Experimentally and theoretically determined infrared spectra are reported for a series of straight‐chain perfluorocarbons: C2F6, C3F8, C4F10, C5F12, C6F14, and C8F18. Theoretical spectra were determined using both density functional (DFT) and ab initio methods. Radiative efficiencies (REs) were determined using the method of Pinnock et al. (1995) and combined with atmospheric lifetimes from the literature to determine global warming potentials (GWPs). Theoretically determined absorption cross sections were within 10% of experimentally determined values. Despite being much less computationally expensive, DFT calculations were generally found to perform better than ab initio methods. There is a strong wavenumber dependence of radiative forcing in the region of the fundamental C‐F vibration, and small differences in wavelength between band positions determined by theory and experiment have a significant impact on the REs. We apply an empirical correction to the theoretical spectra and then test this correction on a number of branched chain and cyclic perfluoroalkanes. We then compute absorption cross sections, REs, and GWPs for an additional set of perfluoroalkenes.

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In this work we present a study on the effect of the aggregation on the optical properties of star-shaped molecules. We analyzed the modification of the absorption and fluorescent properties of a 1,3,5-tristyrylbenzene core due to the formation of diverse aggregates. The nature of the aggregates in solution was investigated by different spectroscopic techniques such as electronic absorption, steady-state fluorescence, fluorescence anisotropy, time-resolved fluorescence, small-angle X-ray scattering, and dynamic lightscattering spectroscopy. In order to simulate the molecular arrangement of the aggregates, the structure and electronic properties of different clusters formed by stacking of starshaped molecules were studied by means of density functional theory calculations. The theoretical insight was performed in the gas phase as well as in solution through the polarizable continuum model, and both linear response and state-specific polarization schemes were applied. In the solid state, high quantum yields of up to 0.51 were measured for a 1,3,5-tristyrylbenzene derivative. Finally, the morphological properties of different solid samples were analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry, as well as scanning and transmission electron microscopies.

pH is an important biomarker for many human diseases and great efforts are being made to develop new pH probes for bioimaging and biomedical applications. Here, the use of three different CdSe/ZnS QDs, functionalized with D-penicillamine and small peptides, as pH probes for fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) is investigated. The fluorescence pH sensitivity of the nanoparticles is analyzed in different experimental media: aqueous solution, synthetic intracellular medium, and mesenchymal C3H10T1/2 and tumoral SK-MEL-2 cell lines. Different experiments along with theoretical calculations are conducted to unravel the mechanisms causing pH sensitivity of the nanoparticles and the effect of the length and composition of the peripheral branches on their photophysical properties. Absolute intracellular pH values measured in live cells with FLIM using a fluorescent probe based on a QD are reported here for the first time (intracellular pH values of 7.0 and 7.1 for C3H10T1/2 and SK-MEL-2 cells, respectively). These fluorescent nanoprobes can also be used to distinguish between different types of cells in cocultures on the basis of their different fluorescence lifetimes in dissimilar intracellular environments.

Density Functional Theory (DFT) has been used with an empirically-derived correction for the wavenumbers of vibrational band positions to predict the infrared spectra of several fluorinated esters (FESs). Radiative efficiencies (REs) were then determined using the method of Pinnock et al. and these were used with atmospheric lifetimes from the literature to determine the direct global warming potentials of FESs. FESs, in particular fluoroalkylacetates, alkylfluoroacetates and fluoroalkylformates, are potential greenhouse gases and their likely long atmospheric lifetimes and relatively large REs, compared to their parent HFEs, make them active contributors to global warming. Here, we use the concept of indirect global warming potential (indirect GWP) to assess the contribution to the warming of several commonly used HFEs emitted from the Earth's surface, explicitly taking into account that these HFEs will be converted into the corresponding FESs in the troposphere. The indirect GWP can be calculated using the radiative efficiencies and lifetimes of the HFE and its degradation FES products. We found that the GWPs of those studied HFEs which have the smallest direct GWP can be increased by 100-1600% when taking account of the cumulative effect due to the secondary FESs formed during HFE atmospheric oxidation. This effect may be particularly important for non-segregated HFEs and some segregated HFEs, which may contribute significantly more to global warming than can be concluded from examination of their direct GWPs.

The atmospheric chemistry of several gases used in industrial applications, C(4)F(9)OC(2)H(5) (HFE-7200), C(4)F(9)OCH(3) (HFE-7100), C(3)F(7)OCH(3) (HFE-7000) and C(3)F(7)CH(2)OH, has been studied. The discharge flow technique coupled with mass-spectrometric detection has been used to study the kinetics of their reactions with OH radicals as a function of temperature. The infrared spectra of the compounds have also been measured. The following Arrhenius expressions for the reactions were determined (in units of cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1)): k(OH + HFE-7200) = (6.9(-1.7)(+2.3)) x 10(-11) exp(-(2030 +/- 190)/T); k(OH + HFE-7100) = (2.8(-1.5)(+3.2)) x 10(-11) exp(-(2200 +/- 490)/T); k(OH + HFE-7000) = (2.0(-0.7)(+1.2)) x 10(-11) exp(-(2130 +/- 290)/T); and k(OH + C(3)F(7)CH(2)OH) = (1.4(-0.2)(+0.3)) x 10(-11) exp(-(1460 +/- 120)/T). From the infrared spectra, radiative forcing efficiencies were determined and compared with earlier estimates in the literature. These were combined with the kinetic data to estimate 100-year time horizon global warming potentials relative to CO(2) of 69, 337, 499 and 36 for HFE-7200, HFE-7100, HFE-7000 and CF(3)CF(2)CF(2)CH(2)OH, respectively.

The dependence of the fluorescence on pH for two 1,3,5-tristyrylbenzenes decorated with polyamine (compound 1) and poly­(amidoamine) (compound 2) chains at the periphery was investigated. The highest fluorescence intensities were observed under acidic conditions because electrostatic repulsions between positively charged molecules reduce the fluorescence quenching. The slopes observed in the fluorescence pH titration curves were associated with deprotonation of the different types of amine groups, which results in quenching by photoinduced electron transfer and aggregation processes. The linear dependence of fluorescence lifetime observed for different pH ranges is a valuable property for applications in the field of fluorescence lifetime sensors and imaging microscopy. The influence of the pH and the peripheral chains on the aggregation processes was also analyzed by absorption and emission spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering measurements, and transmission electron microscopy. For compound 1, bands associated with the formation of aggregates were detected along with micrometric aggregates surrounded by fibers with lattice fringes typical of columnar mesophases. For compound 2, which contains longer peripheral chains with a higher degree of branching, aggregates with lower internal order were observed. In this case, the peripheral chains hindered aggregation by π-stacking although the amine groups did allow hydrogen bonding.