Simulated T ← S spectra of benzaldehydes as a function of the energy gap between the ππ and nπ levels

The T_1,2 ← S₀ spectra of benzaldehydes have been studied as a function of the energy separation between the vibrationless levels. It is shown that the spectra are very complicated in the region of ΔE[T₂⁰(nπ^*)-T₁⁰(ππ^*)] = 250–400 cm⁻¹, reflecting effective vibronic interferences between T₂⁰(0-0) and each of the ν₃₆-ν₃₃ out-of-plane vibrational levels of T₁⁰(ππ^*). The simulated spectra correspond to the observed spectra. In the case of T₁⁰ = ³nπ^* and T₂⁰ = ³ππ^* the spectral change is not so drastic as in the reverse case loc. cit. because the optical intensity generally concentrates in the longest wavelength band, i.e., the origin band of the T₁(nπ^*) ← S₀ transition. The simulation spectra are useful for interpretation of the absorption spectra in similar electronic structure systems of substituted benzaldehydes.     

Sulfur in different chemical surroundings – S K XANES spectra of sulfur-containing heterocycles and their quantum-chemically supported interpretation

The excited states in the XANES region of 2-mercaptobenzooxazole and 2-mercaptobenzothiazole and of their sulfur-bridged dimeric analogues were investigated at the sulfur 1s-ionization threshold by means of synchrotron radiation. The electronic excitations were treated employing density functional theory calculations. The theoretical results obtained for the planar monomers and the bent dimers are in good accordance with the experimental spectra. They allow the assignment of the spectral structures in the region of the S 1s-electron binding energy to π^* and σ^* resonances involving orbitals of the >C=S and –C–S_x–C– (x=1,2) moieties of the molecules. The results are discussed in terms of antibonding π^* and σ^* interactions between the sulfur and the neighboring carbon atoms and of the symmetric and antisymmetric combinations of the respective σ^* orbitals of the monomeric units.     

Predissociation of chlorobenzene, beyond the pseudo-diatomic model

Dissociation of chlorobenzene via the lowest singlet excited state has been investigated by means of pump–probe femtosecond spectroscopy and spin–orbit corrected ab initio quantum chemistry. We have found that the so far accepted model with a ¹ππ^* → ³π/nσ^* reaction mechanism has to be amended. We suggest that the mechanism goes via a transition from ¹ππ^* to a πσ^* state that is to 90% a singlet. Further, three nuclear degrees of freedom required to describe the dissociation have been defined.     

Electronic structure of the radicals NF and NCl. III. The radiative lifetimes of the bΣ and aΔ states

The radiative lifetimes of the b¹Σ⁺ and a¹Δ states have been evaluated by perturbation expansions including X³Σ⁻, a¹Δ, b¹Σ⁺, 1^3,1Π, 2^3,1Π, 2³Σ⁻ and 2¹Σ⁺ states. All wavefunctions result from large MRD CI calculations. The b—X transition is dominated by the parallel transition moment; it is found to be much stronger than the a—X transition. The calculated radiative lifetimes of τ(¹Σ⁺)=18 ms, τ(¹Δ)=2.2 s for NF and τ(¹Σ⁺)=2.5–3.5 ms for NCl are in good accord with corresponding experimentally deduced values. The lifetime for the a¹Δ state in NCl is found to be τ(¹Δ)=1.1 s, ie. much longer than derived from a recent experiment. Its magnitude is consistent with the τ(b¹Σ⁺)/τ(a¹Δ) ratio of similar systems and with the decrease in lifetime from NF to NCl and is thus believed to be quite reliable. A detailed analysis of all contributions of the perturber states to the transition mechanism is made and comparison with the related data in SO, O₂ and S₂ is undertaken. The b-a transition probability dominated by the quadrupole transition is fairly constant in all the systems in the order of A = 0.013 (NF) - 0.0013 (S₂) s⁻¹.     

S2 → S0 fluorescence in an aromatic thioketone, xanthione

In addition to the red phosphorescence (T₁(³ A₂n, π^*) → S₀) xanthione exhibits in solution an emission with a maximum at ≈ 23 000 cm⁻¹ and φ_f(298°) = 5 × 10⁻³. It is shown that this emission is fluorescence from the second excited singlet state (S₂ (¹A₁ π, π^*) → S₀).     

MRD CI study on the low-lying states of AlP

Large-scale MRD CI calculations assign to AlP the ground state X ³Σ⁻ (9σ²3π²) and a close-lying state 1 ³Π (9σ3π³) (T_e = 0.08 eV). Up to transition energies of 2.0 eV, other states are described by the configurations 9σ3π³ (1¹Π), 8σ²3π⁴ (1 ¹Σ⁺), 9σ²3π² (1 ¹Δ and 2 ¹Σ⁺) and 9σ3π²4π (1 ⁵Π). The 2 ³Π state, located at ≈ 2.30 eV, shows a shallow double minimum. Numerous perturbations are expected to induce predissociation upon 2 ³Π. Multiplets arising from the occupation 8σ²3π³4π are clustered in the 3.25–3.50 eV region. Quintet states with the configuration 8σ9σ3π³4π are bound, with T_e values (in eV) of 3.80 (1 ⁵Σ⁺), 4.44 (1 ⁵Δ) and 4.88 (3 ⁵Σ⁻), respectively. The 9σ → 4s Rydberg members ⁵Σ⁻ and ³Σ⁻ lie in the 4.58–4.72 eV energy region. The first ionization potential (ionization to X⁴Σ⁻ of AlP⁺, 9σ → ∞) is estimated to be 7.65 eV. Ionization to the 1 ²Σ⁻ and 1 ²Π states of AlP⁺ is suggested to occur between 8.0 and 8.8 eV. The dipole moments of X ³Σ⁻, 1 ¹Δ and 2 ¹Σ⁺ are close to 1.0 D, whereas the 1 ¹Σ⁺ state has μ = 3.49 D; 1 ³Π and 1 ¹Π have dipole moments from 2.45 to 2.91 D. All low-lying states show a polarity Al⁺P⁻. Finally, the electronic structure and transition energies of AlP are compared with those of the isoelectronic species BN, AIN, and SiP⁺.     

A quantum mechanical analysis on the selective production of the oxygen atom fine-structure states along asymmetric resonances in OH predissociation

Predissociation of the A ²Σ⁺ state is treated by an exact theory employing two frame transformation matrices, each of which connects the atomic term limits (O(³P) and O(¹D)) to the correlating adiabatic Born—Oppenheimer states. Resonances corresponding to the higher (v 7) rovibrational levels of the A ²Σ⁺ state are predicted to have asymmetric (Fano-type) profiles. The branching ratios of O(³P_j, J = 0, 1, 2) are shown to be influenced by nonadiabatic interactions in the Franck—Condon region between the A ²Σ⁺ and dissociative ⁴Σ⁻, ²Σ⁻ and ⁴Π states. The branching ratios show a strong variation along asymmetric resonances, while remaining energy independent along Lorentzian resonances.     

Analysis of ultrafast relaxation in photoexcited DNA base pairs of adenine and thymine

The photoinduced dynamics in base pairs of adenine and thymine were analyzed by femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy. On the short-time scale up to a few picoseconds, the characteristic time constants for the dimers are quite similar to the corresponding values of the monomers. This leads to the conclusion that ultrafast intramolecular relaxation proceeds via ππ^* and nπ^* states of one component within the dimer. On the long-time scale, we obtained a novel time constant of roughly 40 ps for the thymine dimer and the adenine–thymine base pair. This time constant was never observed in the monomers and is tentatively assigned to an intermolecular relaxation process, possibly via a hydrogen transfer state.     

Guest and host deuterium effects of the large ZFS parameters D of dimethylbenzaldehydes in durene single crystals

The ZFS parameters D of 2,4-, 2,5- and 3,4-dimethylbenzaldehyde-1h₁ and -1d₁ guests in perhydrogenated and perdeuterated durene single crystals are determined by comparing the experimental and calculated resonance curves. It is found that the deuterium substitution of the guest aldehydic group in a given host leads to the decrease of the D values and to the increase of the energy gaps ΔE_T between the zero-point levels of the ³nπ* and ³ππ* states of the guests. On the other hand, the perdeuteration of the host results in the decrease of ΔE_T with a corresponding increase of the D value of a given guest. The D value of 1 cm⁻¹ determined for 2,5-dimethylbenzaldehyde-1h₁ in perdeuterated durene is the lategest ever found for an aromatic carbonyl compound. Correlations between D and ΔE_T indicate that the ZFS parameters D of the guests are determined by contributions from both spin-spin and spin-orbit interactions between the ³nπ* and ³ππ* states. The large guest and host deuterium effects observed on the D values are attributed to the changes of the gaps ΔE_T of the guests.     

Determination of the free activation energy for the breaking of the P---Ag bond in [(η-p-cymene)Ru(μ-pz)3Ag(PPh3)]

The Arrhenius equation corresponding to the process P---Ag+P*---Ag*→---P---Ag*+P*---Ag has been determined for [(η⁶-p-cymene)Ru(μ-pz)₃Ag(PPh₃)] (1) by complete line-shape analysis of the ³¹P NMR spectra between −40°C and +30°C. It has the form K = 10^11.8± e^{(−46±5 kJ mol−1/RT)}. The preexponential term, log A = 11.8 corresponds to a small activation entropy, whereas the activation energy, 46 kJ mol⁻¹ is comparable to those determined for other phosphorus—metal compounds.     

Electronic states of PN obtained by configuration-interaction studies

Potential curves were calculated for eighteen low-lying doublet and quartet states of PN⁺, using configuration-interaction methods and double-zeta plus polarization and diffuse basis sets. Spectroscopic constants were evaluated for fourteen stable states. The X ²Σ⁺ ground state lies very close to A ²Π (0.34 eV calculated). The 2 ²Σ⁺ state has two shallow minima of similar energy, being due to σ* → σ at smaller R, and π → π* at larger R. For N₂⁺, σ* → σ is much lower in energy than π → π*, whereas the opposite situation applies to P₂⁺.     

Intramolecular electron-transfer excited state in 6-cyanobenzquinuclidine

6-cyanobenzquinuclidine has a rigid structure with the lone-pair orbital of the amino-group nitrogen atom and the π-orbitals of the aromatic ring mutually perpendicular. It is a model for the previously postulated twisted internal charge-transfer excited states. The fluorescent singlet state was identified as a strongly polar state with a full charge separation, observed in absorption as the ¹(n, π^*) excited state. The results strongly support the twisted internal charge-transfer state hypothesis.     

Excited state geometries within time-dependent and restricted open-shell density functional theories

Singlet excited state geometries of a set of medium sized molecules with different characteristic lowest excitations are studied. Geometry optimizations of excited states are performed with two closely related restricted open-shell Kohn–Sham methods and within linear response to time-dependent density functional theory. The results are compared to wave-function based methods. Excitation energies (vertical and adiabatic) calculated from the open-shell methods show systematic errors depending on the type of excitation. However, for all states accessible by the restricted methods a good agreement for the geometries with time-dependent density functional theory and wave-function based methods is found. An analysis of the energy with respect to the mixing angle for the singly occupied orbitals reveals that some states (mostly [n→π^*]) are stable when symmetry constraints are relaxed and others (mostly [π→π^*]) are instable. This has major implications on the applicability of the restricted open-shell methods in molecular dynamics simulations.     

The octant rule: XXIII. antioctant effects in γ,δ -unsaturated ketones.

The and -benzyl derivatives (1 and 2, respectively) of (+)-camphor have been synthesized and are found to exert a strong influence on the circular dichroism n→π^* Cotton effects: 1: Δε³⁰¹_max -0.36 (n- heptane) and 2: Δε³⁰²_max +3.22, relative to camphor: Δε³⁰⁴_max +1.8 (n-heptane). Evidence for electric dipole transition moment coupling in these γ, δ -unsaturated systems is found in the n→π^* UV: 1: ε²⁹¹_max 84 (n-heptane) and 2: ε²⁸⁵_max 303, relative to camphor: ε²⁹⁰_max 25.     

Photophysics of ruthenium(II) complexes with 2-(2′-pyridyl) pyrimidine and 2,2′-bipyridine ligands in fluid solution

The photophysics of three complexes of the form Ru(bpy)₃₋(pypm)²⁺ (where bpy2,2′-bipyridine, pypm 2-(2′-pyridyl)pyrimidine and P=1, 2 or 3) was examined in H₂O, propylene carbonate, CH₃CN and 4:1 (v/v) C₂H₅OH---CH₃OH; comparison was made with the well-known photophysical behavior of Ru(bpy)₃²⁺. The lifetimes of the luminescent metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) excited states were determined as a function of temperature (between −103 and 90 °C, depending on the solvent), from which were extracted the rate constants for radiative and non-radiative decay and ΔE, the energy gap between the MLCT and metal-centered (MC) excited states. The results indicate that ^*Ru(bpy)₂(pypm)²⁺ decays via a higher lying MLCT state, whereas ^*Ru(pypm)₃²⁺ and ^*Ru(pypm)₂(bpy)²⁺ decay predominantly via the MC state.     

Photodissociation spectroscopy of Mg—Ar

Mg⁺—Ar ion—molecule complexes are produced in a pulsed supersonic nozzle cluster source. The complexes are mass selected and studied with laser photodissociation spectroscopy in a reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometer system. An electronic transition assigned as X ²Σ⁺ → ²Π is observed with an origin at 31387 cm⁻¹ (vac) for ²⁴Mg⁺—Ar. The ²⁴Mg⁺—Ar spectrum is characterized by a 15 member progression with a frequency (ω′_e) of 272 cm⁻¹. An extrapolation of this progression fixes the excited state dissociation energy (D′_o) at 5552 cm⁻¹. The corresponding ground-state value (D″_o) is 1270 cm⁻¹ (3.6 kcal/mol). The ²Π _, spin—orbit splitting is 76 cm⁻.     

Through-bond and through-space interactions : The electronic spectrum of barrelene

The first theoretical calculations that reproduce the observed UV spectrum of bairelene are reported. Absorptions above 200 nm are assigned as π →σ^* while the first excitation that is essentially π → π^* is predicted at ca 180 nm. These results are interpreted in terms of through-space π - π interaction, which splits the π-levels, and through-bond interaction, which mixes σ into the π, and fills in the gap between the antibonding π-orbitals. The latter interaction is such that the σ-framework, in each of the three bridges, couples the ethylenic moieties that are based on the other two.     

Spectroscopic study of harmane in micelles at 77 K using fluorescent probes

Steady-state and time-resolved emission for spectroscopic techniques at 77 K, and molecular orbital calculations using PM3-MOPAC/93 and HAM/3-CI have been used to study the two forms of harmane, the neutral (HN) and the monoprotonated (HH), in different environments. In hydrophobic media, for (HN), four species were determined and in hydrophilic medium, for (HH), we found just one species. The photophysical properties of all these species were determined, and we verified that each one of them displays distinct photophysical properties from one to another. For example, for monomer of (HN), the lowest electronic singlet state S₁ is (π,π^*) and the lowest electronic triplet state T₁ is (π,π^*), due to the phosphorescence lifetime it is t=0.8 s. For the (HH) monomer, the S₁ is (π,π^*) and T₁ is (π,π^*) and the spin–orbital coupling is inefficient. These determinations were used to characterise and to identify the harmane species that is solubilised into the interior of neutral (triton X-100), anionic (dodecyl lithium sulphate) and cationic (hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide) micelles, all of them were prepared under physiological conditions. The results indicated that active species in the interior of the micelles is a hydrogen bond complex between (HN) and micellar environments that is anchored in the aqueous region of micelles.     

4-硝基咪唑A-带激发态结构动力学

通过共振拉曼光谱实验和量子化学计算的方法研究了4-硝基咪唑(4NI)A-带激发态衰变动力学.对4NI的振动光谱、紫外电子吸收光谱、荧光光谱和共振拉曼光谱进行了指认.在全活化空间自洽场法(CASSCF)/6-31G(d)计算水平下获得了单重激发态S1(nOπ*)和S2(ππ*)和势能面交叉点S1(nOπ*)/S2(ππ*)的优化几何结构和能量,分析了A-带共振拉曼光谱的强度模式特征,获得了短时结构动力学,并结合全活化空间自洽场法(CASSCF)理论计算结果确定了4NI在S2(ππ*)态衰变通道主要是S2,FC→S2,min(ππ*)→S0辐射弛豫.     

Excitation-energy dependence of phosphorescence quantum yield of benzaldehyde vapour at low pressure

The phosphorescence quantum yield of benzaldehyde vapour was measured at low pressure (down to 2 mtorr) as a function of excitation wavelength. The quantum yield is essentially constant in the range of excitation energy corresponding to the S₁(n,π^*) state, but it decreases very rapidly as the excitation energy is raised to the value corresponding to S₂(π,π^*), indicating that the phosphorescence property of the benzaldehyde molecule varies, depending on the nature of the singlet state to which the molecule is initially excited.