Este trabalho teve como objetivo a montagem de um sistema de otimização de pulsos ultracurtos (oscilador laser modelocked de 15 fs), através de uma técnica de formatação de pulsos via absorção de dois fótons em compostos orgânicos. Está técnica utiliza uma estratégia evolucionária baseada em um algoritmo genético, onde se controla o formato do pulso pela deformação imposta a um espelho deformável, conjuntamente com o monitoramento de um sinal de realimentação. Desta forma, este sistema permite tanto a otimização do processo de absorção de dois fótons, quanto a otimização do próprio pulso do sistema laser. Após a montagem inicial do sistema de formatação de pulsos, foram implementados três métodos de otimização via monitoramento do processo de absorção de dois fótons, sendo que dois deles foram desenvolvidos nesta dissertação. Os métodos diferem entre si pelo emprego de distintos sinais de realimentação para o processo de otimização: (i) intensidade da fluorescência excitada por dois fótons; (ii) variação da transmitância não linear dos compostos orgânicos devido à absorção de dois fótons; e (iii) intensidade do efeito de lente térmica apresentada pelos compostos orgânicos após a absorção de dois fótons. Os três métodos de otimização apresentaram resultados similares e satisfatórios, aproximando a largura temporal do pulso ao final do processo de otimização da largura temporal dada pelo limite da transformada de Fourier, medidas através de técnicas de autocorrelação. Estes resultados apontam para a validade do uso dos métodos por nós desenvolvidos como alternativas para processos de otimização de pulsos ultracurtos. / In this work it is described the implementation of an ultrashort pulse optimization system (15 fs modelocked oscillator) that employs pulse shaping methods via two-photon absorption in organic materials. This technique uses an evolutionary strategy based on a Genetic Algorithm, where the pulse shape is controlled by a deformable mirror, while a feedback signal is monitored. In this way, this system allows both, the two-photon absorption process and pulse optimization. After the accomplishment of the pulse shaping system, we have implemented three distinct optimization methods via two-photon absorption monitoring, being two of them proposed in the present dissertation. These three methods differs from each other by the use of different feedback signals for the optimization process: (i) intensity of the two-photon excited fluorescence; (ii) nonlinear transmittance change in organic compounds due to the two-photon absorption; and (iii) intensity of the thermal lens effect. All optimization methods presented similar and satisfactory results, leading the ultrashort pulse, in the end of the optimization process, close to the Fourier transformed limit. In such cases, the pulse duration were determined through the autocorrelation technique. These results indicates that the new methods proposed here can be used as an alternative for both, pulse optimization and control of two-photon absorption process, specially for nonfluorescent samples.

Este trabalho demonstra o uso da fotopolimerização via absorção de dois fótons na produção de microestruturas dopadas com compostos orgânicos e nanopartículas de Au. A capacidade de produção de microestruturas com propriedades variadas é extremamente relevante, pois viabiliza o desenvolvimento de uma nova geração de dispositivos ópticos. Além disso, realizamos a conexão entre as microestruturas fabricadas e fontes de excitação, por meio de nanofibras de vidro. A integração entre essas estruturas, e destas com meios externos de excitação e detecção, é um passo essencial para o desenvolvimento de microcircuitos fotônicos, que podem representar uma nova revolução tecnológica, a exemplo do que foram os microcircuitos eletrônicos. Exploramos as possibilidades de dopagem da resina usando: (i) um composto fluorescente, (ii) um composto com birrefringência fotoinduzida e (iii) nanopartículas de ouro. Microestruturas contendo Rodamina B apresentaram boa integridade estrutural e fluorescência, tendo sido usadas para demonstrar a conexão dos microelementos com meios externos de excitação. Através de nanofibras e de micromanipuladores, comprovamos a capacidade de excitação seletiva de microestruturas através do guiamento da luz de um laser de Ar+. Estruturas birrefringentes foram obtidas pela dopagem com o azopolímero HEMA-DR13. Montamos um aparato que permite a observação da dinâmica de indução de birrefringência nas microestruturas, o qual representa um grande passo na caracterização deste tipo de microelementos. Com base nesse estudo, foi possível alcançar uma fração de birrefringência residual nas microestruturas de 35%. Por fim, propomos um método para a dopagem de microestruturas poliméricas com nanopartículas de ouro. Por se tratar de um método de dopagem indireta, ele evita interferências das nanopartículas no processo de microfabricação. Dessa forma, este trabalho abre possibilidades para a fabricação de microdispositivos funcionais com diversas propriedades especiais, bem como a integração desses microdispositivos em circuitos fotônicos. / This work demonstrates the use of two-photon photopolymerization in the fabrication of microstructures doped with organic compounds and gold nanoparticles. The ability to produce microstructures with different properties is extremely relevant, because it opens the possibility for the development of a new generation of optical devices. Besides, we have accomplished the connection between fabricated microstructures and excitation sources by means of silica nanowires. The connection among structures and with external means of detection and excitation is an essential step towards the development of new technological breakthrough in photonic microcircuits. We have explored the resin doping possibilities by using: (i) a fluorescent compound, (ii) a photoinduced birefringent compound and (iii) gold nanoparticles. Rhodamine B doped microstructures present good structural integrity and fluorescence, and were able to demonstrate the connection of microelements with external means of excitation. Through the use of nanofiber tapers and micromanipulators, we have shown the selective excitation capability of this method by guiding Ar+ laser light onto one single microstructure. Birefringent samples were obtained by doping the resin with the azopolymer HEMA-DR13. We have assembled an apparatus that allows observing the photoinduced birefringence dynamics, which represents a great step towards a better characterization of these kinds of microelements. Based on this study we were able to achieve a residual birefringence fraction of 35% in microscopic samples. Finally, we have proposed a new method for the doping of polymeric microstructures with gold nanoparticles. Because it is an indirect doping technique, it prevents gold nanoparticles from interfering with the microfabrication process. Thus, the work presented here paves the way for the fabrication of functional microdevices with a wide range of special properties, as well as for the connection of these microstructures for photonic microcircuit.

Microestruturas poliméricas dopadas despertam grande interesse nas áreas de óptica, fotônica e biologia, pois viabilizam a produção de dispositivos com propriedades específicas. Contudo, a dopagem de microestruturas com mais de um dopante é pouco explorada na literatura. Nesse contexto, o presente trabalho propõe o desenvolvimento de uma metodologia para fabricar microestruturas poliméricas com múltiplas dopagens, através de fotopolimerização por absorção de dois fótons. Esta técnica de microfabricação faz uso de um feixe laser pulsado (Ti:safira, 780 nm, 100 fs) que é focalizado, através de lentes de microscópio, no volume de uma resina polimérica contendo fotoiniciador composto orgânico responsável por iniciar o processo de polimerização. A intensidade dos pulsos de femtossegundos é alta o bastante para que processos não lineares absorcivos, nesse caso absorção de dois fótons, ocorram apenas no volume focal, induzindo a polimerização apenas ao seu redor. Como dopantes utilizamos os corantes fluorescentes Rodamina e Fluoresceína. Para averiguar a eficácia do sistema de fabricação desenvolvido, produzimos estruturas com apenas um dopante, e as caracterizamos utilizando microscopia óptica e eletrônica. Microestruturas contendo mais de um dopante, em regiões distintas, foram produzidas através da fabricação sequencial de estruturas dopadas. Essa metodologia permite a produção de estruturas com dupla dopagem, as quais apresentam boa integridade estrutural e preservam as propriedades ópticas dos dopantes. Por fim, visando aplicações em biologia, empregamos a metodologia desenvolvida para fabricar microambientes dopados, em sítios específicos, com o antibiótico cloridrato de ciprofloxacino. Estudos iniciais do desenvolvimento da bactéria Escherichia coli nestes microambientes foram feitos, com o objetivo de demonstrar a viabilidade para este tipo de aplicação. / Doped microstructures have attracted interest in optics, photonics and biology, because they allow the production of devices with specific proprieties. However, doping microstructures with more than one dopant is not much exploited in the literature. In this work we demonstrate the development of a method to fabricate multi-doped microstructures by two-photon absorption polymerization. For the microfabrication we used a femtosecond laser (Ti:sapphire laser, 780 nm, 100 fs) that is focused, by a microscope objective, in the volume of a polymeric resin containing a photoinitiator organic compound responsible to initiate the polymerization. The intensity of the femtosecond pulses is high enough to induced two-photon absorption, and consequently polymerization, only around the focal volume. As dopants we employed the fluorescent dyes Rhodamine and Fluorescein. In order to verify the microfabrication system, we have initially fabricated microstructures with only one dopant, which were characterized using optical and electron microscopies. Microstructures containing more than one dopant, in distinct regions, were produced by sequential fabrication of single doped structures. Such method allowed the fabrication of double doped structures, which presents good structural integrity and maintain the characteristic optical properties of the dyes. Finally, aiming at biological applications, we employed the developed method to fabricate micro-environments doped, in specific sites, with the antibiotics ciprofloxacin hydrochloride. Initial studies on the growth of the bacterium Escherichia coli, on such microstructures, were carried out to demonstrate the feasibility for such type of application.

Submitted by Mario BC (mario@bc.ufrpe.br) on 2016-12-07T13:31:46Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Carlos Henrique da Silva.pdf: 6944049 bytes, checksum: 14cd1ecdacc3a1c356355f918de0a35b (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-07T13:31:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Carlos Henrique da Silva.pdf: 6944049 bytes, checksum: 14cd1ecdacc3a1c356355f918de0a35b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-08-26 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / This work shows the results of an experimental study of the generation of a fluorescence signal in the blue range of the electromagnetic spectrum (421 nm), when a Rubidium atomic vapor inside a heated optical cell interacts with a pair of laser beams, one cw from a diode laser (in the transition 5S1/2 -> 5P3/2) and one ultrashort pulse train from a Ti:sapphire laser (in the transition 5P3/2 -> 5D5/2). The laser beams pass through the vapor cell in a copropagating con guration and are focused into the cell, having perpendicular polarizations. We have observed coherent and acumulation e ects in the system, because the lifetimes of the excited states are larger than the temporal interval between the optical pulses. Both lasers have wavelengths near 780 nm, although the pulsed laser has a large bandwidth and can make a non-ressonant two-photon transition at the wavelengths 780 nm and 776 nm. The excited atoms can decay to the ground state (5S1/2) by the intermediate state 6P3/2, emiting a fluorescence signal in the blue range at 421 nm. We study the response of the fluorescence signal as a function of the many parameters of the system, such as: the frequency and the intensity of the diode laser, the atomic density in the optical cell, and the e ect of an optical pump from the diode laser on the detected signal. / Este trabalho apresenta os resultados de um estudo experimental da geração de fluorescência na região azul do espectro (421 nm), quando um vapor de rubídio contido em uma célula aquecida interage com um feixe de laser de diodo contínuo (na transição 5S1/2 -> 5P3/2) e um feixe de laser de pulsos ultracurtos de Ti:safira (na transição 5P3/2 _> 5D5/2). Os feixes de laser são focalizados copropagantes no centro da célula óptica de rubídio, tendo polarizações perpendiculares. Efeitos de acumulação coerente são esperados no sistema, uma vez que os tempos de vida dos estados excitados são muito maiores do que o intervalo temporal entre os pulsos do laser de Ti:safira. Ambos os lasers operam com comprimentos de ondas em torno de 780 nm, por em o laser pulsado por ter uma largura de banda elevada consegue fazer uma transição de dois fótons não ressonante nos comprimentos de onda em 780 nm e 776 nm. Os átomos excitados podem decair para o estado fundamental (5S1/2) através do estado intermediário 6P3/2, emitindo a fluorescência no azul em 421 nm. Estudamos a resposta desta fluorescência quando variamos alguns parâmetros como: a frequência e a intensidade do laser de diodo, a densidade atômica da célula, e a influência do bombeio óptico do laser de diodo no sinal.

Les groupements protecteurs photolabiles sont utilisés pour de nombreuses applications, notamment en neuroscience pour la libération de neurotransmetteurs avec un contrôle spatio-temporel très fin. La démocratisation des lasers pulsés infrarouges a permis la mise au point de nouveaux composés sensibles à l’excitation à deux photons, de plus en plus efficace. Cependant, l’ingénierie moléculaire des cages n’est pas la seule méthode qui peut être utilisée pour améliorer l’efficacité des de ces composés. Mon travail de thèse a ainsi abordé cette problématique sous l’angle de la nanostructuration de groupements protecteurs photolabiles sensibles à l’excitation à deux photons. Nous avons débuté cette étude avec des composés de petite taille (dimère et tétramère) basés sur des groupements photosensible type ortho-nitrophénéthyle. Nous avons ensuite fonctionnalisé des dendrimères de type polyamidoamine, cependant les propriétés photophysiques et photochimiques de ces nouveaux composés suggèrent que des interactions intramoléculaires perturbent l’efficacité de la réaction de photolibération. Des dendrimères partiellement fonctionnalisés ont ensuite été envisagés. / Photosensitive protecting groups have been used for many applications, including neuroscience for the release of neurotransmitters with an amazing spatio-temporal control. New compounds sensitive to two-photon excitation were developed with the spread out of pulsed infrared lasers. However, cages molecular engineering is not the only way to improve such compounds. This manuscript focuses on nanostructuration to improve the overall efficiency of two-photon sensitive protecting groups. We started our study with small compound as dimer and tetramer based on the ortho-nitrophenethyl architecture. Next, polyamidoamine dendrimers were tested, but photophysics and photochemistry properties of these new compounds suggest that intramolecular interactions disturb photochemical reaction. Synthesis of partially functionalized dendrimer was considering in a next step.

Les ions lanthanides possèdent des propriétés photophysiques particulières, qui ont suscité une forte attention dans le développement de sondes biologiques luminescentes. En effet, les avantages que présentent leurs émissions en raies fines et caractéristiques, ainsi que leurs temps de vie de luminescence longs, permettent diverses applications en imagerie. Cependant, le faible coefficient d’absorption molaire de ces éléments conduit à préférer une excitation par le biais d’une antenne capable de transférer l’énergie au métal.Par ailleurs, l’utilisation de l’absorption biphotonique a montré de nombreux avantages, puisqu’elle permet une excitation de la molécule à une longueur d’onde deux fois plus grande que l’excitation à un photon : cette longueur d’onde peut alors se situer dans la fenêtre de transparence biologique (650 - 1100 nm).Les travaux de cette thèse visent à combiner les avantages des lanthanides avec ceux de l’excitation biphotonique. Les complexes synthétisés sont basés sur une plateforme triazacyclononane substituée par des antennes à deux-photons. Leurs propriétés spectroscopiques à un photon ont été étudiées, et ont alors permis de réaliser des images cellulaires en multiplexing à deux photons utilisant Eu3+ et Tb3+. Des sondes biphotoniques de brillance optimisée ont également été obtenues pour Sm3+, Tb3+ et Dy3+, et appliquées à l'imagerie. L’étude approfondie d’un des complexes de terbium(III) a de plus mis en évidence sa sensibilité à la viscosité. L’analyse des propriétés spectroscopiques de cette sonde a permis d'en rationaliser le comportement photophysique, ouvrant ainsi la voie à des applications originales en imagerie fonctionnelle. Enfin, nous avons montré une internalisation rapide de complexes de lanthanide cationiques de type cyclen ou cyclam par des cellules vivantes, et l'étude de ces nouvelles structures offre de nouvelles perspectives dans le développement de bio-sondes de lanthanides. / Lanthanide ions demonstrate peculiar photophysical properties that has attracted a substantial attention in the development of luminescent bioprobes. Indeed, the advantages stemming from their sharp and characteristic emissions, as well as their long luminescence lifetimes, enable various imaging applications. However, the weak molar extinction coefficient of these elements results in a preferential excitation through an antenna, which transfers its energy to the metal.On the other hand, biphotonic absorption showed numerous advantages, since excitation of a molecule can be achieved at a wavelength twice as high as using one-photon excitation. This wavelength may therefore reach the optical transparency window (650 - 1100 nm).The work carried out during this PhD thesis aims at combining the advantages of lanthanides with those of biphotonic excitation. The synthesized complexes are based on a triazacyclononane platform substituted with two-photon antennae. Their one-photon spectroscopic properties have been studied, and enabled to perform two-photon multiplexed cellular imaging, using Eu3+ and Tb3+. Biphotonic probes with an optimized brightness have been obtained for Sm3+, Tb3+ and Dy3+, and applied to cell imaging. The thorough study of one of the terbium(III) complexes has moreover displayed evidence of a sensitivity towards viscosity. Analyzing the spectroscopic properties of this probe has therefore allowed to rationalize its photophysical behavior, paving the way for original functional imaging applications. Lastly, a rapid internalization of cationic lanthanide complexes with a cyclen or cyclam framework by living cells has been proved. Thus, the study of these new structures presents new perspectives for the development of lanthanide bioprobes.

L’étude des phénomènes biologiques et notamment du rôle des protéines au sein d’un mécanisme cellulaire est un défi pour les biologistes. L’avènement de la microscopie de fluorescence à excitation biphotonique et des techniques « super-résolutives » a permis l’amélioration des performances des techniques de microscopie classiques et l’application l’imagerie in vivo pour l’analyse des tissus biologiques. Ces techniques requièrent cependant l’emploi de sondes aux propriétés photophysiques optimisées en complément de la spécificité vis-à-vis de la ou des cible(s) biologique(s). L’epicocconone, une molécule naturelle profluorescente de la famille des azaphilones, est employée en protéomique pour la détection des protéines sur gel d’électrophorèse. Ce composé a la faculté de réagir avec les amines des résidus lysine des protéines pour former un adduit covalent énaminone hautement fluorescent dans le proche infrarouge (610 nm) sous irradiation UV (395 nm) ou visible (520 nm). Différents analogues synthétisés au sein du laboratoire ont permis d’étudier la relation structure-fluorescence de ces composés capables de détecter non spécifiquement les protéines du milieu étudié. Afin d’améliorer la spécificité de ces molécules en vue d’applications en imagerie, la synthèse de sondes polyfonctionnelles, via une réaction de cycloaddition 1,3 dipolaire azoture-alcyne catalysée au cuivre, associant un analogue de l’epicocconone à un agent de reconnaissance possédant une affinité particulière pour une cible biologique a été étudiée. La synthèse d’analogues de l’epicocconone optimisés pour l’absorption biphotonique a également été réalisée lors de cette thèse. Les propriétés optiques linéaires et non linéaires de ces composés ont été étudiées afin de sélectionner le meilleur composé pour des applications en imagerie par microscopie de fluorescence à excitation biphotonique. Enfin, la réactivité particulière des azaphilones a servi de point de départ au développement d’une stratégie d’identification et d’isolement de nouvelles molécules naturelles azaphiles grâce à l’utilisation de sondes à produits naturels capables de cibler spécifiquement ce type de composés. / Understanding biological processes that involve proteins is a challenge for biologists. Two-photon excitation and super-resolution microscopy have improved drastically bioimaging techniques allowing in vivo deep tissue analysis. However those techniques require the use of optimized and selective fluorescent probes. Epicocconone is a natural profluorescent azaphilone widely used in proteomics for detecting proteins on electrophoresis gels. This compound can react reversibly with primary amines from lysines forming a covalent enaminone adduct that emits near infrared fluorescence light (610 nm) upon UV (395 nm) or visible (520 nm) excitation. Different analogues, that non-selectively bind to proteins, were previously synthesized in order to understand the structure-fluorescence relationship. The synthesis of polyfunctionnal probes was studied using copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition to connect the epicocconone scaffold to a recognition moiety, which can specifically recognise one biological target. New analogues optimized for two-photon absorption were synthesized. Their linear and non-linear optical properties were determined to select the most suitable molecule for two-photon excitation microscopy.In a last part, the particular reactivity of azaphilones was also regarded as a useful strategy for designing probes which could react specifically with azaphilic natural products in order to identify and isolate new ones

Dans ce travail, nous étudions théoriquement et expérimentalement le couplage entre une nanoparticule unique de différentes natures, comme fluorescente, non-linéaire, plasmonique, etc., et une structure photonique en matériau polymère. Dans un premier temps, nous avons optimisé la méthode dite écriture directe par laser par absorption à un photon pour réaliser des structures photoniques de bonne qualité à la demande. Ensuite, nous avons également exploité l'effet thermique induit par le laser d’excitation continue, pour simplifier la méthode de fabrication LOPA et améliorer les structures fabriquées. Puis nous avons introduit de façon précise une seule nanoparticule unique à un endroit désiré dans la structure photonique. Le couplage nanoparticule/structure photonique a été réalisé par le même système optique. Ce couplage a été démontré par une augmentation du nombre de photon émis par la nanoparticule fluorescente et par une forte amélioration du signal de génération de seconde harmonique. Parallèlement, nous avons effectué des calculs numériques par la méthode FDTD pour prédire les propriétés optiques intéressantes des structures photoniques et pour confirmer les résultats expérimentaux. / In this study, we investigate theoretically and experimentally the nanoparticles/photonic structures coupling. In detail, the work focuses on the elaboration and applications of structured polymer materials, as well as the manipulation of optical properties of various kinds of nano-objects such as gold nanoparticles, magnetic and nonlinear nanoparticles, etc. The coupling of each kind of nanoparticles addresses a specific goal. In order to conduct research, we first build and test an optical confocal setup, which allows us to both image and fabricate nanostructures at a sub-lambda resolution. Besides, we propose a method exploiting the thermal effect caused by a continuous-wave laser source to optimize 2D and 3D structures realized by low one-photon absorption (LOPA)-based direct laser writing (DLW). Then by using this technique, we are capable of precisely determining the position and embedding various kinds of nanoparticles (gold nanoparticles, nonlinear nanoparticles, and magnetic nanoparticles) into arbitrary polymeric photonic structures. The characterization of the fabricated structures is carried out using the same confocal setup. We demonstrate a good enhancement of the optical properties of the nanoparticles embedded inside photonic structures. We also perform numerical calculations by using a FDTD method to confirm the experimental results.

Metal Organic Materials (MOM) are composed of transition metal ions as connectors and organic ligands as linkers. MOMs have been found to have high porosity, catalytic, and optical properties. Here we study the gas adsorption, color change, and non-linear optical properties of MOMs. These properties can be predicted using theoretical methods, and the results may provide experimentalists with guidance for rational design and engineering of novel MOMs. The theory levels used include semi-empirical quantum mechanical calculations with the PM7 Hamiltonian and, Density Functional Theory (DFT) to predict the geometry and electronic structure of the ground state, and Time Dependent DFT (TD-DFT) to predict the excited states and the optical properties. The molecular absorption capacity of aldoxime coordinated Zn(II) based MOMs (previously measured experimentally) is predicted by using PM7 Theory level. The 3D structures were optimized with and without host molecules inside the pores. The absorption capacity of these crystals was predicted to be 8H2 or 3N2 per unit cell. When going beyond this limit, the structural integrity of the bulk material becomes fractured and microcrystals are observed both experimentally and theoretically. The linear absorption properties of Co(II) based complexes are known to change color when the coordination number is altered. In order to understand the mechanism of this color change TD-DFT methods are employed. The chromic behavior of the Co(II) based complexes studied was confirmed to be due to a chain in coordination number that resulted in lower metal to ligand distances. These distances destabilize the occupied metal d orbitals, and as a consequence of this, the metal to ligand transition energy is lowered enough to allow the crystals to absorb light at longer wavelengths. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) present an extension of MOM principles to the main group elements. The synthesis of ordered COFs is possible by using predesigned structures andcarefully selecting the building blocks and their conditions for assembly. The crystals formed by these systems often possess non-linear optical (NLO) properties. Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) is one of the most used optical processes. Currently, there is a great demand for materials with NLO optical properties to be used for optoelectronic, imaging, sensing, among other applications. DFT calculations can predict the second order hyperpolarizability ?2 and tensor components necessary to estimate NLO. These calculations for the ?2 were done with the use of the Berry's finite field approach. An efficient material with high ?2 was designed and the resulting material was predicted to be nearly fivefold higher than the urea standard. Two-photon absorption (2PA) is another NLO effect. Unlike SHG, it is not limited to acentric material and can be used development of in vivo bio-imaging agents for the brain. Pt(II) complexes with porphyrin derivatives are theoretically studied for that purpose. The mechanism of 2PA enhancement was identified. For the most efficient porphyrin, the large 2PA cross-section was found to be caused by a HOMO-LUMO+2 transition. This transition is strongly coupled to 1PA allowed Q-band HOMO-LUMO states by large transition dipoles. Alkyl carboxyl substituents delocalize the LUMO+2 orbital due to their strong ?-acceptor effect, enhancing transition dipoles and lowering the 2PA transition to the desirable wavelengths range. The mechanism 2PA cross-section enhancement of aminoxime and aldoxime ligands upon metal addition of is studied with TD-DFT methods. This mechanism of enhancement is found to be caused by the polarization of the ligand orbitals by the metal cation. After polarization an increase in ligand to ligand transition dipole moment. This enhancement of dipole moment is related to the increase in 2PA cross-sections.

The pursuit of more suitable drugs intended for possible biological applications are a continuously growing topic of research within the scientific community. One of these suitable qualities includes the need for hydrophilicity and or some appropriate delivery system for the drug to enter into biological systems. A system of analyzing and following these compounds would then, however, be necessary to conduct any kind of mechanistic or interaction studies for he said drug within the biological system. Just to name a few, fluorescence and X-ray computed tomography (CT) methods allow for imaging of biological systems but require the need of compounds with specific qualities. Finally, even with a means of entering and following a oaded drug, it would not be complete without a way of targeting its intended location. Herein, the first chapter reports the synthesis and characterization of a fluorene-based pyridil bis-?-diketone compound with suitable one- and two-photon fluorescent properties and its encapsulation into Pluronic F127 micelles for the possible application of tracking lysosomes. Next the synthesis and characterization of a BODIPY-based fluorophore with excellent fluorescence ability is reported. This compound was conjugated to two triphenylphosphine (TPP) groups and is shown as a potential mitochondria probe within HCT-116 cells. Finally, the synthesis and characterization of diatrizoic acid (DA) based derivatives conjugated to silica nanoparticles, as well as unconjugated, are reported as potential CT contrast agents. The derivatives were also functionalized with maleimide moieties facilitating subsequent potential bioconjugation of a targeting protein via a thiol group.