Synthetic, Optical and Theoretical Study of Alternating Ethylenedioxythiophene-Pyridine Oligomers: Evolution from Planar Conjugated to Helicoidal Structure towards a Chiral Configuration.

A series of alternating 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene-alkynylpyridine oligomers (DA) with increased solubility are synthesized and their photophysical properties and nonlinear optical properties are investigated. Their quadratic polarizabilities are determined from hyper-Rayleigh scattering experiments to obtain information on their conformations in solution. These chromophores, based on the alternation of electron-rich (D) and electron-deficient (A) moieties, exhibit optical properties that arise from the combination of dipolar and helicoidal features in the (DA) homologue series where n=1-4.

From graftable biphotonic chromophores to water-soluble organic nanodots for biophotonics: the importance of environmental effects.

The photophysical and two-photon absorption (TPA) properties of biphotonic chromophores with one or two phenol pendant units were studied and compared with that of a model biphotonic quadrupolar chromophore. A water-soluble dendritic structure was then synthesized by using the pendant moieties as starting points for the construction of dendritic branches. We show that the polarity of the environment significantly modulates both the fluorescence and the TPA responses of the different chromophoric derivatives.

Simultaneous control of emission localization and two-photon absorption efficiency in dissymmetrical chromophores.

The aim of the present work is to demonstrate that combined spatial tuning of fluorescence and two-photon absorption (TPA) properties of multipolar chromophores can be achieved by introduction of slight electronic chemical dissymmetry. In that perspective, two model series of structurally related chromophores have been designed and investigated. One is based on rod-like quadrupolar chromophores bearing either two identical or different electron-donating (D) end groups and the other on three-branched octupolar chromophores built from a trigonal donating moiety bearing identical or different acceptor (A) peripheral groups.

Novel chromophores from alternated pyridine-ethylenedioxythiophene unit oligomers: dramatic enhancement of photoluminescence properties in elongated derivatives.

Novel chromophores based on the alternation of electron-poor (pyridyl) and electron-rich (ethylenedioxythienyl) heterocycles were synthesized for the first time and shown to exhibit attractive optical properties in relation with their specific electronic and geometrical (coiled structure) features.

The synthesis and one- and two-photon optical properties of dipolar, quadrupolar and octupolar donor-acceptor molecules containing dimesitylboryl groups.

Two series of related donor-acceptor conjugated dipolar, pseudo-quadrupolar (V-shaped) and octupolar molecular systems based on the p-dimesitylborylphenylethynylaniline core, namely, 4-(4-dimesitylborylphenylethynyl)-N,N-dimethylaniline, 4-[4-(4-dimesitylborylphenylethynyl)phenylethynyl]-N,N-dimethylaniline, 3,6-bis(4-dimesitylborylphenylethynyl)-N-n-butylcarbazole and tris[4-(4-dimesitylborylphenylethynyl)phenyl]amine, and on the E-p-dimesitylborylethenylaniline motif, namely, E-4-dimesitylborylethenyl-N,N-di(4-tolyl)aniline, 3,6-bis(E-dimesitylborylethenyl)-N-n-butylcarbazole and tris(E-4-dimesitylborylethenylphenyl)amine have been synthesised by palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling and hydroboration routes, respectively. Their absorption and emission maxima, fluorescence lifetimes and quantum yields have been obtained and their two-photon absorption (TPA) spectra and TPA cross-sections have been examined. Of these systems, the octupolar compound tris(E-4-dimesitylborylethenylphenyl)amine has been shown to exhibit the largest TPA cross-section among the two series of approximately 1000 GM at 740 nm.

Quenching of molecular fluorescence on the surface of monolayer-protected gold nanoparticles investigated using place exchange equilibria.

The insertion of fluorescently labeled thiols into the protecting self-assembled monolayer on the surface of gold nanoparticles through place exchange reactions and the effects of this insertion on the photophysical properties of the fluorophores are investigated. Analysis of solution-phase fluorescence data using a dynamic equilibrium model yields the equilibrium constant for the place exchange equilibrium, as well as the relative fluorescence brightness of the fluorophores on the particle surface. In all cases we find a significant quenching of the fluorescence, and potential reasons for this quenching are discussed.

Charge instability in quadrupolar chromophores: symmetry breaking and solvatochromism.

We present a joint theoretical and experimental work aimed to understand the spectroscopic behavior of multipolar dyes of interest for nonlinear optics (NLO) applications. In particular, we focus on the occurrence of broken-symmetry states in quadrupolar organic dyes and their spectroscopic consequences. To gain a unified description, we have developed a model based on a few-state description of the charge-transfer processes characterizing the low-energy physics of these systems.

Synthesis, fluorescence, and two-photon absorption of a series of elongated rodlike and banana-shaped quadrupolar fluorophores: a comprehensive study of structure-property relationships.

An extensive series of push-push and pull-pull derivatives was prepared from the symmetrical functionalization of an ambivalent core with conjugated rods made from arylene-vinylene or arylene-ethynylene building blocks, bearing different acceptor or donor end-groups. Their absorption and photoluminescence, as well as their two-photon-absorption (TPA) properties in the near infrared (NIR) region, were systematically investigated to derive structure-property relationships and to lay the guidelines for both spectral tuning and amplification of molecular TPA in the target region. Whatever the nature of the core or of the connectors, push-push systems were found to be more efficient than pull-pull systems, and planarization of the core (fluorene versus biphenyl) always leads to an increase in the TPA cross sections.

Enhanced two-photon absorption with novel octupolar propeller-shaped fluorophores derived from triphenylamine.

[structure: see text] Novel octupolar fluorophores derived from the symmetrical functionalization of a triphenylamine core with strong acceptor peripheral groups via phenylene-ethynylene linkers have been synthesized and shown to exhibit high fluorescence quantum yields, very large TPA cross-sections in the red-NIR region, and suitable photostability.