Comment on the <Emphasis Type="Italic">ab initio</Emphasis> vibrational analysis of the rotational isomers of Acrolein

Due to the publication of a number of contradictory assignments of the vibrational wave numbers of rotational isomers of Acrolein in the ground electronic state, the analysis of their vibrational spectra is repeated based on the previously calculated scaled ab initio force fields. With the use of the reported results that predicted the force fields of trans-acrolein in the ¹(n,π*) and ³(n, π*) states at the CASSCF/cc-pVTZ level, the experimental vibrational bands are analyzed in these excited electronic states based on well-established regularities. It is noted that in the assignment of the calculated vibrational wave numbers of the molecule, the isotopic shifts in the ground and excited electronic states ¹(n, π*) and ³(n, π*) are taken into account. The previously considered calculated potential curves of the internal rotation of acrolein in combination with the data on the difference in the enthalpies (ΔH ₀) of conformers allow a choice to be made in favor of one of the variants of the torsional vibration wave numbers that have been reported in the literature.     

Theoretical study of the valence π → π* excited states of polyacenes: anthracene and naphthacene

The valence π → π ^* excited states of anthracene and naphthacene are studied with multireference perturbation theory with complete active space self-consistent field reference functions. The predicted spectra provide a consistent assignment of all one- and two-photon spectra and T-T spectra of low-lying valence π → π ^* excited states of anthracene and naphthacene. The present theory predicts the valence π → π ^* excitation energies with an accuracy of 0.15 eV for anthracene and of 0.25 eV or better for naphthacene. The excited states of anthracene and naphthacene are compared with those of benzene and naphthalene studied previously. The present calculations predict that, going from anthracene to naphthacene, there is a symmetry reversal of the two lowest singlet state transitions, but not for the triplet, just as indicated by the experimental data. Some general trends of polyacene excited states are discussed based on the calculated results for benzene to naphthacene. Conclusive results obtained for anthracene and naphthacene can be used as a model for understanding the excited states of larger polyacenes. Received: 22 April 1998 / Accepted: 6 July 1998 / Published online: 28 September 1998     

The absorption and emission spectra of 1,4-di(2-phenylvinyl)benzene. A theoretical analysis

The ground and excited states of 1,4-di (2-phenylvinyl)benzene (PPV3) were studied theoretically and compared with experimental results. The equilibrium geometries of the ground states were found to be nonplanar despite the π conjugation in PPV3; however, the equilibrium geometry of the first excited state of PPV3 is planar, due to the increased π character between the benzene and ethylene units. The electronic structures of the excited state were investigated using the INDO/S-CIS method. The lack of a mirror-image relationship between the absorption and fluorescence spectra of PPV3, obtained experimentally, was analyzed theoretically. It was demonstrated that structural inhomogeneity might be the reason for the particular spectral band shape. Received: 12 April 1999 / Accepted: 15 June 1999 / Published online: 4 October 1999     

Assignment of electronic transitions by geometry optimization

Adiabatic excitation energies, excited state geometries, excited state charges, bond orders and dipole moments have been obtained for HCN, CO₂,H₂CO, HFCO, F₂CO, ethylene, trans-butadiene, furan, pyrrole and uracil using the SINDO1 semi-empirical method with configuration interaction. Our results generally agree with those ofab initio calculations and experiment satisfactorily. Geometry optimization is found to mix configurations differing in their allowedness in vertical excitation from the ground state, which in turn helps in the assignment of spectral transitions. TheV excited singlet state of trans-butadiene and various excited states of furan, pyrrole and uracil have been found to be appreciably non-planar. The single and double CC bonds are found to exchange positions due to the lowest triplet and singlet transitions of furan and pyrrole. The first triplet and first singlet transitions of uracil have been found to be of π-π* and π-σ* types respectively in agreement with recent experimental findings. On leave of absence from the Department of Physics, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi-221005, India     

A theoretical study of photoinduced electron transfer between tetracyanoethylene and arene

 Ab initio calculations have been performed to investigate the state transition in photoinduced electron transfer reactions between tetracyanoethylene and biphenyl as well as naphthalene. Face-to-face conformations of electron donor–acceptor (EDA) complexes were selected for this purpose. The geometries of the EDA complexes were determined by using the isolated optimized geometries of the donor and the acceptor to search for the maximum stabilization energy along the center-to-center distance. The correction of interaction energies for basis set superposition error was considered by using counterpoise methods. The ground and excited states of the EDA complexes were optimized with complete-active-space self-consistent-field calculations. The theoretical study of the ground state and excited states of the EDA complex in this work reveals that the S₁ and S₂ states of the EDA complexes are charge–transfer (CT) excited states, and CT absorption which corresponds to the S₀→S₁ and S₀→S₂ transitions arise from π−π^* excitation. On the basis of an Onsager model, CT absorption in dichloromethane was investigated by considering the solvent reorganization energy. Detailed discussions on the excited state and on the CT absorptions were made. Received: 30 April 2001 / Accepted: 18 October 2001 / Published online: 9 January 2002     

Quantum chemical and experimental studies on the structure and vibrational spectra of substituted 2-pyranones

A systematic study on the structural characteristics of the 2-pyranone ring containing molecules with bromine, nitrile, and amide substituents at the C-3 position in the ring is conducted in the electronic ground (S ₀) state by DFT calculations using the B3LYP/6-311++G** method. The geometrical structure of the bromine substituted compound, which shows potent hepatoprotective activity, is studied both in the ground (S ₀) and first excited singlet (S ₁) states using RHF/6-311++G** and CIS/6-311++G** methods respectively. The molecules are found to exist in two isomeric forms gauche and trans that have the enthalpy difference of less than 3.32 kcal/mol; the latter is the preferred orientation in the gaseous phase. The S ₁ state is a ¹(π,π*) state that arises π-electron transfer from the region of a double bond in the pyranone ring to the region of the internuclear bond connecting the 2-pyranone and benzene rings. A complete vibrational analysis is conducted for the 3-bromo-6-(4-chlorophenyl)-4-thiomethyl-2H-pyran-2-one molecule based on the experimental infrared spectra in the 50–4000 cm⁻¹ region and DFT/6- 311++G** computations of vibrational frequencies for the gauche and trans isomeric forms. Spectral assignments based on the potential energy distribution along the internal coordinates confirm the nonplanar structure of the molecule.     

Calculation of the vibronic spectra of adenine

The vibrational structure of the absorption spectra of the first two π-π* singlet transitions of adenine is calculated in the Franck-Condon approximation including Herzberg-Teller interactions. The effect of excitation-induced changes in molecular angles on the intensities of the vibrational components is estimated. Structural models of the adenine molecule in the excited states are constructed. The theoretical and absorption spectra of the first π-π* transition are compared. The results of the electronic structure calculations of adenine by different CNDO/S methods are discussed. Translated fromZhumal Struktumoi Khimii, Vol. 38, No. 2, pp. 334–344, March–April, 1997.     

Theoretical studies on Ru(fppz)2(CO)L (L = N -heterocyclic ligand): Electronic structure, absorption, phosphorescence, and solvatochromism

A series of ruthenium(II) complexes Ru(fppz)₂(CO)L [fppz = 3-trifluoromethyl-5(2-pyridyl)pyrazole; L = pyridine (1), 4-dimethylaminopyridine (2), 4-cyanopyridine (3)] were designed and investigated theoretically to explore their electronic structures, absorption, and emissions as well as the solvatochromism. The singlet ground state and triplet excited state geometries were fully optimized at the B3LYP/LANL2DZ and CIS/LANL2DZ level, respectively. The HOMO of 1–3 is composed of d_yz(Ru) atom and π(fppz). The LUMO of 1 and 2 is dominantly contributed by π*(fppz) orbital, but that of 3 is contribute by π*(L). Absorption and phosphorescence in vacuo, C₆H₁₂, and CH₃CN media were calculated using the TD-DFT level of theory with the PCM model based on the optimized ground and excited state geometries, respectively. The lowest-lying absorption of 1 and 2 at 387 and 391 nm is attributed to {[d_yz(Ru) + π(fppz)] → [π*(fppz)]} transition, but that of 3 at 479 nm is assigned to {[d_yz(Ru) + π(fppz)] → [π*(L)]} transition. The phosphorescence of 1 and 2 at 436 and 438 nm originates from ³{[d_yz(Ru) + π(fppz)] [π*(fppz)]} excited state, while that of 3 at 606 nm is from ³{[d_yz(Ru) + π(fppz)] [π*(L)]} excited state. The calculation results showed that the absorption and emission transition character can be changed from MLCT/ILCT to MLCT/LLCT transition by altering the substituent on the L ligand. The phosphorescence of 1 and 2 does not have solvatochromism, but that of 3 at 606 nm (vacuo), 584 nm (C₆H₁₂), and 541 nm (CH₃CN) is strongly dependent on the solvent polarity, so introducing electron-withdrawing group on ligand L will induce remarkable solvatochromism. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 20573042, 20703015, and 20333050)     

A simple procedure for estimating changes in the nuclear configuration of molecules in the excited ππ*-electronic state

A simple procedure is suggested for estimating changes in the bond lengths q and angles a between them in the excited ππ states of molecules avoiding calculations of molecular vibrations. The distances q and the angles a are estimated for the triplet state B_1u (ππ*) of the tetm-β-chlomdioxin molecule. Translated from Zhumal Struktumoi Khimii, Vol. 41, No. 1, pp. 149-156, January–February, 2000.     

An e.s.r. study of copper(II) complexes of N-hydroxyalkylsalicylideneimines

X-band e.s.r. spectra of copper(II) complexes of empirical formula Cu(Sal.NCH2CH2O)X (where X= H2O, py or Cl) and [Cu(Sal.NCH2CH2CH2O)]2 (Sal.N= OC6H4CHN) in solid and solution states at room temperature and at 77K are reported. In frozen solution at 77K the spectra show axial symmetry with a dx2−y2 ground state. The in-plane π-bonds show a moderate degree of covalence, while the out-of-plane π-bonds possess ionic character. The orbital populations of these complexes are 70.9, 81.3, 93.3 and 82.4% respectively, indicating a dx2−y2 ground state. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Vibronic spectra of the allyl radical at 6–8 eV with resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization technique

The allyl radical was produced in molecular beam by pyrolysis of allyl iodide. The vibronic spectra from ground state to six new electronic states of the allyl radical at 6–8 eV, π →3d^xz, π →3d^xy and π →ns (n=4, 6, 7, 8) were observed firstly with the aid of time-of-flight mass spectros copy and resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization technique. Vibrational progression ofv ₇(C₃ bend) with gross spacing of about 430 cm⁻¹ was observed inns Rydberg states. The adiabatic ionization potential of the allyl radical was obtained to be (65641 ± 20) cm⁻¹ ((8.138 ± 0.002) eV) by fitting the term values ofns (n=4,6,7,8) Rydberg states with Rydberg formula.     

Emission band shape probes of the mixed-valence excited state properties of polypyridyl-bridged bis-ruthenium(II) complexes

The absorption spectra and emission spectral band shapes of several polypyridine-ligand (PP) bridged bis-ruthenium(II) complexes imply that the Ru(II)/Ru(III) electronic coupling is weak in their lowest energy metal to ligand charge transfer (MLCT) excited states. Many of these PP-bridging ligands contain pyrazine moieties and the weak electronic coupling of the excited states contrasts to the strong electronic coupling inferred for the correlated mixed-valence ground states. Although the bimetallic complexes emit at significantly lower energy than their monometallic analogs, the vibronic contributions to their 77 K emission spectra are much stronger than expected based on comparison to the monometallic analogs (around twofold in some complexes) and this feature is characteristic of bimetallic complexes in which the mixed-valence excited states are electronically localized. The weaker excited state than ground state donor/acceptor electronic coupling in this class of complexes is attributed to PP-mediated super-exchange coupling in which the mediating orbital of the bridging ligand (PP-LUMO) is partly occupied in the MLCT excited states, but is unoccupied in the ground states; therefore, the vertical Ru(III)-PP⁻ (MLCT) energy is larger and the mixing coefficient smaller in these excited states than is found for Ru(II)-PP in the corresponding ground states.     

Is tetramethyleneethane a ground state triplet?

We have examined a number of possible ways by which tetramethyleneethane (TME) can be a ground state triplet, as claimed by experimental studies, in violation of Ovchinnikov’s theorem for alternant hydrocarbons of equal bond lengths. Model exact π calculations of the low-lying states of TME, 3,4-dimethylenefuran and 3,4-dimethylenepyrrole were carried out using a diagrammatic valence bond approach. The calculations failed to yield a triplet ground state even after (a) tuning of electron correlation, (b) breaking alternancy symmetry, and (c) allowing for geometric distortions. In contrast to earlier studies of fine structure constants in other conjugated systems, the computedD andE values of all the low-lying triplet states of TME for various geometries are at least an order of magnitude different from the experimentally reported values. Incorporation of σ-π mixing by means of UHF MNDO calculations is found to favour a singlet ground state even further. A reinterpretation of the experimental results of TME is therefore suggested to resolve the conflict.     

Ab initio SCF and CI study of the electronic spectrum of pyridine N-oxide

Configuration interaction (CI) studies of ground, n *, * * electronically excited states are reported for pyridine N-oxide. The transition energy to the lowest * excited ¹ B ₂ state is calculated at 4.35 eV, compared to the experimental spectrum range of 3.67–4.0 eV. This state lies below the lowest n * excited ¹ A ₂ state calculated at 4.81 eV above the ground state. The only experimentally reported triplet state at 2.92 eV above the ground state is predicted to be the ³ A ₁ (*) state. The calculated energy lies at 3.27 eV. Numerous other high-lying singlet states as well as the triplet states have also been calculated. The intramolecular charge transfer character of the ground and the excited states have been studied in terms of the calculated dipole moment and other physical properties.     

Theoretical study of the electronic structures and spectroscopic properties of [(4′-XC ≡ Ctrpy)PtCl]<Superscript>+</Superscript> (trpy = 2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine; X = H,Me and Ph)

The electronic structures and spectroscopic properties of [(4′-XC≡Ctrpy)PtCl]⁺(trpy = 2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine; X = H (1), methyl (Me) (2), and phenyl (Ph) (3) were studied by the ab initio method. The structures at the ground and excited state were optimized at the B3LYP and CIS levels, respectively. The absorption and emission spectra in the dichloromethane solution were obtained by using the TD-DFT (B3LYP) method associated with the PCM model. The molecular orbital energy of the HOMOs of 1–3 with the d(Pt), p(Cl), π(trpy), and π(XC≡C) character is sensitive to the substituents on the acetylide ligand, but that of the trpy-based LUMOs with the π*(trpy) character varies slightly. The lowest lying emission at 503 nm for 1 is mainly attributed to the ³ILCT perturbed by the ³MLCT and ³LLCT transitions, but that at 535 nm for 2, and that at 558 nm for 3 are mainly attributed to the ³LLCT perturbed by the ³ILCT and ³MLCT transitions. The different electron-donating ability of H, Me, and Ph is responsible for the differences in emission character. Moreover, the calculation results show that the phosphorescent color can be turned by adjusting the substituents. Both the lowest energy absorption and emission of 1–3 are red-shifted in the order of 1<2<3, consistent with the electron-donating of H<Me<Ph.     

A quantitative prediction of the electronic spectra of thiocarbonyl chromophores: TD-DFT versus SAC-CI

In this contribution, we set up a SAC-CI methodology to evaluate the n → π* and π → π* vertical transition energies of a series of thiocarbonyl derivatives. We show that Frozen-Core SAC-CI provides accurate vertical excitations energies. Nevertheless, in order to obtain converged results, the R2S2 unliked integrals have to be taken into account in L3-SAC-CI calculations. In addition, we present the comparative performances of three computational procedures, INDO/S, TD-DFT, and SAC-CI, for the calculation of valence excited states energies and it turns out that: (1) no tuning of the exact exchange (α) included in TD-DFT allows to consistently reproduce the SAC-CI results; (2) SAC-CI and TD-B3LYP both evaluate the n → π*, as well as the π → π* transition energies, with a similar accuracy. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Ab initio DFT study of Z–E isomerization pathways of <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>–benzylideneaniline

The ground state properties and absorption spectra of N-benzylideneaniline (NBA) have been studied at the density functional (DFT) and at the time-dependent density functional (TD-DFT) level of the theory. The equilibrium geometries of the E and Z isomers in the ground state and their vibrational frequencies have been computed. Furthermore, the excitation energies of the lowest excited singlet and triplet states and the potential energy curves along the torsion and the inversion isomerization coordinates were evaluated. The results are discussed in light of the available experimental data.     

Mechanism of vibrational relaxation and intersystem crossing within excited ion-pair states of I2

Visible and ultraviolet fluorescence of I₂, following excitation by ArF/193nm excimer laser pulses, was recorded for different pressures of argon buffer gas in a flow system. Dispersed fluorescence spectra due to the transitionsD’(2_g) → A’(2_y andD(0 _n ⁺ )→X0 _g ⁺ ) were analysed by inversion and spectral simulations. Thus vibrational distributions in the emitting states were obtained as a function of pressure to determine the mechanism of relaxation to populate the lowest quantum levels of theD’ state, which are the emitting states in the iodine laser. Fast intersystem crossing is found to occur from initially populated vibrational levels of theD state to other ion-pair states correlating with the ground state ions, followed by rapid relaxation, involving both direct vibrational relaxation within individual states and intersystem crossing between states.     

Microwave spectra ofs-cis-Glyoxal (CHO−CHO) molecules in excited vibrational states

The microwave spectra of s-cis-glyoxal molecules in the excited states of torsional (v_t=1,2) and bending (v_bend=1) vibrations have been studied. For the v_t=1 state, the rotational constants have been refined and the quartic constants of centrifugal distorition have been determined. For the excited v_t=2 and v_bend=1 states, the rotational constants have found. For the ground vibrational state, the rotational constants and the quartic constants of centrifugal distortion have been refined. The vibrational frequencies have been determined from the relative intensities of rotational transitions. Ufa Scientific Center of Russian Academy of Sciences, Physics Department. Translated fromZhurnal Strukturnoi Khimii, Vol. 36, No. 3, pp.418–423, May–June, 1995. Translated by I. Izvekova     

Experimental structural and conformational studies of carbonyl molecules in the ground and lower excited states

Experimental data (obtained by the authors and taken from the literature) on the structure and conformations of carbonyl molecules in the ground and lower excited electronic states are presented. The structure of carbonyl fragments, the orientation of substituent groups, the energy of the molecules in excited states, and the potential functions of the internal rotation and inversion are considered. The structural similarities of the molecules are discussed. M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Chemical Faculty. Translated fromZhurnal Strukturnoi Khimii, Vol. 36, No. 2, pp. 269–285, March–April, 1995. Translated by I. Izvekova