Novel chelators, i.e., 4-(2-pyridyl)-1,2,3-triazole derivatives, were synthesized by means of Cu(I)-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition and used to prepare luminescent Re(I) complexes [ReCl(CO)(3)(Bn-pyta)], [ReCl(CO)(3)(AcGlc-pyta)] and [ReCl(CO)(3)(Glc-pyta)] (Bn-pyta = 1-benzyl-4-(2-pyridyl)-1,2,3-triazole, AcGlc-pyta = 2-(4-(2-pyridyl)-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)ethyl 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-beta-d-glucopyranoside, Glc-pyta = 2-(4-(2-pyridyl)-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)ethyl beta-d-glucopyranoside). X-Ray crystallography of Bn-pyta and Glc-pyta indicated an azocompound-like structure while the 1,2,4-triazole isomer has an azine character. [ReCl(CO)(3)(Bn-pyta)] crystallized in the monoclinic system with space group P2(1)/n. Bn-pyta ligand coordinates with the nitrogen atoms of the 2-pyridyl group and the 3-position of 1,2,3-triazole ring, which is a very similar coordinating fashion to that of the 2,2'-bipyridine derivative. The glucoconjugated Re(I) complexes [ReCl(CO)(3)(AcGlc-pyta)] and [ReCl(CO)(3)(Glc-pyta)] hardly crystallized, and were analyzed by applying extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) analysis. The EXAFS analyses suggested that the glucoconjugation at the 1-position of the 1,2,3-triazole makes no influence to the coordinating fashion of 4-(2-pyridyl)-1,2,3-triazole. [ReCl(CO)(3)(Bn-pyta)] showed a blue-shifted maximum absorption (333 nm, 3.97 x 10(3) M(-1) cm(-1)) compared with [ReCl(CO)(3)(bpy)] (371 nm, 3.35 x 10(3) M(-1) cm(-1)). These absorptions were clearly assigned to be the mixed metal-ligand-to-ligand charge transfer (MLLCT) on the basis of time-dependent density functional theory calculation. The luminescence spectrum of [ReCl(CO)(3)(Bn-pyta)] also showed this blue-shifted feature when compared with that of [ReCl(CO)(3)(bpy)]. The luminescence lifetime of [ReCl(CO)(3)(Bn-pyta)] was determined to be 8.90 mus in 2-methyltetrahydrofuran at 77 K, which is longer than that of [ReCl(CO)(3)(bpy)] (3.17 micros). The blue-shifted electronic absorption and elongated luminescence lifetime of [ReCl(CO)(3)(Bn-pyta)] suggested that 4-(2-pyridyl)-1,2,3-triazole functions as an electron-rich bidentate chelator.

The femtosecond to nanosecond dynamics of the all-trans β-carotene carotenoid dissolved in 3-methylpentane is characterized and dissected with excitation-wavelength and temperature-dependent ultrafast dispersed transient absorption signals. The kinetics measured after red-edge (490 nm) and blue-edge (400 nm) excitation were contrasted under fluid solvent (298 K) and rigid glass (77 K) conditions. In all four measured data sets, the S* population kinetics was resolved prompting the development of a modified multicompartment model. The temperature-dependent and excitation wavelength-dependent S* quantum yield is ascribed to a competition of population surmounting a weak (55 cm(-1)) energy barrier on the S(2) state to favor S(1) generation and rapid internal conversion that favors S* generation. When cooled from room temperature to 77 K, the S* decay time scale shifted significantly from 30 to 400 ps, which is ascribed to small-scale structural relaxation with a 115 cm(-1) energy barrier. For the first time under low-energy excitation conditions, the triplet state is observed and confirmed to not originate from S* or S(1), but from S(2). The interconnectivity of the S* and S(1) populations is discussed, and no observed population flow is resolved between S* and S(1). Comparison of samples obtained from different laboratories with different purity levels demonstrates that sample contamination is not the primary origin of the S* state.

Carotenoids containing a carbonyl group in conjugation with their polyene backbone are naturally-occurring pigments in marine organisms and are essential to the photosynthetic light-harvesting function in aquatic algae. These carotenoids exhibit spectral characteristics attributed to an intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) state that arise in polar solvents due to the presence of the carbonyl group. Here, we report the spectroscopic properties of the carbonyl carotenoid fucoxanthin in polar (methanol) and nonpolar (cyclohexane) solvents studied by steady-state absorption and femtosecond pump-probe measurements. Transient absorption associated with the optically forbidden S(1) (2(1)A) state and/or the ICT state were observed following one-photon excitation to the optically allowed S(2) (1(1)B) state in methanol. The transient absorption measurements carried out in methanol showed that the ratio of the ICT-to-S(1) state formation increased with decreasing excitation energy. We also showed that the ICT character was clearly visible in the steady-state absorption in methanol based on a Franck-Condon analysis. The results suggest that two spectroscopic forms of fucoxanthin, blue and red, exist in the polar environment.

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