Cheng-Chih Hsieh

Comprehensive Studies on an Overall Proton Transfer Cycle of the ortho-Green Fluorescent Protein Chromophore

Initiated by excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) reaction, an overall reaction cycle of 4-(2-hydroxybenzylidene)-1,2-dimethyl-1H-imidazol-5(4H)-one (o-HBDI), an analogue of the core chromophore of the green fluorescent protein (GFP), has been investigated. In contrast to the native GFP core, 4-(4-hydroxybenzylidene)-1,2-dimethyl-1H-imidazol-5(4H)-one (p-HBDI), which requires hydrogen-bonding relay to accomplish proton transfer in vivo, o-HBDI possesses a seven-membered-ring intramolecular hydrogen bond and thus provides an ideal system for mimicking an intrinsic proton-transfer reaction. Upon excitation, ESIPT takes place in o-HBDI, resulting in a ∼600 nm proton-transfer tautomer emission. The o-HBDI tautomer emission, resolved by fluorescence upconversion, is comprised of an instantaneous rise to a few hundred femtosecond oscillation in the early relaxation stage. Frequency analysis derived from ultrashort pulse gives two low-frequency vibrations at 115 and 236 cm(-1), corresponding to skeletal deformation motions associated with the hydrogen bond. The results further conclude that ESIPT in o-HBDI is essentially triggered by low-frequency motions and may be barrierless along the reaction coordinate. Femtosecond UV/vis transient absorption spectra also provide supplementary evidence for the structural evolution during the reaction. In CH(3)CN, an instant rise of a 530 nm transient is resolved, which then undergoes 7.8 ps decay, accompanied by the growth of a rather long-lived 580 nm transient species. It is thus concluded that following ESIPT the cis-proton transfer isomer undergoes cis-trans-isomerization. The results of viscosity-dependent dynamics are in favor of the one-bond-flip mechanism, which is in contrast to the volume-conserving isomerization behavior for cis-stilbene and p-HBDI. Further confirmation is given by the picosecond-femtosecond transient IR absorption spectra, where several new and long-lived IR bands in the range of 1400-1500 cm(-1) are assigned to the phenyl in-plane breathing motions of the trans-proton transfer tautomer. Monitored by the nanosecond transient absorption, the 580 nm transient undergoes a ∼7.7 μs decay constant, accompanied by the growth of a new ∼500 nm band. The latter is assigned to a deprotonated tautomer species, which then undergoes the ground-state reverse proton recombination to the original o-HBDI in ∼50 μs, achieving an overall, reversible proton transfer cycle. This assignment is unambiguously supported by pump-probe laser induced fluorescence studies. On these standpoints, a comparison of photophysical properties among o-HBDI, p-HBDI, and wild-type GFP is discussed in detail.

Excited-state intramolecular proton transfer molecules bearing o-hydroxy analogues of green fluorescent protein chromophore.

o-Hydroxy analogues, 1a-g, of the green fluorescent protein chromophore have been synthesized. Their structures and electronic properties were investigated by X-ray single-crystal analyses, electrochemistry, and luminescence properties. In solid and nonpolar solvents 1a-g exist mainly as Z conformers that possess a seven-membered-ring hydrogen bond and undergo excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) reactions, resulting in a proton-transfer tautomer emission. Fluorescence upconversion dynamics have revealed a coherent type of ESIPT, followed by a fast vibrational/solvent relaxation (<1 ps) to a twisted (regarding exo-C(5)-C(4)-C(3) bonds) conformation, from which a fast population decay of a few to several tens of picoseconds was resolved in cyclohexane. Accordingly, the proton-transfer tautomer emission intensity is moderate (0.08 in 1e) to weak (∼10(-4) in 1a) in cyclohexane. The stronger intramolecular hydrogen bonding in 1g suppresses the rotation of the aryl-alkene bond, resulting in a high yield of tautomer emission (Φ(f) ≈ 0.2). In the solid state, due to the inhibition of exo-C(5)-C(4)-C(3) rotation, intense tautomer emission with a quantum yield of 0.1-0.9 was obtained for 1a-g. Depending on the electronic donor or acceptor strength of the substituent in either the HOMO or LUMO site, a broad tuning range of the emission from 560 (1g) to 670 nm (1a) has been achieved.

Dual Excited-State Intramolecular Proton Transfer Reaction in 3-Hydroxy-2-(pyridin-2-yl)-4H-chromen-4-one

The synthesis, characterization and fundamental of the dual excited-state proton-transfer properties of 3-hydroxy-2-(pyridin-2-yl)-4H-chromen-4-one (1a) are reported. In the electronic ground state, there exist two competitive hydrogen bonding (HB) isomers for 1a. Conformer 1a(O) reveals a five-membered ring HB structure between O-H and carbonyl oxygen, while conformer 1a(N) possesses a six-membered ring HB formation between O-H and pyridyl nitrogen. In a single crystal, the X-ray crystallography unveils an exclusive formation of conformer 1a(N). In solution such as CH(2)Cl(2), 1a(O) and 1a(N) are in equilibrium, and their respective absorption chromophores are significantly different due to different degrees of hydrogen-bond induced pi electron delocalization. Upon excitation, both conformers 1a(O) and 1a(N) undergo excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) reaction. Following ESIPT, 1a(O) gives rise to a tautomer emission maximized at 534 nm in CH(2)Cl(2). Conversely, due to dominant radiationless quenching processes the tautomer emission for 1a(N) cannot be obtained with a steady-state manner but can be resolved from time-resolved fluorescence. Time resolved fluorescence estimates an equilibrium constant of 27 +/- 5 in favor of 1a(N) in CH(2)Cl(2). Ultrafast ESIPT also takes place for the unique 1a(N) form in the crystal. Due to the prohibition of quenching processes in the solid state, bright tautomer emission maximized at 540 nm is resolved for 1a(N) (Phi(f) approximately 0.3). The interplay between two HB conformers with on(1a(O))/off(1a(N)) character in tautomer emission may find future applications such as the recognition of organic Lewis acid/base in organic solvents.

Excited-State Intramolecular Proton Transfer (ESIPT) Fine Tuned by Quinoline−Pyrazole Isomerism: π-Conjugation Effect on ESIPT

A series of quinoline/isoquinoline-pyrazole isomers (I-III), in which the pyrazole moiety is in a different substitution position, was strategically designed and synthesized, showing a system with five-membered intramolecular hydrogen bonding. Despite the similarity in molecular structure, however, only I undergoes excited-state intramolecular proton transfer, as evidenced by the distinct 560 nm proton-transfer emission and its associated relaxation dynamics. The experimental results support a recent theoretical approach regarding the conjugation effect on a proton (or hydrogen atom) transfer reaction (J. Phys. Chem. A 2009, 113, 4862-4867). The concept simply predicts that more extended pi conjugation, i.e., resonance, for proton-transfer tautomer species could allow for efficient delocalization of excess charge in the reaction center, resulting in a larger thermodynamic driving force for proton transfer.

Extensive spectral tuning of the proton transfer emission from 550 to 675 nm via a rational derivatization of 10-hydroxybenzo[h]quinoline

Via a systematic derivatization of the excited-state intramolecular proton-transfer system, 10-hydroxybenzo[h] quinoline, the proton-transfer emission can be extensively tuned from 550 nm (1) to 675 nm (6), in which amplified spontaneous emission was readily observed for , generating a new family of proton transfer laser dyes.

Excited‐State Double Proton Transfer in Model Base Pairs: The Stepwise Reaction on the Heterodimer of 7‐Azaindole Analogues

A four fused-ring system 11-propyl-6H-indolo[2,3-b]quinoline (6 HIQ) is strategically designed and synthesized; it possesses a central moiety of 7-azaindole (7AI) and undergoes excited-state double proton transfer (ESDPT). Despite a barrierless type of ESDPT in the 6 HIQ dimer, femtosecond dynamics and a kinetic isotope effect provide indications for a stepwise ESDPT process in the 6 HIQ/7AI heterodimer, in which 6 HIQ (deuterated 6 HIQ) delivers the pyrrolyl proton (deuteron) to 7AI (deuterated 7AI) in less than 150 fs, forming an intermediate with a charge-transfer-like ion pair, followed by the transfer of a pyrrolyl proton (deuteron) from cation-like 7AI (deuterated 7AI) to the pyridinyl nitrogen of the anion-like 6 HIQ (deuterated 6 HIQ) in approximately 1.5+/-0.3 ps (3.5+/-0.3 ps). The barrier of second proton transfer is estimated to be 2.86 kcal mol(-1) for the 6 HIQ/7AI heterodimer.

Donor–Acceptor Interactions in Red‐Emitting Thienylbenzene‐Branched Dendrimers with Benzothiadiazole Core

Synthesis and characterization of dendrimers containing thienylbenzene repeating units, red-emitting benzothiadiazole core, and triarylamine peripheries that bear naphthyl units are reported. The relevant dendrimers of different generations are classified as G(nb) (n=1-3), while the tert-butyl dendrimers G(na) with the acceptor alone were also synthesized to serve as control chromophores that avoid donor-acceptor interactions. The resulting dendrimers are capable of harvesting photon energy through efficient energy transfer among donor-acceptor moieties, so that highly luminescent red fluorophores result. Transient fluorescence studies suggest that the energy transfer and its efficiency are approximately unity in all G(a) dendrimers, whereas the rate of energy transfer for the G(b) dendrimers is suppressed, that is, charge transfer from the core to the periphery is a significant quenching pathway. These dendrimers are amorphous in nature with high glass transition temperatures (176-201 degrees C). Electroluminescent devices were fabricated by using the dendrimers as hole-transporting emitters, and the devices exhibit promising red emission parameters.

Homogenous, far-reaching tuning and highly emissive QD–silica core–shell nanocomposite synthesized via a delay photoactive procedure; their applications in two-photon imaging of human mesenchymal stem cells

In this article, we present the exploration of a facile synthetic tactic incorporating delay-photo-oxidation to recover the loss in emission frequently encountered after encapsulating quantum dots (QDs) inside a silica shell. This facile synthesis procedure reproducibly increases emissive intensity of QDs (core)–SiO2 (shell) (60 nm) nanomaterials by >5 fold (QY from 3% to >15%). The resulting QDs (core)–SiO2 proved to be a single quantum dot in single SiO2, homogeneous and highly monodispered; their emissions have been successfully fine-tuned from visible to the near infrared region. We then demonstrate their power in biological imaging by labeling human mesenchymal stem cells under two-photon confocal microscopy. The results of low cytotoxicity, efficient labeling, and specific location nearby the nucleus characters of these nanoparticles should spark an intensive relevant research within a living system.

Structural tuning intra- versus inter-molecular proton transfer reaction in the excited state

A series of 2-pyridyl-pyrazole derivatives 1-4 possessing five-membered ring hydrogen bonding configuration are synthesized, the structural flexibility of which is strategically tuned to be in the order of 1 > 2 > 3 > 4. This system then serves as an ideal chemical model to investigate the correlation between excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) reaction and molecular skeleton motion associated with hydrogen bonds. The resulting luminescence data reveal that the rate of ESIPT decreases upon increasing the structural constraint. At sufficiently low concentration where negligible dimerization is observed, ESIPT takes place in 1 and 2 but is prohibited in 3 and 4, for which high geometry constraint is imposed. The results imply that certain structural bending motions associated with hydrogen bonding angle/distance play a key role in ESIPT. This trend is also well supported by the DFT computational approach, in which the barrier associated with ESIPT is in the order of 1 < 2 < 3 < 4. Upon increasing the concentration in cyclohexane, except for 2, the rest of the title compounds undergo ground-state dimerization, from which the double proton transfer takes place in the excited state, resulting in a relatively blue shifted dimeric tautomer emission (cf. the monomer tautomer emission). The lack of dimerization in 2 is rationalized by substantial energy required to adjust the angle of hydrogen bond via twisting the propylene bridge prior to dimerization.

Design and Synthesis of Trithiophene-Bound Excited-State Intramolecular Proton Transfer Dye: Enhancement on the Performance of Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells

In an aim to harvest UV-near-visible (360-440 nm) photons as well as to increase the morphology in the bulk heterojunction solar cells, we report herein the strategic design, synthesis, and characterization of a novel excited-state intramolecular proton-transfer dye, 3-hydroxy-2-(5-(5-(5-(3-hydroxy-4-oxo-4H-chromen-2-yl)thiophen-2-yl)thiophen-2-yl)thiophen-2-yl)-4H-chromen-4-one (FT), which bears two key functional groups, namely 3-hydroxychromone chromophore and trithiophene backbone and is then exploited into the blends of regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (RR-P3HT) and phenyl-C(61)-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM). FT acts as an excellent UV-near visible absorber, which then undergoes excited-state intramolecular proton transfer, giving rise to an orange-red proton-transfer emission that was reabsorbed by P3HT via a Forster type of energy transfer. Introduction of FT to P3HT/PCBM blend films also improves the morphology of phase separated structure, in particular, enhances the interaction of P3HT chains and the hole mobility. In this work, under the optimized condition of P3HT: PCBM:FT of 15:9:2 in weight ratio, the best performance of the device B-FT2 revealed consistent enhancements in the efficiency (eta) 4.28% and short-circuit current (J(sc)) 12.53 mAcm(-2), which are higher than that (3.68% and 10.28 mAcm(-2)) of the best performance of the control device B (P3HT:PCBM 15:9 in weight ratio) by 16 and 22%, respectively.