide position of PBI, higher singlet oxygen quantum yield (ΦΔ =85 %) was observed than the bay-substituted derivative BDP-PBI-1 (ΦΔ =30 %). Femtosecond transient absorption spectra indicate slow Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET; 40.4 ps) and charge separation (CS; 1.55 ns) in BDP-PBI-3, while for BDP-PBI-1, CS takes 2.8 ps. For triad BDP-PBI-2, ultrafast FRET (149 fs) and CS (4.7 ps) process were observed, the subsequent charge recombination (CR) takes 5.8 ns and long-lived 3 PBI* (179.8 μs) state is populated. Nanosecond transient absorption spectra of BDP-PBI-3 show that the CR gives upper triplet excited state (3 BDP*) and subsequently, via a slow intramolecular triplet energy transfer (14.5 μs), the 3 PBI* state is finally populated, indicating that upper triplet state is involved in SOCT-ISC. Time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed that both radical pair ISC (RP ISC) and SOCT-ISC contribute to the ISC. A rare electron spin polarization of (e, e, e, e, e, e) was observed for the triplet state formed via the RP ISC mechanism, due to the S-T+1 /T0 states mixing.

Triplet Formation and Triplet‐Triplet Annihilation Upconversion in Iodine Substituted Non‐Orthogonal BODIPY‐Perylene Dyads

AbstractBODIPY‐perylene dyads have emerged as useful metal free sensitizers for triplet‐triplet annihilation upconversion (TTAUC), these dyads are capable of efficient triplet generation via spin‐orbit charge transfer intersystem crossing (SOCT‐ISC). This important route to triplet formation requires dyads in which two moieties are oriented perpendicular to each other. In this contribution, we give a deeper insight on the behavior of recently reported BODIPY‐perylene dyads, where BODIPY‐perylene dihedral exhibits a non‐orthogonal dyad geometry. The intersystem crossing of BODIPY‐perylene dyads with and without iodine are investigated using femtosecond transient absorption (fs‐TA) and nanosecond transient absorption (ns‐TA) spectroscopy. The concurrent decay of the singlet charge transfer state (1CT) and rise of triplet states in both the iodinated and non‐iodinated dyads confirms the SOCT‐ISC as the main intersystem crossing pathway despite the altered geometry of the dyads. The presence of an iodine atom on the BODIPY‐moiety enables intersystem crossing 2.6‐times faster and provides a higher triplet yield with respect to dyad without iodine. The upconversion quantum yield ( ) is 8.4‐times higher in the sample containing iodinated dyad as sensitizer and perylene as annihilator. The triplet‐triplet energy transfer rate (kTTET) is ~8×108 M−1 s−1 for both iodinated and non‐iodinated sensitizer containing TTAUC systems in 1,4‐dioxane.

Highly Efficient Photosensitizers with Molecular Vibrational Torsion for Cancer Photodynamic Therapy.

The development of highly effective photosensitizers (PSs) for photodynamic therapy remains a great challenge at present. Most PSs rely on the heavy-atom effect or the spin-orbit charge-transfer intersystem crossing (SOCT-ISC) effect to promote ISC, which brings about additional cytotoxicity, and the latter is susceptible to the interference of solvent environment. Herein, an immanent universal property named photoinduced molecular vibrational torsion (PVT)-enhanced spin-orbit coupling (PVT-SOC) in PSs has been first revealed. PVT is verified to be a widespread intrinsic property of quinoid cyanine (QCy) dyes that occurs on an extremely short time scale (10-10 s) and can be captured by transient spectra. The PVT property can provide reinforced SOC as the occurrence of ISC predicted by the El Sayed rules (1ππ*-3nπ*), which ensures efficient photosensitization ability for QCy dyes. Hence, QTCy7-Ac exhibited the highest singlet oxygen yield (13-fold higher than that of TCy7) and lossless fluorescence quantum yield (ΦF) under near-infrared (NIR) irradiation. The preeminent photochemical properties accompanied by high biosecurity enable it to effectively perform photoablation in solid tumors. The revelation of this property supplies a new route for constructing high-performance PSs for achieving enhanced cancer phototherapy.

Electron transfer and intersystem crossing in the coumarin-anthracene electron donor-acceptor dyads

A series of compact coumarin (Cou)-anthracene (An) electron donor-acceptor dyads were prepared, in which the two units are directly connected at either 2- or 9- position of the An unit and the 3-position of the Cou unit to study the relationship between the molecular configuration, electronic coupling and the intersystem crossing (ISC) efficiency. Single crystal X-ray diffraction results indicate that the dihedral angles are 88.0° and 85.7°, respectively, in the dyads, in which the donor and acceptor are connected by 9- position of the An unit (Cou-9An and Cou-9AnCN). However, for Cou-2An the optimized ground state geometry indicates a more coplanar configuration with a dihedral angle of 38.6°. The solvent polarity-dependent singlet oxygen quantum yields (ΦΔ) of the orthogonal dyads (Cou-9An and Cou-9AnCN) are 39% (in acetonitrile) and 64% (in dichloromethane), respectively. whereas ΦΔ is negligible for the coplanar dyad (Cou-2An). These results indicated that orthogonal geometry is beneficial to spin−orbit charge transfer ISC (SOCT-ISC) mechanism. Nanosecond transient absorption spectra demonstrated that the lowest triplet state was mainly localized on An unit in Cou-9An and Cou-9AnCN, with the intrinsic triplet state lifetime of 234 and 207 μs, respectively. Triplet state delocalization was observed for Cou-2An, which prolongs the triplet state lifetime to 742 μs. Femtosecond transient absorption spectra results indicated fast charge separation (CS, 0.36−0.41 ps) and slow charge recombination (CR, 2.1−2.8 ns) in the orthogonal dyads. Time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance (TREPR) spectra further confirmed the SOCT-ISC mechanism in the orthogonal dyads (Cou-9An and Cou-9AnCN), however, the SOCT-ISC and spin orbit ISC (SO-ISC) mechanism are both responsible for the triplet state formation in the coplanar dyad (Cou-2An). Electron spin polarization (ESP) pattern of the triplet state TREPR spectra of Cou-9An and Cou-9AnCN is (a,e,a,e,a,e), however, ESP phase pattern of (e,a,e,a,e,a) and (e,e,e,a,a,a) were observed for the two triplet states required for the simulation of the TREPR spectrum of Cou-2An, which indicated that ESP patterns of triplet state not only depend on the molecular geometry, but also on the structure of the electron donor and acceptor.

BODIPY-Perylene Charge Transfer Compounds; Sensitizers for Triplet-Triplet Annihilation Up-conversion.

BODIPY heterochromophores, asymmetrically substituted with perylene and/or iodine at the 2 and 6 positions were prepared and investigated as sensitizers for triplet-triplet annihilation up conversion (TTA-UC). Single-crystal X-ray crystallographic analyses show that the torsion angle between BODIPY and perylene units lie between 73.54 and 74.51, though they are not orthogonal. Both compounds show intense, charge transfer absorption and emission profiles, confirmed by resonance Raman spectroscopy and consistent with DFT calculations. The emission quantum yield was solvent dependent but the emission profile remained characteristic of CT transition across all solvents explored. Both BODIPY derivatives were found to be effective sensitizers of TTA-UC with perylene annihilator in dioxane and DMSO. Intense anti-Stokes emission was observed, and visible by eye from these solvents. Conversely, no TTA-UC was observed from the other solvents explored, including from non-polar solvents such as toluene and hexane that yielded brightest fluorescence from the BODIPY derivatives. In dioxane, the power density plots obtained were strongly consistent with TTA-UC and the power density threshold, the Ith value (the photon flux at which 50 % of ΦTTAUC is achieved), for B2PI was observed to be 2.5x lower than of B2P under optimal conditions, an effect ascribed to the combined influence of spin-orbit charge transfer intersystem crossing (SOCT-ISC) and heavy metal on the triplet state formation for B2PI.

A novel heavy-atom-free lysosome-targeted BODIPY as triplet photosensitizer based on SOCT-ISC mechanism for photodynamic therapy

As important organelles in biological cells, lysosomes are closely associated with cell signaling, necrosis and apoptosis. Herein, we report a novel lysosome-targeted boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) photosensitizer, Lyso-BDP, which has the advantage of lower side effects and higher phototoxicity for 4T1 cells in photodynamic therapy (PDT). Lyso-BDP possesses the lysosomal targeting treatment through the production of the singlet oxygen under the light excitation at 600 nm. We combine the anthracenyl group and BODIPY to form a D-A binary compound. The orthogonal configuration is confirmed by density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT). The molecular orbitals and the energies of the triplet state explain the spin-orbit charge transfer inter-system crossing (SOCT-ISC) mechanism. Due to SOCT-ISC mechanism, Lyso-BDP has the high singlet oxygen (1O2) quantum yield of 62% in DCM without heavy atoms. In this way, the dark toxicity of photosensitizer can be reduced. Meanwhile, the 1O2 ″afterglow” can be achieved to enhance the phototherapeutic effect because of the anthracene group. Compared to classical photosensitizers, Lyso-BDP shows the low half maximum inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 2.5 μM for 4T1 cells in vitro cytotoxicity assays. Therefore, this work provides a strategy to solve the problem of high cellular dark toxicity and no organelle targeting of classical photosensitizers.

Spin-orbit charge-transfer intersystem crossing in heavy-atom-free orthogonal covalent boron-dipyrromethene heterodimers.

Boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY) derivatives are prospective organic-based triplet photosensitizers. Since the triplet generation yield of the parent BODIPY is low, heavy atoms are widely used to improve the triplet yield. However, the dimerization of BODIPYs can also significantly improve their ability to produce triplets. Through a comparative study of the triplet formation dynamics of two heavy-atom-free orthogonal covalent BODIPY heterodimers that differ in their dihedral angles, we have demonstrated that the mechanism of spin-orbit charge-transfer intersystem crossing (SOCT-ISC) promotes the triplet generation of BODIPY heterodimers in solution. Different from the general understanding of SOCT-ISC, the heterodimer with a smaller dihedral angle and low structural rigidity showed better triplet generation due to (a) the stronger inter-chromophoric interaction in the heterodimer, which promoted the formation of a solvent-stabilized charge-transfer (CT) state, (b) the more favorable energy level alignment with sizeable spin-orbit coupling strength, and (c) the balance between the stabilized singlet CT state and limited direct charge recombination to the ground state in a weakly polar solvent. The complete spectral characterization of the triplet formation dynamics clarified the SOCT-ISC mechanism and important factors affecting the triplet generation in BODIPY heterodimers.

A type I and II compatible vinyl-pyridine modified BODIPY dimer photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy in A-549 cells.

In this paper, the vinyl-pyridine group was used to modify the BODIPY dimer photosensitizer (T-BDP2) to obtain a VP-BDP2 photosensitizer. Compared with the T-BDP2 photosensitizer, the VP-BDP2 photosensitizer could work under pure water conditions, the singlet oxygen yield was increased from 9.38% to 22.2%, the charge transfer rate was increased from about 30 ps to about 10 ps, and the red emission was enhanced in fluorescence imaging. In addition, the VP-BDP2 photosensitizer could also generate the superoxide radical (O2˙-) under pure water conditions. The ROS generation mechanism of the VP-BDP2 photosensitizer was considered to be the spin-orbit charge-transfer intersystem crossing (SOCT-ISC) mechanism, which was verified by fs-transient absorption spectra and theoretical calculation. In the photodynamic therapy of A-549 cells, the VP-BDP2 photosensitizers could generate singlet oxygen and superoxide radicals (O2˙-) under biological conditions, and showed high phototoxicity with the IC50 value at 12.1 μM under light at 525 nm. Additionally, the multiple dipolar configuration meant that the VP-BDP2 photosensitizer could be used in two-photon fluorescence zebrafish imaging under 800 nm excitation, which sets the stage for future two-photon photodynamic therapy.

Recent Development of Heavy Atom-Free Triplet Photosensitizers for Photodynamic Therapy

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an attractive method for cancer treatment. Triplet photosensitizers (PSs) are critical for this method; upon photoexcitation, efficient intersystem crossing (ISC) occurs for triplet PSs, the triplet-excited state of the triplet PSs is populated, then via intermolecular triplet energy transfer, the O2, in triplet-spin multiplicity at ground state, is sensitized to the singlet-excited state, i.e., singlet oxygen (1O2) is produced. This strong reactive oxygen species (ROS) will oxidize the biomolecules in the tumor tissue. Thus, the design of novel triplet PSs as efficient PDT agents is vital. In this review article, we will introduce the recent development of the heavy atom-free triplet PSs used for PDT, including those based on spin-orbit charge transfer ISC (SOCT-ISC), twisting of the π-conjugation framework-induced ISC, radical enhanced ISC, and thionated carbonyl-induced ISC. The ISC mechanisms and molecular structure design rationales are discussed. The less studied electron spin selectivity of the ISC of the triplet PSs is also introduced. This information is helpful for the future design of new efficient triplet PSs for PDT.

Mechanism of Ultrafast Triplet Exciton Formation in Single Cocrystals of π-Stacked Electron Donors and Acceptors.

Ultrafast triplet formation in donor-acceptor (D-A) systems typically occurs by spin-orbit charge-transfer intersystem crossing (SOCT-ISC), which requires a significant orbital angular momentum change and is thus usually observed when the adjacent π systems of D and A are orthogonal; however, the results presented here show that subnanosecond triplet formation occurs in a series of D-A cocrystals that form one-dimensional cofacial π stacks. Using ultrafast transient absorption microscopy, photoexcitation of D-A single cocrystals, where D is coronene (Cor) or pyrene (Pyr) and A is N,N-bis(3'-pentyl)-perylene-3,4:9,10-bis(dicarboximide) (C5PDI) or naphthalene-1,4:5,8-tetracarboxydianhydride (NDA), results in formation of the charge transfer (CT) excitons Cor•+-C5PDI•-, Pyr•+-C5PDI•-, Cor•+-NDA•-, and Pyr•+-NDA•- in <300 fs, while triplet exciton formation occurs in τ = 125, 106, 484, and 958 ps, respectively. TDDFT calculations show that the SOCT-ISC rates correlate with charge delocalization in the CT exciton state. In addition, time-resolved EPR spectroscopy shows that Cor•+-C5PDI•- and Pyr•+-C5PDI•- recombine to form localized 3*C5PDI excitons with zero-field splittings of |D| = 1170 and 1250 MHz, respectively. In contrast, Cor•+-NDA•- and Pyr•+-NDA•- give triplet excitons in which |D| is only 1240 and 690 MHz, respectively, compared to that of NDA (2091 MHz), which is the lowest energy localized triplet exciton, indicating that the Cor-NDA and Pyr-NDA triplet excitons have significant CT character. These results show that charge delocalization in CT excitons impacts both ultrafast triplet formation as well as the CT character of the resultant triplet states.

Charge Separation/Recombination, Intersystem Crossing, and Unusually Slow Intramolecular Triplet-Triplet Energy Transfer in Naphthalenediimide-Anthracene Compact Energy Donor-Acceptor Dyads.

Three anthracene (An)-naphthalenediimide (NDI) compact electron donor-acceptor dyads were prepared. Femtosecond transient absorption (fs-TA) spectra show fast charge separation (ca. 0.9-1.7 ps) and relatively slow charge recombination (ca. 8-565 ps) upon photoexcitation; moreover, the 3An state was observed for 9-An-NDI, whereas the final state is 3NDI for both 9-An-Ph-NDI and 2-An-Ph-NDI, which have an intervening phenyl linker between the An and NDI units. Nanosecond transient absorption (ns-TA) spectra indicate that the lowest triplet state of all the dyads is 3An, with triplet lifetimes of 139-354 μs. An unusually slow intramolecular triplet-triplet energy transfer (TTET) was observed for 9-An-Ph-NDI and 2-An-Ph-NDI (32-85 ns). Time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance (TREPR) spectroscopy confirms that the intersystem crossing (ISC) mechanism is spin orbit charge transfer ISC (SOCT-ISC) for all the dyads; for 9-An-NDI, only the 3An state was observed, while for the other two dyads, both 3NDI and 3An states were observed, with their relative population changing with increasing delay time, which supports TTET.

An Approach to Developing Cyanines with Upconverted Photosensitive Efficiency Enhancement for Highly Efficient NIR Tumor Phototheranostics.

Upconverted reactive oxygen species (ROS) photosensitization with one-photon excitation mode is a promising tactic to elongate the excitation wavelengths of photosensitive dyes to near-infrared (NIR) light region without the requirement of coherent high-intensity light sources. However, the photosensitization efficiencies are still finite by the unilateral improvement of excited-state intersystem crossing (ISC) via heavy-atom-effect, since the upconverted efficiency also plays a decisive role in upconverted photosensitization. Herein, a NIR light initiated one-photon upconversion heavy-atom-free small molecule system is reported. The meso-rotatable anthracene in pentamethine cyanine (Cy5) is demonstrated to enrich the populations in high vibrational-rotational energy levels and subsequently improve the hot-band absorption (HBA) efficiency. Moreover, the spin-orbit charge transfer intersystem crossing (SOCT-ISC) caused by electron donated anthracene can further amplify the triplet yield. Benefiting from the above two aspects, the 1 O2 generation significantly increases with over 2-fold improved performance compared with heavy-atom-modified method under upconverted light excitation, which obtains efficient in vivo phototheranostic results and provides new opportunities for other applications such as photocatalysis and fine chemical synthesis.

Spiro rhodamine-coumarin compact electron donor-acceptor dyads: synthesis and spin-orbit charge transfer intersystem crossing.

We prepared spiro rhodamine (RB)-coumarin (Cou) compact electron donor-acceptor dyads (RB-Cou-CF3 and RB-Cou-CN), to study the charge transfer (CT) and spin-orbit CT intersystem crossing (SOCT-ISC). The π-conjugation planes of the rhodamine and coumarin units in both dyads are in nearly orthogonal geometry (dihedral angle: 86.3°). CT state emission was observed for RB-Cou-CF3 (at 550nm) and RB-Cou-CN (at 595nm). Although the fluorescence of the pristine coumarin units (fluorescence quantum yields ΦF = 59%) was quenched in the dyads (ΦF = 0.5 ~ 1.1% in n-hexane), the triplet state quantum yields of the dyads are also low (singlet oxygen quantum yield, ΦΔ = 2.3-7.5% in n-hexane). Nanosecond transient absorption spectra show that the 3Cou* state was formed, which shows a triplet state lifetime of 11-15.6μs. The proposed photophysical path for the dyads is as follows: RB-1Cou* → RB+•-Cou-• → RB-3Cou*. The low SOCT-ISC yield is attributed to the slightly lower charge-transfer state energy (1.94eV in toluene) as compared to the 3Cou* state energy (2.23eV) and the shallow potential energy curve (PEC) at energy minima of the dyads. This work indicates that orthogonal conformation of donor-acceptor units is inadequate for achieving efficient SOCT-ISC. These results are useful for studying charge separation and intersystem crossing of electron donor/acceptor dyads.

Naphthalimide-Carbazole Compact Electron Donor-Acceptor Dyads: Effect of Molecular Geometry and Electron-Donating Capacity on the Spin-Orbit Charge Transfer Intersystem Crossing.

We prepared a series of naphthalimide (NI)-carbazole (Cz) compact electron donor-acceptor dyads showing different substitution positions, C-N/C-C linkers, and conformation restriction magnitudes to study the spin-orbit charge transfer intersystem crossing (SOCT-ISC). The varied conformation restrictions lead to different dihedral angles between the donor and acceptor (37°-81°) and electronic coupling magnitude (matrix elements V: 1290-3070 cm-1). Based on the comparison between the dyads containing C-N and C-C linkers, we found that a large dihedral angle between the donor and acceptor is favorable to efficient SOCT-ISC. For one dyad, the singlet oxygen quantum yield (ΦΔ) is up to 84.4% (in dichloromethane), which is much higher than that of the previously reported NI-phenothiazine (PTZ) analogue dyad (ΦΔ = 16.0% in n-hexane). The intrinsic triplet state lifetime (τT) is 270 μs, longer than that accessed by the heavy atom effect (75.2 μs). As compared with the NI-PTZ analogue dyad, the Cz unit in the current dyads is a weaker electron donor than PTZ. Thus, a higher CT state energy in NI-Cz dyads was observed, which makes the SOCT-ISC efficient in solvents with a wide range of polarities. Meanwhile, the localized triplet state (3LE) becomes the lowest-lying state in the NI-Cz dyads, which is different from the triplet charge transfer (3CT) state observed in the analogue NI-PTZ dyad. Moreover, the large energy gap between the CT and 3LE states inhibits the reverse ISC; as a result, no thermally activated delayed fluorescence was observed for the current NI-Cz dyads.