Aromatic Amines in Organic Synthesis. Part II. p-Aminocinnamaldehydes.

Ten derivatives of p-aminocinnamic aldehydes were prepared from the reaction of either aromatic amines with dimethylaminoacrolein or benzaldehydes with acetaldehyde. Their chemical structure and purity were verified by 1H NMR, 13C NMR and IR spectroscopic methods. We found that the synthesis applying dimethylaminoacrolein as the reagent gets better yields than the one based on the reaction with acetaldehyde. The yields of the cinnamic aldehydes varied according to the type of the amino group and the number and position of the substituents. The basic spectroscopic properties of the p-aminocinnamic aldehydes are also described since the compounds may be a precursor for the synthesis of dyes for diverse applications, e.g., in medicine and optoelectronics.

Influence of the Nature of the Amino Group in Highly Fluorescent Difluoroborates Exhibiting Intramolecular Charge Transfer.

A series of difluoroborates were synthesized from CH acids. All compounds were substituted with dialkylamino groups (NR2). The lone electron pair of the nitrogen atom of this donor moiety is variably delocalized toward the difluoroborate core that acts as the electron acceptor. This was rationalized in light of the various geometries of the amino group. The degree of charge transfer was quantified on the basis of the results of time-dependent density functional theory calculations.

Synthesis, photophysical properties and systematic evaluations of new phenanthroimidazole fluorescent probe for bioimaging: Experimental and theoretical study.

In this study, the newly synthesized 4'-(1H-phenantro[9,10-d]-imidazol-2-yl)-bifenyl-4-carboaldehyde - PB2 was investigated as a fluorescent dye. For this reason, the spectroscopic properties in solvents of different polarity were studied. The experimental data were supported by quantum-chemical calculations using density functional theory. Measurements and theoretical calculations showed that PB2 compound is characterized by the non-monotonic solvatochromism, strongly polar charge transfer excited state, large Stokes' shift, high fluorescence quantum yield and high fluorescence lifetime. Simulations using AutoDock presented in this study, showed that after conjugation with Concanavalin A in the active site with LYS200, the PB2 possesses the highest probability of binding affinity. Circular dichroism (CD) measurement was performed to monitor the changes of the secondary structure of Concanavalin A induced by the presence of PB2 fluorophore. These results indicate that the addition of PB2 influences the secondary structure of Concanavalin A, but does not affect the interactions with carbohydrate moieties. Finally, by using fluorescence microscopy it was demonstrated that the PB2 is the photostable fluorescent probe and PB2 conjugate Concanavalin A exhibits a blue fluorescence. The results of this study have implications in designing PB2-protein conjugate as a valuable alternative to commercial probes designed for cellular labeling in biological and biomedical research.

Experimental and Theoretical Studies of the Spectroscopic Properties of Chalcone Derivatives.

Newly synthesized, differently substituted chalcones (1,3-diaryl-2-propen-1-ones) have been studied using steady-state and time-resolved techniques combined with quantum-chemical modelling. To explore spectroscopic structure - property relationships the substituent (acceptor moiety) was chosen according to systematic variation in the Hammett parameter. It was shown that photophysical properties of the studied donor-acceptor (D-A) molecules can be predicted in terms of a simple model from the properties of individual chromophores (composite-model of decoupled moieties: donor (D) and acceptor (A)). The results of spectroscopic measurements also indicate that for investigated D-A fluorophores in medium-polar solvent, the initially populated, locally excited (LE) state (where the fundamental role plays donor moiety (D*-A)) reacts further to produce intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) state. Additionally, the experimental absorption (M ge ) and fluorescence (M eg ) transition dipole moments were calculated on the basis of spectroscopic data and compared with results of our quantum-chemical calculations. The absorption transition dipole moment was found to vary linearly with the Hammett substituent coefficient (σ).

Synthesis, spectroscopic, physicochemical properties and binding site analysis of 4-(1H-phenanthro[9,10-d]-imidazol-2-yl)-benzaldehyde fluorescent probe for imaging in cell biology: Experimental and theoretical study.

In this study, the 4-(1H-phenanthro[9,10-d]-imidazol-2-yl)-benzaldehyde (PB1) was investigated as a fluorescent dye. For this reason, the spectroscopic properties in different solvents were thoroughly studied. The experimental data were supported by quantum-chemical calculations using density functional theory. Measurements and theoretical calculations showed that PB1 dye is characterized by the non-monotonic solvatochromism, strongly polar charge transfer excited state, large Stokes' shift, high fluorescence quantum yield and high fluorescence lifetime. Simulations using AutoDock presented in this study, showed that after conjugation with Concanavalin A in the active site with LYS116, the PB1 possesses the highest probability of binding affinity. The interaction between the PB1 dye and the Concanavalin A lectin has been investigated by circular dichroism spectroscopy. Conventional fluorescence microscopy imaging of Candida albicans and Yarrowia lipolytica cells, incubated with the PB1-Concanavalin A, was demonstrated. Results show that the PB1 dye is a photostable low molecular weight fluorescent probe, which emits a blue fluorescence. The results of this study have implications for designing PB1-protein conjugate as a valuable alternative to commercial probes designed for cellular labeling in biological and biomedical research. Calculated LogP value together with LogBCF show that PB1-protein conjugate is a valuable alternative to commercial probes designed for cellular labeling in biological and biomedical research.

Spectroscopic and nonlinear optical properties of new chalcone fluorescent probes for bioimaging applications: a theoretical and experimental study.

In this study, the newly synthesized non-centrosymmetric, 4-dimethylamino-3'-isothiocyanatochalcone (PKA) compound was presented. This compound belongs to the chalcone group, and its main purpose is to be used in biomedical imaging as a fluorescence dye. For this reason, the linear and nonlinear properties in solvents of different polarity were thoroughly studied. In accordance with the requirements for a fluorochrome, the PKA compound is characterized by strong absorption, large Stokes' shifts, relatively high fluorescence quantum yields and high nonlinear optical response. Moreover, the isothiocyanate reactive probe was conjugated with Concanavalin A. Conventional fluorescence microscopy imaging of Candida albicans cells incubated with the PKA-Concanavalin A, is presented. The results of this study show that the novel conjugate PKA-Concanavalin A could be a promising new probe for cellular labelling in biological and biomedical research. Graphical abstract Spectroscopic behavior of the PKA dye.

Conformational equilibrium in supramolecular chemistry: Dibutyltriuret case.

The association of substituted benzoates and naphthyridine dianions was used to study the complexation of dibutyltriuret. The title molecule is the simplest molecule able to form two intramolecular hydrogen bonds. The naphthyridine salt was used to break two intramolecular hydrogen bonds at a time while with the use of substituted benzoates the systematic approach to study association was achieved. Both, titrations and variable temperature measurements shed the light on the importance of conformational equilibrium and its influence on association in solution. Moreover, the associates were observed by mass spectrometry. The DFT-based computations for complexes and single bond rotational barriers supports experimental data and helps understanding the properties of multiply hydrogen bonded complexes.

Association of N-(pyridin-2-yl),N'-substituted ureas with 2-amino-1,8-naphthyridines and benzoates: NMR and quantum chemical studies of the substituent effect on complexation.

Association of four N-(pyridin-2-yl),N'-R(1)-ureas (R(1) = ethyl, n-butyl, phenyl, and tert-butyl) with substituted 2-amino-1,8-naphthyridines and benzoates were studied by (1)H NMR spectroscopic titrations and quantum chemical calculations. The benzoates and 2-amino-1,8-naphthyridines were selected as representatives of double and triple hydrogen bonding counterparts, respectively. The classical substituent effect on the association was studied. A prerequisite and a crucial step for the complex formation was the breaking of the intramolecular hydrogen bond in urea derivatives. The QTAIM calculation method was employed to explain the hydrogen bonding within complexes. In the case of benzoates carrying an electron-donating substituent the experimental findings were explained by the formation of two complexes. These observations were rationalized by the electronic repulsions between atoms in a close proximity and further verified by calculations. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction was used to confirm the structure of studied ureas in the crystalline state. These results are in line with the solution studies of self-association of ureas.

Dipole moment determination of 4-[N-(5,6,7,8-tetrahydroisoquinolinium-5-ylidene)methyl]-N,N-dialkylaniline iodides in solution.

Electronic absorption and fluorescence spectra of eight hemicyanine dyes were recorded at room temperature in several solvents of different polarity. The spectral data were analyzed using the theory of solvatochromism, based on a dielectric continuum description of the solvent and the classical Onsager cavity model. They were used to evaluate the excited state dipole moment using methods applied by McRae, Lippert, Mataga and Bakhshiev. DFT calculations were carried out to estimate the ground state dipole moment and Onsager cavity radius. The difference in the excited and ground state dipole moments (µe-µg) of the molecule under study is positive. It means that the excited states of the dyes are more polar than the ground state. The increase in dipole moments upon excitation is explained in terms of the nature of the excited state and its resonance structures.

Solvent effects on the spectroscopic properties of styrylquinolinium dyes series.

The study on the relationship between the structure and spectroscopic properties of styrylquinolinium dyes were carried out by measuring the electronic visible absorption, steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectra of quinoline based hemicyanine dyes. The influence of the solvent on absorption and emission spectra and the solvatochromic properties, observed for both ground and first excited states, for all the dyes were applied for the evaluation of their excited state dipole moments. The ground state dipole moments of dyes under the study were established by applying ab initio calculations. The measured, using solvatochromic methods, excited state dipole moments of tested hemicyanines are in the range from 5.38 to 18.90 D and the change in the dipole moments caused by excitation were found to differ from 1.88 to 6.64 D. It was observed that for all tested dyes the dipole moments of the excited states were higher than those of a ground states. The fluorescence lifetime measurements with picosecond resolution was performed for entire series of hemicyanine dyes possessing different dialkylamino groups attached to the phenyl ring. The average lifetimes of the dye fluorescence, determined from the measured data by multi-order exponential decay curve fitting, were in the range from about 120 to 1200 ps at the fluorescence peak wavelength. The fluorescence lifetime measurements were performed for dyes in ethyl acetate solutions. The time-resolved fluorescence spectra measurements allowed to propose the mechanism of the dyes excited states deactivation.

Developing of fluorescence probes based on stilbazolium salts for monitoring free radical polymerization processes. II.

The series of 1-methyl-4-(4-aminostyryl)pyridinium perchlorates was investigated as fluorescent probes for the monitoring of the free radical polymerization progress. The study on the changes in fluorescence intensity and spectroscopic shifts of studied compounds were carried out during thermally initiated polymerization of methyl methacrylate. The purpose of these studies was to find a relationship between the structure of fluorophore and the changes in their fluorescence shape and intensity observed during the monomer conversion into polymer. The probes under the study during the course of polymerization increase their fluorescence intensity at least one order of magnitude. Such increase qualified the tested probes as good fluorescence probes.

Unexpected Hofmann elimination in the benzophenone-(phenylthio)acetic tetrabutylammonium salt photoredox system.

The triplet state of benzophenone was quenched by the tetrabutylammonium salt of (phenylthio)acetic acid in acetonitrile solutions. The quenching event, following laser flash photolysis, resulted in the formation of a transient ion pair consisting of the benzophenone radical anion and the tetrabutylammonium cation. Subsequently this ion pair decays with the quaternary ammonium cation undergoing a Hofmann elimination to form butane-1 and tributylamine, which were detected in steady-state irradiation. This appears to be the first report of an ion pair consisting of a benzophenone radical anion and an organic cation (nonradical), in addition to the first report of a photoinduced Hofmann elimination in quaternary ammonium ions.