Single-molecule detection of a terrylenediimide-based near-infrared emitter.

Environment-sensitive fluorescent agents with near-infrared (NIR) emission are in great demand owing to their applications in biomedical and quantum technologies. We report a novel NIR absorbing ( = 734 nm) and emitting ( = 814 nm) terrylenediimide (TDI) based donor-acceptor chromophore (TDI-TPA), exhibiting polarity-sensitive single-photon emission. By virtue of the charge transfer (CT) character, ensemble level measurements revealed solvatochromism and NIR emission ( = 26.

Exploring the influence of graphene on antiaromaticity of pentalene.

Theoretical investigations on the influence of graphene fragments on the antiaromaticity of pentalene are conducted by employing multiple aromaticity descriptors based on magnetic, geometric and electronic criteria. NICS as a sole descriptor for analysing the antiaromaticity of pentalene on graphene fragments has to be carefully considered while looking through the other aromaticity indicators.

Colloidal Solutions as Advanced Coatings for Active Packaging Development: Focus on PLA Systems.

Due to rising consumer demand the food packaging industry is turning increasingly to packaging materials that offer active functions. This is achieved by incorporating active compounds into the basic packaging materials. However, it is currently believed that adding active compounds as a coating over the base packaging material is more beneficial than adding them in bulk or in pouches, as this helps to maintain the physicochemical properties of the base material along with higher efficiency at the interface with the food.

Photoresponsive Carbon-Azobenzene Hybrids: A Promising Material for Energy Devices.

Advancements in renewable energy technology have been a hot topic in the field of photoresponsive materials for a sustainable community. Organic compounds that function as photoswitches is being researched and developed for use in a variety of energy storage systems. Azobenzene photoswitches can be used to store and release solar energy in solar thermal fuels.

Structural and physico-chemical evaluation of melatonin and its solution-state excited properties, with emphasis on its binding with novel coronavirus proteins.

Melatonin is a natural hormone from the pineal gland that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. We examined the structure and physico-chemical properties of melatonin using electronic structure methods and molecular-mechanics tools. Density functional theory (DFT) was used to optimise the ground-state geometry of the molecule from frontier molecular orbitals, which were analysed using the B3LYP functional.

Access to the triplet excited states of organic chromophores.

Over the last several decades, exploring the pathways to access the triplet excited states of organic chromophores has been a stimulating area of research. Among the numerous photoinduced processes in organic chromophores, analysis of intersystem crossing (ISC) dynamics has received immense attention. The ISC process involves a spin-forbidden horizontal transition from an excited singlet state to a higher vibrational level of the isoenergetic triplet state.

Spectroscopic and TDDFT investigation of highly selective fluoride sensors by substituted acyl hydrazones.

In this work, we report the synthesis of two receptors for fluoride ions based on acyl hydrazone, such as N'-[(1Z)-1-(4-fluorophenyl)ethylidene]benzohydrazide (R1) and N'-[(1Z)-1-(2-hydroxyphenyl)ethylidene]benzohydrazide (R2). The receptors R1 and R2 were synthesized from the corresponding ketones and benzoic acid hydrazide and characterized spectroscopically by UV-visible, IR and HNMR techniques. The response of R1 and R2 towards different anions was studied colourimetrically in acetonitrile.

Core-Shell Nanofibrous Scaffold Based on Polycaprolactone-Silk Fibroin Emulsion Electrospinning for Tissue Engineering Applications.

The vast domain of regenerative medicine comprises complex interactions between specific cells' extracellular matrix (ECM) towards intracellular matrix formation, its secretion, and modulation of tissue as a whole. In this domain, engineering scaffold utilizing biomaterials along with cells towards formation of living tissues is of immense importance especially for bridging the existing gap of late; nanostructures are offering promising capability of mechano-biological response needed for tissue regeneration. Materials are selected for scaffold fabrication by considering both the mechanical integrity and bioactivity cues they offer.