Spin-state dependent radical stabilization in nitrenes: the unusually small singlet-triplet splitting in 2-furanylnitrene

Geometries and energies of the triplet and singlet states of 2-furanylnitrene and 3-furanylnitrene have been calculated by using spin-flip coupled-cluster methods. Calculations with triple-ζ basis sets predict a singlet-triplet splitting of 10.9 kcal/mol for 2-furanylnitrene, 4.5 kcal/mol smaller than that in phenylnitrene. In contrast, the singlet-triplet splitting in 3-furanylnitrene is computed to be 1.9 kcal/mol larger than that in phenylnitrene. The differences in the singlet-triplet splittings for the furanylnitrenes are attributed to the differences in the radical stabilizing abilities of the 2-furanyl- and 3-furanyl-groups compared to a phenyl ring. Comparison of the singlet-triplet splittings of more than 20 substituted aromatic nitrenes and the radical stabilizing ability of the aromatic systems reveals a high degree of correlation between the singlet-triplet splitting and the radical stabilizing ability, indicating that singlet states of aromatic nitrenes are preferentially stabilized by radical stabilizing substituents. The preferential stabilization of the singlet states is attributed to the decrease in electron pair repulsion resulting from increased delocalization of the radical electron.     

Advanced municipal wastewater treatment and simultaneous energy/resource recovery via photo(electro)catalysis

Wastewater management and energy/resource recycling have been extensively investigated via photo(electro)catalysis. Although both operation processes are driven effectively by the same interfacial charge, each system is practiced separately since they require very different reaction conditions. In this review, we showcase the recent advancements in photo(electro)catalytic process that enables the wastewater treatment and simultaneous energy/resource recovery(WT-ERR). Various literatures based on...     

Computational study of the electronic structure of substituted phenylcarbene in the gas phase

Gas-phase calculations for ortho-, meta-, and para-substituted phenylcarbenes demonstrate that aromatic ring substituents can have a large effect on the singlet-triplet splitting in these molecules. For example, p-aminophenylcarbene is predicted to have a singlet-triplet splitting (DeltaE(ST)) of 0.7 kcal/mol, which is 4.7 kcal/mol smaller than that of the parent phenylcarbene. However, when the mesomeric effect of pi-donation is removed, as in the meta-substituted molecules, this affect is greatly attenuated. m-Amino substitution lowers the DeltaE(ST) to 5.2 kcal/mol, a change of only 0.2 kcal/mol from the parent phenylcarbene. The sensitivity of phenylcarbene to substitution is judged by the slope of the line correlating the singlet-triplet gaps to linear free energy (LFE) parameters. In this study, the best linear correlation for DeltaE(ST) in the para-substituted phenycarbenes is observed when plotted against sigma(p)(+). The resultant slope (rho) is 5.0. The origin of this effect is preferential interaction of aryl substituents with the singlet rather than the triplet species as demonstrated by electron density analyses.     

Singlet-triplet energy gaps for diradicals from fractional-spin density-functional theory

Open-shell singlet diradicals are difficult to model accurately within conventional Kohn-Sham (KS) density-functional theory (DFT). These methods are hampered by spin contamination because the KS determinant wave function is neither a pure spin state nor an eigenfunction of the S(2) operator. Here we present a theoretical foray for using single-reference closed-shell ground states to describe diradicals by fractional-spin DFT (FS-DFT). This approach allows direct, self-consistent calculation of electronic properties using the electron density corresponding to the proper spin eigenfunction. The resulting FS-DFT approach is benchmarked against diradical singlet-triplet gaps for atoms and small molecules. We have also applied FS-DFT to the singlet-triplet gaps of hydrocarbon polyacenes.     

Interaction of low-energy electrons with linear diphenylethynyl derivatives in the gas phase

The gas phase electron impact spectroscopy has been used to study the relative efficiency of excitation into singlet states and energies of singlet-triplet transitions for two electroactive organic materials, anthracene and biphenyl-containing diphenylethynyl derivatives. The probability of the lowest singlet-triplet transition in anthracene-containing molecule was found to be much higher than that in anthracene which is connected with triple bonds. No noticeable contribution of the triple bonds into singlet spectra of the studied molecules was observed. There are a number of intense transitions in the range higher than 10 eV. The optical spectrum calculated using the density functional theory is in good agreement with experimental electron energy loss and optical absorption spectra.     

Spatial donor/acceptor architecture for intramolecular charge-transfer emitter

Charge transfer via electron hopping from an electron donor (D) to an acceptor (A) in nanoscale, plays a crucial role in optoelectronic materials, such as organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) and organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs). Here, we propose a strategy for binding D/A units in space, where intramolecular charge-transfer can take place. The resulted material DM-Me-B is able to give bright emission in this molecular architecture because of the good control of D/A interaction and conformational rigidity. Moreover, DM-Me-B presents small singlet-triplet splitting energy, enabling thermally activated delayed fluorescence. Therefore, the DM-Me-B exhibits ～20% maximum external quantum efficiency and low efficiency roll-off at 1000 cd/m², certifying an effective strategy in controlling D/A blocks through space.     

3,5,7,9-Substituted hexaazaacridines: toward structures with nearly degenerate singlet-triplet energy separations

Toward the goal of preparing stable, neutral open-shell systems, we synthesized a novel series of p-phenyl-substituted 3,5,7,9-hexaazaacridine and 3,5,7,9-hexaazaanthracene derivatives. The effects of substitution on the molecular electronic properties were probed both experimentally and computationally [B3LYP/6-311G(d,p)//B3LYP/6-31G(d,p)]. While the experimentally prepared structures already have small (20-25 kcal/mol) singlet-triplet energy gaps, systems with even smaller (<9 kcal/mol) singlet-triplet energy separations can be realized through systematic variation of the substituent numbers, types, and patterns. Hexaazaanthracenes show generally smaller singlet-triplet energy gaps than hexaazaacridines. Nitrogen-bonded sigma- and pi-acceptor substituents that cause positive inductive and mesomeric effects as well as carbon-bonded sigma-donor substituents make substituted hexaazaanthracenes promising candidates for purely organic high-spin systems.     

Structure of the oxidized active site of galactose oxidase from realistic in silico models

A systematic in silico approach is employed to generate an accurate model for the catalytically important oxidized state of galactose oxidase (GO) using spectroscopically calibrated hybrid density-functional theory. GO displays three distinct oxidation states: oxidized [Cu(II)-Y*], semireduced [Cu(II)-Y], and fully reduced [Cu(I)-Y], but only the [Cu(II)-Y*] and the [Cu(I)-Y] states are assumed to be involved in catalysis. We have developed multiple models for the oxidized [Cu(II)-Y*] state, whose structure has not yet been fully characterized. These models were evaluated by comparison of calculated and experimental structural data, singlet-triplet energy gaps, and electronic transitions for the antiferromagnetically coupled oxidized [Cu(II)-Y*] state. An extended model system that includes explicit solvent molecules and second coordination sphere residues (R330, Y405, and W290) is essential to obtain the correct electronic structure of the active site. The model with all the residues that have been shown to affect the radical stability and catalysis resulted in a singlet ground state with the radical centered on the Y272-C228 cofactor. The optimized structure of the oxidized GO [Cu(II)-Y*] reveals a five-coordinated square pyramidal coordination geometry very similar to [Cu(II)-Y] with considerably different Cu-ligand distances. The hydrogen-bonding interactions involving Y495 modulates the spin density distribution and the singlet-triplet energy gaps. The final model as the most reasonable structure of the oxidized [Cu(II)-Y*] state in GO reproduces the spectroscopic signature of oxidized GO.     

Solvent-dependent radiationless transitions in fluorenone: A probe for hydrogen bonding interactions in the cyclodextrin cavity

Fluorescence lifetimes fluorescence quantum yields and triplet yields were measured for fluorenone in various hydroxylic and non-hydroxylic solvents, and in-cyclodextrin complexes. The rate of singlet-triplet intersystem crossing, which decreases with increasing polarity, was found to be a good indicator of nonspecific solvent-solute interactions, while the rate of direct internal conversion from the singlet excited state was correlated with hydrogen bonding. The fast internal conversion of singlet excited fluorenone/-cyclodextrin complexes shows that the probe molecule, while embedded within the cyclodextrin cavity, still remains hydrogen bonded.Dedicated to Professor Szejtli.     

高灵敏检测葡萄糖的新型荧光纳米传感器

构建了一种用于高灵敏检测葡萄糖的新型荧光纳米传感器.在辣根过氧化物酶(HRP)的催化下,H2O2氧化3,3′,5,5′-四甲基联苯胺(TMB),生成具有强吸光性质的TMB多聚体,导致1-氧-1H-非那烯-2,3-二腈(1-Oxo-1H-phenalene-2,3-dicarbonitrile, OPD)分子的荧光发生淬灭,基于此实现H2O2的定量检测,线性范围分别为0.05~0.80 μmol/L和1~10 μmol/L,检出限(3σ)为0.02 μmol/L.由于葡萄糖氧化酶(Gox)可催化葡萄糖分解产生H2O2,基于此可以实现葡萄糖分子的定量检测,线性范围分别为0.1~3.0 μmol/L和4.0~30 μmol/L, 检出限(3σ)为0.02 μmol/L.将本方法用于实际血清样品中葡萄糖的定量检测,结果与临床检测结果相符.     

氮掺杂多孔炭材料的制备及在多相催化中的应用

氮掺杂多孔炭材料,不仅具有多孔炭材料的较高的比表面积、丰富的孔结构、良好的稳定性及耐高温耐酸碱性等优点,同时氮原子的引入使材料表现出优异的导电性能及电子传输能力,使得炭材料具有了一定的碱性及催化性能,是目前多相催化及材料领域的一个研究热点。本文综述了氮掺杂多孔炭的制备方法及在多相催化中的应用,并指出了该领域未来研发的重点及应用前景。     

卤代氰基卡宾自由基XCCN(X=F,Cl,Br)的理论研究

在C_s对称性和ANO-S基组下, 使用全活化空间自洽场方法(CASSCF), 研究了卤代氰基卡宾自由基及其阴离子的低能电子激发态性质. 为了进一步考虑电子的动态相关效应,采用多组态二级微扰理论(CASPT2)获得更加精确的能量值. 计算结果表明, XCCN的基态是三重态. 单重态和三重态的能隙差ΔE_S-T(kJ/mol): 7.4(FCCN)<13.4(ClCCN)<16.6(BrCCN). 计算得到, XCCN(X=F, Cl, Br)最低垂直激发能分别为408.3, 385.4和 345.2 kJ/mol, 这归因于π(a′) →n_xy 的电子跃迁; XCCN的电子亲和势分别为235.7, 233.0和 237.2 kJ/mol, 与HCCN相比, 其电子亲和势变大.     

A Kinetically Stabilized Nitrogen-Doped Triangulene Cation: Stable and NIR Fluorescent Diradical Cation with Triplet Ground State

A kinetically-stabilized nitrogen-doped triangulene cation derivative has been synthesized and isolated as the stable diradical with a triplet ground state that exhibits near-infrared emission. As was the case for a triangulene derivative we previously synthesized, the triplet ground state with a large singlet-triplet energy gap was experimentally confirmed by magnetic measurements. In contrast to the triangulene derivative, the nitrogen-doped triangulene cation derivative is highly stable even in solution under air and exhibits near-infrared absorption and emission because the alternancy symmetry of triangulene is broken by the nitrogen cation. Breaking the alternancy symmetry of triplet alternant hydrocarbon diradicals by a nitrogen cation would therefore be an effective strategy to create stable diradicals possessing magnetic properties similar to the parent hydrocarbons but with different electrochemical and photophysical properties.     

将铂(Ⅱ)-四(4-羧基苯基)卟啉组装到光捕获金属有机框架中增强可见光驱动的产氢效能

氢气析出反应的分子催化剂因能够将其整合到用于光催化水分解的光捕集复合物中而受到广泛关注.研究者期望通过构建吸光网络,提高分子催化剂的光催化产氢效能.本文报道了以[(TCPP)PtⅡ][TCPP=meso-四(4-羧基苯基)卟啉]络合物作为光催化产氢的分子催化剂.采用氯冉酸(CA)作为电子牺牲剂可以很好地稳定光催化剂,使...     

Spectroscopic constants of SiH2, GeH2, SnH2, and their cations and anions from density functional computations

Local (LSD ) and nonlocal (NLSD ) spin density calculations using different exchangecorrelation functionals have been performed to determine equilibrium geometries, harmonic vibrational frequencies (ωe), ionization potentials (IP ), electron affinities (EA ), dipole moments (μ), and singlet-triplet energy gaps (Δ E_ST) of SiH₂, GeH₂, and SnH₂. Geometrical structures as well as vibrational frequencies are in agreement with the available experimental data and compare favorably with the most sophisticated postHartree-Fock computations performed until now. Both computed IPS (9.15 and 9.25 eV for SiH₂ and GeH₂, respectively) and EA of SiH₂ (1.17 eV) compare favorably with experimental data (9.17, 9.21, and 1.2 eV). Accurate values are obtained also for singlet-triplet energy gaps. We report for the first time the electron affinities of all neutral systems and the spectroscopic constants of the cations and anions. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Mechanisms of suppression and enhancement of photocurrent/conversion efficiency in dye-sensitized solar-cells using carotenoid and chlorophyll derivatives as sensitizers

The mechanisms of suppression and enhancement of photocurrent/conversion efficiency (performance) in dye-sensitized solar cells, using carotenoid and chlorophyll derivatives as sensitizers, were compared systematically. The key factor to enhance the performance was found to be how to minimize interaction among the excited-state dye-sensitizer(s). In a set of retinoic-acid (RA) and carotenoic-acid (CA) sensitizers, having n conjugated double bonds, CA7 gave rise to the highest performance, which was reduced toward RA5 and CA13. The former was ascribed to the generation of triplet and the resultant singlet-triplet annihilation reaction, while the latter, to the intrinsic electron injection efficiency. In a set of shorter polyene sensitizers having different polarizabilities, the one with the highest polarizability (the highest trend of aggregate formation) exhibited the higher performance toward the lower dye concentration and the lower light intensity, contrary to our expectation. This is ascribed to a decrease in the singlet-triplet annihilation reaction. The performance of cosensitization, by a pair of pheophorbide sensitizers without and with the central metal, Mg or Zn, was enhanced by the light absorption (complementary rather than competitive), the transition-dipole moments (orthogonal rather than parallel) and by the pathways of electron injection (energetically independent rather than interactive).     

Multi-Resonance Building-Block-Based Electroluminescent Material: Lengthening Emission Maximum and Shortening Delayed Fluorescence Lifetime

Multi-resonance thermally activated delayed fluorescence (MR-TADF) materials are considered a class of organic materials with exceptional electronic and optical properties, which make them promising for the applications in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). In this study, we improved, synthesized, and characterized a multiple-resonance type emitter based on the assembly of MR-building blocks (MR-BBs). By optimizing the geometric arrangement of MR-BBs, we were able to generate narrowband emission in the longer wavelength region and shorten the delayed excited-state lifetime, resulting in improved emission efficiency compared to the parent molecule. Our proof-of-concept molecule, m-DBCz, exhibited narrowband yellowish-green TADF emission with a full width at half-maximum of 32 nm and a small singlet-triplet energy gap of 0.04 eV. The OLED developed using m-DBCz as the emitter demonstrated electroluminescence at 548 nm and achieved a high external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 34.9 %. Further optimization of the device resulted in a high external quantum efficiency of 36.3 % and extremely low efficiency roll-off, with EQE values of 30.1 % and 27.7 % obtained even at high luminance levels of 50 000 and 100 000 cd m⁻². These results demonstrate the full potential of MR-TADF materials for applications on ultrahigh-luminance OLEDs.     

Triplet states of the amide group. Trapped electron spectra of formamide and related molecules

Trapped electron (TE) spectra are obtained using ion cyclotron resonance detection of scavenged electrons. The lowest singlet-triplet transitions, ³(n→π^*), in formamide (HCONH₂) and N,N-dimethyl formamide (HCONMe₂) are found at vertical energies of 5.30 and 5.00 eV, respectively. An unresolved band containing the ³(π→π^*) and ³(n→3s) states appears at higher energies, centered at 6.60 and 6.00 eV, respectively. The TE spectra of formaldehyde (HCHO), acetaldehyde (MeCHO) and acetone (Me₂CO) are obtained for comparison and are used along with results from ab initio theoretical calculations in establishing assignments. Singlet-triplet transitions dominate the spectra of all of these carbonyl containing molecules, to the exclusion of low lying singlet-singlet transitions. This is in agreement with other TE spectra and the expectation that (dσ/dE) will be higher near threshold for singlet-triplet as compared to singlet-singlet transitions.     

Asymmetric Multicomponent Reactions Based on Trapping of Active Intermediates

Metal carbenes derived from transition metal‐catalyzed decomposition of diazo compounds react with nucleophiles with heteroatoms, such as alcohols and amines, to generate highly active oxonium/ammonium ylides intermediates. These intermediates can be trapped by appropriate electrophiles to provide three‐component products. Based on this novel trapping process, we have developed novel multicomponent reactions (MCRs) of diazo compounds, alcohols/anilines, and electrophiles. The nucleophiles were also extended to electron‐rich heterocycles (indoles and pyrroles)/arenes, in which the resulting zwitterionic intermediates were also trapped by electrophiles. By employing efficient catalysis strategy, the reactions were realized with excellent stereocontrol and wide substrate scope. In this personal account, we introduce our breakthroughs in the development of novel asymmetric MCRs via trapping of the active ylides and zwitterionic intermediates with a number of electrophiles, such as imines, aldehyde, and Michael acceptors, under asymmetric catalysis. Transition metal/chiral Lewis acid catalysis, transition metal/Brønsted acid catalysis, and chiral transition‐metal catalysis, enable excellent stereocontrolled outcomes. The methodologies not only provide experimental evidence to support the existence of protic onium ylides intermediates/zwitterionic intermediates and the stepwise pathways of carbene‐induced O?H, N?H and C?H insertions, but also offer a novel approach for the efficient construction of chiral polyfunctional molecules.     

Understanding reaction mechanisms of metal-free dinitrogen activation by methyleneboranes

Dinitrogen activation under mild conditions is important but extremely challenging due to the inert nature of the N≡N triple bond evidenced by high bond dissociation energy(945 k J/mol) and large HOMOLUMO gap(10.8 e V). In comparison with largely developed transition metal systems, the reported main group species on dinitrogen activation are rare. Here, we carry out density functional theory calculations on methyleneboranes to understand the reaction mechanisms of their dinitrogen activation. It...