J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1998, 120, 3623-3628
3623
Synthesis and Properties of Bismerocyanines Linked by a
1,8-Naphthylene Skeleton. Novel Solvatochromism Based on Change
of Intramolecular Excitonic Coupling Mode
Takashi Katoh,† Yoshio Inagaki,† and Renji Okazaki*,‡
Contribution from the Ashigara Research Laboratories, Fuji Photo Film Co. Ltd., 210 Nakanuma,
Minami-ashigara, Kanagawa 250-01, Japan, and Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science,
The UniVersity of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113, Japan
ReceiVed October 16, 1997
Abstract: A newly prepared bismerocyanine linked by a 1,8-naphthylene skeleton has two rotational isomers,
syn and anti conformers, with respect to orientation of the two merocyanine chromophores. The NMR studies
revealed that a polar solvent such as acetonitrile enhanced a preference for the syn conformer to bring about
much larger bathochromic shift of the UV/vis absorption band than that of a 1-naphthyl-substituted merocyanine.
The INDO/S-CI calculation indicated that the UV/vis absorption bands of the syn and anti conformers are
hypsochromically and bathochromically shifted, respectively, compared to that of the 1-naphthylmerocyanine.
In accordance with the prediction based on an exciton coupling theory, the anti conformer fluoresces while
the syn conformer does not. A polarographic analysis indicated a positive shift of reduction potential and a
negative shift of oxidation potential compared to the corresponding value of the 1-naphthylmerocyanine. The
shift in the reduction potential of the bismerocyanine relative to the 1-naphthylmerocyanine in acetonitrile
was larger than those in chloroform. This was attributed to the difference in the syn/anti ratio.
Introduction
devices using reversible changes between different states has
been shown.9-13
It has been known for a long time that merocyanines, which
consist of a formally uncharged conjugate system with a
vinylogous amide structure,1,2 show solvatochromism.3,4 Sol-
vatochromism of merocyanines is ascribed to the drastic change
of a dipole moment on excitation and is related to relative
contributions of two canonical forms, nonpolar quinoid and
dipolar zwitterionic ones.5 Merocyanines are important as
spectral sensitizers in photographic materials6 and have attracted
much attention also in the field of nonlinear optics7 and solar
energy conversion.8 Recently, much concern about molecular
Some dyes form aggregates in an aqueous solution and show
spectral shifts.14 J-aggregates, which were discovered by Jelly15
and Scheibe16 in 1930s, have been characterized by their narrow
absorption peak and bathochromic shifts compared to the
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† Fuji Photo Film Co. Ltd.
‡ The University of Tokyo.
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Published on Web 04/04/1998