1H and 13C chemical shift-structure effects in anhydrous ß-caffeine and four caffeine-diacid cocrystals probed by solid-state NMR experiments and DFT calculations.

By using density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we refined the H atom positions in the structures of ß-caffeine (C), α-oxalic acid (OA; (COOH)2), α-(COOH)2·2H2O, ß-malonic acid (MA), ß-glutaric acid (GA), and I-maleic acid (ME), along with their corresponding cocrystals of 2 : 1 (2C-OA, 2C-MA) or 1 : 1 (C-GA, C-ME) stoichiometry. The corresponding 13C/1H chemical shifts obtained by gauge including projector augmented wave (GIPAW) calculations agreed overall very well with results from magic-angle-spinning (MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy experiments. Chemical-shift/structure trends of the precursors and cocrystals were examined, where good linear correlations resulted for all COO1H sites against the H⋯O and/or H⋯N H-bond distance, whereas a general correlation was neither found for the aliphatic/caffeine-stemming 1H sites nor any 13C chemical shift against either the intermolecular hydrogen- or tetrel-bond distance, except for the 13COOH sites of the 2C-OA, 2C-MA, and C-GA cocrystals, which are involved in a strong COOH⋯N bond with caffeine that is responsible for the main supramolecular stabilization of the cocrystal. We provide the first complete 13C NMR spectral assignment of the structurally disordered anhydrous ß-caffeine polymorph. The results are discussed in relation to previous literature on the disordered α-caffeine polymorph and the ordered hydrated counterpart, along with recommendations for NMR experimentation that will secure sufficient 13C signal-resolution for reliable resonance/site assignments.

Insights into cation-anion hydrogen bonding in mesogenic ionic liquids: an NMR study.

The hydrogen-bonding interaction is studied in imidazolium-based mesogenic ionic liquids in their isotropic, smectic, and solid phases and in a nanoconfined state by proton solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). In the smectic phase, the more basic anions form stronger hydrogen bonds. A small decrease of H-bonding in the mesophase with respect to that in the isotropic phase is associated with the presence of a layered assembly with high orientational order and limited conformational freedom. Hydrogen bond strength is not sensitive to the cation structural modification as long as the aprotic nature of the material is preserved. The strong cation-anion hydrogen bonding observed in the smectic phases provides direct support for the presence of ionic sublayers which form in ionic liquid crystals regardless of the location and alignment of the charged group in the cation, particularly irrespective of whether the charged group occupies a terminal or central position in the cation structure. A comparison of the results obtained in isotropic, liquid-crystalline, and solid states shows that in the bulk materials the dynamic state of ions ranging from high reorientational and translational freedom to partial orientation and positional order to full immobilization, respectively, has no strong impact on the cation-anion hydrogen bond strength. On the other hand, nanoconfinement of ionic liquid crystals led to hydrogen bond disruption due to competing interactions of anions with a solid interface.

Ion conformation and orientational order in a dicationic ionic liquid crystal studied by solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Ionic liquids crystals belong to a special class of ionic liquids that exhibit thermotropic liquid-crystalline behavior. Recently, dicationic ionic liquid crystals have been reported with a cation containing two single-charged ions covalently linked by a spacer. In ionic liquid crystals, electrostatic and hydrogen bonding interactions in ionic sublayer and van der Waals interaction in hydrophobic domains are the main forces contributing to the mesophase stabilization and determining the molecular orientational order and conformation. How these properties in dicationic materials are compared to those in conventional monocationic analogs? We address this question using a combination of advanced NMR methods and DFT analysis. Dicationic salt 3,3'-(1,6-hexanediyl)bis(1-dodecylimidazolium)dibromide was studied. Local bond order parameters of flexible alkyl side chains, linker chain, and alignment of rigid polar groups were analyzed. The dynamic spacer effectively "decouples" the motion of two ionic moieties. Hence, local order and alignment in dicationic mesophase were similar to those in analogous single-chain monocationic salts. Bond order parameters in the side chains in the dicationic smectic phase were found consistently lower compared to double-chain monocationic analogs, suggesting decreasing contribution of van der Waals forces. Overall dication reorientation in the smectic phase was characterized by low values of orientational order parameter S. With increased interaction energy in the polar domain the layered structure is stabilized despite less ordered dications. The results emphasized the trends in the orientational order in ionic liquid crystals and contributed to a better understanding of interparticle interactions driving smectic assembly in this and analogous ionic mesogens.

NMR Spectroscopic Studies of Cation Dynamics in Symmetrically-Substituted Imidazolium-Based Ionic Liquid Crystals.

Ionic liquid crystals (ILCs) present a new class of non-molecular soft materials with a unique combination of high ionic conductivity and anisotropy of physicochemical properties. Symmetrically-substituted long-chain imidazolium-based mesogenic ionic liquids exhibiting a smectic liquid crystalline phase were investigated by solid state NMR spectroscopy and computational methods. The aim of the study was to reveal the correlation between cation size and structure, local dynamics, and orientational order in the layered mesophase. The obtained experimental data are consistent with the model of a rod-shaped cation with the two chains aligned in opposite directions outward from the imidazolium core. The alignment of the core plane to the phase director and the restricted conformations of the chain segments were determined and compared to those in single-chain counterparts. The orientational order parameter S~0.5-0.6 of double-chain ionic liquid crystals is higher than that of corresponding single-chain analogues. This is compatible with the enhanced contribution of van der Waals forces to the stabilization of smectic layers. Increased orientational order for the material with Br- counterions, which exhibit a smaller ionic radius and higher ability to form hydrogen bonds as compared to that of BF4-, also indicated a non-negligible influence of electrostatic and hydrogen bonding interactions. The enhanced rod-shape character and higher orientational order of symmetrically-substituted ILCs can offer additional opportunities in the design of self-assembling non-molecular materials.

Understanding ionic mesophase stabilization by hydration: a solid-state NMR study.

The correlation between the water contribution to hydrogen bonding within ionic sublayer, mesophase order parameter, and ion translational self-diffusion in the layered ionic liquid crystalline phase is investigated. Changes in hydrogen bonding, conformational and translational dynamics, and orientational order upon hydration were followed by solid-state NMR combined with density functional theory (DFT) analysis. We observed that the smectic mesophase of monohydrated imidazolium-based ionic liquids, which was stabilized in a wider temperature range compared to that of anhydrous materials, counterintuitively exhibited a lower orientational order of organic cations. Thus the role of anisotropic alignment of cations and contribution of dispersion forces in the mesophase stability decreased upon hydration. The local dynamics of cations is controlled by the alignment of the bulky methyl-imidazolium ring, experiencing strong electrostatic and H-bond interactions in the ionic sublayer. Anisotropy of translational diffusion increased in the hydrated samples, thus supporting the layer-stabilizing effect of water. The effect of decreasing molecular order is outweighed by the contribution of water hydrogen bonding to the overall interaction energy within the ionic sublayer.

Understanding the Microscopic Behavior of Binary Mixtures of Ionic Liquids through Various Spectroscopic Techniques.

In recent times, it has been shown that certain binary mixtures of pure ionic liquids having appropriate chemical composition can behave like a new chemical entity. However, current knowledge about the microscopic behavior of these interesting systems is rather limited. The present study is undertaken with an objective to understand the microscopic behavior in terms of intermolecular interaction, structure, and dynamics of these systems. In the present study, few (IL + IL) mixtures are chosen with a common cation and a variation of anion. The investigations are also carried out by taking individual pure ILs so that the difference in the behavior of pure IL and (IL + IL) mixtures is understood. Initially, the systems have been investigated by studying the thermophysical properties of the concerned mixtures. The synergistic effect between combining pure ILs through photochromism has also been studied. These mixtures have been investigated further through steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS). Interestingly, time-resolved fluorescence data also pointed out that (IL + IL) mixtures are not only spatially heterogeneous but also dynamically heterogeneous. EPR measurements have suggested that the micropolarity ( ET(30)) of the (IL + IL) mixture is close to that of aliphatic polyalcohols. Measurements of translational diffusion coefficients of the diffusing species through NMR and FCS studies have provided an idea about the nanostructural organization within (IL + IL) binary mixtures. The analysis of data essentially reveals that the mixtures of ILs that are used in the current study do not behave like a nonideal solution. The behavior of the IL mixtures is observed to be more like quasi-ideal type.

Differences in the behavior of dicationic and monocationic ionic liquids as revealed by time resolved-fluorescence, NMR and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy.

With an aim to understand the behavior in terms of the intermolecular interactions, structure and dynamics of dicationic and monocationic ionic liquids (ILs), two imidazolium-based dicationic ionic liquids (DILs), 1,8-bis-(3-methylimidazolium-1-yl)octane bis-(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide ([C8(mim)2][NTf2]2), 1,9-bis-(3-methylimidazolium-1-yl)nonane bis-(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide ([C9(mim)2][NTf2]2), and one monocationic ionic liquid (MIL), 1-butyl-3-methyl imidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide ([C4(mim)][NTf2]), have been investigated through combined fluorescence, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), NMR and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS). The DILs were synthesized by following a standard synthetic protocol and subsequently characterized by different analytical techniques. Steady state absorption, emission and EPR spectroscopic data reveal that DILs are less polar compared to MIL. The polarities of the DILs and MIL were found to be close to those of acetonitrile and short chain alcohols, respectively. The excitation wavelength dependent emission data reveals that DILs are more micro-heterogeneous in nature than MIL. The rotational diffusion of two organic solutes, perylene and 8-methoxypyrene-1,3,6-sulfonate (MPTS), were examined in the DILs and MIL. The rotational diffusion data for perylene and MPTS were analyzed in light of the Stokes-Einstein-Debye (SED) hydrodynamic theory. The rotation of perylene in the DILs was observed to be relatively faster to that in the MIL, and it goes beyond the limit predicted by the SED theory. In order to explain the rotational motion of perylene in DILs, the data was analyzed further by invoking quasi-hydrodynamic theory. The observed rotational behavior of perylene has been explained by considering the fact that perylene is located in the nonpolar region of ILs, and larger solvent molecules (DILs) induce a lower friction to the rotating solute. Interestingly, unlike perylene, rotations of MPTS in both of the ILs were observed to be much hindered indicating a relatively stronger MPTS-IL interaction than perylene-IL interaction. More interestingly, rotation of MPTS was observed to be faster in the DILs than that in the MIL despite the fact that DILs are more viscous than MILs. Relatively faster rotation of MPTS in DILs has been explained by resorting to NMR and FCS studies. The outcomes of the NMR and FCS studies revealed that DILs in the experimental condition exist in their folded form and because of this structural restriction of DILs it becomes difficult for the bulky MPTS to make stronger hydrogen bonding interactions with DILs, which eventually makes the rotation of MPTS in DILs faster. Essentially, the outcomes of all of these studies have demonstrated that the behavior of DILs is quite different to that of the usual MILs.

Evidence of homo-FRET in quantum dot-dye heterostructured assembly.

With an aim to understand the intermolecular/particle interaction and the optical properties of the inorganic-organic hybrid nanostructured materials, Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) between negatively charged CdS quantum dots (donor) and positively charged Oxazine 170 perchlorate (acceptor) has been investigated by employing steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. Investigations revealed that size-dependent changes in the FRET efficiency of different QD-dye FRET pairs occurred mainly due to the electrostatic effects. Interestingly, the present study also reveals that at a higher concentration of dye molecules, aggregation occurs on the QD surface and the quenching of dye fluorescence occurs due to homo-FRET process. The homo-FRET process in this case has been established by exploiting steady-state fluorescence anisotropy measurements. The feasibility of aggregate formation and the homo-FRET interaction between the dye molecules has also been demonstrated through quantum mechanical calculations.

Probing the microscopic structural organization of neat ionic liquids (ILs) and ionic liquid-based gels through resonance energy transfer (RET) studies.

With the aim to understand the role of the ionic constituents of ionic liquids (ILs) in their structural organization, resonance energy transfer (RET) studies between ionic liquids (donor) and rhodamine 6G (acceptor) have been investigated. RET studies have been exploited for the present investigation due to the fact that the said process is extremely sensitive to the distance, and a change in the donor-acceptor distance due to a change in the structural organization can be probed. Basically, steady state and time-resolved fluorescence measurements have been carried out in two different sets of ILs, where in one set (1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium alkyl sulfate) the alkyl side chain length on the anionic moiety is systematically varied and in the other set variation is done on the cation (aromatic and nonaromatic). The data related to the RET events have been analyzed in light of Förster theory. A clear rise time in the fluorescence intensity decay profile of the acceptor has unequivocally established the RET process between the donor and acceptor. Interestingly, the rise times and energy transfer efficiencies are also observed to vary with a variation in the alkyl chain length as well as the nature of the cations. More interestingly, the donor-acceptor distance (RDA) is observed to increase from 35.0 Å to 47.5 Å upon increasing the anion chain length from ethyl to octyl. However, RDA is found to decrease (40.5 Å to 34.9 Å) upon going from 1-methyl-3-butylimidazolium to 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium cations. The variation of the relevant RET parameters for the two sets of ILs has been rationalized by considering the change in the structural organization of the respective set of ILs. Additionally, observation of the RET process also in an IL-based gel system indicates the potential use of this fluorescent gel material for future applications.

Linking Diffusion-Viscosity Decoupling and Jump Dynamics in a Hydroxyl-Functionalized Ionic Liquid: Realization of Microheterogeneous Nature of the Medium.

Analysis of time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy data in light of the Stokes-Einstein-Debye hydrodynamic description reveals significant decoupling of rotational motion of the solute and the viscosity of the medium for a hydroxyl-functionalized ionic liquid (IL). This behavior and NMR experiments indicate that the hydroxyl-functionalized IL is more heterogeneous than other structurally similar ILs. Considering that recent theoretical investigations have demonstrated that the jump dynamics and hydrogen-bond fluctuations are closely related in viscous media, in such a case the hydrodynamic description can provide inconsistent results, and the present inapplicability of the hydrodynamics description in explaining solute rotation in a viscous hydroxyl-functionalized IL perhaps provides experimental support to the role of orientational jumps and hydrogen bond formation in that event.

Probing the interactions of structurally similar but chemically distinguishable organic solutes with 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium alkyl sulfate (alkyl = ethyl, hexyl and octyl) ionic liquids through fluorescence, NMR and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) studies.

The rotational diffusion of two organic solutes, 4-(azitidine-1-yl)-7-nitrobenzo[1,2,5]oxadi-azole (ANBD) and 7-nitrobenzo[1,2,5]oxadiazole-4-amine (HNBD), has been examined in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium alkyl sulfate (alkyl = ethyl, hexyl and octyl) ionic liquids with the aim of understanding intermolecular interactions among solute and solvent molecules. Solute-solvent interaction has also been investigated by employing fluorescence, NMR and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS). The ionic liquids (ILs) having a fixed cationic moiety are chosen to monitor the roles of the alkyl chain length as well as the solute-anion (sulfate) interactions in the rotational diffusion of the solutes in the given ILs. In the present study, two chemically distinguishable solutes with structural similarity in their fluorophore unit are employed so that the difference in the rotational behavior of the solutes, if any, can be correlated with the solute-solvent interactions, and not with other factors like the size of the solutes etc. The steady state absorption and emission data indicate that HNBD and ANBD exist in different microenvironments in both ILs. The rotational diffusion data for both the solutes have been analyzed in light of hydrodynamic and quasi hydrodynamic theories. Interestingly, the rotational dynamics of ANBD is observed to be relatively fast and shows slip hydrodynamics, whereas HNBD exhibits hindered rotation with superstick behavior. The hindered rotation of HNBD as compared to that of ANBD in both ILs has been explained by considering the strong hydrogen bonding interactions between the two N-H groups of HNBD and sulfate anions of ILs. The faster rotation of ANBD with the increasing anion chain length has been explained by invoking quasi hydrodynamic theory. The presence of a specific hydrogen bonding interaction between solute (HNBD) and solvent (ILs) molecules has been confirmed by (1)H-NMR experiments. FCS measurements have independently demonstrated the relatively strong association of HNBD with the present ILs as compared to that of ANBD.

Probing the Aggregation Behavior of Neat Imidazolium-Based Alkyl Sulfate (Alkyl = Ethyl, Butyl, Hexyl, and Octyl) Ionic Liquids through Time Resolved Florescence Anisotropy and NMR and Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy Study.

Aggregation behavior of a series of neat 1-ethyl 3-methylimidazolium alkyl sulfate (alkyl = ethyl, butyl, hexyl, and octyl) ionic liquids has been investigated through combined time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy, 1-D and 2-D NMR spectroscopy, and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS). Interestingly, experimentally measured rotational relaxation times (τr) for ethyl, butyl, hexyl and octyl systems are measured to be 2.25, 1.64, 1.36, and 1.32 times higher than the estimated (from Stokes-Einstein-Debye theory) values for the same respective systems. This indicates that the emitting species is not the monomeric imidazolium moiety rather an associated species, and volume of the rotating fluorescing species decreases even though the length of the alkyl moiety on the anions is increased. The shift in the (1)H proton signal as well as a change in the width of the same signal upon dilution of the neat ionic liquids indicates that ionic liquids exist in the aggregated form. Further investigation through the 2D-ROESY experiment shows that interaction between imidazolium and sulfate is relatively stronger in the ethyl system than that of the longer octyl system. FCS measurements independently show that the hydrodynamic volume decreases with an increase in the anion chain length. The NMR and FCS results are consistent with the findings of the fluorescence anisotropy study.

Analyte interactions with a new ditopic dansylamide-nitrobenzoxadiazole dyad: a combined photophysical, NMR, and theoretical (DFT) study.

We report herein the synthesis and photophysical studies on a new multicomponent chemosensor dyad comprising two fluorescing units, dansylamide (DANS) and nitrobenzoxadiazole (NBD). The system has been developed to investigate receptor-analyte binding interactions in the presence of both cations and anions in a single molecular system. A dimethyl amino (in the DANS unit) group is used as a receptor for cations, and acidic hydrogens of sulfonamide and the NBD group are used as receptors for anions. The system is characterized by conventional analytical techniques. The photophysical properties of this supramolecular system in the absence and presence of various metal ions and nonmetal ions as additives are investigated in an acetonitrile medium. Utility of this system in an aqueous medium has also been demonstrated. The absorption and fluorescence spectrum of the molecular system consists of a broad band typical of an intramolecular charge-transfer (ICT) transition. A low quantum yield and lifetime of the NBD moiety in the present dyad indicates photoinduced electron transfer (PET) between DANS and the NBD moiety. The fluorescence intensity of the system is found to decrease in the presence of fluoride and acetate anions; however, the quenching is found to be much higher for fluoride. This quenching behavior is attributed to the enhanced PET from the anion receptor to the fluorophore moiety. The mechanistic aspect of the fluoride ion signaling behavior has also been studied by infrared (IR) and (1)H NMR experiments. The hydrogen bonding interaction between the acidic NH protons of the DPN moiety and F(-) is found to be primarily responsible for the fluoride selective signaling behavior. While investigating the cation signaling behavior, contrary to anions, significant fluorescence enhancement has been observed only in the presence of transition-metal ions. This behavior is rationalized by considering the disruption of PET communication between DANS and the NBD moiety due to transition-metal ion binding. Theoretical (density functional theory) studies are also performed for the better understanding of the receptor-analyte interaction. Interestingly, negative cooperativity in binding is observed when the interaction of this system is studied in the presence of both Zn(2+) and F(-). Fluorescence microscopy studies also revealed that the newly developed fluorescent sensor system can be employed as an imaging probe in live cells.

Probing the aggregation behavior of 4-aminophthalimide and 4-(N,N-dimethyl) amino-N-methylphthalimide: a combined photophysical, crystallographic, microscopic and theoretical (DFT) study.

Two fluorescent molecules, 4-aminophthalimide (AP) and 4-(N,N-dimethyl)amino-N-methylphthalimide (DMP) have been used as the building blocks to fabricate fluorescent organic nano particles. DMP, the analogue of AP, has been synthesized by substituting all the amine hydrogens of AP with methyl groups to get an idea about the effect of intermolecular hydrogen bonding interactions (N-H···) on the aggregation behavior of these molecules. All the systems have been characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). Photophysical behavior of these well characterized systems has been investigated in molecular as well as aggregated forms. Interestingly, while the AP-aggregates exhibit a blue-shifted absorption band (as compared to AP in its molecular form), DMP-aggregates exhibit a red-shifted absorption band (as compared to DMP in its molecular form). These absorption data indicate the formation of H and J aggregates for AP and DMP, respectively. The intermolecular interactions that are responsible for the molecular self assembly of AP and DMP are studied by using X-ray crystallography. X-ray analysis demonstrates the presence of strong intermolecular hydrogen bonding interactions in AP, but only weak interactions (C-H···O, C-H···π) in the case of DMP. X-ray analysis also demonstrates that varying the nature of intermolecular interactions leads to different modes of aggregation. Theoretical studies (DFT and TD-DFT) have been carried out to investigate how different modes of aggregation lead to changes in the optical (UV-VIS spectra) properties of these systems.