Sequential Multistep Excited-State Structural Transformations in N,N′-Diphenyl-dihydrodibenzo[a,c]phenazine Fluorophores

We demonstrate that a single polycyclic π-scaffold can undergo sequential multistep excited-state structural evolution along the bent, planar, and twisted conformers, which coexist to produce intrinsic multiple fluorescence emissions in room-temperature solution. By installing a methyl or trifluoromethyl group on the ortho-site of N,N′-diphenyl-dihydrodibenzo[a,c]phenazine ( DPAC ), the enhanced steric effects change the fluorescence emission of DPAC from a dominant red band to well-resolved triple bands. The ultra-broadband triple emissions of ortho-substituted DPAC s range from ≈350 to ≈850 nm, which is unprecedented for small fluorophores with molecular weight of <500. Ultrafast spectroscopy and theoretical calculations clearly reveal that the above dramatic changes originate from the influence of steric hindrance on the shape of excited state potential energy surface (S₁ PES). Compared to the steep S₁ PES of parental DPAC , the introduction of ortho-substituent is shown to make the path of structural evolution in S₁ wider and flatter, so the ortho-substituted derivatives exhibit slower structural transformations from bent to planar and then to twisted forms, yielding intrinsic triple emission. The results provide the proof of concept that the bent, planar, and twisted emissive states can coexist in the same S₁ PES, which greatly expand the fundamental understanding of the excited-state structural relaxation.     

Versuche zur berechnung der fluoreszenzspektren organischer farbstoffe [1]: Teil II. Substituierte Cumarine

The applicability of the PPP-method for the calculation of fluorescence bands and intensities is tested on a series of substituted coumarines. The calculated wavenumbers of the fluorescence transitions are in excellent agreement with the experimental data whereas the theoretical oscillator strengths of the S₁ → S₀ transition or the differences, ΔA, of the Julg-indices in the first excited state and the ground state yield only poor correlations with the measured fluorescence intensities.     

Ab initio configuration interaction study on electronically excited 4-dimethylamino-4′-cyanostilbene

Ab initio configuration interaction calculations have been performed to examine the electronic structures of both trans-4-dimethylamino-4′-cyanostilbene (DCS) and four types of perpendicularly twisted DCSs, trans-DCS is predominantly excited into the S₁ state out of low-lying excited states. The S₁ state is an intramolecular charge-transfer (ICT) state in which the dipole moment is about twice as large as that in S₀. The excited DCS at the 4-dimethylanilino twisted conformation, which becomes S₁ in polar solvents, has a very much larger dipole moment than that in S₁ to trans-DCS. This means that the geometrical structure of the twisted ICT (TICT) is the 4-dimethylanilino twisted form, not the dimethylamino twisted one which is well know from the TICT structure of 4-dimethylaminobenzonitrile. Received: 16 December 1998 / Accepted: 19 March 1999 / Published online: 9 September 1999     

Theoretical calculations and vibrational spectra of 1,4-benzodioxan in its S(1)(pi, pi*) electronic excited state

The structure and vibrational frequencies of 1,4-benzodioxan in its S₁(π, π^*) electronic state have been calculated using the GAUSSIAN 03 and TURBOMOLE programs. The results have been compared to experimental data and also to the ground state. Structural data for the T₁(π, π^*) state have also been calculated. The theoretical frequencies agree very well with the experimental values for the S₀ electronic ground state but are less accurate for the S₁ excited state. Nonetheless, they provide valuable guidance for excited state calculations.     

Electronic energy transfer from the S2 state of rhodamine 6G

In this paper we present the results of an experimental study of intermolecular electronic energy transfer (EET) from the short-lived Second excited singlet state of rhodamine 6G (R6G) to the ground state of 2,5-bis [5′-tert-butyl-2-benzoxazolyl] thiophene (BBOT). The S₂ state of the donor was excited by sequential, time-delayed, two-photon excitation (STDTPE) utilizing the second harmonic and the first harmonic of a mode-locked Nd³⁺: glass laser, while the EET process was interrogated by monitoring the enhancement of the S₁ → S₀ fluorescence of BBOT. The enhancement of the fluorescence intensity of BBOT was found to be linear in the energies of the two exciting pulses, and linear in the concentration of the energy acceptor (over the BBOT concentration range of (0.3–7) × 10^?5 M), which is in accord with the predictions of the Forster—Dexter mechanism for resonant EET from an ultrashort-lived donor state at low acceptor concentrations. Quantitative measurements of the S₂ → S₀ fluorescence yield in R6G solution directly excited by STDTPE and of the S₁ → S₀ fluorescence of BBOT from R6G + BBOT solutions resulting from EET led to the values of Y_D(S₂ → S₀) = (2.1 ± 0.5) × 10^?6 for the emission quantum yield of the S₂ state of R6G and τr_D(S₂) ≈ 3 × 10^?14 s for the lifetime of the metastable S₂ state of this molecule.     

p-Dimethylaminobenzonitrile in polar solution. L Time-dependent rate in intramolecular electron transfer reaction

An experimental study in the pico- and nano-second range of the fluorescence of DMABN in propanol solution revealed for a large range of viscosities (20?3×10³cP) a non-exponential decay of the planar excited state disappearing by a twisted charge transfer state formation. These results have been analyzed by a theoretical model of electronic relaxation in the absence of a potential barrier, making evident a time dependence of the reaction rate which is confirmed by the analysis of the appearance of the CT state.     

1,1‐Dilithioethylene: Toward Spectroscopic Identification of the Definitive Singlet Ground Electronic State of a Peculiar Structure

1,1‐Dilithioethylene is a prototypical carbon–lithium compound that is not known experimentally. All low‐lying singlet and triplet structures of interest were investigated by using high‐level theoretical methods with correlation‐consistent basis sets up to pentuple ζ. The coupled cluster methods adopted included up to full triple excitations and perturbative quadruples. In contrast to earlier studies that predicted the twisted C_2v triplet to be the ground state, we found a peculiar planar C_s singlet ground state in the present research. The lowest excited electronic state of 1,1‐dilithioethylene, the twisted C_s triplet, was found to lie 9.0 kcal mol^?1 above the ground state by using energy extrapolation to the complete basis set limit. For the planar C_s singlet and twisted C_s triplet states of 1,1‐dilithioethylene, anharmonic vibrational frequencies were reported on the basis of second‐order vibrational perturbation theory. The remarkably low (2050 cm^?1) C?H stretching fundamental (the C?H bond near the bridging lithium) of the singlet state was found to have very strong infrared intensity. These highly reliable theoretical findings may assist in the long‐sought experimental identification of 1,1‐dilithioethylene. Using natural bond orbital analysis, we found that lithium bridging structures were strongly influenced by electrostatic effects. All carbon–carbon linkages corresponded to conventional double bonds.     

Photophysical properties and vibrational structure of ladder-type penta p-phenylene and carbazole derivatives based on SAC-CI calculations

The ??-conjugated ladder-type molecules constitute an attractive field of organic photoactive materials. In this work, the photophysical properties of ladder-type penta-p-phenylene (LPP) and carbazole derivatives (bisindenocarbazole and diindolocarbazole) have been investigated theoretically using the symmetry-adapted cluster-configuration interaction (SAC-CI) method. The equilibrium geometries in the ground (S ₀) and first excited (S ₁) states were calculated to be planar, and the excitation is delocalized over the molecules. SAC-CI/DZP calculations have been applied to the absorption and emission spectra of these molecules. The absorption spectra were well reproduced in both peak positions and the shape of the absorption bands. The strong absorption is attributed to the highest occupied molecular orbital to the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (H?CL) transition; however, in carbazoles, the H?C1??L transition is located below the H?CL transition. The vibrational structure in the S ₀?CS ₁ absorption band of LPP was analyzed by calculating the Franck?CCondon (FC) factors based on the potential energy surfaces (PESs) along the normal coordinates that are relevant to the geometry change. The vibrational structure was well reproduced by the theoretical simulation. The C?CC stretching mode dominantly contributes to the vibrational structure, while the breathing motion of the molecular frame does not influence the structure. The emission energies calculated by the SAC-CI method also agree well with the experimental values. The vibrational structure in the fluorescence band was also examined by the FC analysis; the theoretical spectrum is satisfactory for the two carbazoles, while the 0?C0 transition is overestimated in LPP. In diindolocarbazole, the S ₂ state has a large oscillator strength, while the S ₁ state has a small oscillator strength.     

Theoretical study on geometry and spectroscopic properties of 1,1′-binaphthyl in the electronic ground and first excited singlet states

Equilibrium geometries for the electronic ground and first excited singlet states of 1,1'-binaphthyl have been calculated by minimization of the total energy with respect to all internal coordinates. Using these results, an interpretation of the fluorescence S₁→ S₀ and absorption spectra S_m ← S₀ and S_n ← S₁ in rigid and fluid solutions is given.For the first time the equilibrium geometry of the first excited singlet state of 1, 1′-binaphthyl has been calculated. On excitation to the S₁ state the dihedral angle θ between the two naphthalene moieties is de- creased from 61 ° to 41 °. A detailed survey of CH bond lengths in the S₀ and S₁ states has been given. This result should be of particular importance for the theoretical treatment of radiationless transitions.Using equilibrium geometries for the S₀ and S₁ states a satisfactory interpretation of the S_m ← S₀ and S_n ← S₁ absorption spectra as well as of the fluorescence spectra in fluid and rigid solutions can be given. Concerning the S_n ← S₁ absorption spectrum in fluid solution, the calculations predict a strong absorption (A ← B transition) in the still uninvestigated region of energies lower than 11000 cm^?1.From the results of this paper and of other calculations it can be concluded that the Warshel-Karplus method yields reliable equilibrium geometries for electronic ground and excited states of unsaturated hydrocarbons [22,23].     

Modeling the structure,absorption spectra,and cis-trans isomerization of thiacarbocyanine dyes

The relative stability of the trans-and cis-isomers of 3,3′-diethylthiacarbocyanine (Dye1) and 3,3′-diethyl-9-methylthiacarbocyanine (Dye2)¹, as well as sections of the potential energy surfaces along the internal coordinate of the isomerization reaction, were studied using the density functional theory. Calculation of the minimum energy pathway for the isomerization reaction showed that the barrier for rotation about the C₈–C₉ bond is higher for Dye1 than for Dye2. Local minimums were found for the singlet excited state of the 8,9-cis-and trans-isomers of the dyes. In the case of the trans-isomers, substantial changes in the dye structure do not occur and the local minimum of the excited state corresponds to the geometry of the starting trans-isomers, which favors efficient fluorescence. A search for the nearest local minimum of the singlet excited state of the 8,9-cis-isomers leads to structures, which differ significantly from the starting structures, and the intensity of the S₁ → S₀ transition in those structures appears to be practically zero. The results are in agreement with experimental data on the absorption, fluorescence, and fluorescence excitation spectra of the dyes.     

The S1 ← S0 0–0 transition energies of polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) revisited: CIS(D) and MP2 calculations with correction for correlation energies

This paper reexamines the structures and energies of dibenzofuran and twenty PCDFs in S₁–S₃ states. It was demonstrated that, although the CIS method gives a false relative ordering of excited states, the false ordering can be remedied by the CIS(D) method. Moreover the CIS geometries of typical PCDF molecules reasonably agree with their SAC-CI geometries. It was found that molecules chlorinated at the 1- and 9-positions are twisted in the S₂ state but are planar in other states, except for 1,4,6,9-TeCDF and fully chlorinated dibenzofuran (OCDF). The twisted structure of 1,4,6,9-TeCDF occurs in the S₃ state, but the structure of OCDF is twisted in every state. We partitioned the molecule into the parent structure and four chlorine groups and measured the twist energy with reference to the ground state. Then, the S_i ← S₀ 0–0 transition energies (i = 1, 2) calculated using the CIS(D) and MP2 methods could be expressed as a multiple linear equation with components and twist energy. It was further confirmed that if the multiple linear equation is corrected for residual correlation energies of the parent structure, it can predict the S₁ ← S₀ 0–0 transition energies with high precision.     

Laser excited S2 → S1 and S1 → S0 emission spectra and the S2 → Sn absorption spectrum of azulene in solution

We present the S₁ → S₀ fluorescence spectrum, between 740 and 940 nm, of azulene solutions (10^?3 M in methanol) excited with a Q-switched ruby laser. The nitrogen-laser excited S₂ → S₁ fluorescence spectrum, between 700 and 930 nm, is also reported. The transient S₁ → S_n spectrum between 500 and 650 nm was studied, using synchronous nitrogen laser and dye laser excitation. The S₅ (¹B₁(3)) state of azulene was found to be located at 45500 cm^?1 and the cross section σ₂₅ of the transient absorption S₂ → S₅ is estimated to be 3 × 10^?18 cm²/molecule.     

Photophysical properties of some phenetidines in non-polar and hydrogen bonding solvents at room temperature and 77 K

The present study was undertaken to investigate the photophysical processes in o-, m- and p-phenetidines, when dissolved in nonpolar and hydrogen bonding solvents, in their ground state and excited electronic state S₁, both at 300 and 77 K. In the ground as well as in the S₁ state it is proposed that the o-phenetidine molecule possesses a structure in which NH₂ and OC₂H₅ groups are away from each other, both in nonpolar cyclohexane (CH) and H-bond acceptor solvent triethylamine (TEA). The formation of a transient or nonemissive charge transfer (CT) complex resulting from strong excited state hydrogen bonding interaction with TEA is found to be responsible for the observed fluorescence quenching of the proton donor phenetidines at 300 K. From the room as well as low (77 K) temperature electronic absorption and steady state fluorescence studies, it was deduced that nonplanarity in the structure of the molecules increases as one moves from aniline to the phenetidines. It is suggested that in the solvent stiffening temperature 77 K, triplet states of all the phenetidines (o-, m- and p-) acquire some nπ* character due to conformational changes, whereas ππ* character is retained in their S₁ state. This facilitates a larger intersystem crossing (ISC) rate in phenetidines relative to the situation in aniline where both S₁ and T₁ possess the same nπ* nature at 77 K due to its more planar structure. However, ISC efficiency in phenetidines at 77 K is found to be impeded, especially in the case of o- and m-isomers, in the presence of TEA as inferred from the lowering of φ_p/φ_⨍ values and the increment of τ_p. In p-phenetidine, rapid equilibrium between a triplet state hydrogen bonded species and free molecules during the triplet excited state lifetime is suggested.     

Raman spectra and structure of biphenyl isoatomers (the S0, S1, T1 states and the cation and anion radicals)

The Raman and transient resonance Raman spectra of biphenyl (BP) and its perdeuterated analogue (BP-d₁₀) in three different electronic states (S₀, S₁ and T₁) and in two different ionized states (cation and anion) have been recorded in solution. The S₀ Raman spectra have also been measured for the crystalline state. The obtained set of spectra are analysed on the basis of the established vibrational assignments for the ground state of the planar (crystal) and the non-planar (solution) structures. The analysis suggests that BP in solution exists as a twisted structure in the S₁ state, but that it takes planar or nearly planar structures in the T₁, the cationic and the anionic states.     

Structured weak absorption spectrum of p-terphenyl microcrystals dispersed in methylcyclohexane glass matrix at 77K

P-terphenyl microcrystals dispersed in a methylcyclohexane glass matrix at 77 K showed a sharp structured weak absorption system at lower energy than the well known strong conjugation band. We assign it to the short-axis polarized transition, ¹B_3u←¹A_g. It is concluded that the lowest excited singlet state is a long-lived state, ¹B_3u, in a planar conformation, whereas it is a short-lived state, ¹A_u, in a twisted conformation.     

Two-photon absorption study of Zn(II)tetraphenylporphin: Role of a higher excited singlet state of gerade symmetry

The S₂ state fluorescence of Zn(II)tetraphenylporphin has been studied by using two-photon absorption and optical—optical double-resonance techniques. The main process to populate the S₂ state was found to be a stepwise two-photon absorption to the S_nstate through the S₁ state. The large absorption cross section of the S_n ← S₁ transition (6.8 × 10^?16 cm² molecule^?1) at 540 nm suggests that there exists a higher excited singlet state of gerade parity.     

Azomethine ylide-formation from N-phthaloylglycine by photoinduced decarboxylation: A theoretical study

In this work, we report the first CASPT2//CASSCF study of the mechanism of the photodecarboxylation of N-phthaloylglycine. The charge transfer excited state S CT ( 1∏∏*) is initially populated upon irradiation at 266 nm. As a result of a fast internal conversion to the lowest excited singlet state S CT-N ( 1∏∏*), this state becomes a favorable precursor state for proton transfer, which triggers decarboxylation. Actually, the excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) and decarboxylation processes proceed in an asynchronous concerted way. The ESIPT process is accomplished in the S CT-N ( 1∏∏*) state, but the CO 2 molecule is finally formed in the ground state via the S CT /S 0 conical intersection. Azomethine ylide is formed in the ground state as a complex with CO 2 . A barrier of ~15 kcal/mol indicates that azomethine ylide is stable in the ground state, which is consistent with the experimental findings. This work provides mechanistic details about the formation of azomethine ylide by photoreaction of N-phthaloylglycine.     

Delayed fluorescence from the lowest 1B+3u state of anthracene,due to hetero-triplet—triplet annihilation of 3anthracene* and 3xanthone*

The P-type delayed fluorescence (DF) S_i→S_o of aromatic compounds results from the population of excited singlet states S_i by triplet—triplet annihillation (TTA) of molecules in their lowest and metastable triplet state T₁ : T₁ + T₁

S_i + S_o; S_i may be any excited singlet state whose excitation energy E(S_i ? 2 E(T₁). TTA of unlike molecules A and B (hetero-TTA) may lead to excited singlet states either of A or of B. In particular, if E(T_A¹) < E(T₁^B), hetero-TTA may lead to excited singlet states S_k^A which are not accessible by TTA of 2 T₁^A. In the present paper we report the first example of the detection of the DF from a very short-lived upper excited singlet state S_k^A which has been populated by hetero-TTA. The systems investigated are liquid solutions of A = anthracene-h₁₀ or anthracene-d₁₀ or 9,10-dimethylanthracene and B = xanthone in 1,1,2-trichlorotrifluoroethane at 243 K. S_k^A is the lowest ¹B_3U⁺ state (B_b state) of anthracene.     

Hybridization of a Flexible Cyclooctatetraene Core and Rigid Aceneimide Wings for Multiluminescent Flapping π Systems

The hybridization of flexible and rigid π‐conjugated frameworks is a potent concept for producing new functional materials. In this article, a series of multifluorescent flapping π systems that combine a flexible cyclooctatetraene (COT) core and rigid aceneimide wings with various π‐conjugation lengths has been designed and synthesized, and their structure/properties relationships have been investigated. Whereas these molecules have a V‐shaped bent conformation in the ground state, the bent structure changes to a planar conformation in the lowest excited singlet (S₁) state irrespective of the lengths of the aceneimide wings. However, the fluorescence behavior in solution is distinct between the naphthaleneimide system and the anthraceneimide system. The former has a nonemissive S₁ state owing to the significant contribution of the antiaromatic character of the planar COT frontier molecular orbitals, thereby resulting in complete fluorescence quenching in solution. In contrast, the latter anthraceneimide system shows an intense emission, which is ascribed to the planar but distorted S₁ state that shows the allowed transition between the π‐molecular orbitals delocalized over the COT core and the acene wings. The other characteristic of these π systems is the significantly redshifted fluorescence in the crystalline state relative to their monomer fluorescence. The relationship between the packing structures and the fluorescence properties was investigated by preparing a series of hybrid π systems with different sizes of substituents on the imide moieties, which revealed the effect of the twofold π‐stacked structure of the V‐shaped molecules on the large bathochromic shift in emission.     

Geometries and energies of the excited states of pyridazine studied by sac and sac CI calculations

The geometries and energies of the ground and excited states of pyridazine are calculated by an ab initio calculation which includes electron correlation. It is found that electron correlation plays an essential role in determining the geometries of the excited states. The optimized geometry of the T₁ state as well as that of the ground state are planar. On the other hand, the force constant along the twisted mode of the NN bond in the T₁ state is much smaller than that in the ground state. It is suggested that this distorted potential produces a large Franck-Condon factor between the T₁ and S₀ states, which leads to a very large radiationless decay rate constant of the T₁ state. The location of the S₂ origin is discussed on the basis of the present results.