Photooxygenation of 3-hydroxyflavone and molecular design of the radiation-hard scintillator based on the excited-state proton transfer

The excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) reaction of 3-hydroxyflavone (3HF) has been employed in radiation hard-scintilator counters although its photochemical instability limits its practical application. This study presents the mechanism of photooxygenation of 3HF which provides further understanding of the photochemistry of this molecule and may help in the design of flavonol derivatives which may have much better photostability. In addition, a new ESIPT molecule, 10-hydroxybenzo[h]quinoline, is presented as a system exhibiting proton transfer emission approaching the red region of the visible spectrum. (Author)