Tautomerization of single asymmetric oxahemiporphycene molecules on Cu(111).

We have studied 22-oxahemiporphycene molecules by a combination of scanning tunneling microscopy at low temperatures and density functional theory calculations. In contrast to other molecular switches with typically two switching states, these molecules can in principle exist in three different tautomers, due to their asymmetry and three inequivalent binding positions of a hydrogen atom in their macrocycle. Different tautomers are identified from the typical appearance on the surface and tunneling electrons can be used to tautomerize single molecules in a controllable way with the highest rates if the STM tip is placed close to the hydrogen binding positions in the cavity.

Spectroscopic investigation of photophysics and tautomerism of amino- and nitroporphycenes.

Parent, unsubstituted porphycene and its two derivatives: 2,7,12,17-tetra--propylporphycene and 2,7,12,17-tetra--butylporphycene were substituted at the position with amino and nitro groups. These two families of porphycenes were characterized in detail with respect to their spectral, photophysical, and tautomeric properties. Two tautomers of similar energies coexist in the ground electronic state, but only one form dominates in the lowest excited singlet state.

Solving the Puzzle of Unusual Excited-State Proton Transfer in 2,5-Bis(6-methyl-2-benzoxazolyl)phenol.

2,5-Bis(6-methyl-2-benzoxazolyl)phenol () exhibits an ultrafast excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) when isolated in supersonic jets, whereas in condensed phases the phototautomerization is orders of magnitude slower. This unusual situation leads to nontypical photophysical characteristics: dual fluorescence is observed for in solution, whereas only a single emission, originating from the phototautomer, is detected for the ultracold isolated molecules. In order to understand the completely different behavior in the two regimes, detailed photophysical studies have been carried out.

Controlling Emissive Properties by Intramolecular Hydrogen Bonds: Alkyl and Aryl meso-Substituted Porphycenes.

Porphycene, a porphyrin isomer, is an efficient fluorophore. However, four-fold meso substitution with alkyl groups decreases the fluorescence quantum yield by orders of magnitude. For aryl substituents, this effect is small.

Fluorinated Porphycenes: Synthesis, Spectroscopy, Photophysics, and Tautomerism.

Six porphycenes have been synthesized, bearing one, two, or three fluorine atoms attached directly to the 18-π-electron system at the meso positions. These novel compounds have been characterized by structural, electrochemical, and spectral techniques, combined with quantum chemical calculations. In three fluoroporphycenes, the unsymmetric substitution pattern leads to the presence of two nonequivalent trans tautomeric forms.

Magnetic Circular Dichroism of -Phenyl-Substituted Pd-Octaethylporphyrins.

Absorption and magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectra have been measured and theoretically simulated for a series of palladium octaethylporphyrins substituted at the positions with phenyl groups ( = 0-4). Analysis of the spectra included the perimeter model and time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculations. With the increasing number of phenyl substituents, the molecule is transformed from a positive hard (ΔHOMO > ΔLUMO) to a soft (ΔHOMO ≈ ΔLUMO) chromophore.

2 + 2 Can Make Nearly a Thousand! Comparison of Di- and Tetra--Alkyl-Substituted Porphycenes.

Two porphycenes, substituted at the positions with two and four methyl groups, respectively, reveal similar absorption spectra, but their photophysical properties are completely different. 9,20-dimethylporphycene emits fluorescence with about 20% quantum yield, independent of the solvent. In contrast, fluorescence of 9,10,19,20-tetramethylporphycene is extremely weak in nonviscous solvents, but it can be recovered by placing the chromophore in a rigid environment.

Combined Picosecond Time-Resolved UV-Vis and NMR Techniques Used for Investigation of the Excited State Intramolecular Triplet-Triplet Energy Transfer.

The phenomenon of the intramolecular triplet-triplet (T-T) energy transfer observed for spiro[9,10-dihydro-9-oxoanthracene-10,2'-5',6'-benzindan] () molecule was investigated using stationary and time-resolved techniques in the UV/vis spectral region. The rate constant for energy transfer from anthrone chromophore to the triplet state localized on the naphthalene subunit of molecule is 2.8 × 10 s.

Antiaromatic or Nonaromatic? 2 H,6 H-2,6(2,5)-Dipyrrola-1,5(2,6)-dipyridinacyclooctaphane-3,7-diene: a Porphycene Derivative with 4 N π Electrons.

A porphycene-derived compound with a 20 π-electron skeleton has been obtained by replacing two pyrrolene units of porphycene by pyridine rings. NMR, electronic absorption and MCD spectra, and the lack of fluorescence are typical for 4 N cyclic π electron systems. The electronic structure and the differences with respect to porphycene can be rationalized by treating these compounds as perturbed, doubly positively charged [22]annulene and [20]annulene perimeters, respectively.

Supersonic jet spectroscopy of parent hemiporphycene: Structural assignment and vibrational analysis for S and S electronic states.

Hemiporphycene (HPc), a constitutional isomer of porphyrin, is studied under supersonic expansion conditions by means of laser-induced fluorescence, visible-visible hole-burning experiments, single vibronic level fluorescence techniques, and quantum chemical calculations. Only one form of jet-cooled HPc is observed, in contrast to solution studies that evidence a mixture of two tautomeric forms separated in energy by ∼1 kcal/mol. Reliable structural assignment is provided by simulating absorption and emission patterns at the density functional theory and time-dependent density functional theory levels of theory.

Two Macrocycles in One Shot: Synthesis, Spectroscopy, Photophysics, and Tautomerism of 23-Oxahemiporphycene and 21-Oxacorrole-5-carbaldehyde.

The synthesis of 23-oxahemiporphycene, the first monooxa analogue of hemiporphycene, a structural isomer of porphyrin, is reported. Its generation under McMurry reaction conditions is surprisingly accompanied by the appearance of a formyl derivative of oxacorrole, 21-oxacorrole-5-carbaldehyde. A mechanism for the formation of the latter is proposed, relying on pinacol rearrangement of titanium pinacolate.

Non-typical fluorescence studies of excited and ground state proton and hydrogen transfer.

Fluorescence studies of tautomerization have been carried out for various systems that exhibit single and double proton or hydrogen translocation in various environments, such as liquid and solid condensed phases, ultracold supersonic jets, and finally, polymer matrices with single emitters. We focus on less explored areas of application of fluorescence for tautomerization studies, using porphycene, a porphyrin isomer, as an example. Fluorescence anisotropy techniques allow investigations of self-exchange reactions, where the reactant and product are formally identical.

Parent, Unsubstituted Hemiporphycene: Synthesis and Properties.

Among seven possible nitrogen-in constitutional isomers of porphyrin only one, porphycene, has been obtained so far in the free, unsubstituted form. Herein, the synthesis of another isomer, parent hemiporphycene (HPc), and its thorough structural, spectral, photophysical, electrochemical, and theoretical characterization are reported. Most of the properties of HPc are intermediate between those of porphyrin and porphycene, as evidenced by the values of inner-cavity dimensions, orbital-energy splittings, absorption coefficients, magnetic circular dichroism parameters, NH-stretching frequencies, fluorescence quantum yields, tautomerization rates, and redox potentials.

Supersonic Jet Spectroscopy and Density Functional Theory Study of Isomeric Diazines: 1,4- and 1,8-Diazatriphenylene. Why Do They Differ So Deeply?

We report on laser-induced fluorescence excitation and dispersed fluorescence spectra of two isomeric compounds: 1,4- and 1,8-diazatriphenylene (1,4- and 1,8-DAT) isolated in supersonic molecular jets, and their 1:1 complexes with protic solvents. We found that the ground and excited state vibronic patterns of bare 1,4-DAT differ significantly from those of 1,8-DAT, and those of the complexes of both isomers. A marked activity of several out-of-plane vibrations in 1,4-DAT and the symptoms of the distortion of the S excited molecule were diagnosed from the vibronic spectra, whereas planar structures were predicted for 1,8-DAT in S and S states.

Solvent-Controlled Excited State Relaxation Path of 4-Acetyl-4'-(dimethylamino)biphenyl.

Stationary and picosecond time-resolved fluorescence (TRF) and absorption spectra were compared in different aprotic solvents at various temperatures for 4-acetyl-4'-(dimethylamino)biphenyl (ADAB). A large value of the excited state dipole moment, 18-25 D, was estimated from the plot of solvatochromic shift. TRF spectra of ADAB recorded as a function of solvent polarity and temperature show unusual temporal evolution (shift and decay) of the fluorescence bands.

Spectroscopic study of jet-cooled deuterated porphycenes: unusual isotopic effects on proton tunneling.

Porphycene (Pc) is a well-known model for studying double hydrogen transfer, which shows vibrational-mode-specific tunneling splitting when isolated in supersonic jets or helium nanodroplets. The effect of deuteration on tunneling splitting is reported for jet-cooled heterogeneous, deuterated Pc samples (Pc-d(mix)) with the prevailing contribution of Pc-d12 isotopologue. The sample introduced into the gas phase using laser desorption is studied by means of laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) and single vibronic level fluorescence (SVLF) measurements, in combination with quantum chemical calculations.

Tautomerism in porphycenes: analysis of rate-affecting factors.

Double hydrogen transfer occurring in both ground and the lowest electronically excited singlet states was studied for a series of 19 differently substituted porphycenes. The rates of tautomerization have been determined using femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy with polarized light. The values vary by over 3 orders of magnitude, suggesting the importance of tunneling.

Arresting consecutive steps of a photochromic reaction: studies of β-thioxoketones combining laser photolysis with NMR detection.

Photochromism of monothiodibenzoylmethane has been studied in a number of environments at different temperatures. Direct laser irradiation of a sample located in the NMR magnet allowed in situ monitoring of the phototransformation products, determining their structure, and measuring the kinetics of the back reaction. These observations, along with the data obtained using electronic and vibrational spectroscopies for rare gas matrix-isolated samples, glasses, polymers, and solutions, as well as the results of quantum-chemical calculations, provide insight into the stepwise mechanism of the photochromism in β-thioxoketones.

From ultrafast events to equilibrium--uncovering the unusual dynamics of ESIPT reaction: the case of dually fluorescent diethyl-2,5-(dibenzoxazolyl)-hydroquinone.

The excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) reaction of the dually fluorescent 2,5-diethyl-(dibenzoxazolyl)-hydroquinone (DE-BBHQ) was studied with several time resolved techniques. The complementary character of up-conversion and time correlated single photon counting methods was demonstrated. According to the up-conversion experiments, the primary excited dienol form transforms into the monoketo tautomer in a very efficient ultrafast (∼100 fs) proton transfer reaction.

Spectroscopy and photophysics of bifunctional proton donor-acceptor indole derivatives.

We report spectroscopic and photophysical studies of a series of selected indole derivatives in solutions and under supersonic jet isolation conditions. All the compounds can assume two rotameric forms, syn and anti. The bifunctional molecules containing both the hydrogen bond donor (indole NH group) and acceptor centers (oxygen, nitrogen, or sulfur atoms) located in separate moieties covalently linked by a single bond are compared with the compound that does not have any acceptor center, 2-(1H-pyrrol-2'-yl)-1H-indole.

Three modes of proton transfer in one chromophore: photoinduced tautomerization in 2-(1H-pyrazol-5-yl)pyridines, their dimers and alcohol complexes.

Studies of 2-(1H-pyrazol-5-yl)pyridine (PPP) and its derivatives 2-(4-methyl-1H-pyrazol-5-yl)pyridine (MPP) and 2-(3-bromo-1H-pyrazol-5-yl)pyridine (BPP) by stationary and time-resolved UV/Vis spectroscopic methods, and quantum chemical computations show that this class of compounds provides a rare example of molecules that exhibit three types of photoreactions: 1) excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) in the syn form of MPP, 2) excited-state intermolecular double-proton transfer (ESDPT) in the dimers of PPP in nonpolar media, as well as 3) solvent-assisted double-proton transfer in hydrogen-bonded 1:1 complexes of PPP and MPP with alcoholic partners. The excited-state processes are manifested by the appearance of a dual luminescence and a bimodal irreversible kinetic coupling of the two fluorescence bands. Ground-state syn-anti equilibria are detected and discussed.

Excited-state intramolecular proton transfer reaction modulated by low-frequency vibrations: an effect of an electron-donating substituent on the dually fluorescent bis-benzoxazole.

Excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) reaction has been studied in a molecule showing dual fluorescence, the 2,5-bis(2-benzoxazolyl)-4-methoxyphenol (BBMP), and its isotopomers, where the methoxy, and alternatively, the OH group has been deuterated. Attention is focused on the influence of electron donating OCH(3) substituent on fast excited state reaction. Comparison between the resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization spectrum and the laser-induced excitation of the primary and phototautomeric emissions has been done.

On the origin of fluorescence quenching of pyridylindoles by hydroxylic solvents.

Three isomeric 4'-pyridyl-substituted indoles, with the substituent in positions 2, 3 and 7, reveal strong fluorescence in aprotic solvents, both polar and nonpolar, whereas the emission is strongly quenched in water and alcohol solutions. Both viscosity and alcohol acidity play a role in efficient excited state deactivation. The process becomes faster for more acidic alcohols.

Structure and hydrogen-bond vibrations of water complexes of azaaromatic compounds: 7-(3'-pyridyl)indole.

Complexes with water have been studied in the regime of supersonic jet isolation for 7-(3'-pyridyl)indole, a bifunctional molecule possessing hydrogen bond donor and acceptor groups. Two rotameric forms, syn and anti, are possible, of which only the former is able to form cyclic hydrogen bonds with protic solvents. Infrared-induced ion depletion spectroscopy was used to obtain vibrational patterns for 1:1 and 1:2 complexes in the hydrogen bond stretching region.