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Molecular photoswitches capable of generating precise pH changes will allow pH-dependent processes to be controlled remotely and noninvasively with light. We introduce a series of new merocyanine photoswitches, which deliver reversible bulk pH changes up to 3.2 pH units (pH 6.5 to pH 3.3) upon irradiation with 450 nm light, displaying tunable and predictable timescales for thermal recovery. We present models to show that the key parameters for optimizing the bulk pH changes are measurable: the solubility of the photoswitch, the acidity of the merocyanine form, the thermal equilibrium position between the spiropyran and the merocyanine isomers, and the increased acidity under visible light irradiation. Using ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy, we determined the quantum yields for the ring-closing reaction and found that the lifetimes of the transient cis-merocyanine isomers ranged from 30 to 550 ns. Quantum yields did not appear to be a limitation for bulk pH switching. The models we present use experimentally determined parameters and are, in principle, able to predict the change in pH obtained for any related merocyanine photoacid.

A water soluble diarylethene (DAE) derivative that displays exceptionally intense fluorescence from the colorless open form has been synthesized and characterized using UV/vis spectroscopy and fluorescence microscopy. We show that the bright emission from the open form can be rapidly switched using amplitude modulated red light, that is, by light at wavelengths longer than those absorbed by the fluorescent species. This is highly appealing in any context where undesired background fluorescence disturbs the measurement, e.g., the autofluorescence commonly observed in fluorescence microscopy. We show that this scheme is conveniently applicable using lock-in detection, and that robust amplitude modulation of the probe fluorescence is indeed possible also in cell studies using fluorescence microscopy., A water soluble diarylethene derivative displaying exceptionally bright fluorescence in the open isomeric form has been used for emission amplitude-modulation. We apply this scheme in fluorescence microscopy, aiming to suppress undesired background.

Molecular photoswitches capable of generating pH changes with precision will allow pH-dependent processes to be controlled remotely and non-invasively with light. We introduce a series of new spiropyran photoswitches, delivering reversible bulk pH changes up to 3.2 pH units (pH 6.5 to pH 3.3) upon irradiation with 450 nm light, displaying tunable and predictable timescales for thermal recovery. We present models to show that the key parameters for optimizing the bulk pH changes are measurable: the solubility of the photoswitch, the acidity of the merocyanine form influenced by the thermal equilibrium position between the spiropyran and the merocyanine isomers, and the increased acidity under visible light irradiation. Using ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy, we determine quantum yields for the ring closing reaction and observe the lifetime of the transient cis-merocyanine isomer ranging from 30 to 550 ns. Quantum yields did not appear to be a limitation of bulk pH switching. The models we present use experimentally determined parameters and are, in principle, able to predict the change in pH obtained for any related spiropyran photoacid.

On-command changes in the emission color of functional materials is a sought-after property in many contexts. Of particular interest are systems using light as the external trigger to induce the color changes. Here we report on a tri-component cocktail consisting of a fluorescent donor molecule and two photochromic acceptor molecules encapsulated in polymer micelles and we show that the color of the emitted fluorescence can be continuously changed from blue-to-green and from blue-to-red upon selective light-induced isomerization of the photochromic acceptors to the fluorescent forms. Interestingly, isomerization of both acceptors to different degrees allows for the generation of all emission colors within the red-green-blue (RGB) color system. The function relies on orthogonally controlled FRET reactions between the blue emitting donor and the green and red emitting acceptors, respectively., Stimuli-responsive multicolor luminescent materials typically react on external triggers of physical nature, but photonically controlled systems which allow for remote operation were not realized. Here the authors use light as the stimulus of a responsive luminescent material which eliminates the need for physical access.

International audience; The binding of donor-acceptor Stenhouse adducts (DASAs) bearing hydrogenbond recognition groups by Hamilton-type receptors significantly influenced their photoswitching properties by altering thermal barriers to isomerization. The thermal barrier between the most stable linear isomer and the photo-generated isomer is lowered on binding to a receptor, and this barrier is crucial for switching properties. The thermal isomerization was shown to proceed via a stepwise linear-enol-keto mechanism in DMSO where the barrier to tautomerisation is within 2 kJ•mol-1 of that of the rate-determining step, which may be important for analyzing switching properties.

The photo- and acidochromic properties of a new generation norbornadiene derivative have been harnessed for the realization of a three-input keypad lock, where a specific sequence of inputs induces a unique output. Reversible quadricyclane/norbornadiene photoisomerization is reported, and this rare feature allows the first example of a norbornadiene-based molecular logic system. The function of this system is clearly rationalized in terms of the interconversion scheme and the absorption spectra of the involved species.

A series of photochromic diarylmaleimide derivatives has been synthesized and studied with respect to the photochromic properties in aqueous solution. The main rationale is to investigate if these compounds could be used as photoswitchable units in biological contexts, motivated by the fact that the diarylmaleimide structural motif is identified in many pharmacophores. Thus, photoswitchable variants of this class of compounds could be very useful in the quest for photoactivatable drugs. The photoinduced cyclization reaction (colorization) is suppressed in solvents of high polarity, whereas the ring-opening reaction (decolorization) still occurs with high efficiency. The photochromically active anti-parallel conformer of the open form is more abundant in the asymmetrically substituted derivatives, which in turn favors the formation of the closed isomeric form. The rates of the thermal isomerization reactions have also been assessed, together with the resistance toward thermal degradation. Here it was observed that the maleimide derived compounds were not susceptible to the thermally driven reactions (hydrolysis and isomerization).

Photochromic molecules undergo reversible isomerization upon irradiation with light at different wavelengths, a process that can alter their physical and chemical properties. For instance, dihydropyrene (DHP) is a deep-colored compound that isomerizes to light-brown cyclophanediene (CPD) upon irradiation with visible light. CPD can then isomerize back to DHP upon irradiation with UV light or thermally in the dark. Conversion between DHP and CPD is thought to proceed via a biradical intermediate; bimolecular events involving this unstable intermediate thus result in rapid decomposition and poor cycling performance. Here, we show that the reversible isomerization of DHP can be stabilized upon confinement within a (PdIIL4)-L-6 coordination cage. By protecting this reactive intermediate using the cage, each isomerization reaction proceeds to higher yield, which significantly decreases the fatigue experienced by the system upon repeated photocycling. Although molecular confinement is known to help stabilize reactive species, this effect is not typically employed to protect reactive intermediates and thus improve reaction yields. We envisage that performing reactions under confinement will not only improve the cyclic performance of photochromic molecules, but may also increase the amount of product obtainable from traditionally low-yielding organic reactions.

Controlling spectral and physicochemical properties with external stimuli is vital for the development of smart materials. Here we demonstrate a supramolecular gelator based on a fluorescent oxotriphenylhexanoate (OTHO) that can switch emission profiles between the solution and gel phase. Furthermore, a cocktail of the gelator and a photochromic diarylethene derivative enables four distinct emissive states to be obtained, which are modulated with light and heat as orthogonal input triggers.

Three visible-light responsive photoswitches are reported, azobis(1-methyl-benzimidazole) (1), azobis(benzoxazole) (2) and azobis(benzothiazole) (3). Photostationary distributions are obtained upon irradiation with visible light comprising approximately 80 % of the thermally unstable isomer, with thermal half-lives up to 8 min and are mostly invariant to solvent. On protonation, compound 1H+ has absorption extending beyond 600 nm, allowing switching with yellow light, and a thermal half-life just under 5 minutes. The two isomers have significantly different pKa values, offering potential as a pH switch. The absorption spectra of 2 and 3 are insensitive to acid, although changes in the thermal half-life of 3 indicate more basic intermediates that significantly influence the thermal barrier to isomerization. These findings are supported by high-level ab initio calculations, which validate that protonation occurs on the ring nitrogen and that the Z isomer is more basic in all cases.

Photochromic molecules from the spiropyran family are known to undergo light-induced interconversion between the colorless spiro- and the colored merocyanine forms. Here, we show for the first time that small structural modifications open up for an additional photoisomerization mode: reversiblecis–transisomerization of the merocyanine. Moreover, the introduction of a photocage allows for light-activated switching between the two modes.

Six water-soluble spiropyran derivatives have been characterized with respect to the thermal and photoinduced reactions over a broad pH-interval. A comprehensive kinetic model was formulated including the spiro- and the merocyanine isomers, the respective protonated forms, and the hydrolysis products. The experimental studies on the hydrolysis reaction mechanism were supplemented by calculations using quantum mechanical (QM) models employing density functional theory. The results show that (1) the substitution pattern dramatically influences the pKa-values of the protonated forms as well as the rates of the thermal isomerization reactions, (2) water is the nucleophile in the hydrolysis reaction around neutral pH, (3) the phenolate oxygen of the merocyanine form plays a key role in the hydrolysis reaction. Hence, the nonprotonated merocyanine isomer is susceptible to hydrolysis, whereas the corresponding protonated form is stable toward hydrolytic degradation.

A self-assembled supramolecular platform has been designed for reversibly controlling the concentration of a compound in solution, via a photochemical reaction. The system utilizes metal-ligand interactions between a Zn-porphyrin dimer and a pyridine-appended dithienylethene (DTE) photoswitch. In addition to reversible compound release, the spectral properties of the release scaffold provide a fluorescence-based reporting function. This journal is

REarranged during Transfection (RET) is a transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinase required for normal development and maintenance of neurons of the central and peripheral nervous systems. Deregulation of RET and hyperactivity of the RET kinase is intimately connected to several types of human cancers, most notably thyroid cancers, making it an attractive therapeutic target for small-molecule kinase inhibitors. Novel approaches, allowing external control of the activity of RET, would be key additions to the signal transduction toolbox. In this work, photoswitchable RET kinase inhibitors based on azo-functionalized pyrazolopyrimidines were developed, enabling photonic control of RET activity. The most promising compound displays excellent switching properties and stability with good inhibitory effect towards RET in cell-free as well as live-cell assays and a significant difference in inhibitory activity between its two photoisomeric forms. As the first reported photoswitchable small-molecule kinase inhibitor, we consider the herein presented effector to be a significant step forward in the development of tools for kinase signal transduction studies with spatiotemporal control over inhibitor concentration in situ.

Functional mimics of a photosynthetic antenna-reaction center complex comprising five bis(phenylethynyl)anthracene antenna moieties and a porphyrin-fullerene dyad organized by a central hexaphenylbenzene core have been prepared and studied spectroscopically. The molecules successfully integrate singlet-singlet energy transfer and photoinduced electron transfer. Energy transfer from the five antennas to the porphyrin occurs on the picosecond time scale with a quantum yield of 1.0. Comparisons with model compounds and theory suggest that the Förster mechanism plays a major role in the extremely rapid energy transfer, which occurs at rates comparable to those seen in some photosynthetic antenna systems. A through-bond, electron exchange mechanism also contributes. The porphyrin first excited singlet state donates an electron to the attached fullerene to yield a P(*+)-C(60)(*-) charge-separated state, which has a lifetime of several nanoseconds. The quantum yield of charge separation based on light absorbed by the antenna chromophores is 80% for the free base molecule and 96% for the zinc analogue.

A molecular triad consisting of a porphyrin (P) covalently linked to two photochromes-one from the dihydroindolizine family (DHI) and one from the dihydropyrene family (DHP)-has been synthesized and found to act as either a molecular AND logic gate or an INHIBIT gate, depending on the inputs and initial state of the photochromes. The basis of these functions is quenching of porphyrin fluorescence (output of the gates) by the photochromes. The spiro form of DHI does not quench porphyrin fluorescence, whereas its betaine isomer strongly quenches by photoinduced electron transfer. DHP also quenches porphyrin fluorescence, but its cyclophanediene isomer does not. The triad has been designed using suitable energetics and electronic interactions, so that although these quenching phenomena may be observed, independent isomerization of the attached photochromes still occurs. This makes it possible to switch porphyrin fluorescence on or off by isomerization of the photochromes using various combinations of inputs such as UV light, red light, and heat.

Gold porphyrins are often used as electron-accepting chromophores in donor-acceptor complexes for the study of photoinduced electron transfer, and they can also be involved in triplet-triplet energy-transfer interactions with other chromophores. Since the lowest excited singlet state is very short-lived (240 fs), the triplet state is usually the starting point for the transfer reactions, and it is therefore crucial to understand its photophysics. The triplet state of various gold porphyrins has been reported to have a lifetime of around 1.5 ns at room temperature and to have a biexponential decay both in emission and in transient absorption with decay times of around 10 and 100 micros at 80 K. In this paper, the triplet photophysics of two gold porphyrins (Au(III) 5,15-bis(3,5-di-tert-butylphenyl)-2,8,12,18-tetraethyl-3,7,13,17-tetramethylporphyrin and Au(III) 5,10,15,20-tetra(3,5-di-tert-butylphenyl)porphyrin) are studied by steady-state and time-resolved absorption and emission spectroscopy over a wide temperature range (4-300 K). The study reveals the existence of a dark state with an approximate lifetime of 50 ns, which was not previously observed. This state acts as an intermediate between the short-lived singlet and the triplet state manifold. In addition, we present DFT calculations, in which the core electrons of the central metal were replaced by a pseudopotential to account for the relativistic effects, which suggest that the lowest excited singlet state is an optically forbidden ligand-to-metal charge-transfer (LMCT) state. This LMCT state is an obvious candidate for the experimentally observed dark state, and it is shown to dictate the photophysical properties of gold porphyrins by acting as a gate for triplet state formation versus direct return to the ground state.

Photonic control of photoinduced electron transfer has been demonstrated in a dimethyldihydropyrene (DHP) porphyrin (P) fullerene (C(60)) molecular triad. In the DHP-P-C(60) form of the triad, excitation of the porphyrin moiety is followed by photoinduced electron transfer to give a DHP-P(*)(+)-C(60)(*)(-) charge-separated state, which evolves by a charge shift reaction to DHP(*)(+)-P-C(60)(*)(-). This final state has a lifetime of 2 micros and is formed in an overall yield of 94%. Visible (or=300 nm) irradiation of the triad leads to photoisomerization of the DHP moiety to the cyclophanediene (CPD). Excitation of the porphyrin moiety of CPD-P-C(60) produces a short-lived (10 ns) CPD-P(*)(+)-C(60)(*)(-) state, but charge shift to the CPD moiety does not occur, due to the relatively high oxidation potential of the CPD group. Long-lived charge separation is not observed. Irradiation of CPD-P-C(60) with UV (254 nm) light converts the triad back to the DHP form. Thermal interconversion of the DHP and CPD forms is very slow, photochemical cycling is facile, and in the absence of oxygen, many cycles may be performed without substantial degradation. Thus, light is used to switch long-lived photoinduced charge separation on or off. The principles demonstrated by the triad may be useful for the design of molecule-based optoelectronic systems.

Two triad molecules consisting of either two zinc, or two free-base porphyrins symmetrically joined to a fullerene via phenyleneethynylene-containing linkages have been synthesized, and their photochemistry investigated. In the zinc form of the triad, PZn–C60–PZn, excitation of a zinc porphyrin in 2-methyltetrahydrofuran solution is followed by photoinduced electron transfer to the fullerene with a time constant of 20 ps. The resulting PZn˙+–C60˙−–PZn charge-separated state is formed with a quantum yield of 98% and has a lifetime of 820 ps. The first excited singlet state of the free-base analog gives the P2H˙+–C60˙−–P2H charge-separated state with a time constant of 200 ps and a yield of 98%. The charge-separated state decays with a lifetime of 2.8 ns. The difference in the rates of photoinduced electron transfer is consistent with reaction in the normal region of the Marcus–Hush relationship of transfer rate and driving force, and charge recombination is consistent with Marcus–Hush inverted behavior. The presence of the two porphyrin electron donors in these triads enhances the absorption cross section for light collection, and the molecular framework employed could be used to prepare molecules with enhanced energy conversion or optoelectronic properties.

The triplet excited-state deactivation of a gold porphyrin (AuP) in porphyrin-based donor−bridge−acceptor (D−B−A) systems has been studied. The results from room temperature and 80 K measurements are presented. The primary objectives have been to investigate whether electrons/electron holes or excitation energy could be transferred from 3AuP to the appended zinc porphyrin (ZnP) in the dimers. As the bridging chromophores in our D−B−A systems separate the ZnP and AuP moieties by 19 A edge-to-edge, we do not expect a significant contribution to either electron or energy transfer from a direct (through space) exchange mechanism. This gives us the opportunity to scrutinize how the bridging chromophores influence the transfer reactions. The results show that quenching of 3AuP occurs with high efficiency in the dimers that are connected by fully conjugated bridging chromophores, whereas no quenching is observed when the conjugation of the bridge is broken. We also observed that the decay of 3AuP is complex at t...

We show that FRET between Pacific Blue (PB) and Alexa488 (A488) covalently attached to a DNA scaffold can be reversibly controlled by photochromic switching of a spiropyran derivative. With the spiropyran in the closed spiro isomeric form, FRET occurs freely between PB and A488. UV-induced isomerization to the open merocyanine form shuts down the FRET process by efficient quenching of the PB excited state. The process is reversed by exposure to visible light, triggering the isomerization to the spiro isomer.

The excited triplet state conformations of zinc and free base 5,15-diaryloctaalkylporhyrins are studied by experimental and computational (density functional theory, DFT) methods. From the observations of an unusual triplet state dynamics, i.e., fast nonradiative and biexponential decay, it has been suggested that these porphyrins exist in two distinguishable conformers in the lowest excited triplet state. X-ray crystallography and DFT (B3LYP/6-31G(d)) optimization of the ground state show that the porphyrins are planar prior to excitation. However, in the excited triplet state, the planar structure relaxes to an out-of-plane distorted saddle-shaped conformer. This distorted conformer and the lowest triplet potential energy surface are characterized by DFT calculations. It is suggested that the conformational relaxation explains the unusual triplet dynamics of this class of porphyrins.

The function of a parity generator/checker, which is an essential operation for detecting errors in data transmission, has been realized with multiphotochromic switches by taking advantage of a neuron-like fluorescence response and reversible light-induced transformations between the implicated isomers.

The interactions between anionic or zwitterionic liposomes and a water-soluble, DNA-binding photochromic spiropyran are studied using UV/vis absorption and linear dichroism (LD) spectroscopy. The spectral characteristics as well as the kinetics of the thermal isomerization process in the absence and presence of the two different liposome types provide information about the environment and whether or not the spiropyran resides in the liposome membrane. By measuring LD on liposomes deformed and aligned by shear flow, further insight is obtained about interaction and binding geometry of the spiropyran at the lipid membranes. We show that the membrane interactions differ between the two types of liposomes used as well as the isomeric forms of the spiropyran photoswitch.

Guiding light: Enantioselectivity is obtained for the photocyclization of a photochromic dithienylethene when isomerization is carried out in the presence of DNA (see scheme). Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A nitrospiropyran, which was modified with a cadaverine-derived anchor, was investigated with respect to its thermally induced isomerizations, hydrolytic stability of the merocyanine form, and photochromic ring closure. The host-guest complexation of the anchor by the cucurbit[7]uril macrocycle, evidenced by absorption titration, NMR spectroscopy, and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, produced significant improvements of the switching properties of the photochrome: 1) appearance of the merocyanine form about 70 times faster, 2) practically unlimited hydrolytic stability of the merocyanine (two and a half days without any measureable decay), and 3) fast, clean, and fatigue-resistant photoinduced ring closure back to the spiro form. The importance of an adequate molecular design of the anchor was demonstrated by including control experiments with spiropyrans with a shorter linker or without such structural asset.

In this work we present a novel water soluble spiropyran photoswitch that can be photonically activated inside live cells from a form that has no significant effect on the cellular survival to a form that induces a dramatic toxic response.

Photochromic spiropyrans modified with fluorophores were investigated as molecular platforms for the achievement of fluorescence switching through modulation of energy transfer. The dyads were designed in such a way that energy transfer is only observed for the open forms of the photochrome (merocyanine and protonated merocyanine), whereas the closed spiropyran is inactive as an energy acceptor. This was made possible through a deliberate choice of fluorophores (4-amino-1,8-naphthalimide, dansyl, and perylene) that produce zero spectral overlap with the spiro form and considerable overlap for the merocyanine forms. From the Forster theory, energy transfer is predicted to be highly efficient and in some cases of 100 % efficiency. The combined switching by photonic (light of λ>530 nm) and chemical (base) inputs enabled the creation of a sequential logic device, which is the basic element of a keypad lock. Furthermore, in combination with an anthracene-based acidochromic fluorescence switch, a reversible logic device was designed. This enables the unambiguous coding of different input combinations through multicolour fluorescence signalling. All devices can be conveniently reset to their initial states and repeatedly cycled.

A spiropyran photoswitch is activated using UV light and protons from a form that shows no interaction with DNA to a form that binds to DNA by intercalation. This scheme is interpreted as a biologically relevant logic AND gate with potential applications as a dually controlled anticancer drug.

An all photonic molecular keypad lock with a reset capacity, that is capable of distinguishing one two-digit code out of eight possible combinations were described. The synthesis and characterization of triad 1 with distilled 2-methyltetrahydrofuran as the solvent for spectroscopic measurement were reported, where the samples were degassed by size freeze-pump-thaw cycles to a final pressure. The functional principle of a keypad lock is that it gives an output signal only when given the correct inputs in the correct order, also the capacity of the triad to perform as a two-input PAND gate with reset capacity are considered. The keypad lock is found to be operated by five optical signals in the UV region including fluorescence emission that signals the actual opening of the lock, which can also be used numerous times without ant photodegradation affecting the performance.

A close-packed monolayer of zinc 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(3-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin has been prepared and deposited on the thin native oxide covering the surface of an SOI-MOSFET (silicon-on-insulator metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor) using Langmuir-Blodgett techniques. When the device is exposed to amine vapors in a nitrogen atmosphere, the amine coordinates to the zinc atom. The resulting change in electron distribution within the porphyrin leads to a large change in the drain current of the transistor, biased via a back gate. This change is sensitive to both the amount of amine present and the base strength of the amine. Only very small changes in drain current were observed with a monolayer of free base porphyrin or palmitic acid. After exposure to high pyridine concentrations, the device response saturates, but partially recovers after overnight exposure to flowing nitrogen gas. Interestingly, the device response is instantaneously reset by exposure to visible light, suggesting that photode-ligation occurs. An electrical model for the hybrid device that describes its response to ligand binding in terms of a change in the work function of the porphyrin monolayer has been developed. A transistor response to a few hundred attomoles of bound pyridine can be readily detected. This extreme sensitivity, coupled with the ability to reset the device using light, suggests that such systems might be useful as sensors.

(Chemical Equation Presented) Two into one: A porphyrin linked to two photochromic moieties performs as a 2:1 digital multiplexer (MUX). It takes heat and red light as the two inputs (in 1 and in 2), and a third switchable input (green light, sel) selects whether the output (porphyrin fluorescence) reports the state of in 1 or in 2. Each photochromic moiety may be independently photoisomerized to isomers that quench the porphyrin fluorescence. © 2007 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

One molecule acts as both an AND and an XOR Boolean logic gate that share the same two photonic inputs. The molecule comprises a half-adder, adding two binary digits with only light as inputs and outputs, and consists of three covalently linked photochromic moieties, a spiropyran and two quinoline-derived dihydroindolizines. The AND function is based on the absorption properties of the molecule, whereas the XOR function is based on an off-on-off response of the fluorescence to the inputs that results from interchromophore excited-state quenching interactions. The half-adder is simple to operate and can be cycled many times.

(Chemical Equation Presented) Very ANDy: A photochromic molecular switch has been found to act as an AND Boolean logic gate. The switch takes as input both UV light, which causes photo-isomerization of a dihydroindolizine to an open, dipolar form, and an electric field, which aligns this isomer in solution (see scheme). The output of the gate is read as the electric linear dichroism response of the open isomer. The gate can be reset with visible light. © 2005 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

The temperature and viscosity dependence of the triplet energy transfer (TET) process in porphyrin dimers has been studied. A zinc porphyrin (donor) and a free base porphyrin (acceptor) are covalently linked together by rigid bridging chromophores at a center-center distance of 25 A. Due to the large donor-acceptor distance and the weakness of the spin forbidden transitions involved, neither direct (through space) electron exchange nor Coulombic mechanisms are expected to contribute to the observed TET process. The results from transient absorption measurements at temperatures between room temperature and 80 K show that TET occurs with unexpectedly high efficiency in the systems connected by fully conjugated bridges and a pronounced temperature dependence of the process is observed. Comparison of the TET efficiencies in dimers connected by different bridging chromophores correlates well with a transfer reaction governed by a through bond exchange (superexchange) interaction. However, in high viscosity media the TET process is dramatically slowed down. This is attributed to a conformational gating of the TET process where the electronic coupling varies strongly with the relative orientation of the donor and the bridging chromophore. Further, the zinc porphyrin donor offers two distinct donor species, T(1A) and T(1B). At room temperature, the TET rate constant of the T(1A) species is about two orders of magnitude larger than for the T(1B) species. The dimers studied are well suited model systems for materials where the rate of the transfer reactions can be changed by external stimuli.

Gold porphyrins are often used as electron-accepting chromophores in artificial photosynthetic constructs. Because of the heavy atom effect, the gold porphyrin first-excited singlet state undergoes rapid intersystem crossing to form the triplet state. The lowest triplet state can undergo a reduction by electron donation from a nearby porphyrin or another moiety. In addition, it can be involved in triplet-triplet energy transfer interactions with other chromophores. In contrast, little has been known about the short-lived singlet excited state. In this work, ultrafast time-resolved absorption spectroscopy has been used to investigate the singlet excited state of Au(III) 5,15-bis(3,5-di-t-butylphenyl)-2,8,12,18,-tetraethyl-3,7,13,17-tetrameth ylporphyrin in ethanol solution. The excited singlet state is found to form with the laser pulse and decay with a time constant of 240 fs to give the triplet state. The triplet returns to the ground state with a lifetime of 400 ps. The lifetime of the singlet state is comparable with the time constants for energy and photoinduced electron transfer in some model and natural photosynthetic systems. Thus, it is kinetically competent to take part in such processes in suitably designed supermolecular systems.

The dramatically different DNA-binding properties of the two isomeric forms of a photochromic spiropyran have been demonstrated, enabling photoswitched DNA binding. The closed, UV-absorbing form shows no signs of interaction with DNA. Upon UV exposure the spiropyran is isomerized to the open form that binds to DNA by intercalation. The process is fully reversible as the corresponding dissociation process is induced by visible light.

The excited triplet state deactivation of zinc(II) meso-diaryloctaalkylporphyrins (ZnDAOAP) has been studied over a wide temperature range using transient triplet-triplet absorption spectroscopy together with steady-state and time-resolved phosphorescence techniques, The results from transient absorption measurements show that the depopulation of the initially formed triplet state (T-1A state) is unusually fast at temperatures above 150 K. The efficiency of the deactivation originates from a spin allowed transition to a second tripler state (T-1B state), The transformation process T-1A-->T-1B is therefore the dominating deactivation channel of the T-1A state in this temperature range, and direct intersystem crossing T-1A-->S-0 makes negligible contribution. The subsequent ground-state recovery T-1B-->S-0 is also very efficient in comparison to many other porphyrins. Due to the substantial activation energy found for the transformation process, it most likely involves a conformational distortion of the porphyrin macrocycle. At low temperature, however, the relaxation of the T-1A State occurs by direct intersystem crossing to the ground state.

The efficient nonradiative deactivation process of the excited adenine chromophore is studied in this paper. By comparing the photophysical properties and temperature dependence of several alkylated adenine derivatives, a mechanism for the thermally activated internal conversion process is suggested, Several alkylamino derivatives of adenine show dual fluorescence, and the solvent dependence of the excited states is investigated. It is concluded that the long wavelength emission originates from a CT state involving the alkylamino group and purine chromophore as donor and acceptor, respectively. The experimental observations are supported by quantum mechanical calculations, and the results are summarized into a model for the photophysical properties of the adenine chromophore. In this model, the two excited states associated with the dual emission from the alkylamino derivatives are populated from a common Franck-Condon state followed by independent decay to the ground state.

A porphyrin (P) has been covalently linked to a photochromic dihydroindolizine moiety (DHI) to form a P-DHI dyad. When the dihydroindolizine is in its closed, spirocyclic form (DHIc), the photophysics of the attached porphyrin are unaffected. Irradiation with UV light opens the photochromic moiety to the betaine form (DHIo), which has a significantly higher reduction potential than DHIc. Light absorption by the porphyrin moiety of P-DHIo is followed by rapid (50 ps) photoinduced electron transfer to yield the P.+-DHIo(.-) charge-seperated state. This state recombines in 2.9 ps to give the ground state. Irradiation of P-DHIo with light at wavelengths > 590 nm induces photoisomerization back to P-DHIc. Thermal closing can also be achieved. Thus, light is used to switch photoinduced electron transfer on or off. These principles may be useful in the design of molecular optoelectronic devices.