The investigation of the intermediates of spiropyran retinal analogs by laser flash photolysis techniques with different excitation wavelengths

Spectral-kinetic properties of intermediates of spiropyran retinal analogs (SRA), which molecules contain spiropyran and retinoid (with different polyenic chain length and aldehyde terminal group) fragments, have been investigated by nanosecond laser flash photolysis techniques using excitation wavelengths 337 and 380–450 nm in toluene. Relative quantum yields of different SRA intermediates formation relative to those of model compounds, namely triplet excited state and merocyanine form generated upon pyran cycle cleavage have been measured. It has been found that merocyanine form does not form upon photolysis of SRA with polyenic chain length of 5 and 9 using excitation wavelengths of 380–450 nm, the triplet state of retinoid fragment is observed exclusively. The yield of merocyanine (MC) form is the largest one upon SRA photolysis with excitation wavelength of 337 nm for 6′-formylsubstituted spiropyran (it exceeds that of unsubstituted analog in 8 times and forms mainly from the triplet state). The yields of MC for SRA with polyenic chain length of 3, 5 and 9 carbon atoms are 5–10 times smaller than that for unsubstituted spiropyran.

► We studied spectral-kinetic properties of intermediates of spiropyran retinal analogs.
► Nanosecond laser flash photolysis techniques were used for investigation.
► Relative quantum yields of different intermediates formation have been measured.
► Formation of merocyanine form upon photolysis depends on polyenic chain length.