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Now showing 1 - 10 of 14
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    It Takes Three to Tango - the length of the oligothiophene determines the nature of the long-lived excited state and the resulting photocytotoxicity of a Ru(II) photodrug
    (Weinheim : Wiley-VCH, 2021) Chettri, Avinash; Roque, John A.; Schneider, Kilian R.A.; Cole, Houston D.; Cameron, Colin G.; McFarland, Sherri A.; Dietzek, Benjamin
    TLD1433 is the first Ru(II) complex to be tested as a photodynamic therapy agent in a clinical trial. In this contribution we study TLD1433 in the context of structurally-related Ru(II)-imidozo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline (ip) complexes appended with thiophene rings to decipher the unique photophysical properties which are associated with increasing oligothiophene chain length. Substitution of the ip ligand with ter- or quaterthiophene changes the nature of the long-lived triplet state from metal-to-ligand charge-transfer to 3ππ* character. The addition of the third thiophene thus presents a critical juncture which not only determines the photophysics of the complex but most importantly its capacity for 1O2 generation and hence the potential of the complex to be used as a photocytotoxic agent.
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    Monitoring excited-state relaxation in a molecular marker in live cells–a case study on astaxanthin
    (London : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), 2021) Yang, Tingxiang; Chettri, Avinash; Radwan, Basseem; Matuszyk, Ewelina; Baranska, Malgorzata; Dietzek, Benjamin
    Small molecules are frequently used as dyes, labels and markers to visualize and probe biophysical processes within cells. However, very little is generally known about the light-driven excited-state reactivity of such systems when placed in cells. Here an experimental approach to study ps time-resolved excited state dynamics of a benchmark molecular marker, astaxanthin, in live human cells is introduced. © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2021.
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    Quinoline Photobasicity: Investigation within Water-Soluble Light-Responsive Copolymers
    (Weinheim : Wiley-VCH, 2021) Sittig, Maria; Tom, Jessica C.; Elter, Johanna K.; Schacher, Felix H.; Dietzek, Benjamin
    Quinoline photobases exhibit a distinctly higher pKa in their electronically excited state than in the ground state, thereby enabling light-controlled proton transfer reactions, for example, in molecular catalysis. The absorption of UV light translates to a pKa jump of approximately 10 units, as established for small-molecule photobases. This contribution presents the first synthesis of quinoline-based polymeric photobases prepared by reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization. The integration of quinolines as photobase chromophores within copolymers offers new possibilities for light-triggered proton transfer in nanostructured materials, that is, in nanoparticles, at surfaces, membranes and interfaces. To exploit the light-triggered reactivity of photobases within such materials, we first investigated how the ground- and excited-state properties of the quinoline unit changes upon polymer integration. To address this matter, we combined absorption and emission spectroscopy with time-resolved transient-absorption studies to reveal photoinduced proton-transfer dynamics in various solvents. The results yield important insights into the thermodynamic and kinetic properties of these polymeric quinoline photobases. © 2020 The Authors. Chemistry - A European Journal published by Wiley-VCH GmbH
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    1,7,9,10-Tetrasubstituted PMIs Accessible through Decarboxylative Bromination: Synthesis, Characterization, Photophysical Studies, and Hydrogen Evolution Catalysis
    (Weinheim : Wiley-VCH, 2020) Costabel, Daniel; Skabeev, Artem; Nabiyan, Afshin; Luo, Yusen; Max, Johannes B.; Rajagopal, Ashwene; Kowalczyk, Daniel; Dietzek, Benjamin; Wächtler, Maria; Görls, Helmar; Ziegenbalg, Dirk; Zagranyarski, Yulian; Streb, Carsten; Schacher, Felix H.; Peneva, Kalina
    In this work, we present a new synthetic strategy for fourfold-substituted perylene monoimides via tetrabrominated perylene monoanhydrides. X-ray diffraction analysis unveiled the intramolecular stacking orientation between the substituents and semicircular packing behavior. We observed the remarkable influence of the substituent on the longevity and nature of the excited state upon visible light excitation. In the presence of poly(dehydroalanine)-graft-poly(ethylene glycol) graft copolymers as solubilizing template, the chromophores are capable of sensitizing [Mo3S13]2− clusters in aqueous solution for stable visible light driven hydrogen evolution over three days. © 2020 The Authors. Chemistry - A European Journal published by Wiley-VCH GmbH
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    In situ spectroelectrochemical and theoretical study on the oxidation of a 4H-imidazole-ruthenium dye adsorbed on nanocrystalline TiO2 thin film electrodes
    (Cambridge : RSC Publ., 2015) Zhang, Ying; Kupfer, Stephan; Zedler, Linda; Schindler, Julian; Bocklitz, Thomas; Guthmuller, Julien; Rau, Sven; Dietzek, Benjamin
    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.
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    Hole injection dynamics from two structurally related Ru-bipyridine complexes into NiOx is determined by the substitution pattern of the ligands
    (Cambridge : RSC Publ., 2015) Bräutigam, Maximilian; Kübel, Joachim; Schulz, Martin; Vos, Johannes G.; Dietzek, Benjamin
    The dyes bis[2,2′-bipyridine][4,4′-dicarboxy-2,2′-bipyridine]ruthenium(II) dihexafluorophosphate, [Ru(bpy)2dcb](PF6)2 (Ru1), and tris[4,4′-bis(ethylcarboxy)-2,2′-bipyridine]ruthenium(II) dihexafluorophosphate, [Ru(dceb)3](PF6)2 (Ru2), attached to NiOx nanoparticle films were investigated using transient absorption and luminescence spectroscopy. In acetonitrile solution the dyes reveal very similar physical and chemical properties, i.e. both dyes exhibit comparable ground state and long-lived, broad excited state absorption. However, when immobilized onto a NiOx surface the photophysical properties of the two dyes differ significantly. For Ru1 luminescence is observed, which decays within 18 ns and ultrafast transient absorption measurements do not show qualitative differences from the photophysics of Ru1 in solution. In contrast to this the luminescence of photoexcited Ru2 on NiOx is efficiently quenched and the ultrafast transient absorption spectra reveal the formation of oxidized nickel centres overlaid by the absorption of the reduced dye Ru2 with a characteristic time-constant of 18 ps. These findings are attributed to the different localization of the initially photoexcited state in Ru1 and Ru2. Due to the inductive effect (−I) of the carboxylic groups, the lowest energy excited state in Ru1 is localized on the dicarboxy-bipyridine ligand, which is bound to the NiOx surface. In Ru2, on the other hand, the initially populated excited state is localized on the ester-substituted ligands, which are not bound to the semiconductor surface. Hence, the excess charge density that is abstracted from the Ru-ion in the metal-to-ligand charge-transfer transition is shifted away from the NiOx surface, which ultimately facilitates hole transfer into the semiconductor.
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    Energy transfer and formation of long-lived 3MLCT states in multimetallic complexes with extended highly conjugated bis-terpyridyl ligands
    (Cambridge : RSC Publ., 2015) Wächtler, Maria; Kübel, Joachim; Barthelmes, Kevin; Winter, Andreas; Schmiedel, Alexander; Pascher, Torbjörn; Lambert, Christoph; Schubert, Ulrich S.; Dietzek, Benjamin
    Multimetallic complexes with extended and highly conjugated bis-2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridyl bridging ligands, which present building blocks for coordination polymers, are investigated with respect to their ability to act as light-harvesting antennae. The investigated species combine Ru(II)- with Os(II)- and Fe(II)-terpyridyl chromophores, the latter acting as energy sinks. Due to the extended conjugated system the ligands are able to prolong the lifetime of the 3MLCT states compared to unsubstituted terpyridyl species by delocalization and energetic stabilization of the 3MLCT states. This concept is applied for the first time to Fe(II) terpyridyl species and results in an exceptionally long lifetime of 23 ps for the Fe(II) 3MLCT state. While partial energy (>80%) transfer is observed between the Ru(II) and Fe(II) centers with a time-constant of 15 ps, excitation energy is transferred completely from the Ru(II) to the Os(II) center within the first 200 fs after excitation.
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    A comprehensive comparison of dye-sensitized NiO photocathodes for solar energy conversion
    (Cambridge : RSC Publ., 2015) Wood, Christopher J.; Summers, Gareth H.; Clark, Charlotte A.; Kaeffer, Nicolas; Braeutigam, Maximilian; Carbone, Lea Roberta; D'Amario, Luca; Fan, Ke; Farré, Yoann; Narbey, Stéphanie; Oswald, Frédéric; Stevens, Lee A.; Parmenter, Christopher D.J.; Fay, Michael W.; La Torre, Alessandro; Snape, Colin E.; Dietzek, Benjamin; Dini, Danilo; Hammarström, Leif; Pellegrin, Yann; Odobel, Fabrice; Sun, Licheng; Artero, Vincent; Gibson, Elizabeth A.
    We investigated a range of different mesoporous NiO electrodes prepared by different research groups and private firms in Europe to determine the parameters which influence good quality photoelectrochemical devices. This benchmarking study aims to solve some of the discrepancies in the literature regarding the performance of p-DSCs due to differences in the quality of the device fabrication. The information obtained will lay the foundation for future photocatalytic systems based on sensitized NiO so that new dyes and catalysts can be tested with a standardized material. The textural and electrochemical properties of the semiconducting material are key to the performance of photocathodes. We found that both commercial and non-commercial NiO gave promising solar cell and water-splitting devices. The NiO samples which had the two highest solar cell efficiency (0.145% and 0.089%) also gave the best overall theoretical H2 conversion.
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    Fluorosolvatochromism of furanyl- and thiophenyl-substituted acetophenones
    (London : RSC, 2015) Friebe, Nadine; Schreiter, Katja; Kübel, Joachim; Dietzek, Benjamin; Moszner, Norbert; Burtscher, Peter; Oehlke, Alexander; Spange, Stefan
    A series of para-substituted acetophenones bearing a furanyl or a thiophenyl moiety show a large Stokes-shift, which is a function of various solvent properties. Photophysical properties such as emission lifetime of the compounds have been determined using time-correlated-single photon counting to secure the intrinsic fluorescence behaviour. The solvent dependent position of the UV/Vis emission band [small nu, Greek, tilde]max,em of the compounds has been measured in 26 various solvents. The influence of the solvent on [small nu, Greek, tilde]max,em is of very complex nature and mathematically analysed by multiple square linear solvation energy (LSE)-correlation analysis using Catalán's four-solvent parameter set. Solvent acidity has a strong influence on the bathochromic shift of 2,5-disubstituted furan derivatives compared to the non-5-substituted furan and thiophene derivatives, which show a contrary behaviour. Therefore, the 5-cyanofuranyl-substituted acetophenone derivative is useful as a probe for measuring environmental properties by fluorescence spectroscopy.
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    Covalent Linkage of BODIPY-Photosensitizers to Anderson-Type Polyoxometalates Using CLICK Chemistry
    (Weinheim : Wiley-VCH, 2021) Cetindere, Seda; Clausing, Simon T.; Anjass, Montaha; Luo, Yusen; Kupfer, Stephan; Dietzek, Benjamin; Streb, Carsten
    The covalent attachment of molecular photosensitizers (PS) to polyoxometalates (POMs) opens new pathways to PS-POM dyads for light-driven charge-transfer and charge-storage. Here, we report a synthetic route for the covalent linkage of BODIPY-dyes to Anderson-type polyoxomolybdates by using CLICK chemistry (i. e. copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition, CuAAC). Photophysical properties of the dyad were investigated by combined experimental and theoretical methods and highlight the role of both sub-components for the charge-separation properties. The study demonstrates how CLICK chemistry can be used for the versatile linkage of organic functional units to molecular metal oxide clusters. © 2021 The Authors. Chemistry - A European Journal published by Wiley-VCH GmbH