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The photoisomerization rate k iso of trans -stilbene (tS) and trans-trans-diphenylbutadiene (ttD) is studied in solution and compared to that in jet/gas. Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus (RRKM) theory correctly predicts the tS rate in jet, k RRKM = A m  exp(- E in / kT m ) with E in = 1398 cm -1 , and A m = 1.8 ps -1 corresponding to frequency ν iso = 60 cm -1 of the reactive mode, T m being the molecular temperature. However, the behavior in solution cannot be explained by the RRKM rate alone. In solution the rate k iso = A S  exp(- E b / kT S ) has a similar form, but depends mainly on solvent temperature T S and proceeds much faster, A S = 19 ps -1 , E b = 1520 cm -1 in n -hexane. Moreover, excitation at high excess energy, resulting in molecular temperature T m = 607 K, affects the rate only slightly, unlike in jet, and contrary to common theoretical models. The experimental results clearly indicate two isomerization paths in solution: via relatively slow intramolecular activation A m ∼ 1 ps -1 , and by much faster solvent activation A S = 18 ps -1 due to solute-solvent interactions (collisions). The data in n -alkanes confirm previously established power dependence k iso ∼ η α on viscosity η, with α = 0.30 for tS, and α = 0.35 for ttD. With E η being the viscosity barrier, its contribution to E b can be isolated, giving the intramolecular barrier E in = ( E b - α E η ), slightly lower than in jet/gas, probably due to the dispersive/induction interactions in solution.

Octahedral Mn(I) complexes bearing tridentate donor ligands [(L ∩ L' ∩ L'')(CO) 2 MnX] have recently emerged as major players in catalytic (de)hydrogenation processes. While most of these systems are still based on structurally rigid pincer scaffolds imposing a meridional coordination mode, for some more flexible tridentate ligands a facial arrangement of donor moieties becomes possible. Accordingly, the geometry of the corresponding Mn(I) hydrides [(L ∩ L' ∩ L'')(CO) 2 MnH] directly involved in the catalytic processes, namely the nature of the donor extremity located in the trans -position of the hydride (CO and L for mer - and fac -configurations, respectively) may influence their hydride transfer ability. Herein, low-temperature IR and NMR spectroscopy studies of two model Mn(I) complexes, mer -[(L1)(CO) 2 MnH] and fac -[(L2)(CO) 2 MnH], bearing similar triphosphine ligands (L1 = PhP(CH 2 CH 2 PPh 2 ) 2 ; L2 = MeC(CH 2 PPh 2 ) 3 ) in the presence of B(C 6 F 5 ) 3 as the H - abstractor revealed for the first time a higher kinetic hydricity of the tripodal system. Even for the pincer complex, hydride transfer proceeds from the non-covalent adduct fac -[(L1)(CO) 2 MnH]⋯B(C 6 F 5 ) 3 with the facial geometry arising from the mer -to- fac isomerization of the initial mer -[(L1)(CO) 2 MnH]. The higher reactivity of the fac -hydride derivatives was found to be consistent with the catalytic performance of the corresponding Mn(I) bromide complexes in the benchmark ester hydrosilylation.

Metal-metal cooperation for inert bond activation is a ubiquitous concept in coordination chemistry and catalysis. While the great majority of such transformations proceed via intramolecular mode in binuclear complexes, to date only a few examples of intermolecular small molecule activation using usually bimetallic frustrated Lewis pairs (M δ + ⋯M' δ - ) have been reported. We introduce herein an alternative approach for the intermolecular bimetallic cooperativity observed in the catalytic dehydrogenation of amine-boranes, in which the concomitant activation of N-H and B-H bonds of the substrate via the synergetic action of Lewis acidic (M + ) and basic hydride (M-H) metal species derived from the same mononuclear complex (M-Br). It was also demonstrated that this system generated in situ from the air-stable Mn(i) complex fac -[(CO) 3 (bis(NHC))MnBr] and NaBPh 4 shows high activity for H 2 production from several substrates (Me 2 NHBH 3 , t BuNH 2 BH 3 , MeNH 2 BH 3 , NH 3 BH 3 ) at low catalyst loading (0.1% to 50 ppm), providing outstanding efficiency for Me 2 NHBH 3 (TON up to 18 200) that is largely superior to all known 3d-, s-, p-, f-block metal derivatives and frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs). These results represent a step forward towards more extensive use of intermolecular bimetallic cooperation concepts in modern homogeneous catalysis., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Acid-base characteristics (acidity, p K a, and hydricity, ΔG° H- or k H- ) of metal hydride complexes could be a helpful value for forecasting their activity in various catalytic reactions. Polarity of the M-H bond may change radically at the stage of formation of a non-covalent adduct with an acidic/basic partner. This stage is responsible for subsequent hydrogen ion (hydride or proton) transfer. Here, the reaction of tricarbonyl manganese hydrides mer , trans -[L 2 Mn(CO) 3 H] ( 1 ; L = P(OPh) 3 , 2 ; L = PPh 3 ) and fac -[(L-L')Mn(CO) 3 H] ( 3 , L-L' = Ph 2 PCH 2 PPh 2 (dppm); 4 , L-L' = Ph 2 PCH 2 -NHC) with organic bases and Lewis acid (B(C 6 F 5 ) 3 ) was explored by spectroscopic (IR, NMR) methods to find the conditions for the Mn-H bond repolarization. Complex 1 , bearing phosphite ligands, features acidic properties (p K a 21.3) but can serve also as a hydride donor (ΔG ≠ 298K = 19.8 kcal/mol). Complex 3 with pronounced hydride character can be deprotonated with KHMDS at the CH 2 -bridge position in THF and at the Mn-H position in MeCN. The kinetic hydricity of manganese complexes 1 - 4 increases in the order mer , trans -[(P(OPh) 3 ) 2 Mn(CO) 3 H] ( 1 ) < mer , trans -[(PPh 3 ) 2 Mn(CO) 3 H] ( 2 ) ≈ fac -[(dppm)Mn(CO) 3 H] ( 3 ) < fac -[(Ph 2 PCH 2 NHC)Mn(CO) 3 H] ( 4 ), corresponding to the gain of the phosphorus ligand electron-donor properties.

Objective: To find the preoperative predictors of obesity recurrence., Material and Methods: We analyzed 81 patients with obesity who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. Patients were followed-up for 5 years and divided into 2 groups (64 (79.0%) patients were in the persistent weight loss group and 17 (21.0%) ones were in the obesity recurrence group)., Results: We tried to make a mathematical model for predicting obesity recurrence after bariatric surgery based on various parameters (age, height, weight, hemoglobin A1C, lipoprotein A, T3, T4, triglycerides, TSH, cholesterol, arterial hypertension, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, percentage of fat mass). We trained the following classification models: logistic regression, naive Bayes classifier, decision tree. None classifier provided sufficient prediction quality. This may indicate that these data do not allow predicting of obesity recurrence after sleeve gastrectomy., Conclusion: We failed to construct a mathematical model based on preoperative data of patients with obesity predicting recurrence in long-term period after sleeve gastrectomy.

Low-temperature IR and NMR studies combined with DFT calculations revealed the mechanistic complexity of apparently simple reactions between Mn(I) complex fac -[(dppm)Mn(CO) 3 H] and Lewis acids (LA = Ph 3 C + , B(C 6 F 5 ) 3 ) involving the formation of so-far elusive meridional hydride species mer -[(dppm)Mn(CO) 3 H⋯LA] and unusual dearomatization of the Ph 3 C + cation upon hydride transfer.

Resonance stimulated Raman signal and line shape are evaluated analytically under common electronic/vibrational dephasing and exponential Raman/probe pulse, exp(-|t|/τ). Generally, the signal from a particular state includes contributions from higher and lower electronic states. Thus, with S 0 → S 1 actinic excitation, the Raman signal consists of 15 Feynman diagrams entering with different signs. The negative sign indicates vibrational coherences in S 1 or higher S n , whereas the positive sign reveals coherences in S 0 or S n via S 1 → S n → S m (n < m) coupling. The signal complexity is in contrast to spontaneous Raman with its single diagram only. The results are applied to femtosecond stimulated Raman spectra of trans-trans, cis-trans (ct), and cis-cis (cc) 1,4-diphenyl-1,3-butadiene, the ct and cc being reported for the first time. Upon actinic excitation, the Stokes spectra show negative bands from S 1 or S n . When approaching higher resonances S n → S m , some Raman bands switch their sign from negative to positive, thus, indicating new coherences in S n . The results are discussed, and the measured Raman spectra are compared to the computed quantum-chemical spectra.

The rates of ultrafast intersystem crossing in acceptor-bridge-donor molecules centered on Pt(II) acetylides are investigated. Specifically, a Pt(II) trans -acetylide triad NAP--Pt--Ph-CH 2 -PTZ [1], with acceptor 4-ethynyl- N -octyl-1,8-naphthalimide (NAP) and donor phenothiazine (PTZ), is examined in detail. We have previously shown that optical excitation in [1] leads to a manifold of singlet charge-transfer states, S*, which evolve via a triplet charge-transfer manifold into a triplet state 3 NAP centered on the acceptor ligand and partly to a charge-separated state 3 CSS (NAP - -Pt-PTZ + ). A complex cascade of electron transfer processes was observed, but intersystem crossing (ISC) rates were not explicitly resolved due to lack of spin selectivity of most ultrafast spectroscopies. Here we revisit the question of ISC with a combination and complementary analysis of (i) transient absorption, (ii) ultrafast broadband fluorescence upconversion, FLUP, which is only sensitive to emissive states, and (iii) femtosecond stimulated Raman spectroscopy, FSR. Raman resonance conditions allow us to observe S* and 3 NAP exclusively by FSR, through vibrations which are pertinent only to these two states. This combination of methods enabled us to extract the intersystem crossing rates that were not previously accessible. Multiple timescales (1.6 ps to ∼20 ps) are associated with the rise of triplet species, which can now be assigned conclusively to multiple ISC pathways from a manifold of hot charge-transfer singlet states. The analysis is consistent with previous transient infrared spectroscopy data. A similar rate of ISC, up to 20 ps, is observed in the trans -acetylide NAP--Pt--Ph [2] which maintains two acetylide groups across the platinum center but lacks a donor unit, whilst removal of one acetylide group in mono-acetylide NAP--Pt-Cl [3] leads to >10-fold deceleration of the intersystem crossing process. Our work provides insight on the intersystem crossing dynamics of the organo-metallic complexes, and identifies a general method based on complementary ultrafast spectroscopies to disentangle complex spin, electronic and vibrational processes following photoexcitation.

Biphenyls are important basic chromophore systems that offer a possibility to study the effects of chemical substitution on the lower-lying excited states without complications from photoisomerization or other side processes. For several symmetric biphenyls, pristine biphenyl (bP0), 4,4'-difluorobiphenyl (bP2), 2,3,5,6,2',3',5',6'-octafluorobiphenyl (bP8), and perfluorobiphenyl (bP10), we report stationary and ultrafast solution-phase spectra rationalized with the aid of computations by means of the XMCQDPT2 multi-configuration perturbation theory and TDDFT. Polyfluorination tends to broaden the gap between the nearly degenerate S 1 + S 2 pair of states and the S 3 state in bP8 and bP10, yet relaxation from any sheet of the S 1 -S 3 manifold leads through a system of state crossings to the same stationary points in S 1 . Unlike bP0 and bP2 where the relaxed excited state is planar and non-polar, excited bP8 and bP10 exhibit sudden polarization to give a symmetry-lowered excited state via pseudo-Jahn-Teller interactions involving S 1 and S 2 . Of particular interest is excited bP10 which reveals both sudden polarization and loss of planarity of one phenyl ring. We also demonstrate the unsatisfactory performance of the TDDFT methodology as applied to the biphenyls.

Van der Waals heterostructures consisting of 2D semiconductors and conjugated molecules are of increasing interest because of the prospect of a synergistic enhancement of (opto)electronic properties. In particular, perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA) on monolayer (ML)-MoS 2 has been identified as promising candidate and a staggered type-II energy level alignment and excited state interfacial charge transfer have been proposed. In contrast, it is here found with inverse and direct angle resolved photoelectron spectroscopy that PTCDA/ML-MoS 2 supported by insulating sapphire exhibits a straddling type-I level alignment, with PTCDA having the wider energy gap. Photoluminescence (PL) and sub-picosecond transient absorption measurements reveal that resonance energy transfer, i.e., electron-hole pair (exciton) transfer, from PTCDA to ML-MoS 2 occurs on a sub-picosecond time scale. This gives rise to an enhanced PL yield from ML-MoS 2 in the heterostructure and an according overall modulation of the photoresponse. These results underpin the importance of a precise knowledge of the interfacial electronic structure in order to understand excited state dynamics and to devise reliable design strategies for optimized optoelectronic functionality in van der Waals heterostructures., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2021 The Authors. Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

The photoisomerization path and dynamics of trans-trans (ttD), cis-trans (ctD), and cis-cis (ccD) 1,4-diphenyl-1,3-butadiene (DPB) in solution are studied with broadband transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations. For ttD in n-hexane, 2-photon-excited TA spectra indicate that the 2A g state is located above 1-photon allowed 1B u (S 1 ) by ∼1000 cm -1 . Following S 0 → S 1 optical excitation, the isomerization occurs via torsion about a butadiene double bond to perpendicular molecular configuration P. The P-state is detected in ccD with an excited-state absorption band at 390 nm. This P-band develops during S 1 → P half-torsion with time of 0.15 ps, followed further by P → S 0 half-torsion and simultaneous decay with 1.6 ps in acetonitrile and 5 ps in n-hexane. In addition, two oscillation cycles between P and S 1 population are observed before equilibration in n-hexane. For ctD, an indication of rising and decaying P is found in acetonitrile. The vast majority of ctD species photoisomerizes to ttD and not to ccD, in agreement a with calculated low torsional barrier about the cis double bond and high barrier about the trans double bond. Photoisomerization yield Y and time τ i depend drastically on the solvent polarity. Thus, in n-hexane, the isomerization ttD → ctD has yield Y tt,ct = 0.1 and time τ i = 829 ps, while in acetonitrile, Y tt,ct = 0.4 and τ i = 27 ps. The 30-fold acceleration of the isomerization in acetonitrile clearly reflects a highly polar character of P, consistent with a dipole moment μ P > 9.6 D. The results for DPB are discussed in comparison to stilbene.

The deposition of an atomically precise nanocluster, for example, Ag 44 (SR) 30 , onto a large-band-gap semiconductor such as TiO 2 allows a clear interface to be obtained to study charge transfer at the interface. Changing the light source from visible light to simulated sunlight led to a three orders of magnitude enhancement in the photocatalytic H 2 generation, with the H 2 production rate reaching 7.4 mmol h -1  g catalyst -1 . This is five times higher than that of TiO 2 modified with Ag nanoparticles and even comparable to that of TiO 2 modified with Pt nanoparticles under similar conditions. Energy band alignment and transient absorption spectroscopy reveal that the role of the metal clusters is different from that of both organometallic complexes and plasmonic nanoparticles: A type II heterojunction charge-transfer route is achieved under UV/Vis irradiation, with the cluster serving as a small-band-gap semiconductor. This results in the clusters acting as co-catalysts rather than merely photosensitizers., (© 2020 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.)

The solvent Stark effect on the spectral shifts of anthracene is studied with temperature-dependent solvatochromic measurements. The Stark contribution Δv Stark to the absorption shift Δv p in polar solvents is measured to be Δv Stark =(53±35) cm -1 , in reasonable agreement with dielectric continuum theory estimate of 28 cm -1 , whereas the major shift Δv p ∼300 cm -1 presumably originates from the solute quadrupole. We pay attention to the accurate correction of Δv p for the nonpolar contribution that is crucial when the shifts are modest in magnitude., (© 2020 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.)

The rotamerism and photoisomerization of trans - and cis -1,2-di-(2-naphthyl)ethylene ( t N and c N) are studied with stationary and transient absorption spectroscopies assisted by quantum chemical calculations. Absorption and emission spectra of rotamers (rotational isomers) t N- S ( C 2 h -symmetric), t N- A ( C 1 ), and t N- S ' ( C 2 ) are derived with a 53:47 ratio of t N- S to t N- A . Upon photoexcitation, the equilibration of the rotamers in S 0 (rotamerization) is observed in the bleach region with characteristic time τ rotamer ≈ 0.5 ns. With excitation at 364 nm, the S 0 equilibrium shifts because, mainly, t N- A is bleached and the rotamerization becomes traceable, whereas with excitation at 345 nm, the equilibrium is preserved and the bleach spectrum remains unchanged. It is just long-lived (∼2 ns) S 1 that allows for monitoring the rotamer dynamics in S 0 . Replacement of the stilbene phenyl rings with larger naphthyls increases the S 1 → P torsional barrier E 1act toward perpendicular configuration P both from cis and trans configurations. In t N, the radiative relaxation with τ R ≈ 3.7 ns becomes the main deactivation channel, and accordingly, the measured decays show nearly no dependence on the solvent viscosity. The cis-to-trans photoisomerization occurs via two paths: adiabatic c S 1 → P → t S 1 (20%) and more common nonadiabatic c S 1 → P → S 0 (80%). The barrier c S 1 → P in the cis-isomer is reduced in polar solvents because of a zwitterionic character of P . The P -state is directly detected with the c N isomer in acetonitrile by an excited-state absorption band at 400 nm developing with 0.7 ps and decaying with 1.6 ps. Two dihydrophenanthrene (DHP)-like products result from photoexcited c N. The metastable DHP- A builds up transiently from c N- A , and its spectrum at about 550 nm matches the published DHP absorption. The stable DHP- S ' accumulates under stationary illumination and is formed either from excited c N- S ' or metastable DHP- A .

Broadband transient absorption spectroscopy is used to study the photoisomerization of stiffened stilbenes in solution, specifically E/ Z mixtures of bis(benzocyclobutylidene) (t4, c4) and ( E)-1-(2,2-dimethyltetralinylidene)-2-2-dimethyltetraline (t6). Upon excitation to S 1 , all evolve to perpendicular molecular conformation P, followed by decay to S 0 , while the spectra and the kinetic behavior crucially depend on the size of the stiffening ring. In 4, contrary to all previously studied stilbenes, the trans and cis absorption and excited-state spectra are nearly indistinguishable, while the corresponding isomerization times are comparable: τ i = 166 ps for t4 and τ i = 64 ps for c4 in n-hexane, as opposed to 114 and 45 ps in acetonitrile, respectively. Faster isomerization in polar solvents agrees with the zwitterionic character of the P state. In t6, torsion to P is effectively barrier-less and completes within 0.3 ps, the S 1 → P evolution being directly traceable through the transient spectra of stimulated emission and that of excited-state absorption. In n-hexane, the P state is remarkably long-lived, τ P = 1840 ps, but the lifetime drops down to 35 ps in acetonitrile. The trans-to-cis photoisomerization yield for t6 is measured to be 20%, while for t4, it remains uncertain. We discuss the effects of stiffening and substitution on the formation and lifetime of the intermediate states through which the stilbene molecules evolve on the S 1 energy surface.

The atomically precise bimetallic nanocluster (NC), Au 24 Ag 20 (PhCC) 20 (SPy) 4 Cl 2 (1) (Py=pyridine), was employed for the first time as a stable photosensitizer for photoelectrochemical applications. The sensitization of TiO 2 nanotube arrays (TNA) with 1 greatly enhances the light-harvesting ability of the composite because 1 shows a high molar extinction coefficient (ϵ) in the UV/Vis region. Compared to a more standard Au 25 (SG) 18 -TNA (2-TNA; SG=glutathione) composite, 1-TNA shows a much better stability under illumination in both neutral and basic conditions. The precise composition of the photosensitizers enables a direct comparison of the sensitization ability between 1 and 2. With the same cluster loading, the photocurrent produced by 1-TNA is 15 times larger than that of 2-TNA. The superior performance of 1-TNA over 2-TNA is attributed not only to the higher light absorption ability of 1 but also to the higher charge-separation efficiency. Besides, a ligand effect on the stability of the photoelectrode and charge-transfer between the NCs and the semiconductor is revealed. This work paves the way to study the role of metal nanoclusters as photosensitizers at the atomic level, which is essential for the design of better material for light energy conversion., (© 2019 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

The recognition of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) is highly dependent on dynamics owing to the lack of structure. Here we studied the interplay between dynamics and molecular recognition in IDPs with a combination of time-resolving tools on timescales ranging from femtoseconds to nanoseconds. We interrogated conformational dynamics and surface water dynamics and its attenuation upon partner binding using two IDPs, IBB and Nup153FG, both of central relevance to the nucleocytoplasmic transport machinery. These proteins bind the same nuclear transport receptor (Importinβ) with drastically different binding mechanisms, coupled folding-binding and fuzzy complex formation, respectively. Solvent fluctuations in the dynamic interface of the Nup153FG-Importinβ fuzzy complex were largely unperturbed and slightly accelerated relative to the unbound state. In the IBB-Importinβ complex, on the other hand, substantial relative slowdown of water dynamics was seen in a more rigid interface. These results show a correlation between interfacial water dynamics and the plasticity of IDP complexes, implicating functional relevance for such differential modulation in cellular processes, including nuclear transport., (© 2019 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Photoisomerization of 2,2'-, 3,3'-, and 4,4'-difluorostilbene (F2, F3, F4, respectively) in n-hexane, perfluoro-n-hexane, and acetonitrile is studied with broadband transient absorption (TA) and femtosecond stimulated Raman (FSR) spectroscopy and by DFT/TDDFT calculations. F2 and F3 possess three rotamers (rotational isomers) each, while F4 has one single conformation only. These differences are reflected in TA and FSR spectra. Thus F4 reveals a monoexponential decay of TA with τ 1 = 172 ps in n-hexane, as expected for a single species. For F2 and F3, the decays are biexponential in all solvents, corresponding to two distinctly discerned rotamers or rotamer fractions. Specifically, for F2 in n-hexane, τ 1 = 357 ps (83%) and τ 2 = 62 ps (17%), and for F3 in the same solvent, τ 1 = 222 ps (57%), and τ 2 = 81 ps (43%). The weights in brackets agree with theoretically estimated ground-state abundances of the rotamers. Furthermore, a global fit of the TA and FSR data allows us to extract the spectra of the pure rotamers. The Raman spectra of S 0 and S 1 are in qualitative agreement with calculations.

Spontaneous polarization of a nonpolar molecule upon photoexcitation (the sudden polarization effect) earlier discussed for 90°-twisted alkenes is observed and calculated for planar ring-fluorinated stilbenes, trans-2,3,5,6,2',3',5',6'-octofluorostilbene (tF2356) and trans-2,3,4,5,6,2',3',4',5',6'-decafluorostilbene (tF23456). Due to the fluorination, Franck-Condon states S 1 FC and S 2 FC are dominated by the quasi-degenerate HOMO-1 → LUMO and HOMO-2 → LUMO excitations, while their interaction gives rise to a symmetry-broken zwitterionic S 1 state. After optical excitation of tF2356, one observes an ultrafast (∼0.06 ps) evolution that reflects relaxation from initial nonpolar S 3 FC to long-lived (1.3 ns in n-hexane and 3.4 ns in acetonitrile) polar S 1 . The polarity of S 1 is evidenced by a solvatochromic shift of its fluorescence band. The experimental results provide a sensitive test for quantum-chemical calculations. In particular, our calculations agree with the experiment, and raise concerns about the applicability of the common TDDFT approach to relatively simple stilbenic systems.

We monitor the time-dependent Stokes shift (TDSS) of fluorescence from the zwitterionic probe N-methyl-6-oxyquinolinium betaine in water. A spectral relaxation time τ solv = 0.57 ps (at 20.5 °C) is attributed to a solvation process involving water in the hydration layer. In this article we show that a tertiary butyl group, when attached to the chromophore, slows the dynamics to τ solv = 0.76 ps and increases the corresponding activation energy by 5 kJ/mol. In a companion paper (10.1021/acs.jpcb.7b05039), simulations suggest that the observed slow-down indicates coupling of solute vibrations to hydration water. Thus, a new angle on a thoroughly researched topic, solvation dynamics, has been opened.

The photoisomerization of 1,1'-difluorostilbene, following S 0 →S 1 optical excitation in solution, was studied with femtosecond broadband transient absorption and stimulated Raman spectroscopy, and by quantum-chemical calculations. In n-hexane, trans-to-cis (t→c) isomerization starts with Franck-Condon relaxation (τ 1t = 0.07 ps) followed by nearly barrierless torsion around the ethylenic bond (τ 2t ≈ 0.3 ps) to a perpendicular conformation P. About 50% of the excited molecules are trapped in P, while others reach the S 1 (cis) conformation adiabatically. For the opposite cis-to-trans (c→t) path, the dynamics in n-hexane (τ 1c = 0.04 ps, τ 2c = 0.7 ps) suggest a 5 kJ/mol barrier between the relaxed S 1 (cis) and P states. The subsequent P decay with τ 3 = 0.4 ps is followed by much slower ground-state recovery (τ 4 ≈ 3 ps), indicating an intermediate state X. The t→P and c→P torsion depend on solvent viscosity and polarity, whereas the P→X→S 0 relaxation and residual torsion is viscosity-independent but still polarity-dependent. Photoisomerization yields are derived from the transient absorption data and compared to those from actinometric measurements. Low-frequency oscillations in the transient signal are assigned to nuclei motions. Transient and stationary stimulated Raman spectra are compared to calculations. Early Franck-Condon Raman spectra differ from those of the quasistationary trans or cis S 1 state. The photoisomerization behavior of stilbene and vinyl-substituted derivatives is compared and the general features are discussed.

In the photoisomerization path of stilbene, a perpendicular state P on the S 1 potential energy surface is expected just before internal conversion through a conical intersection S 1 /S 0 . For decades the observation of P was thwarted by a short lifetime τ P in combination with slow population flow over a barrier. But these limitations can be overcome by ethylenic substitution. Following optical excitation of trans-1,1'-dicyanostilbene, P is populated significantly (τ P = 27 ps in n-hexane) and monitored by an exited-state absorption band at 370 nm. Here we report stimulated Raman lines of P. The strongest, at 1558 cm -1 , is attributed to stretching vibrations of the phenyl rings. Transient electronic states, resonance conditions, and corresponding Raman signals are discussed.

Two-NIR-photon-triggered Z→E isomerization of an azobenzene was accomplished by covalently linking a two-photon-harvesting triarylamine antenna to a thermally stable ortho-fluorinated azobenzene derivative. The obtained photoswitch is fully addressable with visible and NIR light by using one-photon and two-photon excitation, respectively, with the latter offering enhanced penetration depth and improved spatial resolution., (© 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

β-Carotene in n-hexane was examined by femtosecond transient absorption and stimulated Raman spectroscopy. Electronic change is separated from vibrational relaxation with the help of band integrals. Overlaid on the decay of S1 excited-state absorption, a picosecond process is found that is absent when the C9 -methyl group is replaced by ethyl or isopropyl. It is attributed to reorganization on the S1 potential energy surface, involving dihedral angles between C6 and C9 . In Raman studies, electronic states S2 or S1 were selected through resonance conditions. We observe a broad vibrational band at 1770 cm(-1) in S2 already. With 200 fs it decays and transforms into the well-known S1 Raman line for an asymmetric C=C stretching mode. Low-frequency activity (<800 cm(-1) ) in S2 and S1 is also seen. A dependence of solvent lines on solute dynamics implies intermolecular coupling between β-carotene and nearby n-hexane molecules., (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

From X-ray structure analysis, amino twist angles of 90.0° for 2,4-dimethyl-3-(dimethylamino)benzonitrile (mMMD), 82.7° for 4-(di-tert-butylamino)benzonitrile (DTABN), and 88.7° for 6-cyanobenzoquinuclidine (CBQ) are determined, all considerably larger than the 57.4° of 3,5-dimethyl-4-(dimethylamino)benzonitrile (MMD). This large twist leads to lengthening of the amino-phenyl bond, 143.5 pm (mMMD), 144.1 pm (DTABN), 144.6 pm (CBQ), and 141.4 pm (MMD), as compared with 136.5 pm for the planar 4-(dimethylamino)benzonitrile (DMABN). As a consequence, the electronic coupling between the amino and phenyl subgroups in mMMD, DTABN, CBQ, and MMD is much weaker than in DMABN, as seen from the strongly reduced molar absorption coefficients. The fluorescence spectrum of MMD in n-hexane at 25 °C consists of two emissions, from a locally excited (LE) and an intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) state, with a fluorescence quantum yield ratio Φ'(ICT)/Φ(LE) of 12.8. In MeCN, a single ICT emission is found. With mMMD in n-hexane, in contrast, only LE fluorescence is observed, whereas the spectrum in MeCN originates from the ICT state. These differences are also seen from the half-widths of the overall fluorescence bands, which in n-hexane are larger for MMD than for mMMD, decreasing with solvent polarity for MMD and increasing for mMMD, reflecting the disappearance of LE and the onset of ICT in the overall spectra, respectively. From solvatochromic measurements the dipole moments μe(ICT) of MMD (16 D) and mMMD (15 D) are obtained. Femtosecond excited state absorption (ESA) spectra at 22 °C, together with the dual (LE + ICT) fluorescence, reveal that MMD in n-hexane undergoes a reversible LE ⇄ ICT reaction, with LE as the precursor, with a forward rate constant ka = 5.6 × 10(12) s(-1) and a back-reaction kd ∼ 0.05 × 10(12) s(-1). With MMD in the strongly polar solvent MeCN, ICT is faster: ka = 10 × 10(12) s(-1). In the case of mMMD in n-hexane, the ESA spectra show that ICT does not take place, contrary to MeCN, in which ka = 2.5 × 10(12) s(-1). The ICT reactions with MMD and mMMD are much faster than that of the parent compound DMABN in MeCN, with ka = 0.24 × 10(12) s(-1). Because of the very short ICT reaction times of 180 fs (MMD, n-hexane), 100 fs (MMD, MeCN), and 400 fs (mMMD, MeCN), it is clear that the picosecond fluorescence decays of these systems appear to be single exponential, due to the insufficient time resolution of 3 ps. It is concluded that the faster LE → ICT reaction of MMD as compared with DMABN (ka = 0.24 × 10(12) s(-1) in MeCN) is caused by a smaller energy gap ΔE(S1,S2) between the lowest singlet excited states and not by the large amino twist angle. Similarly, the larger ΔE(S1,S2) of mMMD as compared with MMD is held responsible for its smaller ICT efficiency (no reaction in n-hexane).

We report on a bistable azobenzene derivative with sufficiently high 2-photon absorption to induce its photochemical isomerization and measurable excited state dynamics. Broadband transient absorption spectra were recorded and compared upon 1-photon (331 nm) and 2-photon (640 nm) excitation of the S0 → S2 transition. The spectra are different at early (t ∼ 1 ps) and late (t ∼ 100 ps) time but show similar photoisomerization behavior on a 10 ps time scale. With 2-photon excitation, strong population transfer S2 → Sn occurs due to resonance absorption of a third pump photon. Subsequent internal conversion Sn → S1 results in a very hot S1 population causing extra-broadening of the transient spectra. The resonance pump absorption is common with nonlinear excitation and should be taken into account when considering photochemical applications. The 2-photon excitation cross-section σ((2)) at 640 nm was measured to be 7 GM for the specific tetra-ortho-fluorinated azobenzene derivative and 1 GM for unsubstituted parent azobenzene. The direct 2-photon induced trans-to-cis isomerization, described herein, provides an unprecedented potential for spatially addressing P-type (bistable) azobenzene photoswitches in 3D.

1-photon (382 nm) and 2-photon (752 nm) excitations to the S1 state are applied to record and compare transient absorption spectra of a push-pull triphenylamine (TrP) dye in solution. After 1-photon excitation, ultrafast vibrational and structural molecular relaxations are detected on a 0.1 ps time scale in nonpolar hexane, while in polar acetonitrile, the spectral evolution is dominated by dipolar solvation. Upon 2-photon excitation, transient spectra in hexane reveal an unexpected growth of stimulated emission (SE) and excited-state absorption (ESA) bands. The behavior is explained by strong population transfer S1 → Sn due to resonant absorption of a third pump photon. Subsequent Sn → S1 internal conversion (with τ1 = 1 ps) prepares a very hot S1 state which cools down with τ2 = 13 ps. The pump pulse energy dependence proves the 2-photon origin of the bleach signal. At the same time, SE and ESA are strongly affected by higher-order pump absorptions that should be taken into account in nonlinear fluorescence applications. The 2-photon excitation cross sections σ(2) = 32 ⋅ 10(-50) cm(4) s at 752 nm are evaluated from the bleach signal.

Raman scattering with stimulating femtosecond probe pulses (FSR) was used to observe vibrational activity of all-trans β-carotene in n-hexane. The short-lived excited electronic state S2 was accessed in two ways: (i) by transient FSR after an actinic pulse to populate the S2 state, exploiting resonance from an Sx ← S2 transition, and (ii) by FSR without actinic excitation, using S2 ↔ S0 resonance exclusively and narrow-band Raman/broad-band femtosecond probe pulses only. The two approaches have nonlinear optical susceptibilities χ((5)) and χ((3)), respectively. Both methods show low-frequency bands of the S2 state at 200, 400, and ∼600 cm(-1), which are reported for the first time. With (ii) the intensities of low-frequency vibrational resonances in S2 are larger compared to those in S0, implying strong anharmonicities/mode mixing in the excited state. In principle, for short-lived electronic states, the χ((3)) method should allow the best characterization of low-frequency modes.

This article analyzed the immediate treatment results of 210 patients, underwent endovideosurgical operative treatment concerning colorectal cancer (106 laparoscopic and 104 robotic-assisted operations). According to the first results, there was no significant difference between two methods in such medical indices as the volume of intraoperative hemorrhage, terms of hospital stay and peristalsis recovery, the rate of conversion and complications in. early postoperative period, quantity of removed lymph nodes, quality of TME. The application of robotics allowed performance of precision work in conditions of limited space of the small pelvis.

In recent decades there has been achieved significant progress in treatment for colorectal cancer. Minimally invasive surgery (including robot-assisted) is rapidly gaining widespread acceptance in treatment of this form of cancer. Today robotic surgery is a revolutionary technology that opens a new stage in the development of surgery of the 21st century. Currently in the world there have been performed more than 2 million surgical interventions of the colon using a robotic surgical complex Da Vinci. To date it was accumulated a large number of single-center studies comparing laparoscopic and robot-assisted interventions in cancer of various parts of the colon for short-term and long-term treatment outcomes, which showed their effectiveness and safety. Modern colorectal surgery could not be imagined without the latest technology, the use of which directly affects the quality of life of patients after surgery.

The photoisomerization of azobenzene in solution was studied experimentally and by calculations. trans-to-cis and cis-to-trans dynamics are described through broadband transient absorption, fluorescence, and stimulated Raman spectroscopy. Transient absorption was extended to cover not only the nπ* band but also the ππ* band in the ultraviolet. Isomerization yields are used for a quantitative comparison of trans and cis transient spectra under different excitation. For the trans-to-cis path upon nπ*(S(1)) excitation, the evolution develops with 0.3, 3, and 16 ps. The first two times reflect population relaxation to a local minimum S(1t )(L) and subsequent transition to a dark intermediate S(1t)(D) over an 8 kJ/mol barrier. The existence of stationary points S(1t)(L) and S(1t)(D) is confirmed by quantum-chemical calculations. The third time corresponds to S(1t) (D) → S0 relaxation to the ground state via an S1/S0 conical intersection over a 12 kJ/mol barrier. Thus, the 16 ps time constant is attributed to the isomerization process and not to vibrational cooling, contrary to the current view and in line with the previous interpretation by Lednev et al. (J. Phys. Chem. 1996, 100, 13338). The decay of the long-lived intermediate S(1t)(D) is consistent with the hula twist rather than with the inversion mechanism. For the cis-totrans reaction following nπ* excitation, signal decay is strongly nonexponential, with 0.1 and 1 ps. The latter (1 ps) is much shorter than the 16 ps decay of the trans isomer, implying different S1/S0 conical intersections and relaxation paths for the cis-totrans and trans-to-cis reaction. New results are also obtained with ππ*(Sn) excitation. Thus, for trans-azobenzene, 50% of the population relaxes to an S1 region, which is not accessible under nπ* excitation. For cis-azobenzene, up to 30% of the excited species isomerize to trans via an Sn/S1 intersection, resulting in a mixed cis/trans S1 population. The isomerization kinetics of azobenzene shows no viscosity dependence, putting into question the torsion mechanism and suggesting the hula-twist isomerization mechanism.

We show that femtosecond stimulated Raman spectroscopy can record excited-state spectra in the absence of actinic excitation, if the Raman pump is in resonance with an electronic transition. The approach is illustrated by recording S1 and S0 spectra of trans-azobenzene in n-hexane. The S1 spectra were also measured conventionally, upon nπ* (S0 → S1) actinic excitation. The results are discussed and compared to earlier reports.

Photoinduced isomerization of 1,1'-bis-indanyliden (stiff-stilbene) in solution was studied with broadband transient absorption and femtosecond Raman spectroscopies, and by quantum-chemical calculations. Trans-to-cis S1 isomerization proceeds over a 600 and 400 cm(-1) barrier in n-hexane and acetonitrile, respectively. The reaction develops on multiple time scales with fast (0.3-0.4 ps) viscosity-independent and slower (2-26 ps) viscosity-dependent components. In the course of intramolecular torsion (which should be the main reaction coordinate) some excited molecules pass through the perpendicular conformation P and reach the cis geometry, to be temporarily trapped there. Subsequently they relax back to P and further to the ground state S0. The cis-to-trans isomerization reveals ultrafast (0.06 ps) oscillatory relaxation followed by 13 ps decay in n-hexane and 2 ps decay in acetonitrile, corresponding to barriers of 800 and 400 cm(-1), respectively. Raman S0 and S1 spectra are reported and discussed. The perpendicular conformation P was not detected, possibly due to its low oscillator strength and short lifetime, or because of strong overlap with hot product spectra. XMCQDPT2 calculations locate a stationary S1 point on the cis side and two perpendicular-pyramidalized stationary points, to be reached from the former over 300 and 680 cm(-1) barrier. Implications for parent stilbene are discussed; in this case we also see evidence for the trans-to-cis adiabatic path, as in stiff-stilbene. Very similar viscosity dependence for the two compounds supports the common isomerization pathway: torsion about the central double bond.

Strong-acid dissociation was studied in alcohols. Optical excitation of the cationic photoacid N-methyl-6-hydroxyquinolinium triggers proton transfer to the solvent, which was probed by spectral reconstruction of picosecond fluorescence traces. The process fulfills the classical Eigen-Weller mechanism in two stages: (a) solvent-controlled reversible dissociation inside the solvent shell and (b) barrierless splitting of the encounter complex. This can be appreciated only when fluorescence band integrals are used to monitor the time evolution of the reactant and product concentrations. Band integrals are insensitive to solvent dynamics and report relative concentrations directly. This was demonstrated by first measuring the fluorescence decay of the conjugate base across the full emission band, independently of the proton-transfer reaction. Multiexponential decay curves at single wavelengths result from a dynamic red shift of fluorescence in the course of solvent relaxation, whereas clean single exponential decays are obtained if the band integral is monitored instead. The extent of the shift is consistent with previously reported femtosecond transient absorption measurements, continuum theory of solvatochromism, and molecular properties derived from quantum chemical calculations. In turn, band integrals show clean biexponential decay of the photoacid and triexponential evolution of the conjugate base in the course of the proton transfer to solvent reaction. The dissociation step follows the slowest stage of solvation, which was measured here independently by picosecond fluorescence spectroscopy in five aliphatic alcohols. Also, the rate constant of the encounter-complex splitting stage is compatible with proton diffusion. Thus, for this photoacid, both stages reach the highest possible rates: solvation and diffusion control. Under these conditions, the concentration of the encounter complex is substantial during the earliest nanosecond.

Trans-stilbene in n-hexane is excited with excess vibrational energy in the range 0-7000 cm(-1). In the excited electronic state, the Raman linewidth of the ethylenic C=C stretching mode at 1570 cm(-1) is followed with ~100 fs time resolution. Upon excitation with substantial excess energy, the width of the peak is initially broad and then narrows within a few picoseconds, as observed previously by Iwata and Hamaguchi [Chem. Phys. Lett. 196, 462 (1992)]. This narrowing is understood as being caused by cooling of the initially hot molecule, by the surrounding solvent. In this Communication, we report that upon excitation without excess energy, the width is initially relatively narrow and then broadens on a picosecond time scale. The broadening is attributed to heating of the molecule by solvent collisions. It follows that the nascent population in the excited electronic state is cold as compared with the solvent. Such reduction of the initial vibrational energy may affect the rate for the subsequent photoreaction, especially in the absence of the solvent.

Femtosecond stimulated Raman spectra of trans-stilbene (D0), its isotopomers D2, D10, D12, (13)C2 and of cis-stilbene in hexane are measured in the ground (S(0)) and excited (S(1)) electronic states. The ground (13)C2 and excited D12 spectra are presented for the first time; the excited cis-spectra differ substantially from previously published ones. S(1) Raman bands of trans-stilbene are 20 cm(-1) wide corresponding to ~1 ps vibrational dephasing. For cis-stilbene the bands are broadened to 40 cm(-1) reflecting a short excited-state lifetime of 0.3 ps, in agreement with transient absorption data. From a dynamic shift of the 1569 cm(-1) band, pump-induced intramolecular cooling is estimated to be less than 20 K. Many S(1) Raman lines are detected for the first time. Vibrational spectra are calculated at MP2/cc-pVTZ (for S(0)) and XMCQDPT2/cc-pVTZ (for S(1)) levels of theory. Experimental and computational results can be used for a re-evalution of Rice-Ramsberger-Kassel-Marcus (RRKM) predictions for this famous photoisomeration reaction.

Different derivatives of Guanine (G) and Cytosine (C), which sterically enforce the Watson-Crick (WC) conformer, have been studied in CHCl(3) by means of broad-band transient absorption spectroscopy. Our experiments rule out the involvement of an Excited State Proton Transfer (ESPT), which dominates the excited state decay of GC in the gas phase. Instead, the ultrafast dynamics via internal conversion occurs in a polar environment mainly by relaxation in the monomer moieties. Time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations in solution indeed indicate that population transfer from the bright excited states toward the charge transfer state is not effective in CHCl(3) and a noticeable energy barrier is associated with the ESPT reaction. ESPT is therefore not expected to be a main deactivation route for GC pairs within DNA., (© 2011 American Chemical Society)

The excited state behavior of the six m,n-dicyano-N,N-dimethylanilines (mnDCDMA) and m,n-dicyano-(N-methyl-N-isopropyl)anilines (mnDCMIA) is discussed as a function of solvent polarity and temperature. The dicyano moiety in these electron donor (D)/acceptor (A) molecules has a considerably larger electron affinity than the benzonitrile subgroup in 4-(dimethylamino)benzonitrile (DMABN). Nevertheless, the fluorescence spectra of the mnDCDMAs and mnDCMIAs in n-hexane all consist of a single emission originating from the locally excited (LE) state, indicating that a reaction from LE to an intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) state does not take place. The calculated energies E(ICT), obtained by employing the reduction potential of the dicyanobenzene subgroups and the oxidation potential of the amino substituents trimethylamine (N(Me)(3)) and isopropyldimethylamine (iPrNMe(2)), are lower than E(LE). The absence of an LE → ICT reaction therefore makes clear that the D and A units in the dicyanoanilines are not electronically decoupled. In the polar solvent acetonitrile (MeCN), dual (LE + ICT) fluorescence is found with 24DCDMA and 34DCDMA, as well as with 24DCMIA, 25DCMIA, and 34DCMIA. For all other mnDCDMAs and mnDCMIAs, only LE emission is observed in MeCN. The ICT/LE fluorescence quantum yield ratio Φ'(ICT)/Φ(LE) in MeCN at 25 °C is larger for 24DCDMA (1.2) than for 34DCDMA (0.35). The replacement of methyl by isopropyl in the amino substituent leads to a considerable increase of Φ'(ICT)/Φ(LE), 8.8 for 24DCMIA and 1.4 for 34DCMIA, showing that the LE ⇄ ICT equilibrium has shifted further toward ICT. The appearance of an ICT reaction with the 2,4- and 3,4-dicyanoanilines is caused by a relatively small energy gap ΔE(S(1),S(2)) between the two lowest excited singlet states as compared with the other m,n-dicyanoanilines, in accordance with the PICT model. The observation that the ICT reaction is more efficient for 24DCMIA and 34DCMIA than for their mnDCDMA counterparts is mainly caused by the fact that iPrNMe(2) is a better electron donor than N(Me)(3): E(D/D(+)) = 0.84 against 1.05 V vs SCE. That ICT also occurs with 25DCMIA, notwithstanding its large ΔE(S(1),S(2)), is due to the substantial amino twist angle θ = 42.6°, which leads to partial electronic decoupling of the D and A subgroups. The dipole moments μ(e)(ICT) range between 18 D for 34DCMIA and 12 D for 25DCMIA, larger than the corresponding μ(e)(LE) of 16 and 11 D. The difference between μ(e)(ICT) and μ(e)(LE) is smaller than with DMABN (17 and 10 D) because of the noncollinear arrangement of the amino and cyano substituents (different dipole moment directions). The dicyanoanilines that do not undergo ICT, have LE dipole moments between 9 and 16 D. From plots of ln(Φ'(ICT)/Φ(LE)) vs 1000/T, the (rather small) ICT reaction enthalpies ΔH could be measured in MeCN: 5.4 kJ/mol (24DCDMA), 4.7 kJ/mol (24DCMIA), and 3.9 kJ/mol (34DCMIA). With the mnDCDMAs and mnDCMIAs only showing LE emission, the fluorescence decays are single exponential, whereas for those undergoing an LE → ICT reaction the LE and ICT picosecond fluorescence decays are double exponential. In MeCN at 25 °C, the decay times τ(2) have values between 1.8 ps for 24DCMIA and 4.6 ps for 34DCMIA at 25 °C. Longer times are observed at lower temperatures. Arrhenius plots of the forward and backward ICT rate constants k(a) and k(d) of 25DCMIA in tetrahydrofuran, obtained from the LE and ICT fluorescence decays, give the activation energies E(a) = 4.5 kJ/mol and E(d) = 11.9 kJ/mol, i.e., ΔH = -7.4 kJ/mol. From femtosecond transient absorption spectra of 24DCDMA and 34DCDMA at 22 °C, ICT reaction times τ(2) = 1/(k(a) + k(d)) of 1.8 and 3.1 ps are determined. By combining these results with the data for the fluorescence decays and Φ'(ICT)/Φ(LE), the values k(a) = 49 × 10(10) s(-1) (24DCDMA) and k(a) = 23 × 10(10) s(-1) (34DCDMA) are calculated. An LE and ICT excited state absorption is present even at a pump/probe delay time of 100 ps, showing that an LE ⇄ ICT equilibrium is established.

We present an efficient and robust setup for femtosecond stimulated Raman (FSR) spectroscopy with 60 fs and 10 cm(-1) resolution. Raman pulses of 0.5-5 ps are tunable between 450-750 nm with energies 1-10 μJ. Experimental features of the setup, signal processing, and data treatment are discussed in detail to be readily reproduced in other labs. The setup is tested by measuring FSR spectra of stilbene in solution., (© 2011 American Institute of Physics)

The dual photochemistry of anthracene-9,10-endoperoxide (APO) was investigated in a fs UV pump-supercontinuum probe experiment, along with anthracene (AC) and anthraquinone (AQ) for comparison. Excitation of APO at 282 nm leads to 100% product formation by two competing photoreaction channels. Cycloreversion generates with a ∼25% quantum yield (QY) (1)O(2) and AC vibrationally excited in the singlet electronic ground state (hot AC). 1-2% of the AC is generated in the lowest triplet state, but no AC is generated in electronically excited singlet states. Generation and cooling of hot AC are modeled using solution phase and broadened gas-phase AC absorption spectra at various temperatures. Results indicate ultrafast generation of hot AC within 3 ps, much faster than reported before for derivatives of anthracene endoperoxide, and subsequent cooling with an 18 ps time constant. The homolytic O-O cleavage pathway generates a biradical, which converts into electronically excited diepoxide (DE). Our data indicate a 1.5 ps time constant that we tentatively assign to the biradical decay and DE formation. Cooling of DE in this electronically excited state takes place with a ∼21 ps time constant. Excitation of AQ at 266 nm is followed by an ultrafast population of the T(1)(nπ*) triplet state of AQ with a time constant of (160 ± 60) fs., (© The Owner Societies 2011)

6-N,N-Dimethyl-9-methyladenine (DMPURM) and 6-N,N-dimethyladenine (DMPURH) show dual fluorescence from a locally excited (LE) and an intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) state in solvents of different polarity over extended temperature ranges. The fluorescence quantum yields are very small, in particular those of LE. For DMPURM in acetonitrile (MeCN) at 25 °C, for example, Φ'(ICT) = 3.2 × 10(-3) and Φ(LE) = 1.6 × 10(-4). The large value of Φ'(ICT)/Φ(LE) indicates that the forward LE → ICT reaction is much faster than the back reaction. The data obtained for the intersystem crossing yield Φ(ISC) show that internal conversion (IC) is the dominant deactivation channel from LE directly to the ground state S(0). For DMPURM in MeCN with Φ(ISC) = 0.22, Φ(IC) = 1 - Φ(ISC) - Φ'(ICT) - Φ(LE) = 0.78, whereas in cyclohexane an even larger Φ(IC) of 0.97 is found. The dipole moment gradually increases upon excitation, from 2.5 D (S(0)), via 6 D (LE) to 9 D (ICT) for DMPURM and from 2.3 D (S(0)), via 7 D (LE) to 8 D (ICT) for DMPURH. From the temperature dependence of Φ'(ICT)/Φ(LE), a reaction enthalpy -ΔH of 11 kJ/mol is obtained for DMPURM in n-hexane (ε(25) = 1.88), increasing to 17 kJ/mol in the more polar solvent di-n-butyl ether (ε(25) = 3.05). With DMPURM in diethyl ether, an activation energy of 8.3 kJ/mol is determined for the LE → ICT reaction (k(a)). The femtosecond excited state absorption spectra at 22 °C undergo an ultrafast decay: 1.0 ps in CHX and 0.63 ps in MeCN for DMPURM, still shorter (0.46 ps) for DMPURH in MeCN. With DMPURM in n-hexane, the LE fluorescence decay time τ(2) increases upon cooling from 2.6 ps at -45 °C to 6.9 ps at -95 °C. The decay involves ICT and IC as the two main pathways: 1/τ(2) ≅ k(a) + k(IC). As a model compound (no ICT) is not available, its lifetime τ(0)(LE) ∼ 1/k(IC) is not known, which prevents a separate determination of k(a). The excited state reactions of DMPURM and DMPURH are treated with a two-state model: S(0) → LE ⇄ ICT. With 6-N-methyl-9-methyladenine (MPURM) and 9-methyladenine (PURM), the fluorescence quantum yield is very low (<5 × 10(-5)) and dominated by impurities, due to enhanced IC from LE to S(0).

Pentacyano-N,N-dimethylaniline (PCDMA) does not undergo an intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) reaction, even in the strongly polar solvent acetonitrile (MeCN), in clear contrast to 4-(dimethylamino)benzonitrile (DMABN). Within the twisted ICT (TICT) model, this is unexpected, as the electron affinity of the pentacyanobenzene moiety of PCDMA is much larger than that of the benzonitrile subgroup in DMABN. According to the TICT model, the energy of the ICT state of PCDMA would be 2.05 eV (∼16550 cm(-1)) lower than that of DMABN, on the basis of the reduction potentials E(A(-)/A) of pentacyanobenzene (-0.29 V vs saturated calomel electrode (SCE)) and benzonitrile (-2.36 V vs SCE), more than enough to compensate for the decrease in energy of the locally excited (LE) state of PCDMA (E(S(1)) = 19990 cm(-1)) relative to that of DMABN (E(S(1)) = 29990 cm(-1)). This absence of a LE → ICT reaction shows that the TICT hypothesis does not hold for PCDMA in the singlet excited state, similar to what was found for DMABN, N-phenylpyrrole, and their derivatives. In this connection, the six dicyano-substituted dimethylanilines are also discussed. The energy gap ΔE(S(1),S(2)) between the two lowest singlet excited states is, at 7170 cm(-1) for PCDMA in MeCN, considerably larger than that for DMABN (2700 cm(-1) in n-hexane, smaller in MeCN). The absence of ICT is therefore in accord with the planar ICT (PICT) model, which considers a sufficiently small ΔE(S(1),S(2)) to be an important condition determining whether an ICT reaction will take place. The fluorescence quantum yield of PCDMA is very small: Φ(LE) = 0.0006 in MeCN at 25 °C, predominantly due to LE → S(0) internal conversion (IC), as the intersystem crossing yield Φ(ISC) is practically zero (<0.01). From the LE fluorescence decay time of 27 ps for PCDMA in MeCN at 25 °C, a radiative rate constant k(f)(LE) = 2 × 10(7) s(-1) results, comparable to the k(f)(LE) of DMABN (6.5 × 10(7) s(-1)) and 2,4,6-tricyano-N,N-dimethylaniline (TCDMA) (1.2 × 10(7) s(-1)) in this solvent, but clearly larger than the k'(f)(ICT) = 0.79 × 10(7) s(-1) of DMABN in MeCN. The IC reaction with PCDMA in MeCN at room temperature, with a rate constant k(IC) of 3.6 × 10(10) s(-1), is much faster than with TCDMA (25 × 10(7) s(-1)) and DMABN (1.3 × 10(7) s(-1), in n-hexane). This is connected with the nonzero (37°) amino twist angle of PCDMA, which leads to a decrease of the effective LE-S(0) energy gap. The femtosecond excited state absorption (ESA) spectra of PCDMA in MeCN at 22 °C are similar to the LE ESA spectra of TCDMA and DMABN and are therefore attributed to the LE state, confirming that an ICT reaction does not occur. The decay of the LE ESA spectra of PCDMA is single exponential, with a decay time of 22 ps, in reasonable agreement with the LE fluorescence decay time of 27 ps at 25 °C. The spectra decay to zero, showing that there is no triplet or other intermediate.

The photophysics of N-(4-cyanophenyl)carbazole (NP4CN) was investigated by using absorption and fluorescence spectra, picosecond fluorescence decays, and femtosecond transient absorption. In the nonpolar n-hexane as well as in the polar solvent acetonitrile (MeCN), a locally excited (LE) state is detected, as a precursor for the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) state. A LE → ICT reaction time τ(2) at 22 °C of 0.95 ps in ethyl cyanide (EtCN) and 0.32 ps in MeCN is determined from the decay of the LE excited state absorption (ESA) maximum around 620 nm. In the ESA spectrum of NP4CN in n-hexane at a pump-probe delay time of 100 ps, an important contribution of the LE band remains alongside the ICT band, in contrast to what is observed in EtCN and MeCN. This shows that a LE ⇄ ICT equilibrium is established in this solvent and the ICT reaction time of 0.5 ps is equal to the reciprocal of the sum of the forward and backward ICT rate constants 1/(k(a) + k(d)). In the photostationary S(0) → S(n) absorption spectrum of NP4CN in n-hexane and MeCN, an additional CT absorption band appears, absent in the sum of the spectra of its electron donor (D) and acceptor (A) subgroups carbazole and benzonitrile. This CT band is located at an energy of ∼4000 cm(-1) lower than for N-phenylcarbazole (NPC), due to the larger electron affinity of the benzonitrile moiety of NP4CN than the phenyl subunit of NPC. The fluorescence spectrum of NP4CN in n-hexane at 25 °C mainly consists of a structured LE emission, with a small ICT admixture, indicating that a LE → ICT reaction just starts to occur under these conditions. In di-n-pentyl ether (DPeE) and di-n-butyl ether (DBE), a LE emission is found upon cooling at the high-energy edge of the ICT fluorescence band, caused by the onset of dielectric solvent relaxation. This is not the case in more polar solvents, such as diethyl ether (DEE) and MeCN, in which a structureless ICT emission band fully overlaps the strongly quenched LE fluorescence. For the series of D/A molecules NPC, N-(4-fluorophenyl)carbazole (NP4F), N-[4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]carbazole (NP4CF), and NP4CN, with increasing electron affinity of their phenyl subgroup, an ICT emission in n-hexane 25 °C only is present for NP4CN, whereas in MeCN an ICT fluorescence is observed with NP4CF and NP4CN. The ICT fluorescence appears when for the energies E(ICT) of the ICT state and E(S(1)) of the lowest excited singlet state the condition E(ICT) ≤ E(S(1)) holds. E(ICT) is calculated from the difference E(D/D(+)) - E(A(-)/A) of the redox potentials of the D and A subgroups of the N-phenylcarbazoles. From solvatochromic measurements with NP4CN an ICT dipole moment μ(e)(ICT) = 19 D is obtained, somewhat larger than the literature values of 10-16 D, because of a different Onsager radius ρ. The carbazole/phenyl twist angle θ = 45° of NP4CN in the S(0) ground state, determined from X-ray crystal analysis, has become smaller for its ICT state, in analogy with similar conclusions for related N-phenylcarbazoles and other D/A molecules in the literature.

A setup for pump/supercontinuum-probe spectroscopy is described which (i) is optimized to cancel fluctuations of the probe light by single-shot referencing, and (ii) extends the probe range into the near-uv (1000-270 nm). Reflective optics allow 50 μm spot size in the sample and upon entry into two separate spectrographs. The correlation γ(same) between sample and reference readings of probe light level at every pixel exceeds 0.99, compared to γ(consec)<0.92 reported for consecutive referencing. Statistical analysis provides the confidence interval of the induced optical density, ΔOD. For demonstration we first examine a dye (Hoechst 33258) bound in the minor groove of double-stranded DNA. A weak 1.1 ps spectral oscillation in the fluorescence region, assigned to DNA breathing, is shown to be significant. A second example concerns the weak vibrational structure around t=0 which reflects stimulated Raman processes. With 1% fluctuations of probe power, baseline noise for a transient absorption spectrum becomes 25 μOD rms in 1 s at 1 kHz, allowing to record resonance Raman spectra of flavine adenine dinucleotide in the S(0) and S(1) state.

The reaction from the initially prepared locally excited (LE) precursor to the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) state of the planarized fluorazene (FPP) is investigated and compared with its flexible counterpart N-phenylpyrrole (PP). The fluorescence spectra of FPP and PP at 25 degrees C in solvents of different polarity reveal that the onset of a LE --> ICT reaction occurs at lower polarity (tetrahydrofuran, epsilon = 7.39) for FPP than for PP (1,2-dichloroethane, epsilon = 10.4). In accordance with this observation, the ICT reaction enthalpy -DeltaH is larger for FPP than for PP, 16.7 versus 6.7 kJ/mol in ethyl cyanide (EtCN). The larger ICT efficiency of FPP is related to the smaller energy gap between the two lowest excited singlet states DeltaE(S(1),S(2)): 3680 cm(-1) for FPP and 4070 cm(-1) for PP in n-hexane, as would be expected in the context of the PICT model. From picosecond fluorescence decays in EtCN at -45 degrees C it is found that the LE --> ICT reaction rate constant k(a) of FPP is with 9.8 x 10(10) s(-1) considerably larger than that of PP with 3.9 x 10(10) s(-1). From femtosecond transient absorption spectra in acetonitrile (MeCN) at 22 degrees C, an ICT reaction time of 1.6 ps is obtained for FPP, shorter than the 4.0 ps determined for PP. The results show that a perpendicular twist of the pyrrole and phenyl subgroups is not required for an efficient ICT reaction with PP, the planarization of FPP even making this reaction faster. The similarity of the ESA spectra of FPP with those of PP in MeCN, with ICT absorption maxima at 365 nm (FPP) and 370 nm (PP), leads to the conclusion that both ICT states have a planar structure.

For the double exponential fluorescence decays of the locally excited (LE) and intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) states of 4-(dimethylamino)benzonitrile (DMABN) in acetonitrile (MeCN) the same times tau(1) and tau(2) are observed. This means that the reversible LE<==>ICT reaction, starting from the initially excited LE state, can be adequately described by a two state mechanism. The most important factor responsible for the sometimes experimentally observed differences in the nanosecond decay time, with tau(1)(LE)

We demonstrate that THz vibrational activity of a biopolymer can be measured locally, on the effective length scale for polar solvation, with an embedded molecular probe. For this purpose, the polarity probe 2-hydroxy-7-nitrofluorene was linked into a 13mer DNA duplex opposite an abasic site. The NMR solution structure shows that the fluorene moiety occupies a well-defined position in place of a base pair but can flip around the long axis on a millisecond time scale. Femtosecond optical pump-probe experiments are used to measure the time-resolved Stokes shift of emission from the probe. The dynamic shifts for solution in H(2)O and D(2)O are quantified. Their difference is much larger than that expected for free water, implying that only bound water is observed. A weak 26 cm(-1) spectral oscillation of the emission band is observed, which is not present when the probe is free in solution and is therefore caused by the supramolecular structure (DNA and hydration water).

With 4-fluorofluorazene (FPP4F) and its flexible counterpart 4-fluoro-N-phenylpyrrole (PP4F) an intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) reaction occurs in the singlet excited state in sufficiently polar solvents. The ICT reaction begins to appear in tetrahydrofuran (epsilon = 7.4) for FPP4F and in the more polar 1,2-dichloroethane (epsilon = 10.4) with PP4F, showing its presence by dual fluorescence from a locally excited (LE) and an ICT state. Only LE fluorescence is observed in less polar solvents such as n-hexane. The ICT reaction is more pronounced with FPP4F than for PP4F, due to the smaller energy gap DeltaE(S1,S2) of the former molecule, in accordance with the PICT model. The occurrence of an ICT reaction is confirmed by the ICT dipole moments mu(e)(ICT) of 12 D (FPP4F) and 10 D (PP4F), clearly larger than mu(e)(LE) of approximately 4 D for FPP4F and PP4F. Isoemissive points are found in the fluorescence spectra of FPP4F and PP4F in acetonitrile (MeCN), ethyl cyanide (EtCN), and n-propyl cyanide (PrCN) as a function of temperature, confirming the two-state (LE and ICT) reaction mechanism. From plots of the logarithm of the ICT/LE fluorescence quantum yield ratio versus the reciprocal absolute temperature in these solvents, the ICT reaction enthalpies DeltaH are determined, with larger -DeltaH values for FPP4F than for PP4F: 19.2 as compared with 14.9 kJ/mol in MeCN, as an example. The picosecond fluorescence decay of PP4F at -45 degrees C becomes slower with decreasing solvent polarity, 5.1 ps (MeCN), 14 ps (EtCN), and 35 ps (PrCN), from which the LE --> ICT reaction rate constant is calculated, decreasing from 19 x 10(10) to 2.1 x 10(10) s(-1) between MeCN and PrCN. The femtosecond LE excited-state absorption spectra of FPP4F and PP4F do not undergo any time development in n-hexane (no ICT reaction), but show a fast ICT reaction in MeCN at 22 degrees C, with decay times of 1.1 ps (FPP4F) and 3.3 ps (PP4F). It is concluded that FPP4F and PP4F have a planar ICT state (PICT model), indicating that a perpendicular twist of the donor and acceptor subgroups in a donor/acceptor molecule is not a requirement for fast and efficient ICT. The molecular structures of FPP4F and PP4F obtained from X-ray crystal analysis reveal that the pyrrole group of PP4F is twisted over an angle theta = 25 degrees relative to the fluorophenyl moiety in the ground state, whereas as expected FPP4F is practically planar (theta = 2 degrees). The pyrrole-phenyl bond length of FPP4F (140.7 pm) is shorter than that for PP4F (141.8 pm).

Guanosine monophosphate (GMP) in aqueous solutions has been studied with femtosecond broad-band transient absorption spectroscopy and by quantum-mechanical calculations. The sample was excited at 267 or 287 nm and probed between 270 and 1000 nm with 100 fs resolution, for various pH values between 2 and 7. At pH 2, when the guanine ring is ground-state protonated (GMPH(+)), we observe isosbestic behavior indicating state-to-state relaxation. The relaxation is biexponential, tau(1) = 0.4 ps, tau(2) = 2.2 ps, and followed by slower internal conversion with tau(3) = 167 ps. For nonprotonated GMP in the pH range 7-4, we find biexponential decay in the region 400-900 nm (tau(1) = 0.22 ps, tau(2) = 0.9 ps), whereas, between 270 and 400 nm, the behavior is triexponential with one growing, tau(1) = 0.25 ps, and two decaying, tau(2) = 1.0 ps, tau(3) = 2.5 ps, components. The excited-state evolution is interpreted with the help of quantum-chemical calculations, performed at the time-dependent PBE0 level accounting for bulk solvent effects and specific solvation. The computed dynamics involves L(a) and L(b) bright excited states, whereas the n(0)pi* and pisigma* dark excited states play a minor role. Independent of the pH, the photoinduced evolution involves ultrafast L(b)-->L(a) conversion (tau(ba) << 100 fs) and exhibits the presence of a wide planar plateau on L(a). For neutral GMP a barrierless path connects this region to a conical intersection (CI) with the ground state, giving an account of the ultrafast decay of this species. For protonated GMPH(+) the system evolves into a stable minimum L(a min) characterized by out-of-plane displacement of NH and CH groups, which explains the longer (167 ps) fluorescence lifetime.