Intermolecular exciplex formation between pyrene derivatives and 1,2-dimethylindole

The magic of biaryl linkers: the electronic coupling through them defines the propensity for excited-state symmetry breaking in quadrupolar acceptor-donor-acceptor fluorophores

Charge transfer (CT) is key for molecular photonics, governing the optical properties of chromophores comprising electron-rich and electron-deficient components. In photoexcited dyes with an acceptor-donor-acceptor or donor-acceptor-donor architecture, CT breaks their quadrupolar symmetry and yields dipolar structures manifesting pronounced solvatochromism. Herein, we explore the effects of electronic coupling through biaryl linkers on the excited-state symmetry breaking of such hybrid dyes composed of an electron-rich core, i.e., 1,4-dihydropyrrolo[3,2-b]pyrrole (DHPP), and pyrene substituents that can act as electron acceptors. Experimental and theoretical studies reveal that strengthening the donor-acceptor electronic coupling decreases the CT rates and the propensity for symmetry breaking. We ascribe this unexpected result to effects of electronic coupling on the CT thermodynamics, which in its turn affects the CT kinetics. In cases of intermediate electronic coupling, the pyrene-DHPP conjugates produce fluorescence spectra, spreading over the whole visible range, that in addition to the broad CT emission, show bands from the radiative deactivation of the locally excited states of the donor and the acceptors. Because the radiative deactivation of the low-lying CT states is distinctly slow, fluorescence from upper locally excited states emerge leading to the observed anti-Kasha behaviour. As a result, these dyes exhibit white fluorescence. In addition to demonstrating the multifaceted nature of the effects of electronic coupling on CT dynamics, these chromophores can act as broad-band light sources with practical importance for imaging and photonics.

Exciplex formation between a pair of synthesized AIEgens leads to white light generation: a spectroscopic exploration

Compounds BIMP and ECPA show aggregation promoted ESIPT and AIE emissions, respectively. The BIMP–ECPA ensemble behaves as a white light emitter through exciplex formation.

Miscibility of Itraconazole-Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose Blends: Insights with High Resolution Analytical Methodologies

Drug-polymer miscibility is considered to be a prerequisite to achieve an optimally performing amorphous solid dispersion (ASD). Unfortunately, it can be challenging to evaluate drug-polymer miscibility experimentally. The aim of this study was to investigate the miscibility of ASDs of itraconazole (ITZ) and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) using a variety of analytical approaches. The phase behavior of ITZ-HPMC films prepared by solvent evaporation was studied before and after heating. Conventional methodology for miscibility determination, that is, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), was used in conjunction with emerging analytical techniques, such as fluorescence spectroscopy, fluorescence imaging, and atomic force microscopy coupled with nanoscale infrared spectroscopy and nanothermal analysis (AFM-nanoIR-nanoTA). DSC results showed a single glass transition event for systems with 10% to 50% drug loading, suggesting that the ASDs were miscible, whereas phase separation was observed for all of the films based on the other techniques. The AFM-coupled techniques indicated that the phase separation occurred at the submicron scale. When the films were heated, it was observed that the ASD components underwent mixing. The results provide new insights into the phase behavior of itraconazole-HPMC dispersions and suggest that the emerging analytical techniques discussed herein are promising for the characterization of miscibility and microstructure in drug-polymer systems. The observed differences in the phase behavior in films prepared by solvent evaporation before and after heating also have implications for processing routes and suggest that spray drying/solvent evaporation and hot melt extrusion/melt mixing can result in ASDs with varying extent of miscibility between the drug and the polymer.

Bimodal Exciplex Formation in Bimolecular Photoinduced Electron Transfer Revealed by Ultrafast Time-Resolved Infrared Absorption

The dynamics of a moderately exergonic photoinduced charge separation has been investigated by ultrafast time-resolved infrared absorption with the dimethylanthracene/phthalonitrile donor/acceptor pair in solvents covering a broad range of polarity. A distinct spectral signature of an exciplex could be identified in the -C≡N stretching region. On the basis of quantum chemistry calculations, the 4-5 times larger width of this band compared to those of the ions and of the locally excited donor bands is explained by a dynamic distribution of exciplex geometry with different mutual orientations and distances of the constituents and, thus, with varying charge-transfer character. Although spectrally similar, two types of exciplexes could be distinguished by their dynamics: short-lived, "tight", exciplexes generated upon static quenching and longer-lived, "loose", exciplexes formed upon dynamic quenching in parallel with ion pairs. Tight exciplexes were observed in all solvents, except in the least polar diethyl ether where quenching is slower than diffusion. The product distribution of the dynamic quenching depends strongly on the solvent polarity: whereas no significant loose exciplex population could be detected in acetonitrile, both exciplex and ion pair are generated in less polar solvents, with the relative population of exciplex increasing with decreasing solvent polarity. These results are compared with those reported previously with donor/acceptor pairs in different driving force regimes to obtain a comprehensive picture of the role of the exciplexes in bimolecular photoinduced charge separation.

Chiral protein scissors activated by light: recognition and protein photocleavage by a new pyrenyl probe

Strong chiral discrimination and site-selective photocleavage of two model proteins, lysozyme and bovine serum albumin (BSA), by new pyrenyl probes are reported here. The enantiomeric pyrenyl probes D-phenylalanine-1(1-pyrene)methylamide (PMA- D-Phe) and L-phenylalanine-1(1-pyrene)methylamide (PMA- l-Phe) were synthesized by coupling the carboxyl function of D-phenylalanine or L-phenylalanine with the amino group of 1(1-pyrene)methylamine. Binding affinities of the two enantiomers with the proteins were quantitated in absorption titrations. BSA indicated 10-fold selectivity for PMA- D-Phe, and the binding constants for the L- and D-enantiomers were 3.8 x 10(5) and 4.0 x 10(6) M(-1), respectively. Lysozyme, similarly, indicated a 6-fold preference for PMA- D-Phe with binding constants of 3.3 x 10 (5) and 2.0 x 10(6) M(-1) for the L- and D-isomers, respectively. Such strong chiral discrimination illustrates the key role of the chiral center of the probe (Phe) in the binding interactions. The enantiomers were tested to examine how the chiral discrimination for their binding influences reactivity toward protein photocleavage. Irradiation of the probe-protein complexes, at 342 nm in the presence of hexammine cobalt(III) chloride, resulted in the cleavage of the protein backbone. Photocleavage did not proceed in the dark or in the absence of the pyrenyl probes. Both enantiomers indicated low reactivity with BSA (<5% yield), while large photocleavage yields ( approximately 57%) have been noted with lysozyme. This lysozyme photocleavage yield is a significant improvement over previous reports. However, both enantiomers cleaved lysozyme at the same location between Trp108-Val109, despite the strong chiral selectivity for binding. H-atom abstraction from Trp 108, accessible from the active site cleft, could initiate the observed peptide bond cleavage.

Photoinduced electron transfer in alpha-helical polypeptides: dependence on conformation and electron donor-acceptor distance

Long distance electron transfer in proteins is a multiple-pathway process whose kinetics is modulated by the dynamics of flexible peptide chains. Such complexity can be observed even in relatively simple systems, eg. donor bridge acceptor, where the bridge is a polypeptide alpha-helix. We have investigated a series of 24-residue helical polypeptides that exist as monomers in water alcohol media. The principal chromophore and electron acceptor, a pyrene moiety, is connected to the N-terminus via a flexible linker. The electron donor, a tryptophan residue, was placed various distances away from the pyrene-labeled terminus. Time-resolved emission spectroscopy, associated with the fluorescent pendant, pyrene, was employed to study the photoinduced electron-transfer kinetics for the polypeptide analogs. Mechanisms involving only through-bond pathways could not account for the pattern of measured fast charge-separation rates. When the electron donor was placed far enough from the acceptor (i.e. at least six residues apart), a decrease in the electron-transfer rates with the donor acceptor distance was observed. The emission decays for polypeptides with the electron donor exhibited complex behavior and could not be fit using a single-exponential function. For the treatment of the time-resolved data, a multi-exponential model was developed that is based on the assumption of a Gaussian distribution of the classical electronic coupling beta values among the conformers responsible for the observed electron-transfer processes. This approach proved to be informative because, in addition to the mean values of the electron-transfer rate constants, the widths of the distributions of these rates illustrate the size of the conformational space explored by the flexible chains that provide pathways for electron transfer.

Magnetic field effect on indole exciplexes: a comparative study

A comparative magnetic field effect (MFE) study was done on indole exciplexes with various acceptors, anthracene, pyrene, all-s-trans-1,4-diphenylbuta-1,3-diene and 9-cyanophenanthrene. A surprisingly low magnetic field effect was detected for the 9-cyanophenanthrene exciplexes and was correlated with exciplex geometry. The wavelength dependence of magnetic field effect confirms the presence of single charge-transfer complex for all the exciplexes with 1,2-dimethylindole.

Fate of excited probes in micellar systems

This article presents studies on the photophysical and photochemical behavior of probes within micellar systems: organized emulsifier/polymer aggregates; the intra- and interpolymer association of amphiphilic polymers; monomer-swollen micelles (microdroplets); and the interfacial layer. Pyrene (Py) as a probe is particularly attractive because of its ability to measure the polarity of its microenvironment. Dipyme yields information on the microviscosity of micellar systems. Probes such as laurdan and prodan can be used to explore the surface characteristics of micelles or microdroplets. The dansyl group has a special photophysical property that gives information about the local polarity and mobility (viscosity) of the microenvironment. The organized association of amphiphilic polymer and emulsifier introduces a heterogeneity in the local concentration of the reactants. This heterogeneity also results from the attractive interaction between hydrophilic monomer and emulsifier in the case when the monomer carries a positive charge and the counterpart a negative one, and vice versa. Some emulsifiers can bind to the amphiphilic copolymers by simple partitioning between the aqueous phase and the polymer--non-cooperative association. The interaction between micelles (microdroplets) and charged polymers leads to the formation of mixed micelles. Binding emulsifiers to these polymers was detected at emulsifier concentrations much below the critical micellar concentration (CMC). Emulsifiers often interact cooperatively with polymers at the critical aggregation concentration (CAC) below the CMC, forming micelle-like aggregates within the polymer. The CAC can be taken as a measure of interaction between the emulsifier and polymer. A decrease in the monomer fluorescence intensity of probe-labeled polymer results from increased excimer formation, or higher aggregates within the unimolecular polymeric micelles. An increase in the monomer fluorescence intensity of probe-labeled polymer within the micellar system can be ascribed to shielding of the probe chromophores by emulsifier micelles. The quenching of probe emission by (un)charged hydrophilic monomer depends on partitioning of the monomer between the aqueous phase and the micelles. Penetration of reactants into the interfacial layer determines the quenching of the hydrophobic probe by hydrophilic quencher, or vice versa. Quenching depends on the thickness, density and charge of the interfacial layer. Compartmentalization prevents the carbonyl compound and unsaturated monomer from coming into sufficiently close contact to allow singlet or triplet-monomer interaction. All negatively charged carbonyl probe molecules are quenched with significantly lower rates than the parent neutral hydrophobic benzophenone molecules, which were located further inside the aggregates. This results from the different conformation and allocation of reactants within the micellar system. In the reverse micelles, quenching depends on the amount of water in the interfacial layer and the total area of the water/oil interface.

Blue-fluorescent antibodies

The forte of catalytic antibodies has resided in the control of the ground-state reaction coordinate. A principle and method are now described in which antibodies can direct the outcome of photophysical and photochemical events that take place on excited-state potential energy surfaces. The key component is a chemically reactive optical sensor that provides a direct report of the dynamic interplay between protein and ligand at the active site. To illustrate the concept, we used a trans-stilbene hapten to elicit a panel of monoclonal antibodies that displayed a range of fluorescent spectral behavior when bound to a trans-stilbene substrate. Several antibodies yielded a blue fluorescence indicative of an excited-state complex or "exciplex" between trans-stilbene and the antibody. The antibodies controlled the isomerization coordinate of trans-stilbene and dynamically coupled this manifold with an active-site residue. A step was taken toward the use of antibody-based photochemical sensors for diagnostic and clinical applications.

Influence of Polarity and Viscosity of the Micellar Interface on the Fluorescence Quenching of Pyrenic Compounds by Indole Derivatives in AOT Reverse Micelles Solutions

The fluorescence quenching of the pyrene derivatives (4-(1-pyrenyl)butyl) trimethylammonium bromide (PBTMA), (1-(1-pyrenyl)methyl) trimethylammonium iodide (PMTMA), and 1-pyrene sulfonic acid (PSA) by indole methyl substituted in positions 1 and 2, tryptophan and tryptamine, was studied in AOT/heptane reverse micelles as a function of R = [water]/[AOT]. In these systems the pyrenic probes are associated to the micellar interface. Bulk and intramicellar quenching rate constants were determined for neutral indoles. The quenching rate constants of PBTMA by indole or 1,2-dimethylindole increase with R, whereas for those for PMTMA or PSA by indole the increment is much smaller. For the quenchers, tryptophan and tryptamine, that are bound to the interface of the reverse micelle, the bimolecular intramicellar quenching rate constant is much lower than in water. The results can be explained by a high microviscosity of the interface, and a micropolarity similar to that sensed by other probes. Moreover, the observed trend in the rate constants when R is varied is in line with the reported changes in micropolarity and microviscosity. Laser flash photolysis experiments show that in these systems the main result of the quenching process is the formation of the excited triplet of the probe. Copyright 1998 Academic Press.