Triplet-Triplet Annihilation Upconverting Liposomes: Mechanistic Insights into the Role of Membranes in Two-Dimensional TTA-UC.

Triplet-triplet annihilation upconversion (TTA-UC) implemented in nanoparticle assemblies is of emerging interest in biomedical applications, including in drug delivery and imaging. As it is a bimolecular process, ensuring sufficient mobility of the sensitizer and annihilator to facilitate effective collision in the nanoparticle is key. Liposomes can provide the benefits of two-dimensional confinement and condensed concentration of the sensitizer and annihilator along with superior fluidity compared to other nanoparticle assemblies. They are also biocompatible and widely applied across drug delivery modalities. However, there are relatively few liposomal TTA-UC systems reported to date, so systematic studies of the influence of the liposomal environment on TTA-UC are currently lacking. Here, we report the first example of a BODIPY-based sensitizer TTA-UC system within liposomes and use this system to study TTA-UC generation and compare the relative intensity of the anti-Stokes signal for this system as a function of liposome composition and membrane fluidity. We report for the first time on time-resolved spectroscopic studies of TTA-UC in membranes. Nanosecond transient absorption data reveal the BODIPY-perylene dyad sensitizer has a long triplet lifetime in liposome with contributions from three triplet excited states, whose lifetimes are reduced upon coinclusion of the annihilator due to triplet-triplet energy transfer, to a greater extent than in solution. This indicates triplet energy transfer between the sensitizer and the annihilator is enhanced in the membrane system. Molecular dynamics simulations of the sensitizer and annihilator TTA collision complex are modeled in the membrane and confirm the co-orientation of the pair within the membrane structure and that the persistence time of the bound complex exceeds the TTA kinetics. Modeling also reliably predicted the diffusion coefficient for the sensitizer which matches closely with the experimental values from fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. The relative intensity of the TTA-UC output across nine liposomal systems of different lipid compositions was explored to examine the influence of membrane viscosity on upconversion (UC). UC showed the highest relative intensity for the most fluidic membranes and the weakest intensity for highly viscous membrane compositions, including a phase separation membrane. Overall, our study reveals that the co-orientation of the UC pair within the membrane is crucial for effective TTA-UC within a biomembrane and that the intensity of the TTA-UC output can be tuned in liposomal nanoparticles by modifying the phase and fluidity of the liposome. These new insights will aid in the design of liposomal TTA-UC systems for biomedical applications.

Diiodo-BODIPY Sensitizing of the [Mo3S13]2- Cluster for Noble-Metal-Free Visible-Light-Driven Hydrogen Evolution within a Polyampholytic Matrix.

We report on a photocatalytic setup that utilizes the organic photosensitizer (PS) diiodo-BODIPY and the non-precious-metal-based hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalyst (NH4)2[Mo3S13] together with a polyampholytic unimolecular matrix poly(dehydroalanine)-graft-poly(ethylene glycol) (PDha-g-PEG) in aqueous media. The system shows exceptionally high performance with turnover numbers (TON > 7300) and turnover frequencies (TOF > 450 h-1) that are typical for noble-metal-containing systems. Excited-state absorption spectra reveal the formation of a long-lived triplet state of the PS in both aqueous and organic media. The system is a blueprint for developing noble-metal-free HER in water. Component optimization, e.g., by modification of the meso substituent of the PS and the composition of the HER catalyst, is further possible.

BODIPY-Perylene Charge Transfer Compounds; Sensitizers for Triplet-Triplet Annihilation Up-conversion.

BODIPY heterochromophores, asymmetrically substituted with perylene and/or iodine at the 2 and 6 positions were prepared and investigated as sensitizers for triplet-triplet annihilation up conversion (TTA-UC). Single-crystal X-ray crystallographic analyses show that the torsion angle between BODIPY and perylene units lie between 73.54 and 74.51, though they are not orthogonal. Both compounds show intense, charge transfer absorption and emission profiles, confirmed by resonance Raman spectroscopy and consistent with DFT calculations. The emission quantum yield was solvent dependent but the emission profile remained characteristic of CT transition across all solvents explored. Both BODIPY derivatives were found to be effective sensitizers of TTA-UC with perylene annihilator in dioxane and DMSO. Intense anti-Stokes emission was observed, and visible by eye from these solvents. Conversely, no TTA-UC was observed from the other solvents explored, including from non-polar solvents such as toluene and hexane that yielded brightest fluorescence from the BODIPY derivatives. In dioxane, the power density plots obtained were strongly consistent with TTA-UC and the power density threshold, the Ith value (the photon flux at which 50 % of ΦTTAUC is achieved), for B2PI was observed to be 2.5x lower than of B2P under optimal conditions, an effect ascribed to the combined influence of spin-orbit charge transfer intersystem crossing (SOCT-ISC) and heavy metal on the triplet state formation for B2PI.

Radiative lifetime of a BODIPY dye as calculated by TDDFT and EOM-CCSD methods: solvent and vibronic effects.

The radiative emission lifetime and associated S1 excited state properties of a BODIPY dye are investigated with TDDFT and EOM-CCSD calculations. The effects of a solvent are described with the polarizable continuum model using the linear response (LR) approach as well as state-specific methods. The Franck-Condon (FC), Herzberg-Teller (HT) and Duschinsky vibronic effects are evaluated for the absorption and emission spectra, and for the radiative lifetime. The transition energies, spectra shapes and radiative lifetime are assessed with respect to experimental results. It is found that the TDDFT transition energies are overestimated by about 0.4-0.5 eV, whereas EOM-CCSD improves the vertical emission energy by about 0.1 eV in comparison to TDDFT. The solvatochromic and Stokes shifts are better reproduced by the state-specific solvation methods, which show that these methods are more suited than the LR model to describe the solvent effects on the BODIPY dye. The vibronic effects lead to an increase of the radiative lifetime of about 0.4 to 1.0 ns depending on the theoretical approach, which highlights the importance of such effects. Moreover, the HT effects are negligible on both the spectra and lifetime, which demonstrates that the FC approximation is accurate for the BODIPY dye. Finally, the comparison with experimental data shows that the radiative lifetimes predicted by EOM-CCSD and TDDFT have comparable accuracy.

Sum-over-state expressions including second-order Herzberg-Teller effects for the calculation of absorption and resonance Raman intensities.

The sum-over-state expressions are derived to calculate the second-order Herzberg-Teller (HT) effects in absorption and resonance Raman spectroscopies. These effects depend on the second derivatives of the transition dipole moment with respect to the vibrational coordinates. The method is applied to the molecule of 1,3-butadiene using density functional theory calculations. It is found that the second-order HT effects are significant for both absorption and resonance Raman intensities, and that the calculated spectra are in good agreement with the experimental data. The second-order HT effects originate from diagonal elements of the second derivatives matrix, whereas non-diagonal elements have a negligible impact on the intensities of 1,3-butadiene.

Effects of Bromine Doping on the Structural Properties and Band Gap of CH3NH3Pb(I1-x Br x )3 Perovskite.

An experimental and theoretical study is reported to investigate the influence of bromine doping on CH3NH3Pb(I1-x Br x )3 perovskite for Br compositions ranging from x = 0 to x = 0.1, in which the material remains in the tetragonal phase. The experimental band gap is deduced from UV-vis absorption spectroscopy and displays a linear behavior as a function of bromine concentration. Density functional theory calculations are performed for five different series of randomly doped structures in order to simulate the disorder in bromine doping sites. The computations predict a linear variation of the lattice parameters, supercell volume, density, band gap, and formation energy in the considered doping range. The calculated evolution of the band gap as the function of Br doping is in excellent agreement with the experimental data, provided that different Br doping configurations are included in the simulations. The analysis of the structural and electronic properties shows a correlation between the increase of the band gap and the increased distortion of the Pb(I1-x Br x )6 octahedrons. Additionally, the simulations suggest that in CH3NH3Pb(I1-x Br x )3 bromine doping is likely to occur at both the equatorial and apical positions of the octahedrons.

Influence of Orientational Disorder on the Optical Absorption Properties of the Hybrid Metal-Halide Perovskite CH3 NH3 PbI3.

An experimental and theoretical investigation is reported to analyze the relation between the structural and absorption properties of CH3 NH3 PbI3 in the tetragonal phase. More than 3000 geometry optimizations were performed to reveal the structural disorder and identify structures with the lowest energies. The electronic structure calculations provide an averaged band gap of 1.674 eV, which is in excellent agreement with the experimental value of about 1.6 eV. The simulations of the absorption spectrum for three representative structures with lowest energy reproduced the absorption shoulders observed in the experimental spectra. These shoulders are assigned to excitations having similar orbital characters and involving transitions between hybridized 6s(Pb)/5p(I) orbitals and 6p(Pb) orbitals. The geometries of the three structures were analyzed and the effects of the inorganic frame and the CH3 NH3+ cations on the absorption properties were estimated. It was found that both changes in the inorganic frame and the CH3 NH3+ cations orientations impact the absorption spectra, by modifying the transitions energies and intensities. This highlights the role of CH3 NH3+ cation in influencing the absorption properties of CH3 NH3 PbI3 and demonstrates that CH3 NH3+ cation is one of the key elements explaining the broad and nearly constant absorption spectrum in the visible range.

Excited state properties of a series of molecular photocatalysts investigated by time dependent density functional theory.

Time dependent density functional theory calculations are applied on a series of molecular photocatalysts of the type [(tbbpy)2M1(tpphz)M2X2]2+ (M1 = Ru, Os; M2 = Pd, Pt; X = Cl, I) in order to provide information concerning the photochemistry occurring upon excitation of the compounds in the visible region. To this aim, the energies, oscillator strengths and orbital characters of the singlet and triplet excited states are investigated. The structural modifications of the complexes have a strong impact on the excited states properties. In particular, it is found that the main differences concern the energies of the charge-separated and metal-centered states. The analysis of these differences provides general trends for the efficiency of population transfers between the states, particularly regarding the charge separation and electron recombination processes.

Theoretical Investigation of the Electron-Transfer Dynamics and Photodegradation Pathways in a Hydrogen-Evolving Ruthenium-Palladium Photocatalyst.

Time-dependent density functional theory calculations combined with the Marcus theory of electron transfer (ET) were applied on the molecular photocatalyst [(tbbpy)2 Ru(tpphz)PdCl2 ]2+ in order to elucidate the light-induced relaxation pathways populated upon excitation in the longer wavelength range of its absorption spectrum. The computational results show that after the initial excitation, metal (Ru) to ligand (tpphz) charge transfer (MLCT) triplet states are energetically accessible, but that an ET toward the catalytic center (PdCl2 ) from these states is a slow process, with estimated time constants above 1 ns. Instead, the calculations predict that low-lying Pd-centered states are efficiently populated-associated to an energy transfer toward the catalytic center. Thus, it is postulated that these states lead to the dissociation of a Cl- and are consequently responsible for the experimentally observed degradation of the catalytic center. Following dissociation, it is shown that the ET rates from the MLCT states to the charge separated states are significantly increased (i.e. 104 -106 times larger). This demonstrates that alteration of the catalytic center generates efficient charge separation.

The role of Herzberg-Teller effects on the resonance Raman spectrum of trans-porphycene investigated by time dependent density functional theory.

The S1 excited state properties as well as the associated absorption and resonance Raman (RR) spectra of trans-porphycene are investigated by means of time dependent density functional theory calculations. The relative magnitude of the Franck-Condon (FC) contribution and of the Herzberg-Teller (HT) effects is evaluated for both the absorption and RR intensities. The accuracy of the calculated spectra is assessed by employing different theoretical approximations and by comparing with experimental data. The obtained results show that Duschinsky effects lead to noticeable modifications in the absorption intensities but are nearly negligible in the RR spectrum. By contrast, the HT effects are stronger for the RR intensities compared to the absorption intensities, and these effects significantly improve the agreement with the experimental RR spectrum. Moreover, the HT effects produce different values of the RR depolarization ratios, which can be used to quantify the relative importance of the FC and HT contributions. Generally, it is found that the HT effects have a significant role on the RR spectrum of trans-porphycene and that their inclusion in the computational scheme is mandatory to accurately predict the RR intensities.

Theoretical Assessment of Excited State Gradients and Resonance Raman Intensities for the Azobenzene Molecule.

The ground state geometries and vibrational frequencies as well as the excitation energies and excited state gradients of the S1(nπ*) and S2(ππ*) states of trans- and cis-azobenzene are investigated by several DFT methods, namely B3LYP, PBE, M06-2X, CAM-B3LYP, and ωB97X. Excited state properties and in particular gradients are also assessed using the wave function based methods EOM-CCSD and RASPT2/RASSCF. Comparison with experimental data shows that the B3LYP functional gives the most accurate results for the ground state geometry and vibrational frequencies. The analysis of the vertical excitation energies reveals that the RASPT2 approach provides the most accurate excitation energies with deviations of the order of 0.1 eV. Among the TDDFT methods, the CAM-B3LYP functional shows the best performance on the excitation energies. By assessing the excited state gradients with respect to the reference RASPT2 data, the most accurate gradients are obtained with B3LYP, whereas other functionals as well as the EOM-CCSD and RASSCF calculations give less consistent results. Overall, despite the tendency of B3LYP to underestimate the excitation energies, this functional provides the most balanced description of both ground and excited state properties for both isomers of azobenzene in the Franck-Condon region.

Influence of Protonation State on the Excited State Dynamics of a Photobiologically Active Ru(II) Dyad.

The influence of ligand protonation on the photophysics of a ruthenium (Ru) dyad bearing the 2-(1-pyrenyl)-1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]-phenanthroline (ippy) ligand was investigated by time-resolved transient absorption spectroscopy. It was found that changes in the protonation state of the imidazole group led to changes in the electronic configuration of the lowest lying excited state. Formation of the fully deprotonated imidazole anion resulted in excited state signatures that were consistent with a low-lying intraligand (IL) triplet state. This assignment was supported by time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculations. IL triplet states have been suggested to be potent mediators of photodynamic effects. Thus, these results are of interest in the design of Ru metal complexes as photosensitizers (PSs) for photodynamic therapy (PDT).

π-Stacking attraction vs. electrostatic repulsion: competing supramolecular interactions in a tpphz-bridged Ru(ii)/Au(iii) complex.

The synthesis and characterization of a mixed metal ruthenium(ii)/gold(iii) complex bridged by tetrapyridophenazine (tpphz) are described. It is isostructural and isoelectronic to the well-known photocatalysts with palladium(ii) or platinum(ii). Concentration dependent (1)H-NMR spectroscopy and XRD studies show that the electrostatic repulsion between the gold(iii) moieties exceeds the attractive π-stacking interaction. Theoretical calculations based on the new structural data confirm an increased positive charge on the bridging ligand as well as significantly altered orbital symmetry as compared to the previously investigated palladium(ii) complex. This is the first example of a tpphz ruthenium(ii) complex where π-stacking is completely inhibited. The detailed investigation of the solid-state structure showed for the first time in bimetallic tpphz bridged complexes no significant torsion within the bridging ligand itself. Although catalytic performance for proton reduction by gold(iii) is naturally not observed, its photochemical decomposition in colloidal gold particles could be shown by TEM and DLS.

Synthesis and characterization of ruthenium and rhenium dyes with phosphonate anchoring groups.

, a series of rhenium(i) tricarbonyl chloride complexes with bpy-R2 derivatives (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine, R represents the substitution at the 4- and 4'-positions), and their corresponding trishomoleptic as well as heteroleptic ruthenium(ii) complexes and have been synthesized and characterized. Their applicability as immobilizable metal-organic chromophores in solar and photosynthesis cells is enabled by R, since it includes phosphonic ester groups as precursors for potent phosphonate anchoring groups. Conjugated linkers (phenylene and triazole moieties) serve as distance control between bpy and the anchor. Photophysical and electrochemical studies reveal pronounced effects of the aryl substitution. These effects were further investigated using resonance Raman experiments and supported by theoretical calculations. After hydrolysis the triazole containing was successfully immobilized on NiO, suggesting that its application in photovoltaic cells is feasible. The solid state structures of , , and are reported in this paper, enabling the determination of the distances and intermolecular interactions.

Comparison of simplified sum-over-state expressions to calculate resonance Raman intensities including Franck-Condon and Herzberg-Teller effects.

Sum-over-state (SOS) expressions to simulate absorption spectroscopy and resonance Raman (RR) scattering including Franck-Condon (FC) and Herzberg-Teller (HT) effects are described. Starting from the general SOS method, several simplified SOS formulae are derived. In particular, within the so-called independent mode displaced harmonic oscillator model, it is shown that including the vibronic structure in the absorption and RR spectra only requires the calculation of FC overlap integrals of the type θg0|θev, where g, e, and v stand for the electronic ground state, excited state, and vibrational quantum number, respectively. Additionally, an approximation of the latter approach is introduced, referred as the simplified Φe method, in which the FC factors are neglected. This method is advantageous from the computational point of view and it is demonstrated that it reproduces the main characteristics of the more involved approaches. The merits and drawbacks of the different methods are discussed by applying them to the prototypical compound of Rhodamine 6G. Overall, this work intends to unravel and clarify some differences in the SOS theories of RR scattering.

In situ spectroelectrochemical and theoretical study on the oxidation of a 4H-imidazole-ruthenium dye adsorbed on nanocrystalline TiO2 thin film electrodes.

Terpyridine 4H-imidazole-ruthenium(II) complexes are considered promising candidates for use as sensitizers in dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) by displaying broad absorption in the visible range, where the dominant absorption features are due to metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) transitions. The ruthenium(III) intermediates resulting from photoinduced MLCT transitions are essential intermediates in the photoredox-cycle of the DSSC. However, their photophysics is much less studied compared to the ruthenium(II) parent systems. To this end, the structural alterations accompanying one-electron oxidation of the RuIm dye series (including a non-carboxylic RuIm precursor, and, carboxylic RuImCOO in solution and anchored to a nanocrystalline TiO2 film) are investigated via in situ experimental and theoretical UV-Vis absorption and resonance Raman (RR) spectroelectrochemistry. The excellent agreement between the experimental and the TDDFT spectra derived in this work allows for an in-depth assignment of UV-Vis and RR spectral features of the dyes. A concordant pronounced wavelength dependence with respect to the charge transfer character has been observed for the model system RuIm, and both RuImCOO in solution and attached on the TiO2 surface. Excitation at long wavelengths leads to the population of ligand-to-metal charge transfer states, i.e. photoreduction of the central ruthenium(III) ion, while high-energy excitation features an intra-ligand charge transfer state localized on the 4H-imidazole moiety. Therefore, these 4H-imidazole ruthenium complexes investigated here are potential multi-photoelectron donors. One electron is donated from MLCT states, and additionally, the 4H-imidazole ligand reveals electron-donating character with a significant contribution to the excited states of the ruthenium(III) complexes upon blue-light irradiation.

Optimization of hydrogen-evolving photochemical molecular devices.

A molecular photocatalyst consisting of a Ru(II) photocenter, a tetrapyridophenazine bridging ligand, and a PtX2 (X=Cl or I) moiety as the catalytic center functions as a stable system for light-driven hydrogen production. The catalytic activity of this photochemical molecular device (PMD) is significantly enhanced by exchanging the terminal chlorides at the Pt center for iodide ligands. Ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy shows that the intramolecular photophysics are not affected by this change. Additionally, the general catalytic behavior, that is, instant hydrogen formation, a constant turnover frequency, and stability are maintained. Unlike as observed for the Pd analogue, the presence of excess halide does not affect the hydrogen generation capacity of the PMD. The highly improved catalytic efficiency is explained by an increased electron density at the Pt catalytic center, this is confirmed by DFT studies.

Photophysics of Ru(II) Dyads Derived from Pyrenyl-Substitued Imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline Ligands.

The photophysics of a series of Ru(II) dyads based on the 2-(1-pyrenyl)-1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]-phenanthroline ligand was investigated. The ability of these metal complexes to intercalate DNA and induce cell death upon photoactivation makes them attractive photosensitizers for a range of photobiological applications, including photodynamic therapy. In the present study, time-resolved transient absorption and emission spectroscopy were used to interrogate the photoinduced processes that follow metal-to-ligand charge transfer excitation of the complexes in solution. It was found that energy transfer to pyrene-localized intraligand triplet states, facilitated by torsional motion of the pyrene moiety relative to the imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline ligand, was an important relaxation pathway governing the photophysical dynamics in this class of compounds. Biphasic decay kinetics were assigned to spontaneous (pre-equilibrium) and delayed emission, arising from an equilibrium established between (3)MLCT and (3)IL states. TDDFT calculations supported these interpretations.

Ultrafast intramolecular relaxation and wave-packet motion in a ruthenium-based supramolecular photocatalyst.

The hydrogen-evolving photocatalyst [(tbbpy)2 Ru(tpphz)Pd(Cl)2 ](2+) (tbbpy=4,4'-di-tert-butyl-2,2'-bipyridine, tpphz=tetrapyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c:3'',2''-h:2''',3'''-j]phenazine) shows excitation-wavelength-dependent catalytic activity, which has been correlated to the localization of the initial excitation within the coordination sphere. In this contribution the excitation-wavelength dependence of the early excited-state relaxation and the occurrence of vibrational coherences are investigated by sub-20 fs transient absorption spectroscopy and DFT/TDDFT calculations. The comparison with the mononuclear precursor [(tbbpy)2 Ru(tpphz)](2+) highlights the influence of the catalytic center on these ultrafast processes. Only in the presence of the second metal center, does the excitation of a (1) MLCT state localized on the central part of the tpphz bridge lead to coherent wave-packet motion in the excited state.

Photophysics of a ruthenium 4H-imidazole panchromatic dye in interaction with titanium dioxide.

The photophysics of bis(4,4'-di-tert-butyl-2,2'-bipyridine-κ(2)N,N')[2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-4,5-bis(p-tolylimino-κN)imidazolato]ruthenium(II) hexafluorophosphate is investigated, both in solution and attached to a nanocrystalline TiO2 film. The studied substitution pattern of the 4H-imidazole ligand is observed to block a photoinduced structural reorganization pathway within the 4H-imidazole ligand that has been previously investigated. Protonation at the 4H-imidazole ring decreases the excited-state lifetime in solution. When the unprotonated dye is anchored to TiO2, photoinduced electron injection occurs from thermally nonrelaxed triplet metal-to-ligand charge transfer ((3)MLCT) states with a characteristic time constant of 0.5 ps and an injection efficiency of roughly 25%. Electron injection from the subsequently populated thermalized (3)MLCT state of the dye does not take place. The energy of this state seems to be lower than the conduction band edge of TiO2.