Modulation of fluorescence and phosphorescence of organoboron compounds from ortho‐substituted phenolic Schiff bases by structural modification

• Published in: Photochemistry and photobiology 2024-07, Vol.100 (4), p.1089-1099
• Main Authors: Chowdhury, Arkaprava, Dasgupta, Souradip, Gaur, Nrita, Shukla, Aparna, Adhyapak, Pranav, Kabra, Dinesh, Datta, Anindya
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Benzene; Chemical compounds; excited state processes; Fluorescence; fluorescence spectroscopy; Fluorescent indicators; Hydrocarbons; Imines; Light emission; Luminous intensity; Organoboron compounds; Phenolic compounds; Phenols; Phosphorescence; Room temperature; Schiff bases; Temperature dependence; Viscosity
• ISSN: 0031-8655; 1751-1097; 1751-1097
• DOI: 10.1111/php.13965

Light emission from organoboron compounds of Schiff bases is found to depend strongly on their chemical structure. Two of these compounds (OB1 and OB2), which contain a benzene ring between the Schiff base moieties, exhibit weak fluorescence in methanol, with marked viscosity dependence. Fluorescence lifetimes of these compounds are in picosecond timescale, as determined by femtosecond optical gating (FOG). A significant enhancement in fluorescence intensity and lifetime is observed at 77 K, indicating the operation of an activated nonradiative process. Using fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM), OB1 and OB2 are shown to be potential membrane probes. The third (OB3), which is devoid of this benzene ring, exhibits relatively stronger fluorescence with nanosecond lifetimes at room temperature. No viscosity dependence is observed in this case. The emission spectrum at 77 K is markedly more intense and exhibits an additional red shifted structured feature, which persists for a few seconds. Hence, OB3 seems to have greater promise not only as fluorescent probe but also for light harvesting. The marked improvement of the light emission properties of OB3 compared with OB1 and OB2 is likely to serve as a pointer for the design of Schiff base‐derived organoboron luminophores with diverse potential applications. Structural factors determine the emissivity of boron–Schiff base complexes. Those with a rotor group are fluorogenic and have applications in imaging while those without such a group are strongly emissive, with an afterglow at 77 K.