Deep-red and near-infrared organic lasers based on centrosymmetric molecules with excited-state intramolecular double proton transfer activity

Organic lasers that emit light in the deep-red and near-infrared(NIR)region are of essential importance in laser communication,night vision,bioimaging,and information-secured displays but are still challenging because of the lack of proper gain materials.Herein,a new molecular design strategy that operates by merging two excited-state intramolecular proton transfer-active molecules into one excited-state double proton transfer(ESDPT)-active molecule was demonstrated.Based on this new strategy,three new materials were designed and synthesized with two groups of intramolecular resonance-assisted hydrogen bonds,in which the ESDPT process was proven to proceed smoothly based on theoretical calculations and experimental results of steady-state and transient spectra.Benefiting from the effective six-level system constructed by the ESDPT process,all newly designed materials showed low threshold laser emissions at approximately 720 nm when doped in PS microspheres,which in turn proved the existence of the second proton transfer process.More importantly,our well-developed NIR organic lasers showed high laser stability,which can maintain high laser intensity after 12000 pulse lasing,which is essential in practical applications.This work provides a simple and effective method for the development of NIR organic gain materials and demonstrates the ESDPT mechanism for NIR lasing.

Theoretical study on the mechanism for the excited-state double proton transfer process of an asymmetric Schiff base ligand

Excited-state double proton transfer(ESDPT)in the 1-[(2-hydroxy-3-methoxy-benzylidene)-hydrazonomethyl]-naphthalen-2-ol(HYDRAVH_(2))ligand was studied by the density functional theory and time-dependent density functional theory method.The analysis of frontier molecular orbitals,infrared spectra,and non-covalent interactions have crossvalidated that the asymmetric structure has an influence on the proton transfer,which makes the proton transfer ability of the two hydrogen protons different.The potential energy surfaces in both S_(0)and S_1 states were scanned with varying O-H bond lengths.The results of potential energy surface analysis adequately proved that the HYDRAVH_(2)can undergo the ESDPT process in the S_1 state and the double proton transfer process is a stepwise proton transfer mechanism.Our work can pave the way towards the design and synthesis of new molecules.

Theoretical investigation on the fluorescent sensing mechanism for recognizing formaldehyde: TDDFT calculation and excited-state nonadiabatic dynamics

Inspired by the activity-based sensing method, the hydrazine-modified naphthalene derivative(Naph1) was synthesized and used as a fluorescent probe to detect formaldehyde(FA) in living cells. Through the condensation reaction between the probe Naph1 and analyte FA, researchers observed a ~14 folds enhancement of fluorescent signal around 510 nm in an experiment, realizing the high selectivity and sensitivity detection of FA. However, a theoretical understanding of the sensing mechanism was not provided in the experimental work. Given this, the light-up fluorescent detecting mechanism was in-depth unveiled by performing the time-dependent density functional theory(TDDFT) and the complete active space self-consistent field(CASSCF) theoretical calculations on excited-state intramolecular proton transfer(ESIPT)and non-adiabatic excited-state dynamics simulation. The deactivation channel of S_1/T_2 intersystem crossing(ISC) was turned off to successfully recognize FA. Insight into the ESIPT-based fluorescent detecting mechanism indicated that ESIPT was essential to light-up fluorescent probes. This work would provide a new viewpoint to develop ESIPT-based fluorescent probes for detecting reactive carbon species in vivo or vitio.

Concerted versus stepwise mechanisms of cyclic proton transfer:Experiments, simulations, and current challenges

Proton transfer(PT) is a process of fundamental importance in hydrogen(H)-bonded systems. At cryogenic or moderate temperatures, pronounced quantum tunneling may happen due to the light mass of H. Single PT processes have been extensively studied. However, for PT involving multiple protons, our understanding remains in its infancy stage due to the complicated interplay between the high-dimensional nature of the process and the quantum nature of tunneling. Cyclic H-bonded systems are typical examples of this, where PT can happen separately via a “stepwise” mechanism or collectively via a “concerted” mechanism. In the first scenario, some protons hop first, typically resulting in metastable intermediate states(ISs) and the reaction pathway passes through multiple transition states. Whilst in the concerted mechanism, all protons move simultaneously, resulting in only one barrier along the path. Here, we review previous experimental and theoretical studies probing quantum tunneling in several representative systems for cyclic PT, with more focus on recent theoretical findings with path-integral based methods. For gas-phase porphyrin and porphycene, as well as porphycene on a metal surface, theoretical predictions are consistent with experimental observations, and enhance our understanding of the processes. Yet, discrepancies in the PT kinetic isotope effects between experiment and theory appear in two systems,most noticeably in water tetramer adsorbed on NaCl(001) surface, and also hinted in porphycene adsorbed on Ag(110)surface. In ice Ih, controversy surrounding concerted PT remains even between experiments. Despite of the recent progress in both theoretical methods and experimental techniques, multiple PT processes in cyclic H-bonded systems remain to be mysterious.

Amide proton transfer imaging of Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease

Amide proton transfer (APT) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an important molecularimaging technique at the protein level in tissue. Neurodegenerative diseases have a highlikelihood of causing abnormal protein accumulation in the brain, which can be detectedby APT MRI. This article briefly introduces the principles and image processing technologyof APT MRI, and reviews the current state of research on Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease using this technique. Early applications of this approach in these twoneurodegenerative diseases are encouraging, which also suggests continued technicaldevelopment and larger clinical trials to gauge the value of this technique.

MP2 Study on the Proton Transfer Mechanism of Glycine Assisted by Water

The geometries of glycine-nH2O （n = 1-5） complexes and the transition states of proton transfer in glycine-H2O system were calculated at the MP2/6-31＋＋G＊＊//MP2/6-31G＊ level, upon which we discovered the proton transfer mechanisms, including the number of water molecules necessary for the stabilization of zwitterions and the effect of increasing water molecules on the proton transfer. To our interest, we found that only one water molecule can stabilize the zwitterions; in addition, with the increment of water molecules, the activation energy of positive reaction decreases and that of reverse reaction increases gradually. Glycine will be ionized completely while the water molecules reach to a certain number.

Theoretical Studies on the Hydrogen Bond Transfer and Proton Transfer between Anamorphoses of the Dihydrated Glycine Complex

The conversion between anamorphoses of the dihydrated glycine complex was studied by means of B3LYP/6-31＋＋G^＊＊. It was found that proton transfer was accompanied by hydrogen bond transfer in the process of conversion between different kinds of anamorphoses. With proton transfer, the electrostatic action was notably increased and the hydrogen-bonding action was evidently strengthened when the dihydrated neutral glycine complex converts into dihydrated zwitterionic glycine complex. The activation energy required for hydrogen bond transfer between dihydrated neutral glycine complexes is very low （6.32 kJ·mol^-1）; however, the hydrogen bond transfer between dihydrated zwitterionic glycine complexes is rather difficult with the required activation energy of 13.52 kJ·mol^-1 due to the relatively strong electrostatic action. The activation energy required by proton transfer is at least 27.33 kJ·mol^-1, higher than that needed for hydrogen bond transfer. The activation energy for either hydrogen bond transfer or proton transfer is in the bond-energy scope of medium-strong hydrogen bond, so the four kinds of anamorphoses of the dihydrated glycine complex could convert mutually.

Pattern recognition and data mining software based on artificial neural networks applied to proton transfer in aqueous environments

In computational physics proton transfer phenomena could be viewed as pattern classification problems based on a set of input features allowing classification of the proton motion into two categories： transfer ＇occurred＇ and transfer ＇not occurred＇. The goal of this paper is to evaluate the use of artificial neural networks in the classification of proton transfer events, based on the feed-forward back propagation neural network, used as a classifier to distinguish between the two transfer cases. In this paper, we use a new developed data mining and pattern recognition tool for automating, controlling, and drawing charts of the output data of an Empirical Valence Bond existing code. The study analyzes the need for pattern recognition in aqueous proton transfer processes and how the learning approach in error back propagation （multilayer perceptron algorithms） could be satisfactorily employed in the present case. We present a tool for pattern recognition and validate the code including a real physical case study. The results of applying the artificial neural networks methodology to crowd patterns based upon selected physical properties （e.g., temperature, density） show the abilities of the network to learn proton transfer patterns corresponding to properties of the aqueous environments, which is in turn proved to be fully compatible with previous proton transfer studies.

Nonradiative charge transfer in collisions of protons with rubidium atoms

The nonradiative charge-transfer cross sections for protons colliding with Rb（5s） atoms are calculated by using the quantum-mechanical molecularorbital close-coupling method in an energy range of 10-a keV-10 keV. The total and state-selective charge-transfer cross sections are in good agreement with the experimental data in the relatively low energy region. The importance of rotational coupling for chargetransfer process is stressed. Compared with the radiative charge-transfer process, nonradiative charge transfer is a dominant mechanism at energies above 15 eV. The resonance structures of state-selective charge-transfer cross sections arising from the competition among channels are analysed in detail. The radiative and nonradiative1 charge-transfer rate coefficients from low to high temperature are presented.

Ab initio investigation of excited state dual hydrogen bonding interactions and proton transfer mechanism for novel oxazoline compound

Owing to the importance of excited state dynamical relaxation, the excited state intramolecular proton transfer(ESIPT) mechanism for a novel compound containing dual hydrogen bond(abbreviated as "1-enol") is studied in this work.Using density functional theory(DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory(TDDFT) method, the experimental electronic spectra can be reproduced for 1-enol compound. We first verify the formation of dual intramolecular hydrogen bonds, and then confirm that the dual hydrogen bond should be strengthened in the first excited state. The photo-excitation process is analyzed by using frontier molecular orbital(HOMO and LUMO) for 1-enol compound. The obvious intramolecular charge transfer(ICT) provides the driving force to effectively facilitate the ESIPT process in the S1 state. Exploration of the constructed S0-state and S1-state potential energy surface(PES) reveals that only the excited state intramolecular single proton transfer occurs for 1-enol system, which makes up for the deficiencies in previous experiment.

The substituent effect on the excited state intramolecular proton transfer of 3-hydroxychromone

The excited state intramolecular proton transfer of four derivatives(FM, BFM, BFBC, CCM) of 3-hydroxychromone is investigated.The geometries of different substituents are optimized to study the substituent effects on proton transfer.The mechanism of hydrogen bond enhancement is qualitatively elucidated by comparing the infrared spectra, the reduced density gradient, and the frontier molecular orbitals.The calculated electronic spectra are consistent with the experimental results.To quantify the proton transfer, the potential energy curves(PECs) of the four derivatives in S0 and S1 states are scanned.It is concluded that the ability of proton transfer follows the order: FM > BFM > BFBC > CCM.

Theoretical Study of Impact of Side Substituent Effecton Intramolecular Proton Transfer of Perylenequinone

Semi-empirical molecular orbital theory AMI method is employed to study the ortho-position substituent impact on intramolecular proton transfer reaction of perylenequinone. The calculation demonstrates that the perylenequinone molecule is of stable structure. and all substituents may cause the decrease of barriers for the hydrogen transfer reaction.

Theoretical Study on Intramolecular Proton Transfer of Perylenequinonoid Derivatives

Intramolecular proton transfer of hypomycin A in the ground state S0 and singlet excited state S1 were calculated by high level quantum chemical method in this letter. It was found that the IPT barriers for I→TS1 are 38.56 kJ/mol in S0 and 8.19 kJ/mol in S1, while those for I→TS4 get approximately 17 kJ/mol higher in S0 and 28 kJ/mol higher in S1. The calculation of IPT rate constants suggests that the experiment observed process of PQD is in S1. The height of the IPT barriers correlate not only with the variance of charge for labile hydrogen, the change of H-bonds length, the change of O-H bonds length and the change of O-O distance, but also with the reactant molecular H-bonds length. Moreover, the correlations are the same for S0 and S1.

Theoretical investigation on the excited state intramolecular proton transfer in Me_2N substituted flavonoid by the time-dependent density functional theory method

Time-dependent density functional theory（TDDFT） method is used to investigate the details of the excited state intramolecular proton transfer（ESIPT） process and the mechanism for temperature effect on the Enol＊/Keto＊emission ratio for the Me2N-substited flavonoid（MNF） compound. The geometric structures of the S0 and S1 states are denoted as the Enol, Enol＊, and Keto＊. In addition, the absorption and fluorescence peaks are also calculated. It is noted that the calculated large Stokes shift is in good agreement with the experimental result. Furthermore, our results confirm that the ESIPT process happens upon photoexcitation, which is distinctly monitored by the formation and disappearance of the characteristic peaks of infrared（IR） spectra involved in the proton transfer and in the potential energy curves. Besides, the calculations of highest occupied molecular orbital（HOMO） and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital（LUMO） reveal that the electronegativity change of proton acceptor due to the intramolecular charge redistribution in the S1 state induces the ESIPT. Moreover, the thermodynamic calculation for the MNF shows that the Enol＊/Keto＊emission ratio decreasing with temperature increasing arises from the barrier lowering of ESIPT.

Proton Transfer Isomerization of Pyrazole in the Ground State:σ vs π Mechanism and Water Assisting Effect

The proton transfer isomerization of pyrazole and the water assisting effect by looping 1 to 4 water molecules on the singlet state potential energy surface have been investigated by using hybrid density functional theory method （B3PW91） with a 6-311＋＋G^＊＊ basis set. Two mechanisms were proposed to explain the mono- and multi-water assisting effects, respectively. The reactants and products of all groups have been characterized on their potential energy surfaces. For the isomerizafion of monomolecule pyrazole, the isomeriz＇ation energy barrier is 46.4 kcal·mol^-1. For the monohydration assisting mechanism, the reactant complex is connected to the product complex via two saddle points. The corresponding isomerization barriers are 46.7and 23.0 kcal·mol^-1, respectively. As to the multihydration assisting mechanism, the isomerization barriers are 12.0, 10.9 and 13.14 kcal·mol^-1 accordingly, when the number of water molecules is 2, 3 and 4, respectively. The multihydration assisting isomerization can occur in water-dominated environments, for example, in the organism, and thereby is crucial to energy transference. The deproton and dehydrogen energies of monomolecule pyrazole and various hydrated pyrazoles were calculated and then found much bigger than the isomerization barriers of their relative complexes, suggesting the impossibility of deprotonation or dehydrogenation. The isomerization of pyrazole is a proton-coupling-electron-migration process, but two different mechanisms are noticed, viz. σ- and π-type mechanisms. The π-bond of pyrazole participates in isomerization in the π-type mechanism, whereas only o-electron takes part in isomerization in the σ-type mechanism.

Properties of Proton Transfer in Hydrogen-Bonded Systems at Finite Temperature

The properties of proton transfer along hydrogen-bonded molecular systems are studied at finite temperature. The dynamic equations of the proton transport along the systems are obtained by using a completely quantummechanics method. From the dynamic equations and its soliton solutions we find out specific heat arising from the motionof solitons in the systems with finite temperature and the critical temperature of the soliton in the protein molecules,which is about 318 K. This shows that we can continuously study some biological phenomena in the living systems bythis model.

QM/MM and MD Studies of the First Proton Transfer for O2 Activation in the Catalytic Cycle of Cytochrome P450cin

P450 cin(CYP176 A1) isolated from Citrobacter braakii is a biodegradation enzyme that catalyzes the enantiospecific conversion of 1,8-cineole to(1 R)-6β-hydroxycineole. In many P450 family members the mechanism of proton delivery for O2activation is proposed to require a conserved acid-alcohol dyad in the active area, while P450 cin has no such residue with alcohol but asparagine instead. In the present work, the mechanism of the first proton transfer of O2activation in P450 cin has been investigated by molecular dynamics(MD) and hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics(QM/MM) techniques. The MD simulation suggests there are two hydrogen bonding networks around the active site, one involving Asp241 and the other involving Glu356. According to our MD and QM/MM calculations, this Asp241 channel is proposed to be the energy accessible. MD results show that the hydrogen bonds around the substrate may contribute to regio-and stereo-oxidation of the substrate.

Theoretical Study on the Self, Water-assisted and Au-to-assisted Dimer Proton Transfer Reaction in the N-Hydroxy-Methylen-Formamide

The proton transfer in the isolated, mono and dehydrated forms, isolated dimers of N-Hydroxy Methylen Formamide (NHMF) have been completely investigated in the present study using Density Functional Theory (DFT), M?ller-Plesset perturbation (MP2) and Hartree-Fock (HF) methods with the 6-31G* and 6-311G* basis sets. The barrier heights for both H2O-assisted and auto-assistance reactions are significantly lower than that of the bare tautomerization reaction from NHMF to N-Formyl Formamide (NFF), implying the importance of the superior catalytic effect of H2O in the monomer of NHMF and important role of HOCH= N-COH for the intramolecular proton transfer.

Quantum nature of proton transferring across one-dimensional potential fields

Proton transfer plays a key role in the applications of advanced energy materials as well as in the functionalities of biological systems.In this work,based on the transfer matrix method,we study the quantum effects of proton transfer in a series of one-dimensional(1 D) model potentials and numerically calculate the quantum probability of transferring across single and double barriers(wells).In the case of single barriers,when the incident energies of protons are above the barrier height,the quantum oscillations in the transmission coefficients depend on the geometric shape of the barriers.It is found that atomic resonant tunneling(ART) not only presents in the rectangular single well and rectangular double barriers as expected,but also exists in the other types of potential wells and double barriers.For hetero-structured double barriers,there is no resonant tunneling in the classical forbidden zone,i.e.,in the case when the incident energy(E_(i)) is lower than the barrier height(E_(b)).Furthermore,we have provided generalized analysis on the characteristics of transmission coefficients of hetero-structured rectangular double barriers.

Ultrafast proton transfer dynamics of 2-(2'-hydroxyphenyl)benzoxazole dye in different solvents

The excited-state intramolecular proton transfer of 2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)benzoxazole dye in different solvents is investigated using ultrafast femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy combined with quantum chemical calculations.Conformational conversion from the syn-enol configuration to the keto configuration is proposed as the mechanism of excited-state intramolecular proton transfer.The duration of excited-state intramolecular proton transfer is measured to range from 50 fs to 200 fs in different solvents.This time is strongly dependent on the calculated energy gap between the N-S;and T-S;structures in the S;state.Along the proton transfer reaction coordinate,the vibrational relaxation process on the S;state potential surface is observed.The duration of the vibrational relaxation process is determined to be from8.7 ps to 35 ps dependent on the excess vibrational energy.