Monitoring the chemistry of self-healing by vibrational spectroscopy - Current state and perspectives

Self-healing materials are designed to heal damage caused by, for example, mechanical stress or aging such that the original functionality of the material is at least partially restored. Thus, self-healing materials hold great promise for prolonging the lifetime of machines, particularly those in remote locations, as well as in increasing the reliability and safety associated with functional materials in, for example, aeronautics applications. Recent material science applications of self-healing have led to an increased interest in the field and, consequently, the spectroscopic characterization of a wide range of self-healing materials with respect to their mechanical properties such as stress and strain resistance and elasticity was in the focus. However, the characterization of the chemical mechanisms underlying various self-healing processes locally within the damaged region of materials still presents a major challenge. This requires experimental techniques that work non-destructively in situ and are capable of revealing the chemical composition of a sample with sufficient spatial and temporal resolution without disturbing the healing process. Along these lines, vibrational spectroscopy and, in particular Raman spectroscopy, holds great promise, largely due to the high spatial resolution in the order of several hundreds of nanometers that can be obtained. This article aims to summarize the state of the art and prospective of Raman spectroscopy to contribute significant insights to the research on self-healing materials - in particular focusing on polymer and biopolymer materials

Ruthenium(II)-bis(4'-(4-ethynylphenyl)-2,2':6', 2''-terpyridine) - A versatile synthon in supramolecular chemistry. Synthesis and characterization

A homoleptic ethynyl-substituted ruthenium(II)-bisterpyridine complex representing a versatile synthon in supramolecular chemistry was synthesized and analyzed by NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and X-ray diffractometry. Furthermore, its photophysical properties were detailed by UV/Vis absorption, emission and resonance Raman spectroscopy. In order to place the results obtained in the context of the vast family of ruthenium coordination compounds, two structurally related complexes were investigated accordingly. These reference compounds bear either no or an increased chromophore in the 4̀-position. The spectroscopic investigations reveal a systematic bathochromic shift of the absorption and emission maximum upon increasing chromophore size. This bathochromic shift of the steady state spectra occurs hand in hand with increasing resonance Raman intensities upon excitation of the metal-to-ligand charge-transfer transition. The latter feature is accompanied by an increased excitation delocalization over the chromophore in the 4̀-position of the terpyridine. Thus, the results presented allow for a detailed investigation of the electronic effects of the ethynyl substituent on the metal-to-ligand charge-transfer states in the synthon for click reactions leading to coordination polymers

Investigating light-induced processes in covalent dye-catalyst assemblies for hydrogen production

The light-induced processes occurring in two dye-catalyst assemblies for light-driven hydrogen production were investigated by ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy. These dyads consist of a push-pull organic dye based on a cyclopenta[1,2-b:5,4-b’]dithiophene (CPDT) bridge, covalently linked to two different H2-evolving cobalt catalysts. Whatever the nature of the latter, photoinduced intramolecular electron transfer from the excited state of the dye to the catalytic center was never observed. Instead, and in sharp contrast to the reference dye, a fast intersystem crossing (ISC) populates a long-lived triplet excited state, which in turn non-radiatively decays to the ground state. This study thus shows how the interplay of different structures in a dye-catalyst assembly can lead to unexpected excited state behavior and might open up new possibilities in the area of organic triplet sensitizers. More importantly, a reductive quenching mechanism with an external electron donor must be considered to drive hydrogen production with these dye-catalyst assemblies. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Multimodal nonlinear imaging of atherosclerotic plaques differentiation of triglyceride and cholesterol deposits

Cardiovascular diseases in general and atherothrombosis as the most common of its individual disease entities is the leading cause of death in the developed countries. Therefore, visualization and characterization of inner arterial plaque composition is of vital diagnostic interest, especially for the early recognition of vulnerable plaques. Established clinical techniques provide valuable morphological information but cannot deliver information about the chemical composition of individual plaques. Therefore, spectroscopic imaging techniques have recently drawn considerable attention. Based on the spectroscopic properties of the individual plaque components, as for instance different types of lipids, the composition of atherosclerotic plaques can be analyzed qualitatively as well as quantitatively. Here, we compare the feasibility of multimodal nonlinear imaging combining two-photon fluorescence (TPF), coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) and second-harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy to contrast composition and morphology of lipid deposits against the surrounding matrix of connective tissue with diffraction limited spatial resolution. In this contribution, the spatial distribution of major constituents of the arterial wall and atherosclerotic plaques like elastin, collagen, triglycerides and cholesterol can be simultaneously visualized by a combination of nonlinear imaging methods, providing a powerful label-free complement to standard histopathological methods with great potential for in vivo application

Multifunctional Polyoxometalate Platforms for Supramolecular Light-Driven Hydrogen Evolution

Multifunctional supramolecular systems are a central research topic in light-driven solar energy conversion. Here, we report a polyoxometalate (POM)-based supramolecular dyad, where two platinum-complex hydrogen evolution catalysts are covalently anchored to an Anderson polyoxomolybdate anion. Supramolecular electrostatic coupling of the system to an iridium photosensitizer enables visible light-driven hydrogen evolution. Combined theory and experiment demonstrate the multifunctionality of the POM, which acts as photosensitizer/catalyst-binding-site[1] and facilitates light-induced charge-transfer and catalytic turnover. Chemical modification of the Pt-catalyst site leads to increased hydrogen evolution reactivity. Mechanistic studies shed light on the role of the individual components and provide a molecular understanding of the interactions which govern stability and reactivity. The system could serve as a blueprint for multifunctional polyoxometalates in energy conversion and storage

Modified bibenzimidazole ligands as spectator ligands in photoactive molecular functional Ru-polypyridine units? Implications from spectroscopy

The photophysical properties of Ruthenium-bipyridine complexes bearing a bibenzimidazole ligand were investigated. The nitrogens on the bibenzimidazole-ligand were protected, by adding either a phenylene group or a 1,2-ethandiyl group, to remove the photophysical dependence of the complex on the protonation state of the bibenzimidazole ligand. This protection results in the bibenzimidazole ligand contributing to the MLCT transition, which is experimentally evidenced by (resonance) Raman scattering in concert with DFT calculations for a detailed mode assignment in the (resonance) Raman spectra

1,7,9,10-Tetrasubstituted PMIs Accessible through Decarboxylative Bromination: Synthesis, Characterization, Photophysical Studies, and Hydrogen Evolution Catalysis

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 Gmb

Intracellular Photophysics of an Osmium Complex bearing an Oligothiophene Extended Ligand

This contribution describes the excited-state properties of an Osmium-complex when taken up into human cells. The complex 1 [Os(bpy)2(IP-4T)](PF6)2 with bpy=2,2′-bipyridine and IP-4T=2-{5′-[3′,4′-diethyl-(2,2′-bithien-5-yl)]-3,4-diethyl-2,2′-bithiophene}imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline) can be discussed as a candidate for photodynamic therapy in the biological red/NIR window. The complex is taken up by MCF7 cells and localizes rather homogeneously within in the cytoplasm. To detail the sub-ns photophysics of 1, comparative transient absorption measurements were carried out in different solvents to derive a model of the photoinduced processes. Key to rationalize the excited-state relaxation is a long-lived 3ILCT state associated with the oligothiophene chain. This model was then tested with the complex internalized into MCF7 cells, since the intracellular environment has long been suspected to take big influence on the excited state properties. In our study of 1 in cells, we were able to show that, though the overall model remained the same, the excited-state dynamics are affected strongly by the intracellular environment. Our study represents the first in depth correlation towards ex-vivo and in vivo ultrafast spectroscopy for a possible photodrug. © 2020 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Gmb

Electronic photon echo spectroscopy and vibrations

Coupling between electronic and nuclear degrees of freedom in Rhodamine 800 has been studied using fluorescence line narrowing (FLN) and three-pulse photon echo peak shift (3PEPS). From the FLN measurement we extract the Huang-Rhys S-factors and frequencies of 16 Franck-Condon active vibrations clustered in two groups centred around 350 cm(-1) and 1400 cm(-1). The five modes below 500 cm(-1) covered by the excitation pulse spectral band create a complex beating pattern in the 3PEPS measurements. After determining the reorganisation energy of the modes involved in the peak shift measurement we are able to obtain the S-factors of the modes. The S-factors from two different experiments are in good agreement. The dephasing rates of these vibrations deviate significantly from the band-gap law. We propose that the main channel for the dephasing of the modes above 225 cm(-1) is a second order process involving one phonon and a molecular vibration. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

European and International Initiatives in the Field of Artificial Photosynthesis

International audienceIn a context of the rising awareness of the need for alternative renewable energy sources to achieve a low-carbon society, artificial photosynthesis, that is, the possibility to directly convert solar energy to chemical energy, is an appealing emerging energy technology. Mimicking the photosynthetic process, the endeavour is to produce a fuel, called solar fuel. We present here a bibliometric analysis showing the evolution of the field in recent years and mapping the emerging academic key actors. This young multidisciplinary research area is swiftly developing, and several European and international initiatives have emerged in recent years to foster its development towards the market. Although artificial photosynthesis is still at the laboratory level, it is also attracting the interest of industries. Many national initiatives in Europe, United States and Asia focussing on artificial photosynthesis have been launched. On the European side, the field begins to be addressed in the agendas of the EU framework programmes as well as in dedicated COST actions (Perspect-H2O) or in the Joint Programme ` Advanced Materials and Processes for Energy Applications' from the European Energy Research Alliance. Other international initiatives focussing on artificial photosynthesis are the International Energy Agency, the Solar Fuels Institute and the Energy Innovation Hub and several Energy Frontier Research Centers in United States. There are also dedicated conferences such as the Gordon Research Conference series on Solar Fuels and the recently launched International Solar Fuels conference. It is expected that as the field develops, new initiatives and new actors will emerge in different parts of the world