Promoting the "water-wire" mechanism of double proton transfer in [2,2'-bipyridyl]-3,3'-diol by porous gold nanoparticles

Effect of Microheterogeneity of Different Aqueous Binary Mixtures on the Proton Transfer Dynamics of [2,2'-Bipyridyl]-3,3'-diol: A Femtosecond Fluorescence Upconversion Study

In this article, we have investigated the excited-state intramolecular double proton transfer dynamics of [2,2'-bipyridyl]-3,3'-diol, BP(OH)₂, in three alcohol-water binary mixtures, namely, ethanol (EtOH)-water, n-propanol (PrOH)-water, tert-butyl alcohol (TBA)-water, and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)-water utilizing the femtosecond fluorescence upconversion technique. We have found that in alcohol-water binary mixtures the proton transfer (PT) pathway of BP(OH)₂ is sequential and the anomalous slowdown in PT dynamics is observed in mole fraction (χ) ranges χ_EtOH = 0.04-0.07, χ_EtOH = 0.23-0.28, χ_PrOH = 0.17-0.30, χ_TBA = 0.12-0.21, and χ_TBA = 0.40-0.46. Our study sheds light on the involvement of water network in the PT dynamics. Reduction in water accessibility due to the involvement of water molecules in cluster formation results in hindered PT dynamics, and this retardation is more for the TBA-water binary mixture compared to that for the other two mixtures. Additionally, we have found two anomalous regions for the DMSO-water binary mixture in ranges χ_DMSO = 0.12-0.16 and χ_DMSO = 0.26-0.34. However, most interestingly, beyond χ_DMSO = 0.40, we do not find any growth component in the femtosecond fluorescence upconversion trace, which may be due to the change in the PT mechanism from a sequential water-mediated pathway to a concerted intramolecular pathway.

Proton Transfer Pathways of 2,2'-Bipyridine-3,3'-diol in pH Responsive Fatty Acid Self-Assemblies: Multiwavelength Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging in a Single Vesicle

Fatty acids are known to form different supramolecular aggregates in aqueous solutions depending on the pH of the medium. The dynamics of the transformation of oleate micelles into oleic acid/oleate vesicles has been investigated using a pH-sensitive intramolecular proton transfer fluorophore, 2,2'-bipyridine-3,3'-diol [BP(OH)₂]. Different prototropic forms of BP(OH)₂ exist in different pH values of the system, and thus, the ground state and the excited state dynamics of BP(OH)₂ have been modulated in these confined media. The formation of different tautomeric forms of BP(OH)₂ in oleate micelles (at basic pH) is confirmed using time-resolved emission spectra and fluorescence anisotropy measurements. The hydrophobic environment provided by these assemblies reduces the water-assisted nonradiative decay channels and lengthens the fluorescence lifetime of BP(OH)₂. The rotational relaxation time in the micellar assembly is higher than that in the vesicle, which may be due to the higher microviscosity sensed by the fluorophore in the micelle. Besides, we have shown for the first time that BP(OH)₂ can be used as a membrane-bound fluorophore, using fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM). A broad distribution in the size of the vesicle is observed from the FLIM image. Further, we have used multiwavelength FLIM to collect the FLIM images of a single vesicle at different emission wavelengths, and the lifetime distribution obtained from the FLIM images at different emission wavelengths in a single vesicle correlates well with the lifetime values obtained from the ensemble average measurements in the bulk solution.