Comparison of dipolar, H-bonding, and dispersive interactions on gelation efficiency of positional isomers of keto and hydroxy substituted octadecanoic acids.

A systematic study of the importance of functional group position and type on the gelator efficiencies of structurally simple, low molecular-mass gelators is reported. Thus, the gelation abilities of a series of positional isomers of ketooctadecanoic acid (n-KSA) are compared in a wide range of liquids. The gelation abilities of the n-KSA as a function of n, the keto group position along the chain, are characterized by several structural, thermal, and rheological techniques and are compared with those of the corresponding hydroxyoctadecanoic acid isomers (n-HSA) and the parent molecule, octadecanoic acid (SA). Analyses of the gels according to the strengths of functional group interactions along the alkyl chain in terms of group position and type are made. The conclusions derived from the study indicate that gel stability is enhanced when the functional group is located relatively far from the carboxylic headgroup and when group-group interactions are stronger (i.e., hydrogen-bonding interactions are stronger in the n-HSA than dipole interactions in the n-KSA, which are stronger than the London dispersion interactions in SA). Co-crystals of the keto- and hydroxy-substituted octadecanoic acids are found to be less efficient gelators than even the ketooctadecanoic acids, due to molecular packing and limited group interactions within the gelator networks.

Modulation of the photophysical properties of pyrene by the microstructures of five poly(alkyl methacrylate)s over a broad temperature range.

Pyrene fluorescence spectra have been recorded in five poly(alkyl methacrylate)s (where alkyl is ethyl butyl, isobutyl, cyclohexyl and hexadecyl) over a 20-400 K temperature range. The changes in the position and the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the 0-0 emission band (peak I) have been correlated with the structural characteristics of the alkyl groups in the different relaxation regimes of the polymers to assess the degree of coupling of the excited singlet states with the polymer cybotactic regions. Data treatment of the peak I positions using an electron-phonon model indicates that longitudinal optical modes are involved, and that the magnitude of coupling depends on the polymer structure and follows the same trend as the glass transition temperatures. The same spectral parameters have been correlated also with "hole" free volumes from positron annihilation spectroscopy over temperature ranges which span the glass or melting transitions of the polymers. Reasons why free volume and FWHM measurements follow the same trends, and other aspects of the systems, are discussed.

In-cage and out-of-cage combinations of benzylic radical pairs in the glassy and melted states of poly(alkyl methacrylate)s.

Norrish type 1 reactions of 1-(4-methylphenyl)-3-phenyl-2-propanone (ACOB(1)) have been used to probe structural and morphological properties of a series of poly(alkyl methacrylate)s (PAMAs, where the alkyl is ethyl, butyl, isobutyl, cyclohexyl, and hexadecyl) below and above their glass transition (or melting) temperatures. The PAMAs investigated cover a wide range of glass transition temperatures and structure types. The ratio of in-cage to the sum of in-cage and out-of-cage recombinations of the triplet benzylic radical-pairs generated upon irradiation of ACOB(1) (F(c)) have been calculated from relative photoproduct yields at different temperatures and are compared with the free hole volumes within the polymers as calculated from positronium annihilation lifetime spectroscopy. Laser flash photolysis experiments to follow the growth and decay of the radicals have also been conducted in order to correlate the steady-state irradiation results with the radical pair recombination processes (i.e., in-cage and out-of-cage). The changes in F(c) as a function of PAMA type and phase (temperature) can be correlated with chain relaxation rates and the nature of the polymer side chains, but not hole free volumes. These results are compared with those from our previous work, conducted in polyethylenes with differing degrees of crystallinity, where hole free volume was the primary factor in controlling F(c).

Influence of positional isomers on the macroscale and nanoscale architectures of aggregates of racemic hydroxyoctadecanoic acids in their molecular gel, dispersion, and solid states.

Inter/intramolecular hydrogen bonding of a series of hydroxystearic acids (HSAs) are investigated. Self-assembly of molecular gels obtained from these fatty acids with isomeric hydroxyl groups is influenced by the position of the secondary hydroxyl group. 2-Hydroxystearic acid (2HSA) does not form a molecular dimer, as indicated by FT-IR, and growth along the secondary axis is inhibited because the secondary hydroxyl group is unable to form intermolecular H-bonds. As well, the XRD long spacing is shorter than the dimer length of hydroxystearic acid. 3-Hydroxystearic acid (3HSA) forms an acyclic dimer, and the hydroxyl groups are unable to hydrogen bond, preventing the crystal structure from growing along the secondary axis. Finally, isomers 6HSA, 8HSA, 10HSA, 12HSA, and 14HSA have similar XRD and FT-IR patterns, suggesting that these molecules all self-assemble in a similar fashion. The monomers form a carboxylic cyclic dimer, and the secondary hydroxyl group promotes growth along the secondary axis.

Control of pyrene fluorescence intensity by in situ addition of CO2 to an amidine/amine mixture or CO2 removal from an amidinium carbamate ionic liquid.

Addition of CO(2) to an equimolar amidine/amine mixture leads to formation of a switchable ionic liquid, an amidinium carbamate, and appearance of strong fluorescence by a solute, pyrene. Passing a 'displacement gas', N(2), through the ionic liquid or heating it regenerates the amidine/amine mixture and quenches the fluorescence almost totally. No switching or appreciable fluorescence is found when an amidinium dithiocarbamate is the medium.

'Remote' adiabatic photoinduced deprotonation and aggregate formation of amphiphilic N-alkyl-N-methyl-3-(pyren-1-yl)propan-1-ammonium chloride salts.

The absorption and emission properties of a series of amphiphilic N-alkyl-N-methyl-3-(pyren-1-yl)propan-1-ammonium chloride salts were investigated in solvents of different polarities and over a wide concentration range. For example, at 10(-5) M concentrations in tetrahydrofuran (THF), salts with at least one N-H bond exhibited broad, structureless emissions even though time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) experiments indicated negligible static or dynamic intermolecular interactions. Salts with a butylene spacer or lacking an N-H bond showed no discernible structureless emission; their emission spectra were dominated by the normal monomeric fluorescence of a pyrenyl group and the TCSPC histograms could be interpreted on the basis of intramolecular photophysics. The broad, structureless emission is attributed to an unprecedented, rapid, adiabatic proton-transfer to the medium, followed by the formation of an intramolecular exciplex consisting of amine and pyrenyl groups. The proposed mechanism involves excitation of a ground-state conformer of the salts in which the ammonium group sits over the pyrenyl ring due to electrostatic stabilization. At higher concentrations, with longer N-alkyl groups, or in selected solvents, electronic excitation of the salts led to dynamic and static excimeric emissions. For example, whereas the emission spectrum of 10(-3) M N-hexyl-N-methyl-3-(pyren-1-yl)propan-1-ammonium chloride in THF consisted of comparable amounts of monomeric and excimeric emission, the emission from 10(-5) M N-dodecyl-N-methyl-3-(pyren-1-yl)propan-1-ammonium chloride in 1:9 (v:v) ethanol/water solutions was dominated by excimeric emission, and discrete particles near micrometer size were discernible from confocal microscopy and dynamic light scattering experiments. Comparison of the static and dynamic emission characteristics of the particles and of the neat solid of N-dodecyl-N-methyl-3-(pyren-1-yl)propan-1-ammonium chloride indicate that molecular packing in the microparticles and in the single crystal are very similar if not the same. It is suggested that other examples of the adiabatic proton transfer found in the dilute concentration regime with the pyrenyl salts may be occurring in very different systems, such as in proteins where conformational constraints hold ammonium groups over aromatic rings of peptide units.

Effects of temperature and alkyl groups of poly(alkyl methacrylate)s on inter- and intramolecular interactions of excited singlet states of pyrenyl guest molecules.

Temperature-induced changes in the static and dynamic characteristics of the fluorescence from pyrene and N,N-dimethyl-3-(pyren-1-yl)propan-1-amine (PyC3NMe2) have been used to determine the locations and mobilities of these probes in the anisotropic environments provided by films of 5 poly(alkyl methacrylate) (PAMA) polymers in which alkyl is ethyl, butyl, isobutyl, cyclohexyl, and hexadecyl. Whereas emission from pyrene reports on the polarity of the guest sites and the ability of molecules to diffuse translationally between sites, emission from PyC3NMe2 yields information about the fluidity and the shape of the guest sites. Data have been obtained from 20 to >400 K, a range that spans the onsets of several relaxation processes in the hosts. Those data indicate that the pyrenyl groups reside near to ester functionalities in most of the PAMAs, although the distance from them (and the main chains) depends upon the bulkiness of the alkyl groups. Among the most important conclusions derived from this research is that the rates of segmental relaxation phenomena near the probe molecules--and not free volume, as was concluded previously from fluorescence measurements in polyethylene films--are the dominant contributors to the fluorescence changes. Of practical importance, changes in those rates have permitted the onset temperatures of many of the relaxation phenomena occurring in the vicinity of the probes to be located.

Light induced generation of stable blue phase in photoresponsive diphenylbutadiene based mesogen.

Light induced isothermal phase transition leading from smectic A* phase to a stable blue phase was achieved via photoisomerization of a chiral diphenylbutadiene based mesogen.

Tuning microstructures in organogels: gelation and spectroscopic properties of mono- and bis-cholesterol-linked diphenylbutadiene derivatives.

The gelation and photophysical properties of mono- and bis-cholesterol derivatives linked to diphenylbutadiene have been investigated. Scanning electron microscopy of xerogels of the monocholesterol derivatives indicated that these molecules self-assemble into 3D networks consisting of helically twisted fibers. In contrast, the morphology of xerogels of the bis-cholesterol derivatives indicated agglomerated spheres. In concentrated solutions (> 10(-4) M), the self-assembled superstructure of the monocholesterol derivatives consists of helically twisted fibers whereas that of the bis-cholesterol derivatives indicated clustered spheres. An investigation of spectroscopic properties suggests that the morphology of the superstructures formed in these systems may be correlated to the nature of the molecular aggregates formed. Absorption and emission spectral studies as a function of concentration and temperature suggested the formation of predominantly J-type aggregates in the monocholesterol and H-type aggregates in the bis-cholesterol derivatives. It is proposed that the slipped stack arrangement within the J aggregates of the monocholesterol derivatives resulted in the formation of helically twisted fibers, whereas the cofacial arrangement in the H aggregates of the bis-cholesterol derivatives could prevent such fiber formation, resulting in the formation of the agglomerated spheres.

Reversible thermal and photochemical switching of liquid crystalline phases and luminescence in diphenylbutadiene-based mesogenic dimers.

The synthesis and study of the photo- and thermoresponsive behavior of a series of novel asymmetric mesogenic dimers, consisting of a cholesterol moiety linked to a diphenylbutadiene chromophore via flexible alkyl chains are reported. These mesogenic dimers possess the combined glass forming properties of the cholesterol moiety and the photochromic and luminescent properties of the butadiene moiety. Photoinduced cis/trans isomerization of the butadiene chromophore in these materials could be utilized to bring about an isothermal phase transition from the smectic to the cholesteric state. By photochemically controlling the cis/trans isomer ratio, the pitch of the cholesteric could be continuously varied making it possible to tune the color of the film over the entire visible region, and the color images thus generated could be stabilized by converting them to N* glasses. These materials were also polymorphic, exhibiting two crystalline forms possessing distinctly different fluorescence properties. The ability to thermally switch these materials from one crystalline form to the other in a reversible manner also makes them useful for recording fluorescent images.