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  • Novel laser-induced luminescence resulting from benzophenone/O-propylated p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene complexes. A diffuse reflectance study
    Publication . Ferreira, Luís F. Vieira; Ferreira, Margarida R. Vieira; Silva, José P. da; Machado, Isabel Ferreira; Oliveira, A. S.; Prata, José V.
    Laser-induced room temperature luminescence of air-equilibrated benzophenone/O-propylated p-tert-butylcalix[ 4] arene solid powdered samples revealed the existence of a novel emission, in contrast with benzophenone/p-tertbutylcalix[ 4] arene complexes, where only benzophenone emits. This novel emission was identified as phosphorescence of 1-phenyl-1,2-propanedione, which is formed as the result of an hydrogen atom abstraction reaction of the triplet excited benzophenone from the propoxy substituents of the calixarene. Room temperature phosphorescence was obtained in air-equilibrated samples in all propylated hosts. The decay times of the benzophenone emission vary greatly with the degree of propylation, the shortest lifetimes being obtained in the tri- and tetrapropylated calixarenes. Triplet - triplet absorption of benzophenone was detected in all cases, and is the predominant absorption in the p-tert-butylcalix[ 4] arene case, where an endo-calix complex is formed. Benzophenone ketyl radical formation occurs with the O-propylated p-tert-butylcalix[ 4] arenes hosts, suggesting a different type of host/guest molecular arrangement. Diffuse reflectance laser. ash photolysis and gas chromatography - mass spectrometry techniques provided complementary information, the former about transient species and the latter regarding the final products formed after light absorption. Product analysis and identification clearly show that the two main degradation photoproducts following laser excitation in the propylated substrates are 1-phenyl-1,2- propanedione and 2- hydroxybenzophenone, although several other minor photodegradation products were identified. A detailed mechanistic analysis is proposed. While the solution photochemistry of benzophenone is dominated by the hydrogen abstraction reaction from suitable hydrogen donors, in these solid powdered samples, the alpha-cleavage reaction also plays an important role. This finding occurs even with one single laser pulse which lasts only a few nanoseconds, and is apparently related to the fact that scattered radiation exists, due to multiple internal reflections possibly trapping light within non-absorbing microcrystals in the sample, and is detected until at least 20 mus after the laser pulse. This could explain how photoproducts thus formed could also be excited with only one laser pulse.
  • A comparative study of the photophysics and photochemistry of 4-chlorophenol adsorbed on silicalite and beta-cyclodextrin
    Publication . Da Silva, José Paulo; Ferreira, Luís F. Vieira; Silva, Abílio M. da; Oliveira, A. S.
    The photochemistry and photophysics of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) were studied onto two model solid supports, silicalite and beta-cyclodextrin (beta-Cl)), using time resolved diffuse reflectance techniques and product degradation analysis. The results have shown that the photochemistry and photophysics of 4-CP are different from solution and depend on the solid. Ground state diffuse reflectance and time resolved luminescence demonstrated the inclusion of the probe in both substrates. 4-CP exhibits room temperature luminescence in both hosts, being structured and much more intense in beta-CD. The emission was assigned to phosphorescence of the inclusion complex. Transient absorption demonstrated the formation of the unsubstituted phenoxyl radical and of 4-chlorophenoxyl radical in beta-CD. In silicalite only the later was detected. The studies of the photodegradation products indicate that phenol is the main photoproduct in beta-CD. In silicalite the chromatographic analysis indicates the presence of products that involve the ring cleavage. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
  • Photolysis of 4-chloroanisole in the presence of oxygen: formation of the 4-methoxyphenylperoxyl radical
    Publication . Silva, José P. da; Ferreira, Luís F. Vieira; Machado, Isabel Ferreira; Silva, Abílio M. da
    The photochemistry of 4-chloroanisole was studied in cyclohexane, with and without molecular oxygen. The triplet state is the main transient in argon purged solutions. In air equilibrated conditions the triplet state was not detected and a new broad absorption band was observed above 450 nm. This absorption was assigned to the 4-methoxyphenylperoxyl radical. The formation of phenylperoxyl radicals after direct photolysis of the parent chlorinated compound in the presence of oxygen is reported here for the first time. Anisole is one of the main photoproducts in both conditions. Bicyclohexane was detected only in argon purged conditions while cyclohexyl ether is only formed in the presence of molecular oxygen. The formation of phenylperoxyl radicals after direct photolysis of chloroaromatics can be used to detect the homolyfic cleavage of the C-Cl bond. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
  • Aqueous photochemistry of pesticides triadimefon and triadimenol
    Publication . Silva, José P. da; Ferreira, Luís F. Vieira; Silva, Abílio M. da
    The photochemistry of pesticides triadimefon and triadimenol was studied in aqueous solution and in methanol/water mixtures, in controlled and natural conditions. The photodegradation kinetics and product distribution are strongly dependent on the solvent and on the irradiation wavelength. The degradation rates are faster at 254 nm than at 313 nm. The kinetics is faster in water than methanol. Direct photoreaction is an important dissipation pathway of triadimefon in natural water systems while triadimenol is stable in these conditions. 1,2,4-Triazole and 4-chlorophenol are two of the major photodegradation products. The formation of the 4-chlorophenoxyl radical was detected for both pesticides in methanol and methanol/water mixtures. In methanol/water mixtures the reaction of both pesticides also occurs with 4-chlorophenolate formation, which increases with the water content. The photochemical studies of pesticides and other pollutants should be made in conditions as similar as possible to those observed in environmental systems. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
  • Surface photochemistry: dibenzo-p-dioxin adsorbed onto silicalite, cellulose and silica
    Publication . Ferreira, Luís F. Vieira; Silva, José P. da; Machado, I. Ferreira; Branco, T. J. F.; Moreira, J. C.
    Laser-induced luminescence of argon purged and air-equilibrated samples of dibenzo-p-dioxin adsorbed onto three different solid powdered supports, silicalite, cellulose and silica, revealed the existence of both fluorescence and phosphorescence emissions at room temperature. A remarkable difference in transient absorption spectra was found when dibenzo-p-dioxin was included within the narrow internal channels of silicalite: triplet-triplet absorption of dibenzo-p-dioxin was detected in the silicalite case as a host, simultaneous with radical cation formation immediately after pulsed laser excitation (in the hundreds of nanoseconds time scale) while in the case of cellulose and silica as adsorbents, absorption transients arising from 2,2'-biphenylquinone and possibly from the spiroketone were found. For all hosts dibenzo-p-dioxin exhibits a transient band peaking at 330-340 nm in the microsecond and millisecond time scales, which we assigned to the biradical of dibenzo-p-dioxin. Diffuse reflectance laser flash photolysis and chromatographic techniques provided complementary information, the former about transient species and the latter regarding the final products formed after laser irradiation at 266 nm. Product analysis and identification clearly show that the photodegradation products are dependent on the host, the photochemistry being much more rich and complex in the cellulose and silica cases, where the main detected photoproduts were 2,2'-dihydroxybiphenyl and 1-hydroxydibenzofuran. In the case of silicalite as host, which has a channel-like internal structure and reduced space available for the guest dioxin, photodegradation reactions are highly reduced or even inhibited and no photodegradation products were detected. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
  • Surface photochemistry: benzophenone as a probe for the study of silica and reversed-phase silica surfaces
    Publication . Ferreira, Luís F. Vieira; Machado, I. Ferreira; Silva, José P. da; Branco, T. J. F.
    This work reports the use of benzophenone, a very well characterized probe, to study new hosts: two reversed-phase silicas. Laser-induced room temperature luminescence of argon purged solid powdered samples of benzophenone adsorbed onto the two different reversed-phase silicas, RP-18 and RP-8, revealed the existence of a low energy emission band in contrast with the benzophenone adsorbed on 60 A pore silica, where only triplet benzophenone emits. This low energy emission band was identified as the fluorescence of the ketyl radical of benzophenone, which is formed as the result of a hydrogen atom abstraction reaction of the triplet excited benzophenone from the alkyl groups of the surface of the reversed silicas. Such emission does not exist for benzophenone adsorbed onto 60 A pore silica. Room temperature phosphorescence was obtained in argon purged samples for all the surfaces under use. The decay times of the benzophenone emission vary greatly with the alkylation of the silica surface when compared with "normal" silica surface. A lifetime distributions analysis has shown that the shortest lifetimes for the benzophenone emission exist in the former case. Triplet-triplet absorption of benzophenone was detected in all cases and is the predominant absorption in the case of 60 A pore silica, while benzophenone ketyl radical formation occurs in the case of the reversed silicas. Diffuse reflectance laser. ash photolysis and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry techniques provided complementary information, the former about transient species and the latter regarding the final products formed after laser irradiation, both at 266 nm or 355 nm. Product analysis and identification show that the degradation photoproducts are dependent on the excitation wavelength, the photochemistry being much more rich and complex in the 266 nm excitation case, where an alpha-cleavage reaction occurs. A detailed mechanistic analysis is proposed.
  • Surface photochemistry of pesticides: an approach using diffuse reflectance and chromatography techniques
    Publication . Silva, José P. da; Ferreira, Luís F. Vieira
    The photochemistry of pesticides triadimenol and triadimefon was studied on cellulose and beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) in controlled and natural conditions, using diffuse reflectance techniques and chromatographic analysis. The photochemistry of triadimenol occurs from the chlorophenoxyl moiety, while the photodegradation of triadimefon also involves the carbonyl group. The formation of 4-chlorophenoxyl radical is one of the major reaction pathways for both pesticides and leads to 4-chlorophenol. Triadimenol also undergoes photooxidation and dechlorination, leading to triadimefon and dechlorinated triadimenol, respectively. The other main reaction process of triadimefon involves alpha-cleavage from the carbonyl group, leading to decarbonylated compounds. Triadimenol undergoes photodegradation at 254 nm but was found to be stable at 313 nm, while triadimefon degradates in both conditions. Both pesticides undergo photochemical decomposition under solar radiation, being the initial degradation of rate per unit area of triadimefon 1 order of magnitude higher than the observed for triadimenol in both supports. The degradation rates of the pesticides were somewhat lower in beta-CD than on cellulose. Photoproduct distribution of triadimenol and triadimefon is similar for the different irradiation conditions, indicating an intramolecular energy transfer from the chlorophenoxyl moiety to the carbonyl group in the latter pesticide.
  • A diffuse reflectance comparative study of benzil inclusion within p-tert-butylcalix[n]arenes (n=4, 6, and 8) and silicalite
    Publication . Ferreira, Luís F. Vieira; Machado, I. Ferreira; Oliveira, A. S.; Ferreira, M. R. Vieira; Silva, José P. da; Moreira, J. C.
    Diffuse reflectance and laser-induced techniques were used to access photochemical and photophysical processes of benzil in solid supports, namely p-tert-butylcalix[n]arenes with n = 4, 6, and 8. A comparative study was performed using these results and those obtained with another electronically inert support, silicalite, which is a hydrophobic zeolite. In the latter substrate, ground-state benzil has the two carbonyl groups in an s-trans planar conformation while in the calixarenes a distribution of conformers exists, largely dominated by skew conformations where the carbonyl groups are twisted one to the other. In all substrates, room-temperature phosphorescence was obtained in air-equilibrated samples. The decay times vary greatly and the largest lifetime was obtained for benzil/p-tert-butylcalix[6]arene, showing that this host cavity well accommodates benzil, enhancing its room-temperature phosphorescence. p-tert-Butylcalix[6] and [8]arene molecules provide larger hydrophobic cavities than silicalite, and inclusion complexes are formed with these hosts and benzil as guest; p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene does not include benzil. This probe is deposited outside the calix[41 cavity, in the form of microcrystals. Triplet-triplet absorption of benzil was detected in all cases and is predominant in the silicalite channel inclusion case. Benzil ketyl radical formation occurs with inclusion in calix[6]arene and calix[8]arene. In the three cases, benzoyl radical was detected at long times (in the millisecond time scale). Product analysis and identification clearly show that the main detected degradation photoproducts in all substrates are benzoyl radical derivatives. Calix[6] and [8]arenes are able to supply hydrogen atoms that allow also another reaction, the reduction to benzoin through benzil ketyl radical formation.
  • Photophysics and photochemistry of azole fungicides: triadimefon and triadimenol
    Publication . Silva, José P. da; Silva, Abílio M. da; Khmelinskii, Igor; Martinho, J. M. G.; Ferreira, Luís F. Vieira
    Photophysics and photochemistry of pesticides triadimefon {1-(4-chlorophenoxy)-3,3-dimethyl-1-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl) butanone} and triadimenol {1-(4-chlorophenoxy)-3,3-dimethyl-1-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl) butan-2-ol} were studied in the solution. The excited singlet states were identified by comparison with the absorption spectra of adequate model compounds, in several solvents. The first excited singlet state of triadimefon is an n, pi* state localized on the carbonyl group, while higher excited states are localized on the chlorophenoxy group and have a pi, pi* character. The lowest singlet state of triadimenol is pi, pi* state, since a methoxyl group replaces the carbonyl group of triadimefon. Triadimefon shows a weak fluorescence from the n, pi* state, upon excitation at both 310 and 250 nm. This suggests a fast intramolecular energy transfer process from the localized pi, pi* state of the chlorophenoxy group to the n, pi* state of the carbonyl group. The photodegradation quantum yield of triadimefon in cyclohexane at 313 run is 0.022. Triadimenol is photostable, under the same conditions. Two major photodegradation products of triadimefon and triadimenol were identified: 4-chlorophenol and 1,2,4-triazole. 4-Chlorophenoxyl radicals were detected by flash photolysis, suggesting a homolytic cleavage of the C-O bond of the asymmetric carbon. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
  • Surface photochemistry: benzophenone within nanochannels of H+ and Na+ ZSM-5 zeolites
    Publication . Ferreira, Luís F. Vieira; Costa, A. I.; Machado, I. Ferreira; Silva, José P. da
    This work reports a surface photochemistry study of benzophenone within nanochannels of MFI zeolites, in this case a series of H+ and Na+ ZSM-5 zeolites where the acidity of the host is varied systematically. Laser-induced room temperature luminescence of air equilibrated or argon purged solid powdered samples of benzophenone adsorbed onto the two sets of zeolites, which we will name HZSM-5 and NaZSM-5 zeolites, revealed the existence of three different benzophenone emissions. In the nanosecond time range a broad band centred at about 430 nm was detected and its origin was hydrogen bonded benzophenone. A second broad band peaking at about 470 nm and in the millisecond time range was also detected, which was the emission of the protonated benzophenone. Finally a vibrationally structured emission existed (448 nm), the normal room temperature phosphorescence emission of benzophenone. Triplet-triplet transient absorption of benzophenone was obtained for all zeolites under study, and clear evidence for the formation of hydroxybenzophenone radicals was obtained for the NaZSM-5 series (only Lewis acid sites). The more acidic the internal surface the more radical was detected. Other products resulting from a-cleavage of benzophenone were also identified. When the host was HZSM-5 (Bronsted and Lewis acid sites) benzophenone seemed to be less reactive, and no ketyl radicals from benzophenone were detected. All these findings clearly show that benzophenone is an excellent probe which is able to provide important information regarding the internal surfaces of MFI zeolites, namely the different photocatalytic activity of the different active sites of these zealites. The present study is paradigmatic in what regards the host influence on the photochemistry of the guest. (C) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.