Intramolecular Hydrogen-Bonding Effects on the Fluorescence of PRODAN Derivatives

The effects of intramolecular hydrogen-bonding on the fluorescence behavior of three derivatives of 6-propionyl-2-dimethylaminonaphthalene are reported. The H-bonding effects are revealed through comparisons with corresponding reference compounds in which the H-bond-donating hydroxyl groups are replaced with methoxy groups. In toluene, intramolecular H bonding gives rise to a dramatic increase in the fluorescence intensity but only a slight red shift in the position. This behavior is attributed to decreased efficiency in intersystem crossing due to an increase in the energy of the n -> pi* triplet state. The intramolecular H bond does not induce quenching in acetonitrile; however, in the presence of a very small concentration of methanol, a dual intramolecular, intermolecular H-bonding arrangement does lead to partial quenching as revealed by preferential solvation studies.