Opp‐Dibenzoporphyrins as a Light‐Harvester for Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

New opp‐dibenzoporphyrins were prepared in a concise method that was based on a Pd⁰‐catalyzed cascade reaction. These porphyrins, which contained carboxylic‐acid linker groups on benzene rings that were fused to the porphyrin at their β,β′‐positions, were examined as sensitizers for dye‐sensitized solar cells for the first time. Whereas all of the porphyrins showed solar‐energy‐to‐electricity conversion, an opp‐dibenzoporphyrin with conjugated carboxylic‐acid linkers displayed the highest conversion efficiency and an exceptionally high J_sc value. Cyclic voltammetry of these porphyrins suggested that the fusion of two aromatic benzene rings onto the periphery of the porphyrin lowered the HOMO–LUMO energy gap; the incorporation of a conjugated carboxylic‐acid linker group decreased the HOMO–LUMO gap even further. These CV data are consistent with DFT calculations for these porphyrins and agree well with the UV/Vis absorption‐ and fluorescence spectra of these porphyrins.     

Impact of replacement of the central benzene ring in anthracene by a heterocyclic ring on electronic excitations and reorganization energies in anthratetrathiophene molecules

The impact of changing the central benzene ring on the electronic excitations and reorganization energies (λ) of the anthratetrathiophene (ATT) molecules is studied by density functional theory (DFT) and time‐dependent DFT (TD‐DFT) quantum chemical calculations. The effect of changing the position of the sulfur atom at the periphery of anthracene on the optical and charge transfer properties is also studied. The calculated results suggest that the HOMO, LUMO, HOMO–LUMO energy gap, ionization potential (IP), electron affinity (EA), hole extraction potential (HEP), electron extraction potential (EEP), and reorganization energies (λ) are affected by replacing the central ring with different heterocyclic rings and the position of the sulfur atom. In addition, all molecules show good hole‐ and electron‐transport properties. This work may be helpful for future design and preparation of high‐performance charge‐transport materials.     

Carbo‐biphenyls and Carbo‐terphenyls: Oligo(phenylene ethynylene) Ring Carbo‐mers

Ring carbo‐mers of oligo(phenylene ethynylene)s (OPEn, n=0–2), made of C₂‐catenated C₁₈ carbo‐benzene rings, have been synthesized and characterized by NMR and UV‐vis spectroscopy, crystallography and voltammetry. Analyses of crystal and DFT‐optimized structures show that the C₁₈ rings preserve their individual aromatic character according to structural and magnetic criteria (NICS indices). Carbo‐terphenyls (n=2) are reversibly reduced at ca. ?0.42 V/SCE, i.e. 0.41 V more readily than the corresponding carbo‐benzene (?0.83 V/SCE), thus revealing efficient inter‐ring π‐conjugation. An accurate linear fit of E_1/2^red1 vs. the DFT LUMO energy suggests a notably higher value (?0.30 V/SCE) for a carbo‐quaterphenyl congener (n=3). Increase with n of the effective π‐conjugation is also evidenced by a red shift of two of the three main visible light absorption bands, all being assigned to TDDFT‐calculated excited states, one of them restricting to a HOMO→LUMO main one‐electron transition.     

Highly Pure Synthesis,Spectral Assignments,and Two‐Photon Properties of Cruciform Porphyrin Pentamers Fused with Benzene Units

Tetrameric porphyrin formation of 2‐hydroxymethylpyrrole fused with porphyrins through a bicyclo[2.2.2]octadiene unit gave bicyclo[2.2.2]octadiene‐fused porphyrin pentamers. Thermal conversion of the pentamers gave fully π‐conjugated cruciform porphyrin pentamers fused with benzene units in quantitative yields. UV/Vis spectra of fully π‐conjugated porphyrin pentamers showed one very strong Q absorption and were quite different from those of usual porphyrins. From TD‐DFT calculations, the HOMO level is 0.49 eV higher than the HOMO?1 level. The LUMO and LUMO+1 levels are very close and are lower by more than 0.27 eV than those of other unoccupied MOs. The strong Q absorption was interpreted as two mutually orthogonal single‐electron transitions (683 nm: 86 %, HOMO→LUMO; 680 nm: 86 %, HOMO→LUMO+1). The two‐photon absorption (TPA) cross section value (σ⁽²⁾) of the benzene‐fused porphyrin pentamer was estimated to be 3900 GM at 1500 nm, which is strongly correlated with a cruciform molecular structure with multidirectional π‐conjugation pathways.     

Circumpentacene with Open-Shell Singlet Diradical Character

Circumacenes (CAs) are a distinctive type of benzenoid polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons where an acene unit is completely enclosed by a layer of outer fused benzene rings. Despite their unique structures, the synthesis of CAs is challenging, and until recently, the largest CA molecule synthesized was circumanthracene. In this study, we report the successful synthesis of an extended circumpentacene derivative 1 , which represents the largest CA molecule synthesized to date. Its structure was confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis and its electronic properties were systematically investigated by both experiments and theoretical calculations. It shows a unique open-shell diradical character due to the existence of extended zigzag edges, with a moderate diradical character index (y₀=39.7 %) and a small singlet-triplet energy gap (ΔE_S-T=−4.47 kcal/mol). It exhibits a dominant local aromatic character with π-electrons delocalized in the individual aromatic sextet rings. It has a small HOMO–LUMO energy gap and displays amphoteric redox behavior. The electronic structures of its dication and dianion can be considered as doubly charged structures in which two coronene units are fused with a central aromatic benzene ring. This study provides a new route toward stable multizigzag-edged graphene-like molecules with open-shell di/polyradical character.     

Highly Thermostable,Non‐oxidizable Indium,Gallium, and Aluminium Perfluorophthalocyanines with n‐Type Character

Perfluorophthalocyanines incorporating three‐valent metals, namely In(Cl), Ga(Cl), and Al(Cl), have been synthesized and characterized. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed that these compounds exhibit outstanding thermal stability and a tendency to sublime at a temperature exceeding around 350 °C without thermal decomposition. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) were used to probe the frontier orbital energy levels of these compounds in THF solution. All three compounds undergo three quasi‐reversible reductions with the first one leading to the formation of an anion radical, namely MPc^?., as confirmed by spectroelectrochemistry. The compounds studied were intrinsically resistive to oxidation, which indicates that they are very good electron acceptors (n‐type materials). The HOMO–LUMO energy gaps (E_g) of the three compounds determined by UV/Vis spectroscopy were relatively unaffected by the three‐valent metals incorporated into the phthalocyanine macrocycle. Similarly, the energies of the HOMO (E_HOMO) and LUMO (E_LUMO) orbitals remained virtually unaffected by the three‐valent metals in the perfluorophthalocyanine. Importantly, all the perfluorophthalocyanines studied possess LUMO levels between ?4.76 and ?4.85 eV, which makes their reduced forms resistant to electron trapping by O₂ and H₂O. This property opens up the possibility for the fabrication of electronic devices operating under ambient conditions. All three compounds demonstrated very good photostability as solid thin films.     

The six‐membered‐ring azomethine N‐((E)‐{5‐[(E)‐(pyridin‐3‐ylimino)methyl]thiophen‐2‐yl}methylidene)pyridin‐3‐amine

The title compound, C₁₆H₁₂N₄S, forms a three‐dimensional layered network structure via intermolecular hydrogen bonding and π‐stacking. The azomethine molecule adopts the thermodynamically stable E regioisomer and the pyridine substituents are antiperiplanar. The mean planes of the pyridine rings and the azomethine group to which they are connected are twisted by 27.27 (5) and 33.60 (5)°. The electrochemical energy gap of 2.3 eV based on the HOMO–LUMO energy difference is in agreement with the spectroscopically derived value.     

Ring Reconstruction on a Trichalcogenasumanene Buckybowl: A Facile Approach to Donor–Acceptor‐Type [5‐6‐7] Fused Planar Polyheterocycles

The transformation of trichalcogenasumanene buckybowls into donor–acceptor‐type [5‐6‐7] fused polyheterocycles is disclosed. The strategy involves a highly efficient ring‐opening of the flanking benzene upon oxidation at room temperature, and facile ring closure by functional‐group transformation. Crystallographic studies indicate that the resulting [5‐6‐7] fused polyheterocycles possess a planar conformation owing to the release of ring strain by expansion of one of the six‐membered flanking rings to the seven‐membered one. Additionally, the [5‐6‐7] fused polyheterocycles bear electron‐withdrawing groups, which reduce the HOMO–LUMO energy gap, and display broad absorption bands extending to λ=590 nm. Consequently, these compounds show strong red emission with fluorescence quantum yields of up to 38 %.     

Low‐Band‐Gap BODIPY Conjugated Copolymers for Sensing Volatile Organic Compounds

Conjugated polymers with strong photophysical properties are used in many applications. A homopolymer ( P1 ) and five new low band gap copolymers based on 4,4′‐difluoro‐4‐bora‐3a,4a‐diaza‐s‐indacene (BODIPY) and acceptors 3,6‐dithienyldiketopyrrolopyrrole ( P2 ), phthalimide ( P3 ), benzotriazole ( P4 ), 4,7‐dithienyl[1,2,3]triazolo[4,5g]quinoxaline ( P5 ), and 2,5‐dithienylthieno[3,4‐b]pyrazine ( P6 ) were prepared by means of Sonogashira polymerization. The characterization of polymers by using ¹H NMR, absorption, and emission spectroscopy is discussed. All polymers with high molecular weights (M_n) of 16 000 to 89 000 g mol^?1 showed absorption maxima in the deep‐red region (λ=630–760 nm) in solution and exhibited significant redshifts (up to 70 nm) in thin films. Polymers P2 , P5 , and P6 showed narrow optical band gaps of 1.38, 1.35, and 1.38 eV, respectively, which are significantly lower than that of P1 (1.63 eV). The HOMO and LUMO energy levels of the polymers were calculated by using cyclic voltammetry measurements. The LUMO energy levels of BODIPY‐based alternating copolymers were independent of the acceptors; this suggests that the major factor that tunes the LUMO energy levels of the polymers could be the BODIPY core. All polymers showed selective and reproducible detection of volatile organic solvents, such as toluene and benzene, which could be used for developing sensors.     

Assessment of substituent effects on the parameters of 35Cl nuclear quadrupole resonance in para‐substituted benzene‐sulphenyl chloride via quantum chemical calculations

In this research, substituent effects on the parameters of ³⁵Cl nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) in para‐substituted benzene‐sulphenyl chloride were studied at M062X/6‐311G(d,p) theory level. The ³⁵Cl NQR parameters of the quadrupole coupling constant (QCC) and electric‐field gradient (EFG) tensor, as well as an asymmetric parameter, were shown to be correlated with Hammett constant following their calculations. The frontier orbital energy levels, HOMO‐LUMO gaps, hardness, electrophilicity, and chemical potential values of these molecules were calculated as well. natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis was applied for calculating natural populations at chlorine atoms.     

Tuning of the electronic properties of H‐passivated armchair graphene nanoribbons by mild border oxidation: Theoretical study on periodic models

We report the results of a DFT study of the electronic properties, intended as highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energies, of periodic models of H‐passivated armchair graphene nanoribbons (a‐GNRs) as that synthetized by bottom‐up technique, functionalized by vicinal dialdehydic groups. This material can be obtained by border oxidation in mild and easy to control conditions with ¹Δ_g O₂ as we reported in our previous paper (Ghigo et al., ChemPhysChem 2015, 16, 3030). The calculations show that the two models of border oxidized a‐GNRs (model A, 0.98 nm and model B, 1.35 nm wide) present LUMO and HOMO energies lowered by an extend roughly linearly dependent on the amount of oxygen chemically bound. The frontier orbital energy variations dependence on the % wt of oxygen bound are, for model A: ?0.12 eV for the LUMO and ?0.05 eV for the HOMO; for model B: ?0.15 eV (HOMO) and ?0.06 eV (LUMO). © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

FT Raman and DFT Study on a Series of All‐anti Oligothienoacenes End‐Capped with Triisopropylsilyl Groups

Herein, we study the π‐conjugational properties of a homologous series of all‐anti oligothienoacenes containing four to eight fused thiophene rings by means of FT Raman spectroscopy and DFT calculations. The theoretical analysis of the spectroscopic data provides evidence that selective enhancement of a very limited number of Raman scatterings is related to the occurrence in these oligothienoacenes of strong vibronic coupling between collective ν(C?C) stretching modes in the 1600–1300 cm^?1 region and the HOMO/LUMO frontier orbitals (HOMO=highest occupied molecular orbital; LUMO=lowest unoccupied molecular orbital). The correlation of the Raman spectroscopic data and theoretical results for these all‐anti oligothienoacenes with those previously collected for a number of all‐syn oligothienohelicenes gives further support to the expectation that cross‐conjugation is dominant in heterohelicenes. Fully planar all‐anti oligothienoacenes display linear π conjugation which seemingly does not reach saturation with increasing number of annulated thiophene rings in the oligomeric chain at least up to the octamer.     

Orbital Symmetry in QSAR: Some Schiff's Base Inhibitors of Carbonic Anhydrase

Abstract

In a reexamination of some data on the inhibition of carbonic anhydrase (CA) isozymes I and II by some phenyl and pyridyl substituted sulfanilamide Schif's bases we have found that activity can better be explained by considering the directions of the nodes in π-like near frontier orbitals in the molecules. The near-frontier orbitals involved are those that are analogous to the degenerate pairs of HOMO and LUMO orbitals of benzene. This effect seems common in compounds which contain variously substituted benzene rings and is probably critical to understanding the activity of any aromatic molecule which is bound to its receptor by π–π charge transfer interactions.     

o‐Carborane‐based Biphenyl and p‐Terphenyl Derivatives

The synthesis and properties of biphenyl‐ and p‐terphenyl‐fused o‐carboranes are described. Aryl rings in the biphenyl and p‐terphenyl skeletons are highly coplanar because of the presence of the o‐carborane unit. o‐Carborane exhibits an electron‐withdrawing character via the inductive effect, resulting in a decrease in both the HOMO and LUMO levels of oligophenyls without causing electronic perturbation.     

MNDO calculations on borazine derivatives. The substitution of one [HNBH] fragment for one [HCCH] fragment in benzene to form the azaborines and the nature of the cyclotrimer of the 1,2-isomer

The three azaborine isomers with the formula C₄H₆BN, 1,2-, 1,4-, and 1,3-azaborine ( I , II , and III ), have been examined using MNDO (m odified n eglect of d iatomic o verlap) calculations. The most stable azaborine was I (heat of formation -8.147 kcal/mol), followed by II (+11.60 kcal/mol) and III (+16.64 kcal/mol). Qualitatively, although the π- and π*-orbitals calculated for the azaborines exhibited an ordering similar to that in benzene and borazine, the HOMO/LUMO energy differences (9.27, 9.68, and 8.44 eV, respectively) were smaller than was the difference calculated for borazine (12.81 eV), but of the same magnitude as the difference for benzene (9.76 eV). With the exception of borazine, each molecule had a π-orbital for the HOMO and a π*-orbital for the LUMO ; borazine's LUMO was a π*-orbital. The calculated shapes and atomic contributions for the π-and π*-orbitals of the azaborines were best described as “hybrids” of the π- and π*-orbitals of benzene and borazine. As was observed for the π- and π*-orbitals of borazine, the azaborines exhibited increased orbital density at the nitrogen atom in the π-bonding orbitals and at boron in the π-antibonding orbitals, as would be predicted from electronegativity considerations. Although I and II exhibited significant double- and single-bond localization, all of the ring bonds in III were delocalized. The delocalization in III was not uniform but, rather, resembled two inequivalent fused allyl systems. The cyclotrimer ( IV ) of 1,2-azaborine (heat of formation -44.07 kcal/mol), based purely on thermodynamic considerations, was predicted to form spontaneously from three monomer molecules with the concurrent loss of three molecules of dihydrogen. The cyclotrimers that could theoretically be produced from 1,2-azaborine without the loss of dihydrogen ( IVc and IVt ) were each calculated to be less stable (heats of formation +24.45, and +33.29 kcal/mol, respectively) than was the experimentally observed IV . The carbon molecules triphenylene ( TP ) and cis- and trans-4a,4b,8a,8b,12a,12b- hexahydrotriphenylene ( TPc and TPt ) (heats of formation +76.79, +101.6, and +103.1 kcal/mol, respectively) were each calculated to be less stable than were the azaborine cyclotrimer analogs, as was observed in comparisons of benzene with the azaborines and borazine.     

Theoretical Investigation into Electronic Structures and Charge Transfer Properties of π‐Conjugated System with Different Combinations of Thiophene and Vinyl/Butadiene

A series of combinations of thiophene and vinyl/butadiene were investigated by ab initio and DFT methods to explore their electronic structures and charge transfer properties. The results show that increasing thiophene ring and vinyl number is a rational strategy to raise the HOMO energy levels and lower the LUMO energy levels. Moving the vinyl from the periphery to the core has the slight effect on the HOMO and LUMO energy levels. Furthermore, replacing the middle vinyl and end‐capped vinyl of 3b (T5V4) with the butadiene can lower LUMO energy levels and then facilitate the electron injection. Above all, the close hole and electron reorganization energies (λ_h and λ_e) are observed from these compounds. However, the λ_es are smaller than their respective λ_hs in some compounds, which is relatively rare in organic materials. Especially, the promising ambipolar material 3c (T5B4) is recommended theoretically for possessing the equivalent minimum λ_h (0.24 eV) and λ_e (0.24 eV). The absorption wavelengths exhibit red shifts with the increasing of the thiophene ring and the vinyl number under the same configuration, which correspond to the reverse order of ΔE_H‐L and E_g. The linear relationships are found between experimental lowest singlet excited energies (E_exp) with theoretical values ΔE_H‐L and E_g.     

Structure of the T1-state wave function of linear polyenes

Configuration interaction singles (CIS) calculations of the planar T₁ state of hexatriene, octatetraene, decapentaene, and dodecahexaene showed that the (HOMO−i)→(LUMO+i) type single excitations contribute significantly. This is attributed to the similarity of the HOMO, LUMO, and HOMO−i, LUMO+i overlap densities which stem from nodal properties of the π molecular orbitals. CASSCF calculations for hexatriene and octatetraene also showed remarkable contributions of the (HOMO−i)→(LUMO+i) type singly excited configurations. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quant Chem 67: 101–106, 1998     

Study on the influence of methyl groups and their location on properties of triphenylamino-based charge transporting hydrazones

Abstract  

Methyl substituent effects on the HOMO and LUMO energy levels, and the ability to transport charge and form stable molecular glasses of 4-(diphenylamino)benzaldehyde phenylhydrazones were investigated. Thermal properties, HOMO and LUMO energy levels, and hole mobility values are dependent on the number of methyl substituents and their position in the investigated transporting materials. Surprisingly, however, the presence of methyl groups at any position negatively affects the hole drift mobility of the molecularly doped polymers containing those hydrazones.     

ABSORPTION SPECTRA AND PPP-MO CALCULATIONS OF THIOPYRAN AND RELATED COMPOUNDS

Abstract

The absorption bands of the coumarin, the thiocoumarin and thiochromone have been examined by the PPP calculation with variable β approximation, changing with increasing ring size. The calculated longest-wavelengths (λ₁) of these series were in good agreement with the experimental values measured in ethanol. A bathochromic displacement of λ₁ produced by annelation of a benzene ring to a 2H-pyran-2-one, a coumarin and its thio analogues might be mainly due to a reduction of LUMO energy levels and/or increase of HOMO energy levels. The substituent effect on absorption spectra in the coumarin, the thiocoumarin and thiochromone series has also been examined, and discussed in terms of PPP calculations.     

Synthesis and characterization of π-extended thienoacenes with up to 13 fused aromatic rings

π-Extended thienoacenes that comprise alternatively arranged anthracene and thieno[3,2-b]thiophene moieties and have 8 or 13 aromatic rings were synthesized. The delocalization of their HOMO and LUMO orbitals is over the entire molecules, and low-lying HOMO levels endow them good stability.