Andrew Beeby

Durham University, Durham, ENG, United Kingdom

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Publications (49)223.61 Total impact

  • Article: The formation of peroxide degradation products of photochromic triphenylimidazolyl radical-dimers.
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    ABSTRACT: Following the recent report of Abe and co-workers (Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2012, 14, 5855) of the isolation of a bridging peroxide of a naphthalene-tethered bisimidazolyl diradical, it is reported herein that this degradation pathway is a more general phenomenon for the chromic dimers of 2,4,5-triphenylimidazolyl radical (TPIR) materials, with non-tethered TPIRs forming similar oxygen adducts. The peroxides of two derivatives have been characterised by single crystal X-ray diffraction (SC-XRD) and it is identified that the 4-position of the imidazolyl ring is the site susceptible to reaction with oxygen. Furthermore, mass spectrometry has been used to show that for a range of five known, non-tethered derivatives, peroxide formation can be detected within 30 minutes when samples are irradiated under an oxygen atmosphere, thus presenting a significant challenge to the long term use of this class of material in colour-switching device applications.
    Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 04/2013; · 3.57 Impact Factor
  • Article: Combined two-photon excitation and d → f energy-transfer in Ir/lanthanide dyads with time-gated selection from a two-component emission spectrum.
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    ABSTRACT: In a pair of Ir/Eu and Ir/Tb dyads, two-photon excitation of the Ir-phenylpyridine chromophore at 780 nm is followed by partial d → f energy-transfer to give a combination of short-lived Ir-based (blue) and long-lived lanthanide-based (red or green) emission; these components can be selected separately by time-gated detection.
    Chemical Communications 05/2012; 48(80):9977-9. · 6.17 Impact Factor
  • Article: Thermally induced defluorination during a mer to fac transformation of a blue-green phosphorescent cyclometalated iridium(III) complex.
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    ABSTRACT: The new homoleptic tris-cyclometalated [Ir(C^N)(3)] complexes mer-8, fac-8, and fac-9 incorporating γ-carboline ligands are reported. Reaction of 3-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-5-(2-ethylhexyl)-pyrido[4,3-b]indole 6 with iridium(III) chloride under standard cyclometalating conditions gave the homoleptic complex mer-8 in 63% yield. The X-ray crystal structure of mer-8 is described. The Ir-C and Ir-N bonds show the expected bond length alternations for the differing trans influence of phenyl and pyridyl ligands. mer-8 quantitatively isomerized to fac-8 upon irradiation with UV light. However, heating mer-8 at 290 °C in glycerol led to an unusual regioselective loss of one fluorine atom from each of the ligands, yielding fac-9 in 58% yield. fac-8 is thermally very stable: no decomposition was observed when fac-8 was heated in glycerol at 290 °C for 48 h. The γ-carboline system of fac-8 enhances thermal stability compared to the pyridyl analogue fac-Ir(46dfppy)(3)10, which decomposes extensively upon being heated in glycerol at 290 °C for 2 h. Complexes mer-8, fac-8, and fac-9 are emitters of blue-green light (λ(max)(em) = 477, 476, and 494 nm, respectively). The triplet lifetimes for fac-8 and fac-9 are ~4.5 μs at room temperature; solution Φ(PL) values are 0.31 and 0.22, respectively.
    Inorganic Chemistry 01/2012; 51(1):290-7. · 4.60 Impact Factor
  • Article: Two-photon spectroscopy of cyclometalated iridium complexes.
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    ABSTRACT: The near-infrared two-photon absorption (TPA) spectra of a series of cyclometalated iridium complexes have been measured. These complexes exhibit moderately large TPA cross-sections of approximately 20 GM at the biological relevant wavelength of 800 nm. A new complex has been designed and synthesised, and found to have an increased cross-section of 44 GM at 800 nm. Full photophysical characterisation of this complex is presented.
    Dalton Transactions 12/2011; 40(47):12765-70. · 3.84 Impact Factor
  • Article: Experimental and theoretical studies of the photophysical properties of 2- and 2,7-functionalized pyrene derivatives.
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    ABSTRACT: Pyrene derivatives substituted at the 2- and 2,7-positions are shown to display a set of photophysical properties different from those of derivatives substituted at the 1-position. It was found that, in the 2- and 2,7-derivatives, there was little influence on the S(2) ← S(0) excitation, which is described as "pyrene-like", and a strong influence on the S(1) ← S(0) excitation, which is described as "substituent-influenced". In contrast, the 1-substituted derivatives display a strong influence on both the S(1) ← S(0) and the S(2) ← S(0) excitations. These observations are rationalized by considering the nature of the orbitals involved in the transitions. The existence of a nodal plane passing through the 2- and 7-positions, perpendicular to the molecular plane in the HOMO and LUMO of pyrene, largely accounts for the different behavior of derivatives substituted at the 2- and 2,7-positions. Herein, we report the photophysical properties of a series of 2-R-pyrenes {R = C(3)H(6)CO(2)H (1), Bpin (2; pin = OCMe(2)CMe(2)O), OC(3)H(6)CO(2)H (3), O(CH(2))(12)Br (4), C≡CPh (5), C(6)H(4)-4-CO(2)Me (6), C(6)H(4)-4-B(Mes)(2) (7), B(Mes)(2) (8)} and 2,7-R(2)-pyrenes {R = Bpin (9), OH (10), C≡C(TMS) (11), C≡CPh (12), C≡C-C(6)H(4)-4-B(Mes)(2) (13), C≡C-C(6)H(4)-4-NMe(2) (14), C(6)H(4)-4-CO(2)C(8)H(17) (15), N(Ph)-C(6)H(4)-4-OMe (16)} whose syntheses are reported elsewhere. Furthermore, we compare their properties to those of several related 1-R-pyrene derivatives {R = C(3)H(6)CO(2)H (17), Bpin (18), C≡CPh (19), C(6)H(4)-4-B(Mes)(2) (20), B(Mes)(2) (21)}. For all derivatives, modest (0.19) to high (0.93) fluorescence quantum yields were observed. For the 2- and 2,7-derivatives, fluorescence lifetimes exceeding 16 ns were measured, with most being ca. 50-80 ns. The 4-(pyren-2-yl)butyric acid derivative (1) has a long fluorescence lifetime of 622 ns, significantly longer than that of the commercially available 4-(pyren-1-yl)butyric acid (17). In addition to measurements of absorption and emission spectra and fluorescence quantum yields and lifetimes, time-dependent density functional theory calculations using the B3LYP and CAM-B3LYP functionals were also performed. A comparison of experimental and theoretically calculated wavelengths shows that both functionals were able to reproduce the trend in wavelengths observed experimentally.
    Journal of the American Chemical Society 08/2011; 133(34):13349-62. · 9.91 Impact Factor
  • Article: The synthesis and photophysics of tris-heteroleptic cyclometalated iridium complexes.
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    ABSTRACT: Herein we report the synthesis and photophysical study of tris-heteroleptic complexes of the general formula IrLL'(acac), where L and L' are two differently substituted 2-phenylpyridines (ppyH) and acacH is 2,4-pentanedione, using a combinatorial approach that could be employed for many ligand combinations. The tris-heteroleptic complexes and the analogous bis-heteroleptic complexes of the form IrL(2)(acac) have been studied by a combination of absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopies in conjunction with modelling by DFT and TD-DFT to elucidate the nature and location of the excited state in the novel species.
    Dalton Transactions 07/2011; 40(38):9672-8. · 3.84 Impact Factor
  • Article: Analysis of citrate in low-volume seminal fluid samples using a time-gated measurement of europium luminescence.
    Robert Pal, Andrew Beeby, David Parker
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    ABSTRACT: This work aims to develop and validate a rapid analytical method that enables the measurement of citrate in seminal fluid samples. Samples were obtained from men who were within 9 weeks of a vasectomy operation. Two age ranges were examined, between 40-43 and 50-53 years old, with nearly 100 samples in each case. No patient clinical history was available for this anonymous study, simulating a random screening cohort. The concentration of citrate in 0.5 μL seminal fluid samples was assessed, using a europium emission luminescence method. This involves the ratiometric analysis of two well-separated europium(III) emission bands. Spectral data were obtained using a time-gated spectrometer whose construction and modification is described. Citrate values were confirmed by independent measurements using a citrate lyase enzymatic assay and by 700 MHz ¹H NMR analysis of the seminal fluid. Citrate concentrations were not statistically different between age groups and averaged 35.0(±14.6) mM for the 40-43 group, and 28.2(±12.7) mM for the 50-53 cohort; in each case a polymodal distribution was observed.
    Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis 05/2011; 56(2):352-8. · 2.45 Impact Factor
  • Article: Influence of lipids on the interfacial disposition of respiratory syncytical virus matrix protein.
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    ABSTRACT: The propensity of a matrix protein from an enveloped virus of the Mononegavirales family to associate with lipids representative of the viral envelope has been determined using label-free methods, including tensiometry and Brewster angle microscopy on lipid films at the air-water interface and atomic force microscopy on monolayers transferred to OTS-treated silicon wafers. This has enabled factors that influence the disposition of the protein with respect to the lipid interface to be characterized. In the absence of sphingomyelin, respiratory syncytial virus matrix protein penetrates monolayers composed of mixtures of phosphocholines with phosphoethanolamines or cholesterol at the air-water interface. In ternary mixtures composed of sphingomyelin, 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, and cholesterol, the protein exhibits two separate behaviors: (1) peripheral association with the surface of sphingomyelin-rich domains and (2) penetration of sphingomyelin-poor domains. Prolonged incubation of the protein with mixtures of phosphocholines and phosphoethanolamines leads to the formation of helical protein assemblies of uniform diameter that demonstrate an inherent propensity of the protein to assemble into a filamentous form.
    Langmuir 01/2011; 27(1):304-11. · 4.19 Impact Factor
  • Article: Fluorescence quenched quinone methide based activity probes--a cautionary tale.
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    ABSTRACT: A carbamate linked quenching group coupled with a pro-quinone methide reactive core provides an effective tool for studying enzyme function without problems associated with background fluorescence from unreacted probe. However, the relatively slow fragmentation of the carbamate linkage in such a strategy may cause problems of loss of signal or a decoupling of enzyme activity and labelling.
    Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry 04/2010; 8(7):1610-8. · 3.70 Impact Factor
  • Article: A quinolinium-derived turn-off fluorescent anion sensor.
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    ABSTRACT: A quinolinium-derived anion sensor has been synthesised which shows a turn-off fluorescence response in the presence of anions, with selectivity for acetate. The compound exhibits complex anion binding comprising of a host dimer, 2 : 1 and 1 : 1 host : guest species. Fluorescent quenching is due to both dynamic and static processes with charge transfer being the dominant mechanism.
    Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry 03/2010; 8(5):1010-6. · 3.70 Impact Factor
  • Article: 2,5-Bis(p-R-arylethynyl)rhodacyclopentadienes show intense fluorescence: denying the presence of a heavy atom.
    Angewandte Chemie International Edition 03/2010; 49(13):2349-53. · 13.45 Impact Factor
  • Article: Fabrication, Characterization, and Electrical Properties of Langmuir−Blodgett Films of an Acid Terminated Phenylene−Ethynylene Oligomer
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    ABSTRACT: This paper describes the preparation of Langmuir−Blodgett (LB) films comprised of an oligomeric phenylene−ethynylene (OPE) derivative, 4-[4-(phenylethynyl)-phenylethynyl] benzoic acid (BPEBA). Analysis of the surface pressure and surface potential vs area per molecule isotherms reveal that good quality monolayer films can be formed at surface pressures of 15 mN/m. The monolayers were transferred onto solid substrates with a Z-type deposition and a transfer ratio of 1. Raman and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) studies reveal that the films are physisorbed onto silver metal substrates. The morphology of the deposited films was analyzed by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM), revealing the formation of homogeneous layers free of three-dimensional defects. The optical and emissive properties of the LB films were determined, with significant blue-shifted absorption spectra indicating the formation of two-dimensional H aggregates in the films. In addition, a significant Stokes shift in the excitation and emission spectra of the films is indicative of a distribution of molecular conformations around the long molecular axis in the solidlike monolayer environment. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) studies of single layer BPEBA LB films were performed. The tip−sample distance has been calibrated carefully to obtain I−V curves above the LB film. I−V curves are unexpectedly symmetrical in spite of the asymmetric contacts of the molecule with the tip and the substrate. Single molecule conductance for BPEBA has also been determined and the similarity of these results to I−V data for BPEBA incorporated in LB films indicates that lateral (intermolecular) conductance is negligible for electrical measurements using the STM configuration.
    02/2010;
  • Article: Efficient intramolecular charge transfer in oligoyne-linked donor-pi-acceptor molecules.
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    ABSTRACT: Studies are reported on a series of triphenylamine-(C[triple bond]C)(n)-2,5-diphenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole dyad molecules (n=1-4, 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively) and the related triphenylamine-C(6)H(4)-(C[triple bond]C)(3)-oxadiazole dyad 5. The oligoyne-linked D-pi-A (D=electron donor, A=electron acceptor) dyad systems have been synthesised by palladium-catalysed cross-coupling of terminal alkynyl and butadiynyl synthons with the corresponding bromoalkynyl moieties. Cyclic voltammetric studies reveal a reduction in the HOMO-LUMO gap in the series of compounds 1-4 as the oligoyne chain length increases, which is consistent with extended conjugation through the elongated bridges. Photophysical studies provide new insights into conjugative effects in oligoyne molecular wires. In non-polar solvents the emission from these dyad systems has two different origins: a locally excited (LE) state, which is responsible for a pi*-->pi fluorescence, and an intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) state, which produces charge-transfer emission. In polar solvents the LE state emission vanishes and only ICT emission is observed. This emission displays strong solvatochromism and analysis according to the Lippert-Mataga-Oshika formalism shows significant ICT for all the luminescent compounds with high efficiency even for the longer more conjugated systems. The excited-state properties of the dyads in non-polar solvents vary with the extent of conjugation. For more conjugated systems a fast non-radiative route dominates the excited-state decay and follows the Engelman-Jortner energy gap law. The data suggest that the non-radiative decay is driven by the weak coupling limit.
    Chemistry 12/2009; 16(5):1470-9. · 5.93 Impact Factor
  • Article: Colourimetric carboxylate anion sensors derived from viologen-based receptors.
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    ABSTRACT: A series of tri- and tetrapodal viologen-based anion receptors showing a colourimetric response to carboxylates, such as acetate, have been synthesised. Alteration of the anion binding sites allows for binding site competition within a receptor. This results in a delayed colourimetric response for urea derivatives compared with pyridinium systems because the anions are initially bound to the periphery of the receptor, away from the viologen unit. DFT calculations and experimental measurements allow the colour change to be assigned to an anion-receptor charge-transfer process, facilitated by the exceptionally low reduction potential of the cationic host compounds. Evidence for electron transfer to give the viologen radical cation is also seen in some cases.
    Chemistry 12/2009; 16(5):1480-92. · 5.93 Impact Factor
  • Article: From cyclic iminophosphoranes to pi-conjugated materials.
    Angewandte Chemie International Edition 10/2009; 48(48):9109-13. · 13.45 Impact Factor
  • Source
    Article: The synthesis and one- and two-photon optical properties of dipolar, quadrupolar and octupolar donor-acceptor molecules containing dimesitylboryl groups.
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    ABSTRACT: Two series of related donor-acceptor conjugated dipolar, pseudo-quadrupolar (V-shaped) and octupolar molecular systems based on the p-dimesitylborylphenylethynylaniline core, namely, 4-(4-dimesitylborylphenylethynyl)-N,N-dimethylaniline, 4-[4-(4-dimesitylborylphenylethynyl)phenylethynyl]-N,N-dimethylaniline, 3,6-bis(4-dimesitylborylphenylethynyl)-N-n-butylcarbazole and tris[4-(4-dimesitylborylphenylethynyl)phenyl]amine, and on the E-p-dimesitylborylethenylaniline motif, namely, E-4-dimesitylborylethenyl-N,N-di(4-tolyl)aniline, 3,6-bis(E-dimesitylborylethenyl)-N-n-butylcarbazole and tris(E-4-dimesitylborylethenylphenyl)amine have been synthesised by palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling and hydroboration routes, respectively. Their absorption and emission maxima, fluorescence lifetimes and quantum yields have been obtained and their two-photon absorption (TPA) spectra and TPA cross-sections have been examined. Of these systems, the octupolar compound tris(E-4-dimesitylborylethenylphenyl)amine has been shown to exhibit the largest TPA cross-section among the two series of approximately 1000 GM at 740 nm. Its TPA performance is comparable to those of other triphenylamine-based octupoles of similar size. The combination of such large TPA cross-sections and high emission quantum yields, up to 0.94, make these systems attractive for applications involving two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF).
    Chemistry 01/2009; 15(1):198-208. · 5.93 Impact Factor
  • Article: Syntheses, structures, two-photon absorption cross-sections and computed second hyperpolarisabilities of quadrupolar A-pi-A systems containing E-dimesitylborylethenyl acceptors
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    ABSTRACT: A series of bis(E-dimesitylborylethenyl)-substituted arenes, namely arene = 1,4-benzene, 1,4-tetrafluorobenzene, 2,5-thiophene, 1,4-naphthalene, 9,10-anthracene, 4,4'-biphenyl, 2,7-fluorene, 4,4'-E-stilbene, 4,4'-tolan, 5,5'-(2,2'-bithiophene), 1,4-bis(4-phenylethynyl) benzene, 1,4-bis(4-phenylethynyl) tetrafluorobenzene and 5,5 `'-(2,2':5',2 `'-terthiophene), have been synthesised via hydroboration of the corresponding diethynylarenes with dimesitylborane. Their absorption and emission maxima, fluorescence lifetimes and quantum yields are reported along with the two-photon absorption (TPA) spectra and TPA cross-sections for the 5,5 `-bis(E-dimesitylborylethenyl)- 2,2'-bithiophene and 5,5'-bis(E-dimesitylborylethenyl)-2,2':5',2 `'-terthiophene derivatives. The TPA crosssection of the latter compound of ca. 1800 GM is the largest yet reported for a 3-coordinate boron compound and is in the range of the largest values measured for quadrupolar compounds with similar conjugation lengths. The X-ray crystal structures of 1,4-benzene, 2,5-thiophene, 4,4'-biphenyl and 5,500( 2,2':5',2 `'- terthiophene) derivatives indicate pi-conjugation along the BC=C-arene-C=CB chain. Theoretical studies show that the second molecular hyperpolarisabilities, gamma, in each series of compounds are generally related to the HOMO energy, which itself increases with increasing donor strength of the of the spacer. A strong enhancement of gamma is predicted as the number of thiophene rings in the spacer increases.
    Journal of Materials Chemistry 01/2009; 19(40):7532-7544. · 5.97 Impact Factor
  • Article: 3-Hydroxypyridin-2-one complexes of near-infrared (NIR) emitting lanthanides: sensitization of holmium(III) and praseodymium(III) in aqueous solution.
    Angewandte Chemie International Edition 11/2008; 47(49):9500-3. · 13.45 Impact Factor
  • Article: Manipulating Charge‐Transfer Character with Electron‐Withdrawing Main‐Group Moieties for the Color Tuning of Iridium Electrophosphors
    Advanced Functional Materials 02/2008; 18(3):499 - 511. · 10.18 Impact Factor
  • Article: Two-photon absorption and photoluminescence of europium based emissive probes for bioactive systems.
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    ABSTRACT: Observation of two-photon excitation (760 nm) and emission of two responsive water soluble europium complexes is reported with cross-sections of up to 2 GM. Two-photon excitation spectra have also been measured, acquisition being achieved by the use of a cavity-dumped mode locked Ti-sapphire laser. Time-gated detection is used to differentiate the ligand fluorescence and metal centred emission in these europium complexes.
    Dalton Transactions 01/2008; · 3.84 Impact Factor