With
the objective of developing ultrafast fluorescent switch molecules,
we have designed and synthesized fluorescence switch molecules incorporating
two oxazine photochromes (OX) at the two end of single diketopyrrolopyrrole
(DPP) fluorophore giving the shape of the dyad molecule as OX-DPP-OX.
For precise characterization, steady-state photophysical properties,
acid–base-induced spectroscopic studies and ultrafast transient
absorption spectroscopic studies are performed. In acetonitrile (ACN)
solution, the benzo[1,3]oxazine ring of studied oxazine derivatives
in OX-DPP-OX opens up and reduces the fluorescence intensity of DPP
by 66% upon addition of 50 equiv of trifluoroacetic acid (CF3COOH, TFA) and addition of an equivalent amount of base, tetrabutylammonium
hydroxide ((C4H9)4NOH, TBAOH), closes
the oxazine ring, reverting the fluorescence intensity of the DPP
unit back to its original intensity. Likewise, upon 330 nm laser excitation,
the oxazine ring opens up in less than 135 ps in ACN solution, reducing
the DPP fluorescence by 90%. Both the processes, acidochromic effect
and 330 nm laser excitation, generate a 3H-indolium
cation, p-nitrophenolate (protonated) and p-nitrophenolate anion, respectively. The photogenerated
isomer lives for 1.5–1.9 ns in room temperature and reverts
to its original conformer with first-order kinetics. This photochromic
dyad tolerates thousands of switching cycles with no sign of degradation.
However, the Gibbs free energy of the cationic fragment of their photogenerated
isomer and DPP fluorophore is exergonic (ΔG
0 < −0.8) and ultrafast intramolecular electron
transfer occurs very fast (in 16 ps time) from DPP moiety to 3H-indolium cation. As a result, the photoinduced transformation
of the photochromic component within this dyad results in the effective
quenching of the DPP emission. The fluorescence of this photoswitchable
compound is modulated on a nanosecond time scale with excellent fatigue
resistance under femtosecond (fwhm ∼100 fs) photoexcitation.
Thus, the choice of OX as a photochromic component and DPP as fluorescence
component can ultimately lead to the development of valuable ultrafast
photoswitchable fluorescent probes for designing ultrafast switching
devices. Such valuable mechanistic insights into their excitation
dynamics can guide the design of novel members of this family of photochromic
compounds with improved photochemical properties.