Chris Tsz-Leung Chan

Organic triplet excited states of gold(I) complexes with oligo (o- or m-phenyleneethynylene) ligands : conjunction of steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopic studies on exciton delocalization and emission pathways

A series of mononuclear and binuclear gold(I) complexes containing oligo(o- or m-phenyleneethynylene) (PE) ligands, namely [PhC≡C(C(6)H(4)-1,2-C≡C)(n-1)Au(PCy(3))] (n = 2-4, 4a-c), [μ-{C≡C-(1,2-C(6)H(4)C≡C)(n)}{Au(PCy(3))}(2)] (n = 1-6, 8, 5a-g), [PhC≡C(C(6)H(4)-1,3-C≡C)(n-1)Au(PCy(3))] (n = 2-4, 6a-c), and [μ-{C≡C-(1,3-C(6)H(4)C≡C)(n)}{Au(PCy(3))}(2)] (n = 1, 2, 7a,b), were synthesized and structurally characterized. Extensive spectroscopic measurements have been performed by applying combined methods of femtosecond transient absorption (fs-TA), fs time-resolved fluorescence (fs-TRF), and nanosecond time-resolved emission (ns-TRE) coupled with steady-state absorption and emission spectroscopy at both ambient and low (77 K) temperatures to directly probe the temporal evolution of the excited states and to determine the dynamics and spectral signatures for the involved singlet (S(1)) and triplet (T(1)) excited states. The results reveal that S(1) and T(1) both feature ligand-centered electronic transitions with ππ* character associated with the phenyl and acetylene moieties. The (3)ππ* emission of the PE ligands is switched on by the attachment of [Au(PCy(3))](+) fragment(s) due to the heavy-atom effect. T(1)((3)ππ*) was found to form with nearly unity efficiency through intersystem crossing (ISC) from S(1)((1)ππ*). The ISC time constants were determined to be ∼50, 35, and 40 ps for 4b and 6a,b, respectively. Dual emission composed of fluorescence from S(1) and phosphorescence from T(1) were observed for most of the complexes except 5a and 7a, where only phosphorescence was found. The fluorescence at ambient temperature is accounted for by both the short-lived prompt fluorescence (PF) and long-lived delayed fluorescence (DF, lifetime on microsecond time scale). Explicit evidence was presented for a triplet-triplet annihilation mechanism for the generation of DF. Ligand length and substitution-dependent dynamics of T(1) are the key factors governing the dual emission character of the complexes. By extrapolation from the plot of emission energy against the PE chain length of the [Au(PCy(3))](+) complexes with oligo(o-PE) or oligo(m-PE) ligands, the triplet emission energies were estimated to be ∼530 and ∼470 nm for poly(o-PE) and poly(m-PE), respectively. Additionally, we assign the unusual red shifts of 983 cm(-1) from [PhC≡CAu(PCy(3))] (1) to [μ-{1,3-(C≡C)(2)C(6)H(4)}{Au(PCy(3))}(2)] (7a) and 462 cm(-1) from 7a to [μ(3)-{1,3,5-(C≡C)(3)C(6)H(3)}{Au(PCy(3))}(3)] (8) in the phosphorescence energies to excitonic coupling interactions between the C≡CAu(PCy(3)) arms in the triplet excited states. These complexes, together with those previously reported [Au(PCy(3))](+) complexes containing oligo(p-PE) ligands ( J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2002 , 124 , 14696 - 14706 ), form a collection of oligo(phenyleneethynylene) complexes exhibiting organic triplet emission in solution under ambient conditions. The remarkable feature of these complexes in exhibiting TTA prompted DF in conjunction with high formation efficiency of T(1)((3)ππ*) affords an opportunity for emission spectra to cover a wide range of wavelengths. This may have implication in the development of PE-based molecular materials for future optical applications.

Impressive Europium Red Emission Induced by Two-Photon Excitation for Biological Applications

Three triazine-based europium(III) complexes were synthesized that demonstrated strong two-photon induced europium emission with a high two-photon absorption cross-section. The modified triazine ligand of complex 3 initiated over 100% enhancement of the two-photon absorption cross-section (σ(2): 320 GM) when compared with complex 1 (σ(2): 128 GM) in a solution of DMSO. Europium complex 3 is also stable in vitro, and power-dependence curves were obtained in vitro to confirm the two-photon-induced f-f emission in HeLa cells.

Design and Synthesis of Bipyridine Platinum(II) Bisalkynyl Fullerene Donor–Chromophore–Acceptor Triads with Ultrafast Charge Separation

Donor-chromophore-acceptor triads, (PTZ)2-Pt(bpy)-C60 and ((t)BuPTZ)2-Pt(bpy)-C60, along with their model compound, (Ph)2-Pt(bpy)-C60, have been synthesized and characterized; their photophysical and electrochemical properties have been studied, and the origin of the absorption and emission properties has been supported by computational studies. The photoinduced electron transfer reactions have been investigated using the femtosecond and nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. In dichloromethane, (Ph)2-Pt(bpy)-C60 shows ultrafast triplet-triplet energy transfer from the (3)MLCT/LLCT excited state within 4 ps to give the (3)C60* state, while in (PTZ)2-Pt(bpy)-C60 and ((t)BuPTZ)2-Pt(bpy)-C60, charge-separated state forms within 400 fs from the (3)MLCT/LLCT excited state with efficiency of over 0.90, and the total efficiency with the contribution of (3)C60* is estimated to be 0.99. Although the forward electron transfer reactions are very rapid, the charge-separated state recombines to the singlet ground state at a time of hundreds of nanoseconds because of the difference in spin multiplicity between the charge-separated state and the ground state.

Deciphering Photoluminescence Dynamics and Reactivity of the Luminescent Metal–Metal‐Bonded Excited State of a Binuclear Gold(I) Phosphine Complex Containing Open Coordination Sites

Luminescent metal complexes having open coordination sites hold promise in the design of sensory materials and photocatalysts. As a prototype example, [Au2 (dcpm)2)](2+) (dcpm = bis(dicyclohexylphosphanyl) is known for its intriguing environmental sensitive photoluminescence. By integrating a range of complementary ultrafast time-resolved spectroscopy to interrogate the excited state dynamics, this study uncovers that the events occurring in extremely rapid timescales and which are modulated strongly by environmental conditions play a pivotal role in the luminescence behavior and photochemical outcomes. Formed independent of the phase and solvent property within ∼0.15 ps, the metal-metal bonded (3)5dσ*6pσ state is highly reactive possessing strong propensity toward increasing coordination number at Au(I) center, and with ∼510 ps lifetime in dichloromethane is able to mediate light induced C-X bond cleavage.

Femtosecond broadband time-resolved fluorescence and transient absorption study of the intramolecular charge transfer state of methyl 4-dimethylaminobenzoate

A combined application of femtosecond broadband time-resolved fluorescence (fs-TRF), fluorescence anisotropy (fs-TRFA) and fs to microsecond (μs) transient absorption (TA) have been used to probe directly the dynamics, nature, formation and decay paths of the singlet intramolecular charge transfer ((1)ICT) state of methyl 4-dimethylaminobenzoate (1a) in acetonitrile. The result reveals explicit evidence for a common electronic origin (the L(a) nature) of the (1)ICT state and its precursor the locally excited ((1)LE) state to account jointly for the dual florescence known to this system. It also shows that the ICT reaction from the (1)LE to (1)ICT state occurs with time constant of ~0.8 ps and the (1)ICT state formed decays with a ~1.9 ns time constant leading mainly to a ππ* natured triplet state ((3)T(1)). The (3)T(1) then relaxes with a ~4 μs lifetime under deoxygenated condition resulting in full recovery of the ground state (S(0)). As a case study, this work contributes novel experimental data for improved understanding of the mechanism of ICT reaction; it also reveals a distinct deactivation pattern for this prototype para-amino substituted aromatic carbonyl compound in acetonitrile.

Cu 2 ZnSnS 4 /MoS 2 -Reduced Graphene Oxide Heterostructure: Nanoscale Interfacial Contact and Enhanced Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation

Hydrogen generation from water using noble metal-free photocatalysts presents a promising platform for renewable and sustainable energy. Copper-based chalcogenides of earth-abundant elements, especially Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS), have recently arisen as a low-cost and environment-friendly material for photovoltaics and photocatalysis. Herein, we report a new heterostructure consisting of CZTS nanoparticles anchored onto a MoS2-reduced graphene oxide (rGO) hybrid. Using a facile two-step method, CZTS nanoparticles were in situ grown on the surface of MoS2-rGO hybrid, which generated high density of nanoscale interfacial contact between CZTS and MoS2-rGO hybrid. The photoexcited electrons of CZTS can be readily transported to MoS2 through rGO backbone, reducing the electron-hole pair recombination. In photocatalytic hydrogen generation under visible light irradiation, the presence of MoS2-rGO hybrids enhanced the hydrogen production rate of CZTS by 320%, which can be attributed to the synergetic effect of increased charge separation by rGO and more catalytically active sites from MoS2. Furthermore, this CZTS/MoS2-rGO heterostructure showed much higher photocatalytic activity than both Au and Pt nanoparticle-decorated CZTS (Au/CZTS and Pt/CZTS) photocatalysts, indicating the MoS2-rGO hybrid is a better co-catalyst for photocatalytic hydrogen generation than the precious metal. The CZTS/MoS2-rGO system also demonstrated stable photocatalytic activity for a continuous 20 h reaction.