Laser Spectroscopic Study of Cold Gas-Phase Host-Guest Complexes of Crown Ethers

The structure, molecular recognition, and inclusion effect on the photophysics of guest species are investigated for neutral and ionic cold host-guest complexes of crown ethers (CEs) in the gas phase. Here, the cold neutral host-guest complexes are produced by a supersonic expansion technique and the cold ionic complexes are generated by the combination of electrospray ionization (ESI) and a cryogenically cooled ion trap. The host species are 3n-crown-n (3nCn; n=4, 5, 6, 8) and (di)benzo-3n-crown-n ((D)B3nCn; n=4, 5, 6, 8). For neutral guests, we have chosen water and aromatic molecules, such as phenol and benzenediols, and as ionic species we have chosen alkali-metal ions (M+). The electronic spectra and isomer-specific vibrational spectra for the complexes are observed with various laser spectroscopic methods: laser-induced fluorescence (LIF); ultraviolet-ultraviolet hole-burning (UV-UV HB); and IR-UV double resonance (IR-UV DR) spectroscopy. The obtained spectra are analyzed with the aid of quantum chemical calculations. We will discuss how the host and guest species change their flexible structures for forming best-fit stable complexes (induced fitting) and what kinds of interactions are operating for the stabilization of the complexes. For the alkali metal ion center dot CE complexes, we investigate the solvation effect by attaching water molecules. In addition to the ground-state stabilization problem, we will show that the complexation leads to a drastic effect on the excited-state electronic structure and dynamics of the guest species, which we call a cage-like effect.