Modeling absorption spectra of molecules in solution

The presence of solvent tunes many properties of a molecule, such as its ground and excited state geometry, dipole moment, excitation energy, and absorption spectrum. Because the energy of the system will vary depending on the solvent configuration, explicit solute–solvent interactions are key to understanding solution-phase reactivity and spectroscopy, simulating accurate inhomogeneous broadening, and predicting absorption spectra. In this tutorial review, we give an overview of factors to consider when modeling excited states of molecules interacting with explicit solvent. We provide practical guidelines for sampling solute–solvent configurations, choosing a solvent model, performing the excited state electronic structure calculations, and computing spectral lineshapes. We also present our recent results combining the vertical excitation energies computed from an ensemble of solute–solvent configurations with the vibronic spectra obtained from a small number of frozen solvent configurations, resulting in improved simulation of absorption spectra for molecules in solution.     

Asymmetric line shape in the emission spectra of conjugated polymer thin films: an experimental signature of one-dimensional electronic states

The photoluminescence (PL) properties of thin films of the conjugated polymer [poly(2,5-bis(2(')-ethyl-hexyl)-1,4-phenylenevinylene] have been investigated. At low temperatures the PL spectra show a narrow peak for the electronic transition and a series of well defined vibronic sidebands, which clearly reveal the electron coupling with two different vibronic modes. The purely electronic transition peak is observed to be very asymmetric so that it cannot be adjusted by a single Lorentzian or Gaussian function. In order to understand and explain this asymmetry we have considered a model where the purely electronic transition line shape is partially generated by a broadened square-root singularity representing one-dimensional electron states, and partially by localized (zero-dimensional) states. The localized states are assumed to be those very close to the band edges and are represented in our model by a single Gaussian function. Numerical Franck-Condon analysis was performed, resulting in a very good agreement between the theoretical and the experimental emission spectra. This procedure has confirmed the one-dimensional character of the electron states as the basis for the understanding of the purely electronic line shape asymmetry in the PL spectra of conjugated polymers at low temperatures.     

A quantitative prediction of the electronic spectra of thiocarbonyl chromophores: TD-DFT versus SAC-CI

In this contribution, we set up a SAC-CI methodology to evaluate the n → π* and π → π* vertical transition energies of a series of thiocarbonyl derivatives. We show that Frozen-Core SAC-CI provides accurate vertical excitations energies. Nevertheless, in order to obtain converged results, the R2S2 unliked integrals have to be taken into account in L3-SAC-CI calculations. In addition, we present the comparative performances of three computational procedures, INDO/S, TD-DFT, and SAC-CI, for the calculation of valence excited states energies and it turns out that: (1) no tuning of the exact exchange (α) included in TD-DFT allows to consistently reproduce the SAC-CI results; (2) SAC-CI and TD-B3LYP both evaluate the n → π*, as well as the π → π* transition energies, with a similar accuracy. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

A systematic shift in the electronic spectra of substituted benzene molecules trapped in helium nanodroplets

Electronic spectra (S1<--S0) have been recorded from five separate substituted benzene derivatives trapped in helium nanodroplets. Each member of the series is found to exhibit a blueshift with respect to the equivalent transition in the gas phase. Taken together with previous results for benzene, the observed shifts show a remarkably good correlation with changes in electron density that occur within each of the aromatic rings as a result of electronic excitation.     

Theoretical studies on the electronic spectra of substituted aromatic molecules

A simple Pariser-Parr-Pople-electron SCF method (i.e. one in which parameter variation with charge densities and bond orders is neglected) is used to predict the first three electronic transitions and the ionization potentials of polysubstituted benzenes and five-membered ring heterocyclics containing nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur. The parameters were chosen to fit results for the monosubstituted benzenes and then tested on the polysubstituted compounds, using charge transfer data and oxidation potentials to estimate the ionization potentials. No serious deviations other than those which could be ascribed to steric effects for the ortho disubstituted compounds were found, indicating that penetration integrals and non-nearest-neighbor effects can be absorbed into the semi-empirical parameters. For the five-membered ring heterocyclics it is shown that it is unsatisfactory to use the simple parent compounds, pyrrole, furan, and thiophene as reference molecules in choosing parameters, since satisfactory choices for these molecules often give quite unrealistic results for the corresponding benzo and dibenzo derivatives. Sets of parameters which give consistent results for the parent and the benzo and dibenzo derivatives are given for the nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur heterocyclics.

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Zusammenfassung Mittels eines PPP-SCF-Verfahrens (mit von der Dichtematrix unabhängigen Parametern) werden die drei ersten Elektronenübergänge und Ionisationspotentiale von mehrfach-substituierten Benzolen sowie von heterocyclischen Fünfringen mit N, O und S berechnet. Die Parameter wurden an den einfach-substituierten Benzolen adjustiert. Bei Übertragung auf polysubstituierte Verbindungen ergaben sich nur bei den ortho-disubstituierten Abweichungen, die auf den spezifischen sterischen Verhältnissen beruhen dürften. Daraus wird der Schluß gezogen, daß Durchdringungsintegrale und Effekte übernächster Nachbarn in die Parameter eingeschlossen werden können. Im Fall der Fünfringe zeigt sich, daß man besser nicht die einfachen und unsubstituierten Ringe für die Parameterwahl benützt, weil man sonst oft für Benzo- und Dibenzoabkömmlinge unrealistische Resultate erhält. Dagegen lassen sich Parametersätze finden, die für alle drei Typen befriedigende Ergebnisse liefern.

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Résumé Une méthode SCF Pariser-Parr-Pople pour électrons, sans variation des paramètres avec les charges et les indices de liaison, est utilisée pour prédire les trois premières transitions électroniques et les potentiels d'ionisation des benzènes polysubstitués et des hétérocycles pentagonaux contenant de l'azote de l'oxygène et du soufre. Les paramètres ont été ajustés sur les benzènes mono-substitués et testés sur les composés polysubstitués, en utilisant les données du transfert de charge et les potentiels d'oxydation pour évaluer les potentiels d'ionisation. Peu d'écarts importants ont été obtenus, en dehors de ceux que l'on peut attribuer à des effets stériques dans les composés di substitués en ortho; ceci indique que les intégrales de pénétration et les effets des voisins lointains peuvent être introduits dans les paramètres semi-empiriques. En ce qui concerne les hétérocycles à cinq atomes, on montre qu'il n'est pas satisfaisant d'utiliser les composés parents simples: pyrrole, furane et thiophène, comme molécules de référence pour le choix des paramètres, car on obtient ainsi des résultats souvent non réalistes pour les dérivés benzo et di benzo correspondants. On donne des paramètres permettant d'obtenir des résultats satisfaisants dans ces cas.

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NASA Research Trainee 1967.     

Interpretation of electronic spectra of aromatic hydrocarbons by the “molecules in molecules” method

The molecules in molecules method has been applied to five groups of hydrocarbon molecules or ions. Energy, polarisation and intensity of electronic transitions have been compared with experimental data and previous theoretical results. The results show that the method is applicable even when there is relevant conjugation between the fragments.

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Zusammenfassung Die molecules in molecules-Methode wurde auf fünf Gruppen von Kohlenwasserstoff-Molekülen angewandt. Energie, Polarisation und Intensität von elektronischen Übergängen wurden mit experimentellen und theoretischen Resultaten verglichen. Die Resultate beweisen, daß die Methode anwendbar ist, auch wenn eine wesentliche Konjugation zwischen den Fragmenten besteht.

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Resumé La méthode molecules in molecules a té appliquée à cinq groupes de molécules ou ions d'hydrocarbures. On a comparé les energies, la polarisation et l'intensité des transitions électroniques avec les données experimentales et les données théoriques qu'on avait précedemment calculées. Les résultats indiquent que la méthode est appliquable, même lorsqu'on a une conjugation assez importante entre les fragments.

     

Computer simulation of the shape of absorption bands in electronic spectra ofJ-aggregates

The shape of absorption bands of aggregates formed by two, four, and nine molecules of a polymethine dye was calculated by the Monte-Carlo method. The energy of interaction of the molecules in the ground state was simulated using atom-atom potentials, and the energies of interaction between dipole moments of electronic transitions of the monomers were estimated by quantum-chemical methods. In the dimer aggregate the dipole moments of the electronic transitions in the monomers interact weakly; therefore, the electron absorption spectrum should be similar to that of the monomer. On going from the dimer to the aggregates consisting of four and nine monomers, the relative positions of monomers change and this, in turn, increases the energy of interaction between the dipole moments of their electronic transitions, resulting in a red shift characteristic ofJ-aggregates and narrowing of the absorption bands. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk Seriya Khimicheskaya. No. 1, pp. 67–69, January, 1997.     

Homogeneous IR line shape of matrix isolated molecules in the debye approximation

The homogeneous line shape of vibrational transitions of matrix isolated molecules is calculated in the Debye approximation for lattice vibrations. The interaction between matrix and molecule is assumed anharmonic and expressed in space time phonon correlation functions. Excluding local modes and libration of the molecule, analytical expressions for the temperature dependence of line width and line shift are derived which permit verification by experiment.     

Band shape in vibrational spectra and interactions of polar molecules in liquids

The structure and shape of bands in the Raman vibrational spectra of polar molecules in liquids are analyzed. The possibility of using these data to examine interactions of molecules as well as their vibrational and orientational dynamics is shown. Translated from Zhumal Struktumoi Khimii, Vol. 38, No. 2, pp. 270–281, March–April, 1997.     

Deconvolution of fluorescence spectra: contribution to the structural analysis of complex molecules

Fluorescence spectroscopy is a sensitive analytical tool in the studies of both simple and complex molecular structures. In complex molecules, however, determining the number and position of components may give a specific insight into the structure, complementary to the other analytical techniques. We applied log–normal model to analyze fluorescence of simple monofluorophore molecule. In order to analyze spectra where both fluorophores and Raman emission bands were present, we developed a method obtained by combination of the symmetric, Gaussian, for Raman and asymmetric, log–normal model, for fluorescence, applicable to the molecules of different complexity. Technically, for each sample we varied excitation wavelength with 5 nm step and recorded the corresponding emission spectra. They were subsequently used for component analysis. Position of each component was plotted against the excitation wavelength. Applying this approach we could identify minimal number of components having stable positions, while their approximate probability density (APD) in a spectral series was correlated with the probable number of fluorophores in the molecule. The method was tested on molecules containing different number of fluorophores: monomers involved in the synthesis of plant polymer lignin—coniferyl alcohol (one fluorophore), ferulic acid (two fluorophores) and on lignin model compound produced from these monomers (many fluorophores). All investigated species belong to benzene-substituted class of compounds, and it is reasonable to assume that they have similar fluorescence band contour. We also report the results of environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) studies showing multilayered dehydrogenative polymer (DHP) structure, in order to show complexity of the polymer. Our results present complementarity of these two approaches in the structural studies of the lignin model compound.     

Microscopic solvent shifts in the electronic spectra of large van der waals molecules

The experimental red-shifts of the electronic origins of a number of large non-polar van der Waals molecules are reported. A comparison with the theoretical red-shifts calculated by a formalism given by Longuet-Higgins and Pople yields a good correlation, reflecting the dominant role of dispersion interactions in these complexes.     

On the relation between absorption and emission spectra of molecules in solution

The universal relation between absorption and fluorescence spectra derived by Stepanov in 1957 is reexamined to assess the relative merits of two of the inferences usually drawn from its use in the analysis of data: elevated excited state temperatures (“warm fluorescence”) and inhomogeneous broadening of the molecular spectra. Of these, only the latter appears to give a satisfactory explanation of the anomalous temperatures derived using the Stepanov method in condensed media, and in particular, a purely “warm fluorescence” interpretation implies that a distinct curvature should appear in plots which experimentally appear to be straight lines.     

Conference on the theory of the structure and spectra of complex molecules

Translated fromZhurnal Strukturnoi Khimii, Vol. 36, No. 2, p. 203, March–April, 1995.     

A new possibility for determining vibration frequencies of organic molecules in the excited electronic state from fluorescence spectra

The dependence of the fluorescence spectra of some aromatic hydrocarbons and phthalocyanines in solid solutions at 4.2 K on the frequency of laser excitation has been studied. It has been found that “multiplets” exist in the fluorescence spectra in the case when laser excitation occurs in the vibronic transition region. The structure of these “multiplets” does not depend on the solvent but changes considerably with a change of laser frequency. It has been shown that by analysing the above-mentioned “multiplets” one can obtain frequencies of vibrations of the investigated molecules in excited electronic states.