Microsolvation-Driven Hours-Long Spectral Dynamics in Phenoxazine Dyes.

The phenoxazine class of dyes has found widespread applications in chemistry and biology for more than a century, particularly for lipid membrane studies. Here, we report a general phenomenon on the ensemble spectral stability of traditional phenoxazine class of dyes (nile red, cresyl violet, and nile blue) that exhibit hours-long microstructural transitions reflected through systematic changes of electronic spectra over an hour. Mechanistic investigations reveal that such spectral dynamics of the dyes can be mitigated by tuning microenvironments, where microsolvation plays an underlying role.

Recovering true FRET efficiencies from smFRET investigations requires triplet state mitigation.

Single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (smFRET) methods employed to quantify time-dependent compositional and conformational changes within biomolecules require elevated illumination intensities to recover robust photon emission streams from individual fluorophores. Here we show that outside the weak-excitation limit, and in regimes where fluorophores must undergo many rapid cycles of excitation and relaxation, non-fluorescing, excitation-induced triplet states with lifetimes orders of magnitude longer lived than photon-emitting singlet states degrade photon emission streams from both donor and acceptor fluorophores resulting in illumination-intensity-dependent changes in FRET efficiency. These changes are not commonly taken into consideration; therefore, robust strategies to suppress excited state accumulations are required to recover accurate and precise FRET efficiency, and thus distance, estimates.

Leveraging Baird aromaticity for advancement of bioimaging applications.

In this perspective, we highlight the recent progress in utilizing Baird aromatic species to improve fluorophore performance in microscopy and imaging applications. We specifically focus on the origins of the use of Baird aromaticity in fluorescence applications, the development of “self‐healing” fluorophores leveraging cyclooctatetraene’ Baird aromaticity, and where developments need to occur to optimize this technology.

Resolving fluorescence signatures of a photoconvertible fluorophore by fluorescence spectroscopy and MCR-ALS-based combinatorial approach.

Photoconvertible fluorophores are important for a myriad of applications in chemistry and biology. Here, we spectrally resolve and quantify individual photophysical information of a dual-emitting photoconvertible fluorophore by fluorescence spectroscopy and multivariate curve resolution-alternate least square techniques. We found that the reactant fluorophore, which shows a weak locally excited (LE) emission and a dominant intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) emission, also exhibits an intermolecular charge transfer emission.

Single-molecule FRET imaging of GPCR dimers in living cells.

Class C G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are known to form stable homodimers or heterodimers critical for function, but the oligomeric status of class A and B receptors, which constitute >90% of all GPCRs, remains hotly debated. Single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (smFRET) is a powerful approach with the potential to reveal valuable insights into GPCR organization but has rarely been used in living cells to study protein systems. Here, we report generally applicable methods for using smFRET to detect and track transmembrane proteins diffusing within the plasma membrane of mammalian cells.

Quantitative comparison between sub-millisecond time resolution single-molecule FRET measurements and 10-second molecular simulations of a biosensor protein.

Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations seek to provide atomic-level insights into conformationally dynamic biological systems at experimentally relevant time resolutions, such as those afforded by single-molecule fluorescence measurements. However, limitations in the time scales of MD simulations and the time resolution of single-molecule measurements have challenged efforts to obtain overlapping temporal regimes required for close quantitative comparisons. Achieving such overlap has the potential to provide novel theories, hypotheses, and interpretations that can inform idealized experimental designs that maximize the detection of the desired reaction coordinate.

Tuning the Baird aromatic triplet-state energy of cyclooctatetraene to maximize the self-healing mechanism in organic fluorophores.

Bright, photostable, and nontoxic fluorescent contrast agents are critical for biological imaging. "Self-healing" dyes, in which triplet states are intramolecularly quenched, enable fluorescence imaging by increasing fluorophore brightness and longevity, while simultaneously reducing the generation of reactive oxygen species that promote phototoxicity. Here, we systematically examine the self-healing mechanism in cyanine-class organic fluorophores spanning the visible spectrum.

Photophysical Impact of Diacetylenic Conjugation on Classical Donor-Acceptor Electronic Energy Pair.

Organic fluorophores with extended π-conjugation are important for their widespread applications. The present work provides photophysical insights into a diacetylene bridged classical donor-acceptor electronic energy pair, naphthalene-pyrene, in comparison with its constituents' molecular structures, naphthyl and pyrenyl acetylenes, as well as parent naphthalene and pyrene chromophores. The diacetylenic dye loses the individual spectral identities of the donor and acceptor fluorophores exhibiting a locally excited (LE) emission (∼411 nm) from the overall molecular entity with high fluorescence quantum yields (0.

Photoinduced intramolecular charge transfer in a cross-conjugated push-pull enediyne: implications toward photoreaction.

Push-pull organic fluorophores are important owing to their interesting optoelectronical properties. Here we report the photophysics of a new cross-conjugated push-pull enediynyl dye which belongs to an unexplored class of π-conjugated donor-acceptor systems. Two N,N-dimethylaniline moieties serve as donors and one pyrene ring functions as an acceptor via a common Y-shaped 'enediyne' bridge which facilitates the cross-electronic communication.

Photophysics and peripheral ring size dependent aggregate emission of cross-conjugated enediynes: applications to white light emission and vapor sensing.

Photophysical understanding of organic fluorophores with π-conjugated scaffolds is crucial as such dyes are central to optoelectronic applications. This work presents a detailed photophysical investigation of a class of cross-conjugated homo- and hetero-enediynes (Y-shaped) peripherally attached to common aromatic moieties such as benzene, naphthalene, and anthracene. The cross-communicated electronic communication among the three aromatic units located at the tri-poles of the Y-shaped enediynes results in a broad S → S absorption band and locally excited (LE) emission signals.

White Light Emission in Butadiyne Bridged Pyrene-Phenyl Hybrid Fluorophore: Understanding the Photophysical Importance of Diyne Spacer and Utilizing the Excited-State Photophysics for Vapor Detection.

Generation of white light emission (WLE) from a single organic fluorophore is challenging because of the need to get fluorescence covering the visible region (400-700 nm) upon excitation of the dye at near-ultraviolet wavelength. Herein, we report WLE from a butadiyne bridged pyrene-phenyl hybrid fluorophore in mixed-aqueous solvents as well as in polymer film matrices. The ability of the butadiynyl dye to emit from multiple excited states such as locally excited (LE; 400-500 nm), aggregate (excimer type; 475-600 nm), and charge transfer (CT; 500-750 nm) states spanning the emission almost throughout the visible range has made the generation of the white light to be possible.

Photophysics of Diphenylbutadiynes in Water, Acetonitrile-Water, and Acetonitrile Solvent Systems: Application to Single Component White Light Emission.

Diacetylenes have been the subject of current research because of their interesting optoelectronic properties. Herein, we report that substituted diphenylbutadiynes exhibit locally excited (LE) and excimer emissions in water and multiple emissions from the LE, excimer, and intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) states in acetonitrile-water solvent systems. The LE, excimer, and ICT emissions are clearly distinguishable for a diphenylbutadiynyl derivative with push (-NMe2)-pull (-CN) substituents and those are closely overlapped for non-push-pull analogues.

Contrasting Solid-State Fluorescence of Diynes with Small and Large Aryl Substituents: Crystal Packing Dependence and Stimuli-Responsive Fluorescence Switching.

There has been a significant current interest in solid state luminescence of organic molecules and their stimuli responsive fluorescence switching behavior. Although small organic derivatives with olefinic, acetylenic, phenylenevinylenic, phenyleneethynylenic spacers are widely documented as solid state emitters in the literature, the solid state photophysics of organic derivatives with "butadiyne" spacer still remains unexplored. We provide detailed investigation on the solid state fluorescence properties of a series of butadiynyl fluorophores.

On the photophysics of butadiyne bridged pyrene-phenyl molecular conjugates: multiple emissive pathways through locally excited, intramolecular charge transfer and excimer states.

The present work describes the photophysical properties of a group of butadiyne bridged pyrene-phenyl molecular hybrids having different substitutions with varying donor and acceptor abilities. In addition to emission from the locally excited (LE) state originating from the pyrene moiety, intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) emissions were observed in molecules with donor-acceptor character. The positions of the ICT emission maxima varied over a wide range of wavelengths (475-600 nm).

Meta effect of absorption energy in donor-acceptor substituted benzenoids: a computational study of its dependence on acceptor strength, solvent polarity, and conjugation length.

The present work focuses on theoretical understanding of electronic absorption energies of N,N-dimethylaniline with different ortho-, meta-, and para-substituted acceptor groups. The meta isomers exhibit the lowest absorption energy compared to the ortho and para derivatives. This unusual behavior of absorption energies of the meta isomers is related to the "meta effect" well-known in organic photochemical reactions.

Substituted diphenyl butadiynes: a computational study of geometries and electronic transitions using DFT/TD-DFT.

This work is aimed at theoretical understanding of electronic absorption and emission energies of a series of substituted diphenyl butadiynes through an assessment of several TDDFT functionals and a detailed study of solvent effects on their ground and excited state structures and properties. Out of a series of functionals examined, the coulomb attenuated DFT functional CAM-B3LYP is found to be most successful in predicting charge transfer absorption and emission energies of such derivatives. However, TDDFT potential energy surfaces obtained from hybrid functionals such as B3LYP and PBE0 are found to give a good description of the stability of locally excited (LE) and intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) states as a function of torsional angle, for the butadiynyl fluorophores.

Deciphering the photophysical role of conjugated diyne in butadiynyl fluorophores: synthesis, photophysical and theoretical study.

The present work focuses on the current interest in diyne bridged chromophores necessitating a clearer understanding of the photophysics of such molecules. The significance of the diyne moiety in the photophysics has been investigated by synthesizing simple substituted diphenyl butadiynyl derivatives following a quick and efficient microwave assisted Eglinton coupling of terminal alkynes. Emission of the fluorophores is observed from the usual locally excited (LE) state and intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) state.