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Symmetric quadrupolar molecules generally exhibit apolar ground states and dipolar excited states in a polar environment, which is explained by the excited state evolution from initial charge delocalization over all molecules to localization on one branch of the molecules after a femtosecond pulse excitation. However, direct observation of excited-state charge redistribution (delocalization/localization) is hardly accessible. Here, the intramolecular charge delocalization/localization character of a newly synthesized acceptor-donor-acceptor molecule (ADA) has been intensively investigated by femtosecond stimulated Raman scattering (FSRS) together with femtosecond transient absorption (fs-TA) spectroscopy. By tracking the excited state Raman spectra of the specific alkynyl (-C≡C-) bonds at each branch of ADA, we found that the nature of the relaxed S1 state is strongly governed by solvent polarity: symmetric delocalized intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) characters occurred in apolar solvent, whereas the asymmetric localized ICT characters appeared in polar solvent because of solvation. The solvation dynamics of ADA extracted from fs-TA is consistent with the time constants obtained by FSRS, but the FSRS clearly tracks the excited state intramolecular charge transfer delocalization/localization.

Epoxy resins are widely used due to their excellent physical and mechanical properties; however, their recycle and reprocessing remain challenging up to now. This problem may be solved by incorpora...

Two bismuth–organic network polymers were synthesized by means of a one-step polycondensation reaction between an aromatic dithiol/trithiol and triphenylbismuth. The materials were characterized by solid-state UV–vis spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, elemental microanalysis, and thermogravimetric analysis. Uniform dispersion of the hydrophobic and water-insoluble bismuth-containing polymers in aqueous media was achieved by the addition of 2 kDa poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether thiol. This enabled quantitative phantom imaging experiments on a clinical computed tomography (CT) scanner, which showed that the coordination polymers possessed strong CT contrast properties. The observed X-ray attenuation properties of each coordination polymer were correlated with its bismuth payload. The X-ray opacity, thermal and chemical stabilities, and aqueous dispersibility of this novel class of bismuth–organic materials make them potentially useful as biomedical CT contrast agents and radiopaque materials.