Seven flavylium salt dyes were employed for the first time as sensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The theoretical and experimental wavelengths of the maximum absorbances, the HOMO and LUMO energy levels, the coefficients, the oscillator strengths and the dipole moments are calculated for these synthetic dyes. The introduction of a donor group in the flavylium molecular structure was investigated. Photophysical and photoelectrochemical measurements showed that some of these synthetic analogues of anthocyanins are very promising for DSSC applications. The best performance was obtained by a DSSC based on the novel compound 7-(N,N-diethylamino)-3',4'-dihydroxyflavylium which produced a 2.15% solar energy-to-electricity conversion efficiency, under AM 1.5 irradiation (100 mW cm(-2)) with a short-circuit current density (J(sc)) of 12.0 mA cm(-2), a fill factor of 0.5 and an open-circuit voltage (V-oc) of 0.355 V; its incident photocurrent efficiency of 51% at the peak of the visible absorption band of the dye is remarkable. Our results demonstrated that the substitution of a hydroxylic group with a diethylamine unit in position 7 of ring A of the flavylium backbone expanded the pi-conjugation in the dye and thus resulted in a higher absorption in the visible region and is advantageous for effective electron injection from the dye into the conduction band of TiO2.

The possibility of replacing volatile and toxic organic solvents by ionic liquids (ILs) could contribute to safer procedures for conservation and restoration. This study introduces the use of ILs in varnish removal from paintings. The efficacy of this new procedure was assessed by applying different types of ILs in mock-ups of several painting materials and varnishes. The removal of IL residues from the surface of paintings was assessed mainly by FTIR-ATR. The application of ILs to a real painting is illustrated.

The six most common 3-glucoside anthocyanins, pelargonidin-3-glucoside, peonidin-3-glucoside, delphinidin-3-glucoside, malvidin-3-glucoside, cyanidin-3-glucoside and petunidin-3-glucoside were studied in great detail by NMR, UV-vis absorption and stopped flow. For each anthocyanin, the thermodynamic and kinetic constants of the network of chemical reactions were calculated at different anthocyanin concentration, from 6 x 10(-6) M up to 8 x 10(-4) M; an increasing of the flavylium cation acidity constant to give quinoidal base and a decreasing of the flavylium cation hydration constant to give hemiketal were observed by increasing the anthocyanin concentration. These effects are attributed to the self-aggregation of the flavylium cation and quinoidal base, which is stronger in the last case. The UV-vis and H-1 NMR spectral variations resulting from the increasing of the anthocyanin concentration were discussed in terms of two aggregation models; monomer-dimer and isodesmic, the last one considering the formation of higher order aggregates possessing the same aggregation constant of the dimer. The self-aggregation constant of flavylium cation at pH = 1.0, calculated by both models increases by increasing the number of methoxy (-OCH3) or hydroxy (-OH) substituents following the order: myrtillin (2 -OH), oenin (2 -OCH3), 3-OGI-petunidin (1 -OH, 1 -OCH3), kuromanin (1 -OH), 3-OGI-peonidin (1 -OCH3) and callistephin (none). Evidence for flavylium aggregates possessing a shape between J and H was achieved, as well as for the formation of higher order aggregates. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The photoreaction of indigo and two other derivatives in its reduced (leuco) form was investigated by absorption and fluorescence (steady-state and time-resolved) techniques. The fluorescence quantum yield (phi(F)) dependence with the UV irradiation time was found to increase up to a value of phi(F) approximate to 0.2-0.3 (after 16 min) for indigo and phi(F) = 0.2 (at similar to 150 min) for its derivative 4,4'-dibutoxy-7,7'-dimethoxy-5,5'-dinitroindigo (DBMNI). With a model compound, where rotation around the central C-C bond is blocked, the phi(F) value was found constant with the UV irradiation time. Time-resolved fluorescence revealed that initially the decays are fitted with a biexponential law (with 0.12 and 2.17 ns), ending with an almost monoexponential decay (similar to 2.17 ns). Quantum yields for the isomerization photoreaction (phi(R)) were also obtained for indigo and DBMNI with values of 0.9 and 0.007, respectively. The results are rationalized in terms of a photoisomerization (conversion) reaction occurring in the first excited singlet state of trans to cis forms of leuco indigo.

2-Phenyl-1-benzopyrylium (flavylium) and 2-styryl-1-benzopyrylium (styrylflavylium) cations establish in aqueous solution a series of equilibria defining chemical reaction networks responsive to several stimuli (pH, light, redox potential). Control over the mole fraction distribution of species by applying the appropiate stimuli defines a horizontal approach to supramolecular chemistry, in agreement with the customary bottom-up approach toward complex systems. In this work, we designed an asymmetric styrylchalcone able to cyclize in two different ways, producing two isomeric styrylflavylium cations whose chemical reaction networks are thus interconnected. The chemical reaction networks of 2-(2,4-dihydroxystyryl)-1-benzopyrylium (AH(+)) and 7-hydroxy-2-(4-hydroxystyryl)-1-benzopyrylium (AH(iso)(+)) comprise the usual species observed in flavylium-derived networks, in this case, the styryl derivatives of quinoidal bases, hemiketals, and chalcones. The thermodynamics and kinetics of the crossed networks were characterized by the use of UV-vis absorption and NMR spectroscopy as well as time-resolved pH jumps followed by stopped-flow. The two styrylflavylium cations are connected (isomerize) through two alternative intermediates, the asymmetric trans-styrylchalcone (Ct) and a spiropyran-type intermediate (SP). At pH = 1, AH(+) slowly evolves (k(obs) approximate to 10(-5) s(-1)) to a mixture containing 62% AH(iso)(+),s0 through the Ct intermediate, while at pH = 5, the SP intermediate is involved. The observed rate constants for the conversion of the styrylflavylim cations into equilibrium mixtures containing essentially Ct follow a pH-dependent bell-shaped curve in both networks. While at pH = 1 in the dark, AH(+) evolves to an equilibrium mixture containing predominantly AH(iso)(+) irradiation at lambda > 435 nm induces the opposite conversion.

The compounds 3'-butoxy-7-methoxyflavylium and 3'-butoxy-7-hydroxyflavylium were synthesized and the respective equilibrium and rate constants determined by two complementary techniques, pH jumps and flash photolysis. An experimental strategy based on these two techniques allowed calculation of all the equilibrium and rate constants of the system carried out for the first time in flavylium compounds lacking of the high cis-trans isomerization barrier. Irradiation of the trans-chalcone gives rise to the formation of the cis-chalcone still during the lifetime of the flash, which disappears through two parallel reactions: (i) one leading to the recovery of the trans-chalcone and the other, (ii) forming flavylium cation via hemiketal. This last reaction is globally dependent on pH and at less acidic pH the system reverts back to the trans-chalcone. The highest yield of colour production upon the flash takes place in the pH range 2-3.5. (c) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The introduction of an ester group in the flavylium core allowed the reversible conversion between two different flavylium compounds each one exhibiting its own reaction network. An unidirectional switching cycle between 7-diethylamino-2-(4-(methoxy-carbonyl)phenyl)-1-benzopyrylium and 2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-7-diethylamino-1-benzopyrylium was achieved by means of alternate acid and base stimuli. Addition of base to a methanolic solution of the ester derivative gives rise to the trans-chalcone of the parent carboxylic acid, which upon acidification of the solution forms the respective flavylium cation. This species esterifies under very acidic conditions to restore the original methyl ester derivative. The chemical reaction networks of both compounds were fully characterized from their thermodynamic and kinetic aspects, by a series of pH jumps followed by UV-vis absorption and emission spectroscopy, stopped flow and H-down arrow NMR. The crystal structure of the trans-chalcone of the ester derivative was unveiled showing a supramolecular structure involving hydrogen bonding.