Tricyanofuran-type metastable-state photoacids, relative newcomers to the field of photochromism, outperform traditional light-controlled molecular switches in regards to applicability in biological systems. In a preliminary attempt to understand the underlying processes that govern these compounds, this thesis project establishes the isomeric identity of an unsubstituted tricyanofuran-type metastable-state photoacid, referred to as TCF 1 in this work. Two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance experiments are employed to experimentally determine the presence and identity of the open-form TCF 1 isomers. Electronic structure calculations are then used to provide quantitative insight into the experimental results. Experiment and theory show that four out of eight possible open-form isomers exist in solution. To validate the information obtained theoretically, the calculation methodologies are tested against experimental chemical shifts. The impressive agreement with the experiments gives credibility to the picture painted by the theoretical models.

As antocianinas compreendem o maior conjunto de pigmentos solúveis em água do reino vegetal. A absorção da luz por estes compostos, responsáveis pelas cores vermelha, azul e roxa da maioria das frutas e flores, é produto de combinações de vários fatores, como o número de substituintes, a presença ou não de outras moléculas capazes de estabilizar a cor (“co-pigmentos"), o pH local do meio e a natureza do microambiente em que a antocianina se encontra. A reatividade química e fotoquímica das antocianinas já é relativamente complexa em solução aquosa na ausência de micelas, onde cada um dos processos químicos e fotoquímicos ocorre numa faixa de tempo distinta. Uma forma de se diminuir o número de espécies em solução é o emprego de antocianinas sintéticas com estruturas simplificadas, conhecidas como sais de flavílio, cuja variação no número, posição e tipo químico de substituinte permite um certo controle sobre as frações molares das espécies. Neste estudo procurou-se compreender os processos que regem o equilíbrio ácido-base e a hidratação do cátion flavílio em ambiente micelar. Estes dois processos exercem um papel central na estabilização da cor em antocianinas. Foram utilizados três sais de flavílio: o 4-carboxi-7-hidroxi-4\'-metoxiflavílio (CHMF), o 2-fenilbenzopirílio e o 4\'-metoxiflavílio. Os dois grupos ionizáveis do CHMF possuem pKas distintos (pKa1 = 0,73; pKa2 = 4,84), cujas dinâmicas de protonação/desprotonação são influenciadas pelas micelas de SDS de modos diferentes. O cátion é estabilizado preferencialmente pelas micelas aniônicas em relação ao zwitterion (pKa1SDS = 2,77), que por sua vez é mais favorecido que a base quinonoidal (pKa2SDS = 5,64). A estabilização do cátion está relacionada com as fortes interações eletrostáticas entre a espécie e a micela carregada negativamente. A base quinonoidal, que no caso específico do CHMF tem carga negativa, é desfavorecida em relação ao zwitterion. Adicionalmente, em SDS praticamente não se observa hidrólise da espécie zwitteriônica. Com relação ao 2-fenilbenzopirílio (pKw = 3,01) e o 4\'-metoxiflavílio (pKw = 4,47), a primeira observação feita é que a inclusão do grupo metoxi na posição C4\' estabiliza o cátion flavílio, diminuindo a extensão da hidrólise por meio de transferência de carga para o anel central. O efeito de estabilização do cátion pelo ambiente micelar, verificado pelo aumento do pKw, é mais pronunciado no 2-fenilbenzopirílio (pKwSDS = 4,73) do que no 4\'-metoxiflavílio (pKwSDS = 5,05). Os processos cinéticos mostram que a reação de hidratação (kw) do flavílio sem substituintes diminui 65 vezes em SDS, enquanto que a reação no sentido inverso se mantém dentro da mesma ordem de magnitude. Já no caso do 4\'-metoxiflavílio, foi verificado que ambas as constantes de velocidade aumentam, mas a constante de desidratação do hemicetal (k-w), que depende da concentração de prótons, é a mais afetada, aumentando cerca de 15 vezes. Este fato é um indicativo de que o pH na interface micelar é o fator de estabilização do cátion do 4\'-metoxiflavílio. Adicionalmente foram feitos cálculos computacionais de transições eletrônicas, pKa e potenciais de redução em nível ab initio para um conjunto cátions flavílios e respectivas bases quinonoidais. Os valores de pKa calculados apresentaram um desvio médio de +/- 0,5 unidade de pKa. / Anthocyanins comprise the major water-soluble pigment group in the Plant Kingdom. Light absorption by these compounds is responsible for the diverse colors in many flowers and fruits and can be modulated by phenomena such as self-association of flavylium cations or anhydrobases, copigmentation with other polyphenols and flavonoids, complexation with metal ions, incorporation of anthocyanins into microaggregates like micelles and the pH of the medium. The chemical and photochemical reactivity of anthocyanins is quite complex in aqueous solution and each process occurs in a different time range. The use of structurally simplified synthetic flavylium salts permits a certain control over the mole fractions of the various species in solution. In this study we used the synthetic flavylium ions 4-carboxy-7-hydroxy-4\'-methoxyflavylium (CHMF), 2-phenylbenzopyrylium and 4´-methoxyflavylium to investigate the main processes that influence the acid-base equilibrium and hydration of the flavylium cation in micellar environments. Such reactions play a central role in color stabilization of anthocyanins. CHMF has two ionizable groups with distinct pKas (pKa1 = 0,73; pKa2 = 4,84), and the protonation/deprotonation dynamics of these groups are affected differently by SDS micelles. The results show that SDS micelles stabilize the cationic form rather than the zwitterion (pKa1SDS = 2,77), which is favored relative to the quinonoidal base (pKa2SDS = 5,64). The preferential stabilization of the cation is related to electrostatic interactions of this form with the anionic micelle. The quinonoidal base, which in the specific case of CHMF is an anion, is disfavored relative to the zwitterion. In addition, the hydrolysis of the zwitterionic form is substantially reduced in micellar SDS solutions. The comparison of 2-phenylbenzopyrylium (pKw = 3,01) and 4´-methoxyflavylium (pKw = 4,47) shows that the methoxy group at the C4´ position stabilizes the cationic form, reducing the hydration by charge transfer to the central ring. The stabilization of the cationic form by the micellar environment, which is reflected in the increase of the pKw, is more pronounced for the 2-phenylbenzopyrylium cation (pKwSDS = 4,73) than for 4´-methoxyflavylium (pKwSDS = 5,05). Kinetic studies of the 2-phenylbenzopyrylium ion in SDS indicate a 65-fold reduction in the hydration rate constant (kw), while the inverse reaction has the same magnitude as in water. In the case of the 4´-methoxyflavylium ion, both rate constants associated with the equilibrium between the flavylium cation and hemicetal increased. However, the [H+]-dependent rate constant for dehydration of the hemicetal is affected to a greater extent, increasing about 15 fold, indicating stabilization of the 4\'-methoxyflavylium cation by the micellar interface. Finally, computational calculations were performed at the ab initio level for several flavylium cations and anhydrobases to estimate the electronic transitions, pKa and reduction potentials. The quality of the calculated pKa results were compared with experimental data and the mean absolute deviation is +/- 0.5 pKa unit.

As antocianinas compreendem o maior conjunto de pigmentos solúveis em água do reino vegetal. A absorção da luz por estes compostos, responsáveis pelas cores vermelha, azul e roxa da maioria das frutas e flores, é produto de combinações de vários fatores, como o número de substituintes, a presença ou não de outras moléculas capazes de estabilizar a cor (“co-pigmentos”), o pH local do meio e a natureza do microambiente em que a antocianina se encontra. A reatividade química e fotoquímica das antocianinas já é relativamente complexa em solução aquosa na ausência de micelas, onde cada um dos processos químicos e fotoquímicos ocorre numa faixa de tempo distinta. Uma forma de se diminuir o número de espécies em solução é o emprego de antocianinas sintéticas com estruturas simplificadas, conhecidas como sais de flavílio, cuja variação no número, posição e tipo químico de substituinte permite um certo controle sobre as frações molares das espécies. Neste estudo procurou-se compreender os processos que regem o equilíbrio ácido-base e a hidratação do cátion flavílio em ambiente micelar. Estes dois processos exercem um papel central na estabilização da cor em antocianinas. Foram utilizados três sais de flavílio: o 4-carboxi-7-hidroxi-4\'-metoxiflavílio (CHMF), o 2-fenilbenzopirílio e o 4\'-metoxiflavílio. Os dois grupos ionizáveis do CHMF possuem pKas distintos (pKa1 = 0,73; pKa2 = 4,84), cujas dinâmicas de protonação/desprotonação são influenciadas pelas micelas de SDS de modos diferentes. O cátion é estabilizado preferencialmente pelas micelas aniônicas em relação ao zwitterion (pKa1SDS = 2,77), que por sua vez é mais favorecido que a base quinonoidal (pKa2SDS = 5,64). A estabilização do cátion está relacionada com as fortes interações eletrostáticas entre a espécie e a micela carregada negativamente. A base quinonoidal, que no caso específico do CHMF tem carga negativa, é desfavorecida em relação ao zwitterion. Adicionalmente, em SDS praticamente não se observa hidrólise da espécie zwitteriônica. Com relação ao 2-fenilbenzopirílio (pKw = 3,01) e o 4\'-metoxiflavílio (pKw = 4,47), a primeira observação feita é que a inclusão do grupo metoxi na posição C4\' estabiliza o cátion flavílio, diminuindo a extensão da hidrólise por meio de transferência de carga para o anel central. O efeito de estabilização do cátion pelo ambiente micelar, verificado pelo aumento do pKw, é mais pronunciado no 2-fenilbenzopirílio (pKwSDS = 4,73) do que no 4\'-metoxiflavílio (pKwSDS = 5,05). Os processos cinéticos mostram que a reação de hidratação (kw) do flavílio sem substituintes diminui 65 vezes em SDS, enquanto que a reação no sentido inverso se mantém dentro da mesma ordem de magnitude. Já no caso do 4\'-metoxiflavílio, foi verificado que ambas as constantes de velocidade aumentam, mas a constante de desidratação do hemicetal (k-w), que depende da concentração de prótons, é a mais afetada, aumentando cerca de 15 vezes. Este fato é um indicativo de que o pH na interface micelar é o fator de estabilização do cátion do 4\'-metoxiflavílio. Adicionalmente foram feitos cálculos computacionais de transições eletrônicas, pKa e potenciais de redução em nível ab initio para um conjunto cátions flavílios e respectivas bases quinonoidais. Os valores de pKa calculados apresentaram um desvio médio de +/- 0,5 unidade de pKa. / Anthocyanins comprise the major water-soluble pigment group in the Plant Kingdom. Light absorption by these compounds is responsible for the diverse colors in many flowers and fruits and can be modulated by phenomena such as self-association of flavylium cations or anhydrobases, copigmentation with other polyphenols and flavonoids, complexation with metal ions, incorporation of anthocyanins into microaggregates like micelles and the pH of the medium. The chemical and photochemical reactivity of anthocyanins is quite complex in aqueous solution and each process occurs in a different time range. The use of structurally simplified synthetic flavylium salts permits a certain control over the mole fractions of the various species in solution. In this study we used the synthetic flavylium ions 4-carboxy-7-hydroxy-4\'-methoxyflavylium (CHMF), 2-phenylbenzopyrylium and 4´-methoxyflavylium to investigate the main processes that influence the acid-base equilibrium and hydration of the flavylium cation in micellar environments. Such reactions play a central role in color stabilization of anthocyanins. CHMF has two ionizable groups with distinct pKas (pKa1 = 0,73; pKa2 = 4,84), and the protonation/deprotonation dynamics of these groups are affected differently by SDS micelles. The results show that SDS micelles stabilize the cationic form rather than the zwitterion (pKa1SDS = 2,77), which is favored relative to the quinonoidal base (pKa2SDS = 5,64). The preferential stabilization of the cation is related to electrostatic interactions of this form with the anionic micelle. The quinonoidal base, which in the specific case of CHMF is an anion, is disfavored relative to the zwitterion. In addition, the hydrolysis of the zwitterionic form is substantially reduced in micellar SDS solutions. The comparison of 2-phenylbenzopyrylium (pKw = 3,01) and 4´-methoxyflavylium (pKw = 4,47) shows that the methoxy group at the C4´ position stabilizes the cationic form, reducing the hydration by charge transfer to the central ring. The stabilization of the cationic form by the micellar environment, which is reflected in the increase of the pKw, is more pronounced for the 2-phenylbenzopyrylium cation (pKwSDS = 4,73) than for 4´-methoxyflavylium (pKwSDS = 5,05). Kinetic studies of the 2-phenylbenzopyrylium ion in SDS indicate a 65-fold reduction in the hydration rate constant (kw), while the inverse reaction has the same magnitude as in water. In the case of the 4´-methoxyflavylium ion, both rate constants associated with the equilibrium between the flavylium cation and hemicetal increased. However, the [H+]-dependent rate constant for dehydration of the hemicetal is affected to a greater extent, increasing about 15 fold, indicating stabilization of the 4\'-methoxyflavylium cation by the micellar interface. Finally, computational calculations were performed at the ab initio level for several flavylium cations and anhydrobases to estimate the electronic transitions, pKa and reduction potentials. The quality of the calculated pKa results were compared with experimental data and the mean absolute deviation is +/- 0.5 pKa unit.

Photosäuren sind aromatische Alkohole, sogenannt aufgrund der Erhöhung ihrer Azidität, die aus der elektronischen Anregung folgt. Allerdings muss ein plausibles Verständnis der Prozesse, die zu der Erhöhung der Azidität führen noch etabliert werden. Zu diesem Zweck wird die Photophysik zweier Photosäuren, 1-Naphthol (1N) und 2-Naphthol (2N), untersucht. Mit Hilfe der Femtosekunden-UV-Anrege/IR-Abtast-Spektroskopie wird die OH-Streckschwingung sowohl im Grundzustand als auch im angeregten Zustand gemessen. Die intrinsische elektronische Ladungsverteilung, die aufgrund der Anregung in der Säure auftritt, in apolaren Lösungsmitteln untersucht. Der Vergleich mit Resultaten eines theoretischen Modells stellte einwandfrei fest, dass eine geringe Ladungsverteilung in der Photosäure auftritt. Die OH-Streckschwingung von wasserstoffverbrückten Komplexen zwischen 2N und Acetonitril wird gemessen. Obwohl experimentell gefunden wurde, dass der angeregte Zustand verglichen mit dem Grundzustand eine nahezu doppelt so große solvatochromatische Verschiebung zeigt, scheitern theoretische Modelle daran, diese Ergebnisse wiederzugeben. Die Ladungstransferreaktion im angeregten Zustand von 1N und 2N zu halogenierten Lösungsmitteln wird zur Abfrage der elektronischen Dichte am aromatischen Ring nach Anregung verwendet. Wurde ermittelt, dass verglichen mit dem unkomplexierten Molekül die Elektrontransferrate in einem wasserstoffverbrückten Komplex mit Acetonitril 10 mal höher ist. Auf diese Weise hat sich der Einfluss der Wasserstoffbrückenbindung auf das Ausmaß der Ladungsverteilung gezeigt. Mittels zeitaufgelöster Anisotropie, Fluoreszenz und IR-Messungen war es möglich festzustellen, dass die ultraschnelle ( / Photoacids are aromatic alcohols, characterized by a dramatic increase in acidity upon electronic excitation. A coherent view of the processes giving rise to this increase in acidity has yet to be established. To this effect, the photophysics of photoacids 1-naphthol (1N) and 2-naphthol (2N) are investigated. Using femtosecond UV pump-IR probe spectroscopy, the OH stretch vibration in both the ground and excited-state is measured. The intrinsic electronic charge redistribution in the acid upon excitation is investigated in non-polar solvents where specific interactions are absent. Comparison with results from a theoretical model based on the Pullin-van der Zwan-Hynes perturbative approach established that little charge redistribution occurs in the photoacid. The OH stretch vibration of hydrogen-bonded complexes of 2N with acetonitrile is measured. While it was found experimentally that the excited-state is characterized by a solvatochromic response that is almost twice as large as in the ground-state, the theoretical model failed to reproduce these results. Instead, the calculations predict no significant differences between the behaviour of the two states. The excited-state charge transfer reaction of 1N and 2N to halogenated solvents is used as a probe for the electronic density on the aromatic ring upon excitation. The charge transfer rate for the hydrogen-bonded complex with acetonitrile is found to be ten times higher than for the uncomplexed molecule. In this way, the influence of a hydrogen-bond on the extent of charge redistribution was evinced. Using time resolved anisotropy, fluorescence and IR measurements, it was determined that ultrafast (

Gegenstand dieser Arbeit ist die Frage wie thermische und photochemische Gleichgewichte verbunden werden können und sich gegenseitig beeinflussen. Dazu wurden zwei Projekte bearbeitet, zum einen das Konzept der „säure-katalysierten Zykloreversion“ und zum anderen das Konzept der „licht-induzierten pKs Veränderung“. Im ersten Konzepte wurde eine extern steuerbare, thermische Rückreaktion genutzt, um die Zusammensetzung im photostationären Zustand zu kontrollieren. Durch Zugabe von katalytischen Mengen einer starken Säure wurde die Ringöffnung eines Diarylethens, welches mit einem Flurenol substituiert ist, eingeleitet. Der zugrundeliegende Prozess wurde kinetisch und thermodynamisch, sowohl durch Experimente als auch durch computergestützte Rechnungen beschrieben. Eine säure-induzierte Dehydratation öffnet einen neuen Reaktionspfad, wodurch die normalerweise sehr hohe Reaktionsbarriere der Ringöffnung umgangen werden kann. Die quantitative Umsetzung mit Säure führt zu einer kompletten Löschung der photochemischen Reaktivität. Dieses Konzept kann in der Speicherung von Lichtenergie in photochromen metastabilen Systemen genutzt werden. Durch die Nutzung von 3-H-Thiazol-2-on als Rest im Diarylethen konnte eine signifikante pKs Änderung von 2.8 Einheiten in wässriger Umgebung erreicht werden. Dabei wurden zwei Säure-Base Gleichgewichtssysteme miteinander gekoppelt, welche an der thermischen Umwandlung gehindert sind, jedoch photochemisch ineinander überführt werden können. Des Weiteren wurde eine hohe Abhängigkeit der Quantenausbeute von dem Protonierung festgestellt. Diese wurde genutzt um die Performance der Photoreaktion zu beeinflussen. Die Beeinflussung der Photoreaktion erfolgt nicht durch Veränderung der Energetik des Grundzustandes, sondern durch Veränderung der Potentialhyperfläche des angeregten Zustandes. Durch neue molekulare Designs konnte eine signifikante Verbesserung im Vergleich zu bekannter Molekülen und Konzepten in beiden Projekten erreicht werden. / Two projects are implemented in this work, which share the goal to interconnect acid-base equilibria with the photoreactions of diarylethene (DAE) photoswitches. This task can be divided into two logic questions: How can photochemical equilibria be controlled or rather influenced via an acidic or basic stimulus and how can a photoreaction induce control over an acid-base equilibrium? In the first project, “Acid-Catalyzed Cycloreversion”, an externally tunable thermal back reaction was designed to influence a photochemical equilibrium. Upon addition of catalytic amounts of acid, a closed DAE carrying a fluorenol moiety undergoes facile thermal ring opening. The underlying thermodynamics and kinetics of the entire system have been analyzed experimentally as well as computationally. Appling an excess of acid leads to a complete inhibition of the photoreaction through the introduction of a charge-transfer. My work suggests that acid catalysis provides a useful tool to bypass thermal barriers, potentially usable to efficiently trigger the release of light energy stored in photoswitches. In the second project, entitled “Light-induced pKa Modulation”, a significant pKa change of 2.8 units in an aqueous medium was achieved by connecting two different acid-base equilibria. These thermodynamic equilibria are separated by a high activation barrier, overcome by a photoreaction. The developed system which is based on the incorporation of a 3 H thiazol 2 one moiety into a DAE, shows a strong dependency of the quantum yield and hence, of the photoconversion on the protonation state. Adjusting the pH within the range of the pKa change, a substantial enhancement of the photoconversion is achievable as well as a distinct alteration of the performance of the photoreaction. This effect does not originate from different reaction paths on the ground state potential energy surface (PES), but results presumably from a protonated state dependent difference in the excited PES.