Vladimir V. Kurdyukov

Ultrafast Excited-State Dynamics of Donor−Acceptor Biaryls: Comparison between Pyridinium and Pyrylium Phenolates

The excited-state dynamics of two donor-acceptor biaryls that differ by the strength of the acceptor, a pyridinium or a pyrylium moiety, have been investigated using a combination of steady-state solvatochromic absorption, ultrafast fluorescence, as well as visible and infrared transient absorption spectroscopies. The negative solvatochromic behavior of pyridinium phenolate indicates that the permanent electric dipole moment experiences a decrease upon S1 ← S0 excitation, implying that the ground state possesses more zwitterionic character than the excited state. In contrast, pyrylium phenolate exhibits a weakly positive solvatochromic behavior corresponding to a small increase in the dipole moment upon excitation, implying more zwitterionic character in the excited than the ground state. Both compounds are therefore situated at different sides of the cyanine-limit structure, which has equally polar ground and excited states. Despite these differences, both molecules exhibit qualitatively similar excited-state properties. They are characterized by a very short fluorescence lifetime, increasing from about 1 to 20 ps, when varying solvent viscosity from 0.4 to 11 cP. There are, however, characteristic differences between the two compounds: The excited-state lifetimes of the pyrylium dye are shorter and also depend somewhat on polarity. The ensemble of spectroscopic data can be explained with a model where the emitting Franck-Condon excited state relaxes upon twisting around the single bond between the aryl units to a point where the excited- and ground-state surfaces are very close or intersect. After internal conversion to the ground state, the distorted molecule relaxes back to its equilibrium planar configuration, again largely dependent upon solvent viscosity. However, in this case, the kinetics for the pyrylium dye are slower than for the pyridinium dye and the polar solvent-induced acceleration is significantly stronger than in the excited state. This difference of kinetic behavior between the two compounds is a direct consequence of the change of the electronic structure from a normal to an overcritical merocyanine evidenced by steady-state spectroscopy.

Enhanced Intersystem Crossing Rate in Polymethine-Like Molecules: Sulfur-Containing Squaraines versus Oxygen-Containing Analogues

Two different approaches to increase intersystem crossing rates in polymethine-like molecules are presented: traditional heavy-atom substitution and molecular levels engineering. Linear and nonlinear optical properties of a series of polymethine dyes with Br- and Se-atom substitution, and a series of new squaraine molecules, where one or two oxygen atoms in a squaraine bridge are replaced with sulfur atoms, are investigated. A consequence of the oxygen-to-sulfur substitution in squaraines is the inversion of their lowest-lying ππ* and nπ* states leading to a significant reduction of singlet-triplet energy difference and opening of an additional intersystem channel of relaxation. Experimental studies show that triplet quantum yields for polymethine dyes with heavy-atom substitutions are small (not more than 10%), while for sulfur-containing squaraines these values reach almost unity. Linear spectroscopic characterization includes absorption, fluorescence, quantum yield, anisotropy, and singlet oxygen generation measurements. Nonlinear characterization, performed by picosecond and femtosecond laser systems (pump-probe and Z-scan measurements), includes measurements of the triplet quantum yields, excited state absorption, two-photon absorption, and singlet and triplet state lifetimes. Experimental results are in agreement with density functional theory calculations allowing determination of the energy positions, spin-orbital coupling, and electronic configurations of the lowest electronic transitions.

Optimization of the Double Pump–Probe Technique: Decoupling the Triplet Yield and Cross Section

The double pump-probe technique (DPP), first introduced by Swatton et al. [Appl. Phys. Lett. 1997, 71, 10], is a variant of the standard pump-probe method but uses two pumps instead of one to create two sets of initial conditions for solving the rate equations, allowing a unique determination of singlet- and triplet-state absorption parameters and transition rates. We investigate the advantages and limitations of the DPP theoretically and experimentally and determine the influence of several experimental parameters on its accuracy. The accuracy with which the DPP determines the triplet-state parameters improves when the fraction of the population in the triplet state relative to the ground state is increased. To simplify the analysis of the DPP, an analytical model is presented, which is applicable to both the reverse saturable and the saturable absorption regimes. We show that the DPP is optimized by working in the saturable absorption regime. Although increased accuracy is in principle achievable by increasing the pump fluence in the reverse saturable absorption range, this can cause photoinduced decomposition in photochemically unstable molecules. Alternatively, we can tune the excitation wavelength to the spectral region of larger ground-state absorption, to achieve similar accuracy. This results in an accurate separation of triplet yield and excited-state absorption cross section. If the cross section at another wavelength is then desired, a second pump-probe experiment at that wavelength can be utilized given the previously measured triplet yield under the usually valid assumption that the triplet yield is independent of excitation wavelength.

Molecular and crystal structure of pyrylium squarylium dyes

The crystal structures of new dyes: 4-[[3-[[2,6-bis-(tert-butyl)-4H-pyran-4-ylidene]methyl]-2-oxido-4-oxo2-cyclobuten-]-ylidene]methyl]2,6-bis(tert-butyl)pyrylium (I) and its thio analog (II) were determined. Crystal data: space group P1 (I), P21/n (II); a = 5.960(9) Å (I), 10.400(4) Å (II); b = 9.366(3) Å (I), 12.242(4) Å (II); c = 13.948(3) Å (I), 14.482(6) Å (II); α = 70.43(2)° (I), 90.0° (II); ß = 84.82(9)° (I), 94.65(3)° (II); γ = 79.10(9)° (I), 90.0° (II); V = 720.0 Å3 (I), 1837.7 Å3 (II); Z = I (I), 2 (II); dcalc = 1.131 g/cm3 (I), 086 g/cm3 (II); R1(F) 0.049 (I), 0.045 (II). The substituents are trans-oriented relative to the planar 4-membered ring. Bond length distribution points to a considerable electron density delocalization over the whole molecule except the But groups. The pyrane rings are oriented differently relative to the central group; in II the rings lie in the same plane which is rotated through 7.7° with respect to the central fragment, whereas in I they lie in parallel planes which are 1.38 Å apart and deviate from the central fragment to opposite sides, forming with it dihedral angles of 12.8°. These conformational differences are possibly the result of the action of crystal field forces. In I molecules are arranged as overlapping stacks, whereas in II the pairwise parallel dye molecules are oriented in such a way that their long molecular axes are perpendicular to the long axes of the neighboring pair, resulting in a herringbone packing.

Nature of the absorption bands of pyrylocyanines.2. Influence of t-Bu, Ph and Th ring substituents

Abstract The effects of t-Bu, Ph and Th substituents on the absorption spectra of α-and γ-pyrylocyanines and their heteroanalogues have been investigated using experimental and quantum-chemical methods. It has been found that changes in the position of the absorption band depend on the electronegativity of the ring heteroatom (O, S, N CH3), polymethine length, and the position of the bond between the chain and the end group. In the case of dye molecules, the effect of two substituents was additive, in contrast to the corresponding salts of the intial heterocycles. An explanation for the significant shifts in the absorption maximum of the thienylcyanines has been presented.

Nonlinear optical study of oxygen-sulfur squaraines

Replacing oxygen with sulfur in a squaraine bridge compound leads to a large increase in triplet yield (and triplet-state absorption) while maintaining the already enhanced two-photon absorption as well as the singlet excited-state absorption.