Argentivorous molecules with chromophores: dependence of their fluorescence intensities on the distance between a donor and an acceptor†
Huiyeong Ju,Takao Hiraoka,Hiroki Horita,Eunji Lee,Mari Ikeda
Dalton Transactions Pub Date : 09/08/2022 00:00:00 , DOI:10.1039/D2DT01581A
Abstract

We have prepared new argentivorous molecules (L2 and L3) having different linker lengths between cyclen and anthracene units. The structures of Ag+ complexes with the new ligands were investigated in solution and solid states. The silver(I) ion-induced 1H NMR and UV-vis spectral changes of L2 and L3 showed the presence of 1 : 1 complexes. The solid-state structures of the Ag+ complexes with L2 and L3 are stable 1 : 1 complexes because four aromatic side-arms wrap the Ag+ incorporated in the cyclen unit. A photo-induced electron transfer (PET) effect that depends on the length of the linker connecting the nitrogen atoms of cyclen to the chromophore is also investigated. The result indicates a linear (log) correlation between the donor–chromophore average distances of the optimized structures calculated by DFT calculations and fluorescence intensities (log I), and the PET effect becomes ineffective at about 12 Å in this system.

Graphical abstract: Argentivorous molecules with chromophores: dependence of their fluorescence intensities on the distance between a donor and an acceptor