Facile synthesis of 2-10 nm-sized graphene quantum dots (GQDs) from graphite powder by organic solvent-assisted liquid exfoliation using a sonochemical method is reported in this study. Synthesized GQDs are well dispersed in organic solvents like ethyl acetoacetate (EAA), dimethyl formamide (DMF) and also in water. MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry reveals its selective mass fragmentation. Detailed characterizations by various techniques like X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) confirm the formation of disordered, functional GQDs. Density functional theory (DFT) calculation confirms HOMO-LUMO energy gap variation with changing size and functionalities. Photoluminescence (PL) properties of as-prepared GQDs were studied in detail. The ensemble studies of GQDs showed excellent photoluminescence properties comprising normal and upconverted fluorescence, delayed fluorescence and room-temperature phosphorescence. PL decay dynamics of GQDs has been explored using time-correlated single-photon technique (TCSPC) as well as femtosecond fluorescence upconversion technique. In vitro cytotoxicity study reveals its biocompatibility and high cell viability (>91%) even at high concentration (400 μg mL(-1)) of GQDs in Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells.

The ultrafast photophysical characterization of 5,10,15,20-meso-tetrakis pentafluorophenyl porphyrin (H2F20TPP) in 4:1 dichloromethane (DCM) and tetrahydrofuran (THF) solution has been done in the femtosecond-picosecond time domain, by combining fluorescence up-conversion and femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. Fluorescence up-conversion studies on H2F20TPP were done demonstrating fluorescence dynamics over the whole spectral range from 440 to 650 nm when excited at 405 nm, 360.5 cm(-1) excess vibrational energy of Soret band (411 nm). Single-exponential decay with ∼160 ± 50 fs lifetime of Soret fluorescence (also called S2 fluorescence or B band fluorescence) at around 440 nm was observed. On going from 440 nm, S2 fluorescence to S1 fluorescence, (Q-band) around 640 nm (wavelength of 0-0 transition in the stationary spectrum), single-exponential fluorescence time profile turns into a multiexponential time profile and it could be resolved critically into five-exponential components. An ultrafast rise component with ∼160 ± 50 fs followed by two decay components: a very fast decay component with 200 ± 50 fs time constant and another relatively slower 1.8 ± 0.5 ps decay component. Next, a very prominent rise component with 105 ± 30 ps lifetime followed by long-lived 10 ns decay component. The initial rise of S1 (Q-band) fluorescence around 640 nm agreed with the decay time of S2 (Soret or B band) fluorescence indicates that internal conversion (IC) from relaxed S2 to vibrationally excited S1 occurs in the ∼160 fs time scale and subsequent very fast decay with 200 fs time constant, which is assigned to be intramolecular vibrational dephasing or redistribution. The 1.8 ps decay component of S1 fluorescence is attributed to be "hot" fluorescence from vibrationally excited S1 state, and it reveals the vibrational relaxation time induced by elastic or quasi-elastic collision with solvent molecules. The 105 ps rise component is the creation time of the thermally equilibrated S1 state population, and it could be attributed either to an excited state conformational relaxation/intramolecular charge transfer or a molecular cooling process by dissipation of excess energy within the solvent by inelastic collision. Finally, the decay of equilibrated S1(Qx state) occurs on 10 ns to S0 by fluorescence. Femtosecond resolved transient absorption studies on H2F20TPP in the spectral range 390-620 nm following both S2 (Soret band) and S1 (Qx) band excitation have been done and they complement the observations found in fluorescence up-conversion studies. The stimulated emission (SE) kinetics observed at 640 nm, S1 emission peak, in 2-10 ps time domain rebuilds a dynamic similar to that observed by fluorescence up-conversion study. The transient absorption kinetics upon S1 excitation were observed mainly to be biexponential with decay constants 105 ps and 10 ns, respectively. At a long time window (6 ns), a long-lived rise component could be predicted followed by two long-lived decay components for both the excitations in betw...

A comprehensive study of ultrafast molecular relaxation processes of isomeric meso-(pyridyl) porphyrins (TpyPs) has been carried out by using femtosecond time-resolved emission and absorption spectroscopic techniques upon pumping at 400 nm, Soret band (B band or S2), in 4:1 dichloromethane (DCM) and tetrahydrofuran (THF) solvent mixture. By combined studies of fluorescence up-conversion, time-correlated single photon counting, and transient absorption spectroscopic techniques, a complete model with different microscopic rate constants associated with elementary processes involved in electronic manifolds has been reported. Besides, a distinct coherent nuclear wave packet motion in Qy state is observed at low-frequency mode, ca. 26 cm(-1) region. Fluorescence up-conversion studies constitute ultrafast time-resolved emission spectra (TRES) over the whole emission range (430-710 nm) starting from S2 state to Qx state via Qy state. Careful analysis of time profiles of up-converted signals at different emission wavelengths helps to reveal detail molecular dynamics. The observed lifetimes are as indicated: A very fast decay component with 80 ± 20 fs observed at ∼435 nm is assigned to the lifetime of S2 (B) state, whereas being a rise component in the region of between 550 and 710 nm emission wavelength pertaining to Qy and Qx states, it is attributed to very fast internal conversion (IC) occurring from B → Qy and B → Qx as well. Two distinct components of Qy emission decay with ∼200-300 fs and ∼1-1.5 ps time constants are due to intramolecular vibrational redistribution (IVR) induced by solute-solvent inelastic collisions and vibrational redistribution induced by solute-solvent elastic collision, respectively. The weighted average of these two decay components is assigned as the characteristic lifetime of Qy, and it ranges between 0.3 and 0.5 ps. An additional ∼20 ± 2 ps rise component is observed in Qx emission, and it is assigned to the formation time of thermally equilibrated Qx state by vibrational cooling/relaxations of excess energy within solvent. This relaxed Qx state decays to ground as well as triplet state by 7-8 ns time scale. The femtosecond transient absorption studies of TpyPs in three different excitations at S2 (400 nm), Qy (515 nm), and Qx (590 nm) along with extensive global and target model analysis of TA data exclusively generate the true spectra of each excited species/state with their respective lifetimes along with microscopic rate constants associated with each state. The following five exponential components with lifetime values of 65-70 fs, ∼0.3-0.5 ps, ∼20 ± 2 ps, ∼7 ± 1 ns, and 1-2 μs are observed which are associated with S2, Qy, hot Qx, thermally relaxed Qx, and lowest triplet (T1) states, respectively, when excited at S2, and four (Qy, hot Qx, thermally relaxed Qx, and lowest triplet (T1) states) and three (hot Qx, thermally relaxed Qx, and lowest triplet (T1) states) states are obtained when excited at 515 nm (Qy) and 590 nm (Qx), respectively, as expected. The TA results parallel the fl...