Valence structures of aromatic bioactive compounds: a combined theoretical and experimental study

Valence electronic structures of three recently isolated aryl bioactive compounds, namely 2‐phenylethanol (2PE), p‐hydroxyphenylethanol (HPE) and 4‐hydroxybenzaldehyde (HBA), are studied using a combined theoretical and experimental method. Density functional theory‐based calculations indicate that the side chains cause electron charge redistribution and therefore influence the aromaticity of the benzene derivatives. The simulated IR spectra further reveal features induced by the side chains. Solvent effects on the IR spectra are simulated using the polarizable continuum model, which exhibits enhancement of the O—H stretch vibrations with significant red‐shift of 464 cm^?1 in 2PE. A significant spectral peak splitting of 94 cm^?1 between O(4)—H and O(8)—H of HPE is revealed in an aqueous environment. Experimental measurements for valence binding energy spectra for 2PE, HPE and HBA are presented and analyzed using outer‐valence Green function calculations. The experimental (predicted) first ionization energies are measured as 9.19 (8.79), 8.47 (8.27) and 8.97 (8.82) eV for 2PE, HPE and HBA, respectively. The frontier orbitals (highest occupied molecular orbitals, HOMOs, and lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals, LUMOs) have similar atomic orbital characters although the HOMO–LUMO energy gaps are quite different.     

Effect of phosphorus on the electronic and optical properties of naphthoxaphospholes: theoretical investigation

Density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT calculations were performed to elucidate the electronic and optical properties of 2-R-naphthol[2,3-d]oxaphospholes (R-NOPs). On the basis of the calculated results, the poor π overlap between the 3p_z orbital of P atom and the 2p_z orbitals of other atoms and increasing polarity of P atom result in a reduced energy gap between the highest occupied molecular orbital and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital. When these two effects are considered simultaneously, the absorption energies obtained for the S₁ state can be below 3.00 eV according to replace the P atom of oxaphosphole ring by As atom (increasing the poor π overlap) and change the functional groups (increasing polarity). The origin of these two effects is the inherent size of the 3p orbital of P atom. The role of P atom in the control of the electronic and optical properties of R-NOPs is clearly elucidated.     

Inner‐shell chemical shift of DNA/RNA bases and inheritance from their parent purine and pyrimidine

Inner‐shell electronic structures, properties and ionization spectra of DNA/RNA bases are studied with respect to their parent pyrimidine and purine species. Density functional theory B3LYP/aug‐cc‐pVTZ has been employed to produce the geometries of the bases, whereas LB94/et‐pVQZ//B3LYP/aug‐cc‐pVTZ is used to calculate site‐related Hirshfeld charges and core (vertical) ionization energies, as well as inner‐shell spectra of C1s, N1s and O1s for DNA/RNA bases and their parent pyrimidine and purine species. The site‐dependent variations of properties indicate the changes and inheritance of chemical environment when pyrimidine and purine become substituted. In general, although the changes are site‐dependent, they are also ring‐dependent. Pyrimidine bases change less significantly with respect to their parent pyrimidine than the purine bases with respect to their parent purine. Pyrimidine bases such as uracil, thymine and cytosine inherit certain properties from their parent pyrimidine, such as the Hirshfeld charge distributions and the order of core ionization energy level etc. No particular sites in the pyrimidine derivatives are engaged with a dramatic chemical shift nor with energy crossings to other sites. For the core shell spectra, the purine bases inherit very little from their parent purine, and guanine exhibits the least similarities to the parent among all the DNA/RNA bases.     

Electronic structure and molecular orbital study of hole-transport material triphenylamine derivatives

Recently, triphenylamine (TPA), 4,4′-bis(phenyl-m-tolylamino)biphenyl (TPD), 4,4′-bis(1-naphthylphenylamino)biphenyl (NPB) and their derivatives are widely used in the organic light-emitting diode (OLED) devices as a hole-transporting material (HTM) layer. We have optimized twenty different structures of HTM materials by using density functional theory (DFT), B3LYP/6-31G method. All these different structures contain mono-amine and diamine TPA derivatives. The energies of highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) along with molecular orbitals for these HTMs are also determined. We have found that the central amine nitrogen atom and the phenyl ring, which is next to the central amine nitrogen atom, show significant contribution to the HOMO and LUMO, respectively. The sum of the calculated bond angles (α+β+γ) of the central amine nitrogen atom has been applied to describe the bonding and the energy difference for HOMO and LUMO in these TPA derivatives. Electronic structure calculations have been performed for these TPA derivatives. Again, the LCAO-MO patterns of HOMO and LUMO levels of these derivatives are used to investigate their electron density. A series of electron-transporting steps are predicted for these compounds employing these calculated results.     

A possible salicylideneanilines-based optical molecular switch induced by a reversible hydrogen transfer: an ab initio study

The electronic transport properties of the salicylideneanilines-based molecular optical switch are investigated using a nonequilibrium Green's function formalism combined with first-principles density functional theory. The molecule that comprises the switch can convert between the enol and keto tautomeric forms upon photoinduced excited state hydrogen transfer in the molecular bridge. Theoretical results show that the current through the enol form is significantly larger than that through the keto form, which realize the on and off states of the molecular switch. The physical origin of the switching behaviour is interpreted based on the spatial distributions of molecular orbitals and the HOMO-LUMO gap. Furthermore the effect of the donor/acceptor substituent on the electronic transport through the molecular device is also discussed in detail. The switching performance can be improved to some extent through the acceptor substituent.     

乙醇分子的高分辨电子动量谱学研究:单个构象异构体的轨道电子动量分布

利用高分辨电子动量谱仪测量了乙醇分子外价轨道的电离能谱,通过对一系列角度关联的电离能谱进行解谱,获得了各个电离能峰对应的分子轨道电子动量分布.利用密度泛函理论方法计算了乙醇分子两种构象异构体的轨道电子动量分布,通过与实验结果进行比较,发现实验测量的电离能为14.5和15.2 eV能峰对应的电子动量分布分别与理论计算的单个构象异构体trans 8a''和gauche 9a轨道电子动量分布符合较好.     

对Cu(111)表面吸附的单个苉分子的分子轨道进行成像:一个实验与理论相结合的研究

结合扫描隧道显微学测量和密度泛函理论计算研究了直接吸附在Cu（111）表面的单个苉分子的电子结构性质.在低覆盖度下,苉分子表现出了单分散的吸附行为,利用dI/dV谱和图像可以辨别出吸附的单个苉分子在-1.2 V附近的最高占据态和1.6 V附近的最低未占据态.此外,还可以观测到苉分子未占据态的dI/dV信号对采谱位置具有很强的依赖性.第一性原理计算很好地模拟了这些实验结果,并且将它们归因于分子-衬底相互作用引起的苉分子不同分子轨道之间的混合态的能量和空间分布.该工作提供了吸附在金属衬底表面的苉分子的局域电子结构信息,将促进对单分子器件中电子输运性质对分子-金属电极耦合的依赖性的理解.     

Electron–phonon coupling and vibrational modes contributing to linear electro‐optic effect of the efficient NLO chromophore 4‐(N,N‐dimethylamino)‐N‐methyl‐4′‐toluene sulfonate (DAST) from their vibrational spectra

The optimized geometry and structural features of the most prospective electro‐optic crystal 4‐(N,N‐dimethylamino)‐N‐methyl‐4′‐toluene sulfonate (DAST), and the vibrational spectral investigations have been comprehensively described with the near infrared Fourier transform (NIR FT) Raman and Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) spectra supported by the density functional theoretical (DFT) computations to elucidate the contribution of vibrational modes to the linear electro‐optic (LEO) effect. Mulliken population analysis and natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis have also been carried out to analyze the effects of intramolecular charge transfer (ICT), intramolecular hydrogen bonding and hyperconjugative interactions on the geometries. The influence of CT interaction between the phenyl ring and the dimethylamino group of the nonlinear optical (NLO) chromophore on the endocyclic and exocyclic angles, and the electronic effects such as hyperconjugation and back‐donation on the methyl hydrogen atoms have been examined. The concurrent intense activation of Raman and IR activities of the effective conjugation vibrational coordinate, which significantly contributes to the LEO effect resulting from the strong electron–phonon (e/ph) coupling, has been analyzed in detail. The effects of frontier orbitals, highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO), transition of electron density (ED) transfer and the influence of planarity in the stilbazolium ring on the first hyperpolarizability are also discussed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Determination of electron affinity of electron accepting molecules

The unoccupied π ^* states of the solid film of electron accepting organic molecules, 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ), fluorinated TCNQ derivatives, 11,11,12,12-tetracyanonaphtho-2,6-quinodimethane (TNAP), C₆₀, and 6,6-phenyl-C₆₁-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) have been studied by inverse photoemission spectroscopy. The assignment of the π ^* affinity levels of these typical electron accepting molecules provides the basic information for the organic electronics and the new electronic functional molecular design. The comparison with density functional theory calculations enables understanding how the electron affinity evolves in terms of molecular orbitals. The correlation between the film morphology and the irradiation damage on the TCNQ derivative samples by electron impact during the inverse photoemission measurements is also discussed.     

Absorption and fluorescent properties of pyrylium compounds: I. The nature of electronic transitions and structural rearrangement in the excited state

The localization of molecular orbitals in 2,4,6-substituted derivatives of pyrylium is studied. The conformation of three asymmetrical molecules with oxyethyl substituents in positions 2 and 4 and different substituents in position 6 of the pyrylium ring is calculated by the AM1 method. The localization of the four upper occupied and two lower unoccupied MOs is determined, the fragment localization numbers are found, and the energies of five optical transitions, localization numbers, and the numbers of charge transfer between fragments are calculated. The conformation analysis of molecules in the S ₀ and S ₁ states is performed. Solid and liquid pyrylium solutions of different viscosity and polarity are experimentally investigated. The absorption spectra are recorded and absorption cross sections are measured, as well as fluorescence spectra and fluorescence anisotropy spectra. The following conclusions are made. In nonplanar molecules of pyrylium salts, four absorption transitions are localized at different parts of the molecule containing the pyrylium ring and one of the substituents. Upon excitation of molecules with complex substituents in position 6, the molecular fragment in position 2 turns around. This results in a flattening of the molecular fragment containing the pyrylium ring and substituents 2 and 6 on which the fluorescence transition is localized. The rearrangement involves the lowamplitude motion; it occurs almost without a loss of the excitation energy and only slightly affects the localization of molecular orbitals. As a result, two excited conformers are formed that possess close absorption and fluorescence properties. The radiative transitions in these conformers completely determine fluorescence of liquid solutions of any viscosity, including glycerol solutions. Strong solvatochromism is related to the nonplanar structure of stable pyrylium molecules, whereas the weak solvatochromism of liquid solutions is caused by localization of radiative transitions on a planar fragment of unstable fluorescing conformers.     

Fluorescence quenching in bichromophoric systems with nonconjugated chromophores: 5-substituted derivatives of l,3,5-triaryl-2-pyrazoline

The spectral and fluorescent properties of l,3,5-triphenyl-2-pyrazoline derivatives with acceptor substituents in benzene ring in the 5 position of the pyrazoline cycle were investigated. The corresponding pyrazoline derivative, in which phenyl radical in the 5 position is replaced by a fragment with an extended conjugated system-2.5-diphenyloxazolyl-was studied as well. The noticeable decrease in fluorescence quantum yield in comparison with the nonsubstituted molecule is characteristic of the compounds studied, which belong to the broader class of bichromophoric molecules with nonconjugated chromophores. The existence of excited states of “ mixed ” or “cross” (charge transfer) type, formed with participation of occupied molecular orbitals of one chromophoric fragment and vacant molecular orbitals of another, is typical of such a bichromophoric system. On the basis of our experimental and theoretical data, the assumption was made that the fluorescence quenching in the investigated bichromophoric molecules could be connected with the thermal population of the excited states of “mixed” type.     

Theoretical study on optoelectronic properties of fluorene derivatives with pyrene-functional groups: effect of the heteroatoms and pyrene’ substituting position

The geometries and photoelectric properties of pyrene-functional fluorene derivatives are investigated by detailed quantum-chemical methods, including density functional theory (DFT), time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) and polarizable continuum model (PCM). The effects of the following factors on the properties were systemically analyzed: (1) the substituting position of the pyrene groups on the central fluorene; (2) the substitution of the central C by the heteroatoms; (3) the introduction of phenyl at the central C position. The rigid pyrene groups play a dominant role in determining their frontier molecular orbitals and reducing the reorganization energies. In these studied molecules, due to its large ⊿E_ST (the splitting between the lowest singlet and triplet excitation energies) and excellent and balanceable charge transport properties, DPF-2 should be a promising emission layer material. The host–guest systems composed of these emitters and rubrene are suitable for emission layer materials of white organic light-emitting devices.     

SF6电子动量谱学研究中干涉效应的观测

利用非共面对称的高效率(e,2e)电子动量谱仪测量了SF₆分子外价分子轨道的二维电子能量- 动量密度谱. 通过理论计算与实验结果的比较,发现B3LYP密度泛函理论计算结果可以较好地解释实验测量的轨道电子动量分布. 此外,对于最外层的4个来自F2p孤对电子贡献的非键分子轨道,实验上观测到非常明显的多中心干涉图样.     

溴氯甲烷分子最高占有轨道的电子动量谱学研究

本文首次报道了溴氯甲烷(CH2BrCl)分子在电子入射能为1200 eV 束缚能时价壳层的电离能谱和最高占有轨道的电子动量分布.实验结果与Hartree-Fock(HF)方法和密度泛函理论(DFT)计算进行了比较,表明大基组的密度泛函理论与实验符合较好.     

Electronic excitation spectra of doublet anion radicals of cyanobenzene and nitrobenzene derivatives: SAC-CI theoretical studies†

Electronic ground and excited states of anion radicals of cyanobenzene derivatives: 1,3,5-tricyanobenzene, 1,2,4,5-tetracyanobenzene, and tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) and nitrobenzene derivatives: nitrobenzene, p-nitroaniline, m-nitroaniline, and o-nitroaniline were theoretically investigated by the symmetry adapted cluster-configuration interaction (SAC-CI) method, which is able to produce accurate theoretical electronic excitation spectra even for radical doublet states. For all the target molecules, the present calculations reproduced the positive electron affinities, which were mostly in good agreement with the experimental values, and their features, especially for TCNQ, were characterised by singly occupied molecular orbitals as well as the number of the electron-withdrawing terminal groups. The excitation energies and their oscillator strengths by the SAC-CI method were also in good agreement with the corresponding experimental UV/VIS/NIR spectra observed by one of the authors and other experimental evidences. Except for TCNQ, the present theoretical calculations were successful to first predict the existences of the forbidden (or very low intense) pure valence excited states in near-infrared region. The physical natures of the observed intense spectral bands were clarified and some new assignments to their electronic states were provided. By extending the present work, photo-related molecular designs of new functional electron acceptors may be challenged.     

Vibrational Spectroscopic and Theoretical Studies of Urea Derivatives with Biochemical Interest: N,N′-Dimethylurea,N,N,N′,N′-Tetramethylurea,and N,N′-Dimethylpropyleneurea

Abstract

Mid-infrared, far-infrared, and Raman vibrational spectroscopic studies were combined with density functional theory (DFT) calculations and normal coordinate force field analyses for N,N′-dimethylurea (DMU), N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylurea (TMU), and N,N′-dimethylpropyleneurea (DMPU: IUPAC name 1,3-dimethyltetrahydropyrimidin-2(1H)-one). The equilibrium molecular geometry of DMU (all three conformers), TMU, and DMPU and the frequencies, intensities, and depolarization ratios of their fundamental infrared (IR) and Raman vibrational transitions were obtained by DFT calculations. The vibrational spectra were fully analyzed by normal coordinate methods as well. A starting force field for DMPU was obtained by adapting corresponding force constants for DMU and TMU, resulting after refinements in the stretching force constants C=O (7.69, 7.30, 7.68 N·cm^?1), C–N (5.16, 5.55, 5.05 N·cm^?1), and C-Me (5.93, 4.00, 4.22 N·cm^?1) for DMU, TMU, and DMPU, respectively. The dominating conformer of liquid DMU was identified as trans-trans, strong intermolecular hydrogen bonding was verified in solid DMU, and weak dipole–dipole association was found in liquid TMU and in DMPU. Special attention was paid to analyzing the methyl group frequencies, which revealed deviations from local C_3v symmetry. A linear correlation was found between the CH stretching force constants and the inverse of the CH bond lengths (1/r ²). The averaged NH stretching frequencies of gaseous, dissolved, and solid urea and of DMU, with variations for hydrogen bonding of different strength, are linearly correlated to the NH stretching force constants. Characteristic skeletal vibrations were assigned for a broad variety of urea derivatives and also for pyrimidine derivatives, which all contain the N₂C=O entity. The very strong IR bands of C=O stretching (1,676 ± 40 cm^?1) and asymmetric CN₂ stretching (1,478 ± 60 cm^?1), and the very intense Raman feature of symmetric CN₂ stretching or ring breathing (757 ± 80 cm^?1), can be recognized as fingerprint bands also for the pyrimidine derivatives cytosine, thymine, and uracil, which all are nucleobases in DNA and RNA nucleotides.     

Kinetic component of the correlation energy density functional: a quantitative description from information theory

In the framework of information theory, a new method to determine T _c , the kinetic energy component of the correlation energy density functional for atoms, is presented. This approach is based on Shannon entropy and information energy that are obtained by fractional occupation probabilities of natural atomic orbitals. It is indicated that the calculated Shannon entropy using discrete probabilities is an increasing function while information energy is a decreasing function of the number of electrons. An expression is proposed with explicit dependence on the Shannon entropy or information energy and atomic number for the purpose. Applications of formulas for estimation of T _c values for neutral atoms up to Xe and their first positive and negative ions are then examined and validity of the proposed approach is numerically verified.     

Kinetic energy functionals for molecular calculations

The orbitals and eigenvalues of a Kohn-Sham density functional theory calculation can be used to determine the kinetic potential, the functional derivative of the non-interacting kinetic energy. Thus, approproximate kinetic energy functionals can be systematically parameterized to improve their functional derivatives. Fitting procedures have been applied to various functional forms and the quality of the resulting functionals investigated using variationally optimized densities. The best functionals include the full correction of Weizsäcker and a modulation of the Thomas-Fermi p^5/3 term by a function of the distance from the nucleus. These atom-specific functionals predict virtually exact shell structure, and may be combined readily into a functional which supports molecular binding.     

苯系物Cu_3金属配合物的结构与性质的理论研究

采用密度泛函理论的B3LYP方法,在6-311+G(d,p)基组水平上计算研究了Cu_3团簇与甲苯、二甲苯、三甲苯分子作用的各种异构体结构和频率,比较各异构体间的能量关系,得到最稳定的几何构型.通过分析Cu_3和苯系列化合物作用的结合能和前线轨道等性质,从而了解该类配合物的作用机理.