ABSTRACT
A comprehensive investigation of the electronic structure and fast relaxation processes in the excited states of new styryl base-type derivatives was performed using steady-state, pico-, and femtosecond time-resolved spectroscopic techniques. Linear photophysical parameters of new compounds, including steady-state absorption, fluorescence, and excitation anisotropy spectra, were obtained in a number of organic solvents at room temperature. A detailed analysis of the fluorescence lifetimes and ultrafast relaxation processes in the electronically excited state of the styryl bases revealed an important role of solvate dynamics and donor-acceptor strength of the molecular structures in the formation of their excited state absorption spectra. Experimental data were in good agreement with quantum chemical calculations at the time dependent density functional theory level, combined with a polarizable continuum model.
Subject(s)
Drug Design , Electronics , Fluorescent Dyes/chemistry , Pyridinium Compounds/chemistry , Quantum Theory , Spectrometry, Fluorescence/methods , Styrene/chemistry , Computer Simulation , Fluorescence , Models, Molecular , Molecular Structure , SolventsABSTRACT
Calix[4]hydroquinone has recently attracted considerable interest since it forms stable tubular aggregates mediated solely by hydrogen bonding and pi-pi-stacking interactions. These aggregates trap specifically various small organic molecules and, in particular, catalyze the proton exchange of water with acetone. Using correlated quantum chemical methods, the mechanism of the observed proton exchange mediated by keto-enol tautomerism of acetone is investigated in detail. Starting with an investigation of keto-enol tautomerism of acetone-water clusters, it appears that four catalytic water molecules are optimal for the catalysis and that additional solvent water molecules lead to a decrease in efficiency. Analyses of the partial charges revealed a decrease of the polarization of the reactive hydrogen bonds due to the additional water molecules. As a next step, hydroquinone-acetone-water complexes were studied as models for the situation in the CHQ moieties. However, the computations revealed that the proton transfer reaction becomes less efficient when one catalytic water molecule is replaced by hydroquinone. Although concerted proton transfer via keto-enol tautomerism of acetone seems to be the predominant mechanism in supercritical water, it is no longer the rate-determining reaction mechanism for the catalyzed acetone-water proton exchange observed in tubular CHQ. Nevertheless, a key feature of the catalytic function of tubular CHQ has been identified to be the stiff hydrogen bonding network and the exclusion of additional solvent water molecules.
