Unraveling the effect of molecular medium on the fluorosolvatochromism of the biphenyl- salicylate derivative drug Diflunisal: Experimental and computational study

Abstract

Understanding the photochemical behavior of a photosensitive drug through its molecular properties is crucial for assessing potential phototoxicity. In this study, we examine how the molecular microenvironment influences the physicochemical and photochemical properties of Diflunisal (DIF), an organofluorine salicylate derivative drug. To elucidate the photophysical properties of DIF, we employed absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy techniques combined with various DFT-based computational methods. The solvatochromic and fluorescence behaviors of DIF were investigated employing various neat solvents of various polarity and hydrogen bonding (HB) capabilities. The molecular behavior of DIF exhibited mixed fluorosolvatochromism, where a negative fluorosolvatochromism is noted as solvent polarity increases, where DIF exhibited positive fluorosolvatochromism within the examined set of protic polar solvents. These fluorosolvatochromic behaviors suggest that a combination of factors, including solvent polarity, hydrogen bonding capacity, and specific solvation effects, influences the fluorosolvatochromic properties of DIF. To elucidate the impact of specific and non-specific interactions between DIF and solvent on the fluorosolvatochromism of DIF, we utilized Catalán’s four empirical scales model. The results revealed that the solvent’s acidity, basicity, and polarizability had approximately equivalent and notable impacts on the fluorosolvatochromic behavior of DIF. For a molecular-level explanation of the experimental spectral properties, we employed DFT and TD-DFT/B3LYP/6–31 + G(d) computational methods, incorporating the IEFPCM implicit solvation approach. It is also revealed that the negative fluorosolvatochromism of DIF is attributed to the solvent’s impact on the main electronic transition, namely HOMO → LUMO. It is revealed as well that not only the salicylate moiety is affected by the solvent, but also the biphenyl moiety can exhibit a major contribution to the observed behavior. The results presented here offer insights into the photochemical behavior of DIF within various microenvironments at the molecular level. This understanding could inform future endeavors aimed at mitigating induced toxicity and side effects of DIF.