Description of Conical Intersections with Density Functional Methods.

Quantum Chemical Study of Coupled Molecular Photoswitches

Current status and recent developments in linear response TD-DFT.- Density matrix functional theory (DMFT) and linear response time-dependent DMFT (TD-DMFT) for excited states.- Ensemble DFT for strongly correlated molecules and excited states.- Dynamical processes in open quantum systems from a TD-DFT perspective.- Computational Molecular Spectroscopy with TD-DFT.- Non-linear response and multi-dimensional spectroscopy using time-dependent DFT.- Absorption spectroscopy, emissive properties and ultra-fast intersystem crossing processes in transition metal complexes: TD-DFT and Spin-Orbit Coupling.- Excitons and extended systems in TD-DFT.- Conical intersections with DFT methods.- Multi-scale modeling of photochemistry with TD-DFT.- Semi-classical surface-hopping dynamics using potential energy surfaces from time-dependent DFT calculations.

Borondipyrromethene (BODIPY) dye possesses a bright and long wavelength emitting fluorescent character with a wide spectral range from visible to near infrared region. In the present work, the spectral properties of BODIPY dyes were analyzed using ab intio and density functional theory methods. The ground and excited state geometries of BODIPY and its substituted analogues in chloroform medium, were optimized using the density functional theory (DFT) and singly excited configuration interaction (CIS) methods. Based on the ground and excited state geometries, the absorption and emission spectra have been calculated using time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) method. The TDDFT calculations have been performed using hybrid exchange correlation functionals B3LYP and M06-HF and long-range separated functionals LC-BLYP, LC-BOP, LC-PBE, LC-PBE0 and CAM-B3LYP. The solvent phase calculations were carried out using polarizable continuum model (PCM). The TDDFT investigation reveals that the substitution of acceptor, donor–donor, donor–acceptor–donor and phenyl group in BODIPY dye influence the absorption and emission spectra significantly.

Examining photochemical processes in solution requires understanding the solvent effects on the potential energy profiles near conical intersections (CIs). For that purpose, the CI point in solution is determined as the crossing between nonequilibrium free energy surfaces. In this work, the nonequilibrium free energy is described using the combined method of linear-response free energy and collinear spin-flip time-dependent density functional theory. The proposed approach reveals the solvent effects on the CI geometries of stilbene in an acetonitrile solution and those of thymine in water. Polar acetonitrile decreases the energy difference between the twisted minimum and twisted-pyramidalized CI of stilbene. For thymine in water, the hydrogen bond formation stabilizes significantly the CI puckered at the carbonyl carbon atom. The result is consistent with the recent simulation showing that the reaction path via this geometry is open in water. Therefore, the present method is a promising way of identifying the free-energy crossing points that play an essential role in photochemistry of solvated molecules.

Photophysical properties of arylcarbonitrile derivatives: Synthesis, absorption and emission spectra, and quantum chemical studies

Theoretical investigation on ESIPT mechanism of a new fluorescent sensor in different solvents

Owing to the importance of excited state dynamical relaxation, the excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) mechanism for a novel compound containing dual hydrogen bond (abbreviated as “1-enol”) is studied in this work. Using density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) method, the experimental electronic spectra can be reproduced for 1-enol compound. We first verify the formation of dual intramolecular hydrogen bonds, and then confirm that the dual hydrogen bond should be strengthened in the first excited state. The photo-excitation process is analyzed by using frontier molecular orbital (HOMO and LUMO) for 1-enol compound. The obvious intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) provides the driving force to effectively facilitate the ESIPT process in the S1 state. Exploration of the constructed S0-state and S1-state potential energy surface (PES) reveals that only the excited state intramolecular single proton transfer occurs for 1-enol system, which makes up for the deficiencies in previous experiment.

Tentative assignment of the low-lying vibrational features of the first electronic excited singlet-state S1 of diphenyl ether (Ph2O), obtained from resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionisation (REMPI) spectroscopy, is performed using CIS and time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) methods. The potential energy surfaces, regarding the rotation of the phenyl rings relatively to the C–O–C plane, are obtained at the B3LYP/6-31G(d) level of theory, for the ground-state of neutral and cationic Ph2O and for its first excited singlet state. The torsional barriers of the ground state of diphenyl ether were studied by means of quantum-chemical perturbations of increasing accuracy and an extrapolation to the complete basis set limit and full configuration interaction (FCI) was performed through the use of correlation consistent basis sets and the continued fraction method. The first adiabatic ionisation energy (AIE) of the twist conformer is computed at 8.60 eV in the FCI limit, much higher than the experimental results of Terlouw et al. (8.09±0.03 eV) and Paiva et al. (7.8±0.1 eV). The B3LYP result of 7.82 eV is, however, in reasonable agreement with the result of Paiva et al.The first singlet excitation energy for the twist conformation is found to be 5.5 eV at the CIS/6-311++G(d,p) level of theory. Some features of the experimental REMPI spectrum, previously obtained by one of the authors, are explained and a new insight on the ionisation energy of diphenyl ether is presented.

The optical properties of molecules in complex environments were investigated within hybrid time‐dependent density functional theory / molecular mechanics (TDDFT/MM) simulation studies. The potential energy surface in the excited state is described within time‐dependent density functional theory (TDDFT). The solvent is described through a molecular mechanics approach and the effects due to the inhomogeneities of the electric field of the solvent molecules are fully included. The results for different systems including both n → π* and π → π* transitions are discussed. We apply this TDDFT/MM technique to the study of the properties of the ground state and of the first excited singlet state of two different systems: acetone in water and aminocoumarins in water and acetonitrile. Our approach yields quantitative information on the solvent‐induced shifts, both batho‐ and hypsochromic, of the electronic absorption spectra, and on the effect of a protic and an aprotic solvent on the spectral shift. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2005

The recent discovery of borospherene B40 marks the onset of a new class of all-boron fullerenes. External electric field can influence the structure and property of molecule. It is necessary to understand the electrostatic field effect in the borospherene B40. In this work, density functional theory method at the PBE0 level with the 6-31G* basis set is used to investigate the ground state structures, mulliken atomic charges, the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy levels, the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy levels, energy gaps, electric dipole moments, infrared spectra and Raman spectra of borospherene B40 under the external electric field within the range of values F=0-0.06 a.u.. The electronic spectra (the first 18 excited states contain excited energies, excited wavelengths and oscillator strengths) of borospherene B40 are calculated by the time-dependent density functional theory method (TD-PBE0) with the 6-31G* basis set under the same external electric field. The results show that borospherene B40 can be elongated in the direction of electric field and B40 molecule is polarized under the external electric field. Meanwhile, the addition of external electric field results in lower symmetry (C2v), however, electronic state of borospherene B40 is not changed under the external electric field. Moreover, the calculated results show that the electric dipole moment is proved to be increasing with the increase of the external field intensity, but the total energy and energy gap are proved to decrease with the increase of external field intensity. The addition of external electric field can modify the infrared and Raman spectra, such as the shift of vibrational frequency and the strengthening of infrared and Raman peaks. Furthermore, the calculated results indicate that the external electric field has a significant effect on the electronic spectrum of borospherene B40. The increase of the electric field intensity can lead to the redshift of electronic spectrum. With the change of the electric field intensity, the strongest excited state (with the biggest oscillator strength) can become very weak (with the small oscillator strength) or optically inactive (with the oscillator strength of zero). Meanwhile, the weak excited state can become the strongest excited state by the external field. The ground state properties and spectral properties of borospherene B40 can be modified by the external electric field. Our findings can provide theoretical guidance for the application of borospherene B40 in the future.

Conjugation, as an essential chemical term used to describe electron delocalization, can be roughly grouped into two categories, through-bond conjugation (TBC) and through-space conjugation (TSC). A hybrid conjugation system integrating both TBC and TSC is rarely studied and utilized, for lack of a well-established model and difficulty of structure modification and property tuning, despite its theoretical significance and potential applications. Herein, various foldamers with a tetraphenylethene (TPE) core are employed as hybrid conjugation models to investigate structure-property correlation by introducing heterocycles of furan/thiophene into the π-stacking TSC component. For comparison, two kinds of TPE-cored foldamers with different stacking models, a benzene-heterocycle stacking model and a benzene-benzene stacking model, are designed. Combining experimental measurements and theoretical calculations, the impact of benzene-heterocycle interaction on the hybrid conjugation natures and photophysical properties has been studied systematically. The results reveal that the benzene-heterocycle stacking model can fabricate a hybrid conjugation nature with an improved TSC component to make a more dominant contribution to the electronic transition natures than the benzene-benzene stackingmodel, leading to the distinguishing photophysical behavior. This work provides valuable guidance for the design of new functional materials with hybrid conjugation systems. © 2022 The authors. All right reserved.

The structures and related properties of the complex [Ru(phen)2(6-OH-dppz)]2+ (phen = 1,10-phenanthroline; dppz = dipyrido [3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine) in the ground state (S0), the first singlet excited state (S1), and the first triplet excited state (T1) have been studied using density functional theory (DFT), time-dependent (TD) DFT, Hartree-Fock (HF), and configuration interaction singles (CIS) methods. Three electronic absorption-spectral bands (1MLCT, 1LL, and 1LL) lying in the range of 250-550 nm in vacuo and in aqueous solution were theoretically calculated, simulated, and assigned with TDDFT method. In particular, the theoretical results show the following: (1) The positive charges of central Ru atom in the excited states (S1 and T1) are greatly increased relative to those in the ground state (S0), and thus the Ru atom in the excited states can be regarded as Ru(III). (2) The positive charges on the main ligand (6-OH-dppz) in the excited states are considerably reduced, and thus the interaction between the main ligand (intercalative ligand) and DNA base pairs is considerably weakened. (3) The geometric structures in excited states are also distorted, resulting in obvious increase in the coordination bond length. It is advantageous to the complex forming a high oxidizing center (i.e., Ru(III) ion). On the basis of these results, a theoretical explanation on photoinduced oxidation reduction mechanism of DNA photocleavage by [Ru(phen)2(6-OH-dppz)](2+) has been presented.

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) represent a promising approach to the direct conversion of sunlight to electrical energy at low cost and high efficiency. DSCs are based on a film of anatase TiO₂ nanoparticles covered by adsorbed molecular dyes and immersed in a liquid redox electrolyte. Upon photoexcitation of the chemisorbed dye, electrons are injected into the TiO₂ conduction band and can travel across the nanostructured film to reach the counter-electrode, while the oxidized dye is regenerated by the redox electrolyte. In this review we present a summary of recent computational studies of the electronic and optical properties of dye-sensitized TiO2 interfaces, with the aim of providing the basic understanding of the operation principles of DSCs and establishing the conceptual basis for their design and optimization.We start with a discussion of isolated dyes in solution, focusing on the dye's atomic structure, ground and excited state oxidation potentials, and optical absorption spectra. We examine both Ru(II)-polypyridyl complexes and organic "push-pull" dyes with a D-π-A structure, where the donor group (D) is an electron-rich unit, linked through a conjugated linker (π) to the electron-acceptor group (A). We show that a properly calibrated computational approach based on Density Functional Theory (DFT) combined with Time Dependent DFT (TD-DFT) can provide a good description of both the absorption spectra and ground and excited state oxidation potential values of the Ru(II) complexes. On the other hand, organic push-pull dyes are not well described by the standard DFT/TD-DFT approach. For these dyes, an excellent description of the electronic structure in gas phase can be obtained by the many body perturbation theory GW method, which has, however, a much higher computational cost.We next consider interacting dye/semiconductor systems. Key properties are the dye adsorption structure onto the semiconductor, the nature and localization of the dye@semiconductor excited states, and the alignment of ground and excited state energy levels at the dye/semiconductor heterointerface. These properties, along with an estimate of the electronic coupling, constitute the fundamental parameters that determine the electron injection and dye regeneration processes. For metallorganic dyes, standard DFT/TDDFT methods are again found to reproduce accurately most of the relevant electronic and optical properties. For highly conjugated organic dyes, characterized by a high degree of charge transfer excited states, instead, the problems associated to the charge-transfer nature of their excited states extend to their interaction with TiO₂ and translate into an erroneous description of the relative energetics of dye/semiconductor excited states. A full description of push-pull organic dyes/semiconductor excited states, which is essential for modeling the key process of electron injection in DSCs, still represents a challenge which should be addressed by next generation DFT or post-DFT methods.

The current special issue of the International Journal of Quantum Chemistry presents the Proceedings of the Eighth European Workshop on Quantum Systems in Chemistry and Physics (QSCP VIII), covering a wide range of the conceptual development of modern molecular structure and its implications. The workshop was held from August 30 to September 4, 2003, on the Island of Spetses, Greece, at the Lefka Palace Hotel. Spetses Island, a superb summer resort, is located 52 nautical miles southwest of Athens, in the Saronic Gulf. The magical harmony created by the concordance of the light blue of the sea water, the blue skies, and orchestrated by the brightness of Apollo's light proved ideal for a pure concept-enhancing, strongly interacting group of scientists. The QSCP VIII was attended by 66 participants who delivered 30 25-minute talks, while three plenary lectures were given by Nobel Laureate W. Kohn (on “van der Waals Energies and Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory”), R.J. Bartlett (on “New Developments in Coupled-Cluster Theory: What Have We learned?”), and T.H. Dunning, Jr. (on “Calculations of Molecular Binding Energies: From van der Waals Interactions to Chemical Bonds”). Thirty posters were also exhibited during the conference. The topics included very accurate calculations of small molecules and potential energy surfaces (“The right result for the right reason”), electronic properties of materials and their applications, new developments and applications of Density Functional Theory, coupled-cluster theory, conical intersections, geometric optimization of large floppy systems, relativistic quantum chemistry, spectroscopy, and photochemistry. This by now well-established annual series of workshops included those held in Bratislava (VII), Sophia (VI), Uppsala (V), Marly-le-Roi (IV), Granada (III), Oxford (II), and Pisa (I). QSCP IX was organized in Les Houches (September 2004), while the next one (X) is going to take place in Carthage, Tunisia. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the International Scientific Committee and the Local Committee for their organization and their excellent spirit of cooperation. In particular, I thank two members of the Local Committee, Drs. A. Tsekouras and A. Papakondylis, members of the faculty at the Chemistry Department of Athens University, whose help from the inception of this workshop until its full completion was most welcome. One can only realize the infinite and unexpected number of problems surfacing continuously in a gathering of about 100 people from all over the world only if one has been exposed to such an experience. I also thank the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (USA) for its financial support and the help of Dr. S.S. Xantheas for organizing many aspects of the conference, as well as all the participants who really were the driving force of this endeavor. My last thanks go to Professor Erkki Brändas, who undertook the effort to act as editor of the QSCP VIII Proceedings.

In this work, we theoretically investigate the properties of excited state process for a novel salicylidene sal-3,4-benzophen (Sal-3,4-B) system, which contains two intramolecular hydrogen bonds (O1-H2[Formula: see text]N3 and O4-H5[Formula: see text]N6). Based on the density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TDDFT) methods, we find these two hydrogen bonds should be strengthened in the S1 state, while the O4-H5[Formula: see text]N6 one could be largely affected upon the excitation process. Analyses about infrared (IR) vibrational spectra about hydrogen bond moieties also confirm this viewpoint. Frontier molecular orbitals (MOs) depict the nature of electronic excited state and support the excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) reaction.Two kinds of stepwise potential energy curves of Sal-3,4-B in the S1 state demonstrate that only one proton could be transferred. Also based on constructing potential energy curves, the synergetic situation could be eliminated. Due to the specific ESIPT mechanism for Sal-3,4-B, we successfully explain the previous experiment and provide a reasonable attribution to the second emission peak of experiment.