title: Spectroscopic studies of fluorescent dye N, N'- bis(2-hydroxy-5-methyl-benzylidene)-1,2-ethanediamine and its DNA complex in solution.
abstract: Absorption and fluorescence emission properties of an N-salicylideneamine fluorescent dye molecule N, N'-bis(2-hydroxy-5-methylbenzylidene)-1,2-ethanediamine (1) have been studied in three typical solvents--2-methylbutane, ethanol, dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO), and its DNA complex in methanol/H2O mixed solvent. The normal absorption band of 1 is observed in both aprotic and protic solvents and has been assigned to the l --> a(pi) transition in the enol form of 1. The long-wavelength absorption band of 1, which is caused by the formation of a cis-keto species in the ground state, is absent in aprotic solvents, but is observable in protic ones. Normal fluorescence emission from the excited enol state of 1 is obtained only when the normal absorption band is excited, while the excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) emissions from both cis- and trans-keto species are recorded in all cases, being acceptable for the variation of the relative emission intensities. A preliminary spectroscopic study of the 1-DNA complex indicates an intercalation-binding mode, the convincing supporting evidence being the enhanced ESIPT fluorescence intensity of 1 when complexed with DNA. Finally, a universal energy-state diagram is given to interpret the experimental results.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Modern Optics, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, PR China.
authors.forename: Lei Z
authors.initials: LZ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Guo-Qing
authors.initials: GQ
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001596:Benzylamines / Q000737:chemistry; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D012459:Salicylates / Q000737:chemistry; D012996:Solutions; D012997:Solvents; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence
chemical_list: D001596:Benzylamines; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D012459:Salicylates; D012996:Solutions; D012997:Solvents; D004247:DNA