Akio Kawai

Ion-pair structure of vaporized ionic liquid studied by matrix-isolation FTIR spectroscopy with DFT calculations: a case of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate.

The matrix-isolation infrared spectrum of a thermally evaporated ionic liquid, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate ([Emim][OTf]), was measured by FTIR spectroscopy and analyzed with the aid of DFT calculations. The main chemical species in the observed IR spectrum was mainly identified as the 1:1 cation-anion pair, which corresponds to the second stable ion-pair structure bonded through five hydrogen bonds between three O atoms of the anion side and four H atoms of the cation.

Cryogenic neon matrix-isolation FTIR spectroscopy of evaporated ionic liquids: geometrical structure of cation-anion 1:1 pair in the gas phase.

Low-temperature infrared spectra of thermally evaporated ionic liquids, 1-ethyl- and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide and bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide have been measured in a cryogenic Ne matrix. The experimental IR spectrum of bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide can be reproduced theoretically by not B3LYP/6-31G* but MP2/6-31G* calculation, which suggests that the vibrational analysis for ionic liquids composed of bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide anion would be more successfully performed using the MP2 calculation. By comparison of the matrix-isolation spectra of the ionic liquids with the MP2 calculation, their geometrical structures in the gas phase are determined to be of C(2-position)-H(+)...N(-) interaction structure, which corresponds to the geometry of the energetically second-lowest ion-pair structure. The present study may provide a valuable clue to understand a vaporization mechanism of ionic liquid.

Photochemical α-cleavage reaction of benzoin and its derivatives

Abstract The quantum yields of α -cleavage type photodissociation ( Φ r ) were determined for benzoin, α -phenylbenzoin and α-phenylbenzoin methyl ether by measuring the transient absorbance of the product radicals using a nanosecond laser flash photolysis technique. The dissociation yields are 0.25–0.35, which are close to the α -cleavage yields of other aryl and alkyl ketones in the nπ* excited state. The lowest excited singlet and the low-lying triplet states are assigned to the nπ* type electronics states according to the absorption and phosphorescence measurements. The assignment agrees with the fact that the dissociation yields of these benzoins are relatively high.

ABSOLUTE MAGNITUDE OF SPIN POLARIZATION IN THE RADICAL-TRIPLET PAIR MECHANISM : CIDEP GENERATION BY LEVEL CROSSINGS IN A TRIPLET-DOUBLET INTERACTION

Abstract Chemically induced dynamic electron polarization (CIDEP) generated through the interaction of the excited triplet state of benzophenone with the 2,2,6,6,-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxyl (TEMPO) radical was investigated by time-resolved ESR spectroscopy in benzene solution. We carefully examined what factors control the CIDEP intensities. By comparing the CIDEP intensity of TEMPO obtained in the triplet benzophenone-TEMPO system with the intensity in the C 60 -TEMPO system, the absolute magnitude of net emissive polarization was determined to be −6.9 in the unit of Boltzmann polarization. The emissive polarization is attributed to state mixing between a quartet and a doublet in the radical-triplet pair induced by the zero-field splitting interaction of the counter triplet molecule. Our result is quantitatively explained by the theory that the net CIDEP is generated predominantly in regions where the quartet and doublet levels cross. This indicates that the quenching of the excited triplet benzophenone by TEMPO in benzene can proceed via an electron-exchange interaction.

Hydrodynamic Interpretation on the Rotational Diffusion of Peroxylamine Disulfonate Solute Dissolved in Room Temperature Ionic Liquids As Studied by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Rotational motion of a nitroxide radical, peroxylamine disulfonate (PADS), dissolved in room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) was studied by analyzing electron paramagnetic resonance spectra of PADS in various RTILs. We determined physical properties of PADS such as the hyperfine coupling constant (A), the temperature dependence of anisotropic rotational correlation times (τ(∥) and τ(⊥)), and rotational anisotropy (N). We observed that the A values remain unchanged for various RTILs, which indicates negligible interaction between the N-O PADS group and the cation of RTIL. Large N values suggest strong interaction of the negative sulfonyl parts of PADS with the cations of RTILs. Most of the τ(∥), τ(⊥), and (τ(∥)τ(⊥))(1/2) values are within the range calculated on the basis of a hydrodynamic theory with stick and slip boundary conditions. It was deduced that this theory could not adequately explain the measured results in some RTILs with smaller BF(4) and PF(6) anions.

Kinetics of photon upconversion in ionic liquids: energy transfer between sensitizer and emitter molecules.

The efficiency of triplet-sensitized photon upconversion in ionic liquids was previously found to be dependent on the type of ionic liquid employed. The properties of the intermolecular energy transfer need to be understood in order to improve the upconversion efficiency. Here, we investigate the kinetics of the triplet energy transfer from the triplet sensitizing molecule to the emitter molecule where the latter is responsible for delayed upconversion fluorescence emission. The collision kinetics between the sensitizer and emitter molecules in imidazolium ionic liquids are investigated by systematically changing the alkyl chain length of the ionic liquid cation. Stern-Volmer analysis reveals unique diffusion behavior of the solute molecules in ionic liquids, and this observation is attributed to the microheterogeneity of the ionic liquids. Through time-resolved transient absorption measurements and determination of the triplet-triplet absorption coefficient of the sensitizer molecule used, we find that the quantum efficiency of the triplet energy transfer in the present system is sufficiently high (ca. 0.75) and independent of the type of ionic liquid. These findings show that the ionic liquid dependence of the upconversion efficiency arises from the later processes pertaining to the emitter molecule rather than the triplet energy transfer process.

Electron spin dynamics of triplet and doublet molecules in room temperature ionic liquids studied by a time-resolved EPR method

A time-resolved (TR-) EPR method was applied to measure the triplet spectra of porphyrins such as ZnTPP (TPP, tetraphenylporphyrin) and H4TPP2+ in room temperature ionic liquids (RTIL). The spectra were successfully obtained at 298 K with clear canonical peaks of the triplet sublevels. Magneto-photo selection experiments were carried out for ZnTPP in NR4BF4 (NR4: N,N-diethyl-N-methyl-N-(2-methoxyethyl)ammonium) and H4TPP2+ in BmimPF6 (Bmim: 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium). In these systems, the intensity ratio of the canonical peaks depends on the orientation between the laser polarization and the external magnetic field at the delay time on the order of submicro-seconds. This experimental finding suggests that there are very slow tumbling motions of ZnTPP and H4TPP2+ in RTILs. Electron spin polarization created in the triplet–doublet system is also successfully observed in RTILs by the TR-EPR method. Based on the analysis of the time evolution curves of both the triplet and doublet molecules, spin polarization mechanisms in the RTILs were discussed.

The first observation of CIDEP generated through the interaction between an excited singlet oxygen molecule and a free radical

Abstract Chemically induced dynamic electron polarization (CIDEP) generated through the interaction between the lowest excited singlet oxygen molecule and 2,2,6,6,-tetramethylpiperidinyl-1-oxyl (TEMPO) radical was observed by the time-resolved ESR technique. Excited singlet oxygen molecules were produced by the triplet sensitizer through energy transfer. Absorptive electron spin polarization was generated on the free radical in the excited singlet oxygen molecule — free radical system, in which the CIDEP generation was interpreted by the radical-triplet pair mechanism with doublet precursor (DP-RTPM). The CIDEP time profile was successfully analyzed by using the Bloch equations. Quenching of 1 O 2 by β-carotene provides further evidence for DP-RTPM in the 1 O 2 -TEMPO system.

Vaporization of protic ionic liquids studied by matrix-isolation Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.

Several protic ionic liquids (PILs) with a wide range of pK(a) differences (ΔpK(a)) between the parent acid and base molecules were thermally evaporated in vacuum, trapped on a CsI plate by a cryogenic neon matrix-isolation method, and studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations. The parent neutral molecules and proton-transferred cation-anion pair species were identified as chemical components evaporated from the PILs with lower and higher ΔpK(a) values, respectively. The ΔpK(a)-dependent vaporization mechanism is discussed in terms of thermodynamic equilibrium between acid-base and anion-cation systems in the liquid phase.

Kinetics of photon upconversion in ionic liquids: time-resolved analysis of delayed fluorescence.

Photon upconversion (UC) based on triplet-triplet annihilation (TTA) is an emerging wavelength shifting technology, which is applicable to sunlight. Previously we found that the quantum efficiency of TTA-UC (ΦUC) carried out in ionic liquids (ILs) is dependent on the type of IL employed. In this article we investigate the kinetics of the triplet emitter molecules (perylene) that implement TTA to determine the origin of the IL dependence of ΦUC. We measure the time-resolved delayed UC fluorescence intensities from samples made with five imidazolium-based ILs, and their intensity decay curves are analyzed with an analytical model. Consequently, several important aspects regarding both the first-order and second-order decays are elucidated. It is revealed that the IL dependence of ΦUC primarily originates from the IL dependence of the branching ratio toward TTA upon an encounter of two triplet emitter molecules. Additionally, a strong correlation between the viscosity of the ILs and the branching ratios toward TTA is found. This finding is supported by temperature-dependent measurements, from which ΦUC is found to be significantly affected by the viscosity of the IL. The results of this study should provide a clue for further improving ΦUC.