Excited-State Dynamics in 4-[4'(Dimethylamino)styryl]pyridine, a Photobase: Role of Photoinitiated Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer.

The photoinitiated proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) process in photoacid-based adducts is predominantly governed by the evolution of the electron-proton transfer state. However, such a process is underexplored in the case of photobases as the excited states evolve through multiple competitive channels. Here, we elucidate the excited-state dynamics of a photobase, 4-[4'-(dimethylamino)styryl]pyridine (DMASP), in the presence of hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP) that enables PCET.

Phenylalanine stacking enhances the red fluorescence of biliverdin IXα on UV excitation in sandercyanin fluorescent protein.

Biliverdin IXα (BV) binds to several prokaryotic and eukaryotic proteins. How nature exploits the versatility of BV's properties is not fully understood. Unlike free BV, the Sandercyanin fluorescent protein bound to BV (SFP-BV) shows enhanced red fluorescence (675 nm) on excitation in the UV region (380 nm).

Intermolecular Hydrogen Bonding Controlled Intersystem Crossing Rates of Benzophenone.

Solvation plays a critical role in various physicochemical and biological processes. Here, the rate of intersystem crossing (ISC) of benzophenone from its S(nπ*) state to its triplet manifold of states is shown to be modified by hydrogen-bonding interactions with protic solvent molecules. We selectively photoexcite benzophenone with its carbonyl group either solvent coordinated or uncoordinated by tuning the excitation wavelength to the band center (λ = 340 nm) or the long-wavelength edge (λ = 380 nm) of its π* ← n absorption band.