Photo-physics study of an hydroxy-quinoline derivative as inhibitor of Pim-1 kinase: ultraviolet-visible linear dichroism spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations.

The photophysical properties of the antiviral 7-nicotinoyl-styrylquinoline (MB96) were investigated by means of UV-Vis linear dichroism (LD) spectroscopy on molecular samples aligned in stretched polyvinylalcohol (PVA), supported by time dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations. Experimentally, the directions of the transitions moments with respect to the long axis of the molecule were deduced from the orientation K factors, determined by means of "trial-and-error" procedure. The absorption spectrum presents two parts. The main transition in the lowest energy part, observed around 365 nm and showing the highest K value 0.8, is longitudinally in-plane polarized. The highest energy part which is extended between 230 and 320 nm, large, diffuse, and of weak intensity, shows estimated K values between 0.2 and 0.5. This complex structure is transversally polarized with some contamination by the longitudinal character of the first strong band. The TD-DFT results agree fairly well with the LD measurements.

Spectroscopic characterization and theoretical simulation of 1,4-diallylquinoxaline-2,3-dione self dimer.

Room temperature UV-vis absorption and emission spectra of the 1,4-diallylquinoxaline-2,3-dione (DAQX) are measured in solution at different concentrations. Even at very low concentration (approximately 10(-7)M), DAQX is shown to form ground state van der Waals dimers and excited dimers. These later species do not seem to rearrange into an excimer geometry. The theoretical simulation of the dimer, performed using the analytical atom-atom pair potential described below, predicts a non sandwich face-to-reverse slipped structure with head-to-tail orientation. The allowed absorption transitions, calculated using ZINDO/S package, reproduce satisfactory the experimental spectrum for both the monomer and the simulated dimer.