Inverted Solvatochromic Stokes Shift in GFP-like Chromophores with Extended Conjugation^†

Chromophore structures inspired by natural green fluorescent protein (GFP) play an important role in the field of bio-imaging. In this work, photochemical properties of a new class of GFP-like chromophores are investigated using computational approaches. Thermodynamically stable isomers are identified in vacuum and in solvent. Spectral Stokes shifts are computed and compared to experiments. An inverted solvatochromic shift between absorption and emission emerging in this new class of GFP-like chromophores is observed, and attributed to the stabilized charge transfer and inhibited rotational structural reorganization in solvent.