Synthetic control of retinal photochemistry and photophysics in solution.

Understanding how molecular structure and environment control energy flow in molecules is a requirement for the efficient design of tailor-made photochemistry. Here, we investigate the tunability of the photochemical and photophysical properties of the retinal-protonated Schiff base chromophore in s...

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Main Authors: Bassolino, G, Sovdat, T, Liebel, M, Schnedermann, C, Odell, B, Claridge, T, Kukura, P, Fletcher, S
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: American Chemical Society 2014
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author Bassolino, G
Sovdat, T
Liebel, M
Schnedermann, C
Odell, B
Claridge, T
Kukura, P
Fletcher, S
author_facet Bassolino, G
Sovdat, T
Liebel, M
Schnedermann, C
Odell, B
Claridge, T
Kukura, P
Fletcher, S
author_sort Bassolino, G
collection OXFORD
description Understanding how molecular structure and environment control energy flow in molecules is a requirement for the efficient design of tailor-made photochemistry. Here, we investigate the tunability of the photochemical and photophysical properties of the retinal-protonated Schiff base chromophore in solution. Replacing the n-butylamine Schiff base normally chosen to mimic the saturated linkage found in nature by aromatic amines results in the reproduction of the opsin shift and complete suppression of all isomerization channels. Modification of retinal by directed addition or removal of backbone substituents tunes the overall photoisomerization yield from 0 to 0.55 and the excited state lifetime from 0.4 to 7 ps and activates previously inaccessible reaction channels to form 7-cis and 13-cis products. We observed a clear correlation between the presence of polarizable backbone substituents and photochemical reactivity. Structural changes that increase reaction speed were found to decrease quantum yields, and vice versa, so that excited state lifetime and efficiency are inversely correlated in contrast to the trends observed when comparing retinal photochemistry in protein and solution environments. Our results suggest a simple model where backbone modifications and Schiff base substituents control barrier heights on the excited-state potential energy surface and therefore determine speed, product distribution, and overall yield of the photochemical process.
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spelling oxford-uuid:a628b59c-a52c-455e-9b73-56b7d108a98b2022-03-27T02:45:15ZSynthetic control of retinal photochemistry and photophysics in solution.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:a628b59c-a52c-455e-9b73-56b7d108a98bEnglishSymplectic Elements at OxfordAmerican Chemical Society2014Bassolino, GSovdat, TLiebel, MSchnedermann, COdell, BClaridge, TKukura, PFletcher, SUnderstanding how molecular structure and environment control energy flow in molecules is a requirement for the efficient design of tailor-made photochemistry. Here, we investigate the tunability of the photochemical and photophysical properties of the retinal-protonated Schiff base chromophore in solution. Replacing the n-butylamine Schiff base normally chosen to mimic the saturated linkage found in nature by aromatic amines results in the reproduction of the opsin shift and complete suppression of all isomerization channels. Modification of retinal by directed addition or removal of backbone substituents tunes the overall photoisomerization yield from 0 to 0.55 and the excited state lifetime from 0.4 to 7 ps and activates previously inaccessible reaction channels to form 7-cis and 13-cis products. We observed a clear correlation between the presence of polarizable backbone substituents and photochemical reactivity. Structural changes that increase reaction speed were found to decrease quantum yields, and vice versa, so that excited state lifetime and efficiency are inversely correlated in contrast to the trends observed when comparing retinal photochemistry in protein and solution environments. Our results suggest a simple model where backbone modifications and Schiff base substituents control barrier heights on the excited-state potential energy surface and therefore determine speed, product distribution, and overall yield of the photochemical process.
spellingShingle Bassolino, G
Sovdat, T
Liebel, M
Schnedermann, C
Odell, B
Claridge, T
Kukura, P
Fletcher, S
Synthetic control of retinal photochemistry and photophysics in solution.
title Synthetic control of retinal photochemistry and photophysics in solution.
title_full Synthetic control of retinal photochemistry and photophysics in solution.
title_fullStr Synthetic control of retinal photochemistry and photophysics in solution.
title_full_unstemmed Synthetic control of retinal photochemistry and photophysics in solution.
title_short Synthetic control of retinal photochemistry and photophysics in solution.
title_sort synthetic control of retinal photochemistry and photophysics in solution
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