Using meta conjugation to enhance charge separation versus charge recombination in phenylacetylene donor-bridge-acceptor complexes

A pair of donor-bridge-acceptor electron-transfer complexes, with a carbazole donor and a naphthalimide acceptor connected by either a para- or meta-conjugated phenylacetylene bridge, are synthesized and studied using time-resolved and steady-state spectroscopy. These experiments show that the charge separation times, which depend on the coupling of the donor and acceptor through the excited bridge moiety, are similar for the two molecules (Meta and Para). The charge recombination time, however, is a factor of 10 slower for Meta than for Para. These results are related to changes in the electronic coupling of the bridge depending on its electronic state, and show that meta-conjugated bridges provide a possible motif for the design of asymmetric molecular wires.     

Synthesis of molecular motors incorporating para-phenylene-conjugated or bicyclo[2.2.2]octane-insulated electroactive groups

The insulating role of the bicyclo[2.2.2]octane fragment has been theoretically evaluated by comparing the electronic coupling parameter (V(ab)) in 1,4-bis(ferrocenyl)benzene (1) and 1,4-bis(ferrocenyl)bicyclo[2.2.2]octane (2). The geometries were optimized by DFT and an extended Hückel calculation was performed to evaluate V(ab) by the dimer splitting method. The calculations showed a 12-fold decrease of the electronic coupling from 60 meV for 1 to 5 meV for 2. The second part describes the synthesis of two potential molecular motors with one incorporating the insulating bicyclo[2.2.2]octane fragment. These molecules are based on a ruthenium complex bearing a tripodal stator functionalized to be anchored onto surfaces. The ferrocenyl electroactive groups and the cyclopentadienyl (Cp) rotor are connected through a p-phenylene spacer (5) or through a spacer incorporating an insulating bicyclo[2.2.2]octane moiety (6).     

A bimetallic complex containing a cyclopentadienyl-annulated imidazol-2-ylidene

A bimetallic carbene complex architecture that incorporates a cyclopentadienyl-annulated imidazol-2-ylidene moiety is characterized. The ligand architecture enables direct electronic interaction between the pi- and sigma-bonded metals. A preliminary example of aqueous Suzuki coupling employing a metallocene-fused imidazol-2-ylidene-derived catalyst is described.     

Controlling Single Molecule Conductance by a Locally Induced Chemical Reaction on Individual Thiophene Units

Among the prerequisites for the progress of single‐molecule‐based electronic devices are a better understanding of the electronic properties at the individual molecular level and the development of methods to tune the charge transport through molecular junctions. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) is an ideal tool not only for the characterization, but also for the manipulation of single atoms and molecules on surfaces. The conductance through a single molecule can be measured by contacting the molecule with atomic precision and forming a molecular bridge between the metallic STM tip electrode and the metallic surface electrode. The parameters affecting the conductance are mainly related to their electronic structure and to the coupling to the metallic electrodes. Here, the experimental and theoretical analyses are focused on single tetracenothiophene molecules and demonstrate that an in situ‐induced direct desulfurization reaction of the thiophene moiety strongly improves the molecular anchoring by forming covalent bonds between molecular carbon and copper surface atoms. This bond formation leads to an increase of the conductance by about 50 % compared to the initial state.     

Copolymers of 4-thieno[3,2-b]thiophen-3-ylbenzonitrile with anthracene and biphenyl; synthesis,characterization, electronic,optical, and thermal properties

Two novel copolymers of 4-thieno[3,2-b]thiophen-3-ylbenzonitrile (TT-CN), possessing electron withdrawing cyano moiety, with anthracene (P1) and biphenyl (P2) were prepared via Suzuki coupling. Optic, electronic, and thermal properties of the copolymers were investigated through UV–Vis spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, gel permeation chromatography, and thermal gravimetric analysis. The polymers with anthracene and biphenyl had electronic band gaps of 2.01 and 1.90 eV, respectively. Both polymers demonstrated excellent large Stokes shifts of 101 (anthracene) and 105 nm (biphenyl) as well as very good thermal properties. As they had good optical, electronic, and thermal properties, they are promising candidates for electronic applications.     

Deciphering the Multifarious Charge-Transport Behaviour of Crystalline Propeller-Shaped Triphenylamine Analogues

A collection of para-substituted propeller-shaped triphenylamine (TPA) derivatives have been computationally investigated for charge-transport characteristics exhibited by the derivatives by using the Marcus–Hush formalism. The various substituents chosen herein, with features that range from electron withdrawing to electron donating in nature, play a key role in defining the reorganisation energy and electronic coupling properties of the TPA derivatives. The TPA moiety is expected to possess weak electronic coupling on the basis of poor orbital overlap upon aggregation, owing to the restriction imposed by the propeller shape of the TPA core. However, the substituent groups attached to the TPA core can significantly dictate the crystal-packing motif of the TPA derivatives, wherein the variety of noncovalent intermolecular interactions subsequently generated drive the packing arrangement and influence electronic coupling between the neighbouring orbitals. Intermolecular interactions in the crystalline architecture of TPA derivatives were probed by using Hirshfeld and quantum theory of atoms-in-molecules techniques. Furthermore, symmetry-adapted perturbation theory analysis of the TPA analogues has revealed that a periodic arrangement of energetically stable dimers with significant electronic coupling is essential to contribute high charge-carrier mobility to the overall crystal.     

Modeling the (HI)2 photodissociation dynamics through a nonadiabatic wave packet study of the I*-HI complex

The nonadiabatic photodissociation dynamics of (HI)2 is simulated by applying a wave packet approach which starts from the I*-HI complex (where I* denotes the I(2P1/2) excited electronic state) produced after the photodissociation of the first HI moiety within (HI)2. In the model, two excited electronic potential surfaces corresponding to I*-HI(A 1Pi1) and I-HI(A 1Pi1), which interact through spin-rotation coupling, are considered. The simulations show that upon photodissociation of HI within I*-HI, the dissociating H fragment undergoes intracluster collisions with the I* atom. Some of these collisional events induce an electronically nonadiabatic transition which causes the deactivation of I* to the I ground electronic state. The probability of such nonadiabatic process is found to be 0.37%. Most of the photodissociation process takes place in the upper excited electronic surface [that of the I*-HI(A 1Pi1) complex], where H dissociation is found to be mainly direct or involving weak H/I* intracluster collisions. These weak collisions with high collisional angular momentum, and therefore high collisional impact parameters associated, are responsible for most of the probability of nonadiabatic transitions found. The type of H/I* collisions leading to nonadiabatic transitions appears to be closely related to the nature of the spin-rotation coupling between the two excited electronic states involved.     

Electron Transport Through Composite Monolayers

Well-organized thiol monolayers on electrode surfaces are prepared using the Langmuir–Blodgett and self-assembly methods. Planned modification of the molecules building the monolayer allow the electron tunneling efficiency across the monolayer to be controlled. The barrier properties of the monolayers are probed by electrochemical methods. The extent of blocking for all systems under study indicates that contribution of the electroactive molecules that find direct access to the electrode surface can be neglected. These observations permit us to use the monolayers for the determination of the kinetic parameters of Fe(CN)^3– ₆ and IrCl^2– ₆ ion reduction. Such monolayers are employed for the studies of long-range electron transport. We show that insertion of amide bonds in appropriate positions of the alkyl chains of all molecules building the monolayer makes it possible to create a lateral hydrogen-bond network linking the internal amide groups in the monolayer and contributing to the electronic coupling between the redox probe and the electrode. The relation between the location of the amide moiety in the molecule and its importance for the electron tunneling efficiency through the intervening organic medium is discussed.     

Photoinduced electron-transfer processes along molecular wires based on phenylenevinylene oligomers: a quantum-chemical insight

Quantum-chemical techniques are applied to model the mechanisms of photoinduced charge transfer from a pi-electron donating group (tetracene, D) to a pi-electron-acceptor moiety (pyromellitimide, A) separated by a bridge of increasing size (p-phenylenevinylene oligomers, B). Correlated Hartree-Fock semiempirical approaches are exploited to calculate the four main parameters controlling the transfer rate (k(RP)) in the framework of Marcus-Jortner-Levich's formalism: (i) the electronic coupling between the initial and final states; (ii) and (iii) the internal and external reorganization energy terms; and (iv) the variation of the free Gibbs energy. The charge transfer is shown to proceed in these compounds through two competing mechanisms, coherent (superexchange) versus incoherent (bridge-mediated) pathways. While superexchange is the dominant mechanism for short bridges, incoherent transfer through hopping along the phenylene vinylene segment takes over in longer chains (for ca. three phenylenevinylene repeat units). The influence of the chemical structure of the pi-conjugated phenylenevinylene bridge on the electronic properties and the rate of charge transfer is also investigated.     

Synthesis of directly linked zinc(II) porphyrin-imide dyads and energy gap dependence of intramolecular electron transfer reactions

A series of zinc(II) porphyrin-imide dyads (ZP-Im), in which an electron donating ZP moiety is directly connected to an electron accepting imide moiety in the meso position, have been prepared for the examination of energy gap dependence of intramolecular electron transfer reactions with large electronic coupling. The nearly perpendicular conformation of the imide moiety towards the porphyrin plane has been revealed by Xray crystal structures. The energy gap for charge separation, 1ZP* - Im --> ZP+ - Im-, is varied by changing the electron accepting imide moiety to cover a range of about 0.8 eV in DMF. Definitive evidence for electron transfer has been obtained in three solvents (toluene, THF, and DMF) through picosecond-femtosecond transient absorption studies, which have allowed us to determine the rates of photoinduced charge separation, 1ZP* - Im --> ZP+ - Im-, and subsequent thermal charge recombination ZP+ - Im- --> ZP - Im. The free-energy gap dependence (energy gap law) has been probed from the normal to the nearly top region for the charge separation rate alone, and only the inverted region for the charge recombination rate. Although both of the energy gap dependencies can be approximately reproduced by means of the simplified semiclassical equation, when we take into consideration the effect of the high frequency vibrations replaced by one mode of averaged frequency, many features, including the effects of solvent polarity and the electron tunneling matrix element on the energy gap law, differ considerably from those of the previously studied porphyrin-quinone systems, which have weaker interchromophore electronic interactions.     

Visualizing and tuning thermodynamic dispersion in metalloprotein monolayers

In coupling the redox state of an adsorbed molecule to its spectral characteristics redox profiles can be directly imaged by means of far-field fluorescence. At suitable levels of dilution, on optically transparent electrode surfaces, reversible interfacial electron transfer processes can be followed pixel by pixel down to scales which approach the molecular. In mapping out switching potentials across a surface population, thermodynamic dispersion, related to variance in the orientation, electronic coupling, protein fold, electric field drop, and general surface order, can be quantified. The self-assembled monolayer buffering the protein from the underlying metallic electrode surface not only acts to tune electronic coupling between the two but also potentially provides a variable more easily segmented from other contributions to molecular dispersion. We have, specifically, considered the possibility that the supporting monolayer crystallinity is a significant contributor to the subsequently observed spread in half-wave potentials. We report here that this is indeed the case and that this spread diminishes from 17 to 12 mV for the blue copper protein azurin as the supporting alkanethiol layer crystallinity increases. The work herein, then, presents not only a direct determination of submonolayer scale variance in redox character but also a means of tuning this through gross surface and entirely standard chemical means.     

Photoisomerisation in Aminoazobenzene‐Substituted Ruthenium(II) Tris(bipyridine) Complexes: Influence of the Conjugation Pathway

Transition‐metal complexes containing stimuli‐responsive systems are attractive for applications in optical devices, photonic memory, photosensing, as well as luminescence imaging. Amongst them, photochromic metal complexes offer the possibility of combining the specific properties of the metal centre and the optical response of the photochromic group. The synthesis, the electrochemical properties and the photophysical characterisation of a series of donor–acceptor azobenzene derivatives that possess bipyridine groups connected to a 4‐dialkylaminoazobenzene moiety through various linkers are presented. DFT and TD‐DFT calculations were performed to complement the experimental findings and contribute to their interpretation. The position and nature of the linker (ethynyl, triazolyl, none) were engineered and shown to induce different electronic coupling between donor and acceptor in ligands and complexes. This in turn led to strong modulations in terms of photoisomerisation of the ligands and complexes.     

Two-photon transitions in quadrupolar and branched chromophores: experiment and theory

A combined experimental and theoretical study is conducted on a series of model compounds in order to assess the combined role of branching and charge symmetry on absorption, photoluminescence, and two-photon absorption (TPA) properties. The main issue of this study is to examine how branching of quadrupolar chomophores can lead to different consequences as compared to branching of dipolar chromophores. Hence, three structurally related pi-conjugated quadrupolar chromophores symmetrically substituted with donor end groups and one branched structure built from the assembly of three quadrupolar branches via a common donor moiety are used as model compounds. Their photophysical properties are studied using UV-vis spectroscopy, and the TPA spectra are determined through two-photon excited fluorescence experiments using femtosecond pulses in the 500-1000 nm range. Experimental studies are complemented by theoretical calculations. The applied theoretical methodology is based on time-dependent density functional theory, the Frenkel exciton model, and analysis in terms of the natural transition orbitals of relevant electronic states. Theory reveals that a symmetrical intramolecular charge transfer from the terminal donating groups to the middle of the molecule takes place in all quadrupolar chromophores upon photoexcitation. In contrast, branching via a central electron-donating triphenylamine moiety breaks the quadrupolar symmetry of the branches. Consequently, all Frank-Condon excited states have significant asymmetric multidimensional charge-transfer character upon excitation. Subsequent vibrational relaxation of the branched chromophore in the excited state leads to a localization of the excitation and fluorescence stemming from a single branch. As opposed to what was earlier observed when dipolar chromophores are branched via the same common electron-donating moiety, we find only a slight enhancement of the maximum TPA response of the branched compound with respect to an additive contribution of its quadrupolar branches. In contrast, substantial modifications of the spectral shape are observed. This is attributed to the subtle interplay of interbranch electronic coupling and asymmetry caused by branching.     

Prediction of standard interfacial electron-transfer rate constants for the Ru(NH3)6(3+/2+) couple through omega-hydroxyalkanethiol self-assembled monolayers on gold electrodes

Two relatively simple approaches are developed and used to calculate (predict) the standard interfacial electron-transfer (ET) rate constants (k degrees) of the Ru(NH3)6(3+/2+) couple dissolved in aqueous electrolyte solutions in contact with Au electrodes coated with self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) composed of HS(CH2)nOH as functions of both n and temperature. These approaches are suggested by the conclusion reached by Smalley et al. (J. Electroanal. Chem. 2006, 589, 1-6) that the interfacial ET rate of a solution-dissolved redox couple in contact with a SAM is, within 1 order of magnitude, the same as the (normalized) interfacial ET rate of a similar attached (as a constituent of a similar SAM) couple. The calculations, therefore, employ the measured electronic coupling of the attached (to Au electrodes through alkanethiolate bridges) -PyRu(NH3)5(3+/2+) couple. The two approaches also both include dynamic solvent effects on the ET kinetics and the influence of electronic coupling on the activation barrier for the ET reaction. At T=298 K and n=3, 11, and 14, the predicted rate constants are in very good agreement with the existing measurements of k degrees. However, for n<3 at 298 K, the predicted rate constants are extremely large (i.e., >4.5 cm s(-1)) and do not tend toward a limiting value. Additionally, even if the electronic coupling between a Au electrode and a Ru(NH3)6(3+/2+) moiety located at the surface of the SAM is >0.1 eV, the calculated standard rate constant is not directly proportional to the inverse of the longitudinal dielectric time of the solvent. A primary reason for both the absence of a limiting value for the predicted k degrees's at 298 K and the attenuated influence of dynamic solvent effects is the activation energy barrier suppression caused by large values of the electronic coupling.     

Theoretical characterization of charge transport in chromia (alpha-Cr2O3)

Transport of conduction electrons and holes through the lattice of alpha-Cr2O3 (chromia) is modeled as a valence alternation of chromium cations using ab initio electronic structure calculations and electron-transfer theory. In the context of the small polaron model, a cluster approach was used to compute quantities controlling the mobility of localized electrons and holes, i.e., the reorganization energy and the electronic coupling matrix element that enter Marcus' theory. The calculation of the electronic coupling followed the generalized Mulliken-Hush approach using the complete active space self-consistent-field (CASSCF) method and the quasidiabatic method. Our findings indicate that hole mobility is more than three orders of magnitude larger than electron mobility in both (001) and [001] lattice directions. The difference arises mainly from the larger internal reorganization energy calculated for electron-transport relative to hole-transport processes while electronic couplings have similar magnitudes. The much larger hole mobility versus electron mobility in alpha-Cr2O3 is in contrast to similar hole and electron mobilities in hematite alpha-Fe2O3 previously calculated. Our calculations also indicate that the electronic coupling for all charge-transfer processes of interest is smaller than for the corresponding processes in hematite. This variation is attributed to the weaker interaction between the metal 3d states and the O(2p) states in chromia than in hematite, leading to a smaller overlap between the charge-transfer donor and acceptor wave functions and smaller superexchange coupling in chromia. Nevertheless, the weaker coupling in chromia is still sufficiently large to suggest that charge-transport processes in chromia are adiabatic in nature. The electronic coupling is found to depend on both the superexchange interaction through the bridging oxygen atoms and the d-shell electron-spin coupling within the Cr-Cr donor-acceptor pair, while the reorganization energy is essentially independent of the electron-spin coupling.     

Stereoselective Pincer-complex catalyzed C-H functionalization of benzyl nitriles under mild conditions. An efficient route to beta-aminonitriles

An efficient palladium pincer-complex catalyzed reaction has been developed for alpha-C-H bond functionalization of benzyl nitriles. The studied coupling reaction with sulfonylimines affords beta-aminonitriles with usually high levels of stereoselectivity. The stereoselectivity of the process is highly dependent on the electronic effects of the ortho substituents of the benzyl moiety. Promising levels of enantiomeric excess are obtained using chiral pincer complexes as catalysts.     

Electron-rich tetrathiafulvalene-triarylamine conjugates: synthesis and redox properties

By combining tetrathiafulvalenes (TTFs) and triarylamines, four TTF-triarylamine conjugates bridged by an annulated pyrrole ring were designed and synthesized by an N-arylation reaction. Electrochemical and photophysical investigations suggest that these novel conjugates possess very strong electron-donating ability with very high HOMO energy levels of around -4.70 eV; the HOMOs are mainly located on the TTF moiety. We observed significant electronic coupling between the TTF moieties and the triarylamine groups. However, no evidence for such electronic communication between end-capping TTF units (conjugates 5 and 7) or between two terminal triarylamine groups (conjugate 9) could be found. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements together with PM3-optimized geometries suggest that conjugates 5 and 7, which adopt three-dimensional propeller-shaped structures, may easily pack and crystallize in the solid state because of the large rigid planar blades consisting of TTF and one of the phenyl rings of the triarylamine moiety. However, conjugate 9, with two bulky end-capping triarylamine groups, forms an amorphous material with a glass transition at 74.5 degrees C.     

Size-tunable emission from 1,3-diphenyl-5-(2-anthryl)-2-pyrazoline nanoparticles

Organic nanoparticles of 1,3-diphenyl-5-(2-anthryl)-2- pyrazoline (DAP) ranging in average diameters from 40 to 160 nm were prepared through the reprecipitation method. The average diameters of the particles were controlled by variation of the aging time. We found that DAP nanoparticles exhibit the size-dependent optical properties. The absorption transitions of the nanoparticles at the lower-energy side experience a bathochromic shift with an increase in the particle size as a result of the increased intermolecular interactions, while the higher-energy bands of anthracene split possibly due to the electronic coupling between the pyrazoline ring of one molecule and the anthracene moiety of the neighboring molecule. Most interestingly, the nanoparticle emission in the blue light region from pyrazoline chromophore shifts to shorter wavelengths with an increase in the particle size, accompanied with a relatively gradual dominance of the emission at about 540 nm from an exciplex between the pyrazoline ring of one molecule and the anthracene moiety of the neighboring molecule. The hypsochromic shift in the emission of DAP nanoparticles was identified as originating from the pronounced decrease in the Stokes shift due to the restraint of vibronic relaxation and the configuration reorganization induced by the increased intermolecular interaction.     

Charge transport in metal oxides: a theoretical study of hematite alpha-Fe2O3

Transport of conduction electrons and holes through the lattice of alpha-Fe(2)O(3) (hematite) is modeled as a valence alternation of iron cations using ab initio electronic structure calculations and electron transfer theory. Experimental studies have shown that the conductivity along the (001) basal plane is four orders of magnitude larger than the conductivity along the [001] direction. In the context of the small polaron model, a cluster approach was used to compute quantities controlling the mobility of localized electrons and holes, i.e., the reorganization energy and the electronic coupling matrix element that enter Marcus' theory. The calculation of the electronic coupling followed the generalized Mulliken-Hush approach using the complete active space self-consistent field method. Our findings demonstrate an approximately three orders of magnitude anisotropy in both electron and hole mobility between directions perpendicular and parallel to the c axis, in good accord with experimental data. The anisotropy arises from the slowness of both electron and hole mobilities across basal oxygen planes relative to that within iron bilayers between basal oxygen planes. Interestingly, for elementary reaction steps along either of the directions considered, there is only less than one order of magnitude difference in mobility between electrons and holes, in contrast to accepted classical arguments. Our findings indicate that the most important quantity underlying mobility differences is the electronic coupling, albeit the reorganization energy contributes as well. The large values computed for the electronic coupling suggest that charge transport reactions in hematite are adiabatic in nature. The electronic coupling is found to depend on both the superexchange interaction through the bridging oxygen atoms and the d-shell electron spin coupling within the Fe-Fe donor-acceptor pair, while the reorganization energy is essentially independent of the electron spin coupling.     

Electron Spin Exchange in Linked Phenothiazine–Viologen Charge Transfer Complexes Incorporated in “Through‐Ring” (Rotaxane) α‐Cyclodextrins

A series of covalently bound phenothiazine (PHZ) donor and methylviologen (V) acceptor compounds with polymethylene chain spacers (C₈, C₁₀, C₁₂) were incorporated in a “through‐ring” (rotaxane) fashion to α‐cyclodextrin (α‐CD) hosts such that the alkyl chains were fully extended, with the donor and acceptor on opposite sides of the α‐CD cylinder. Photoexcitation of the PHZ unit induces electron transfer from the PHZ first excited triplet state to the V moiety, forming a biradicaloid charge‐separated state. Time‐resolved electron paramagnetic resonance (TREPR) spectroscopy at the X‐band and Q‐band microwave frequencies was used to investigate the spin exchange interaction, J, in these biradicaloids. Simulation of the spectra using a “static” model for spin‐correlated radical pairs allows extraction of the J values, which are negative in sign and have absolute values range from 2 to 1000 Gauss. Comparison of the PHZ_nV (n = 8, 10, 12) spectra to those obtained using phenyl ether spacers indicates that π‐bonds may assist the electronic coupling. The results are discussed in terms of through‐bond vs through‐space electronic coupling mechanisms.