A Study of Excitation Delocalization/Localization in Multibranched Chromophores by Using Fluorescence Excitation Anisotropy Spectroscopy

We describe a simple approach to study the excitation localization/delocalization in multibranched chromophores by using fluorescence excitation anisotropy spectroscopy at room temperature. As examples, the electronic excitations in three different multibranched chromophores (dimers) are investigated. For a weakly coupled dimer, fluorescence anisotropy is independent of excitation wavelength, due to localized excitation as well as the degenerate electronic excited states. In contrast, in the case of a strongly coupled dimer, owing to excitonic splitting, a redistribution of the excitation energy is demonstrated by the dependence of anisotropy spectra on the excitation wavelength, which leads to significant deviation from the anisotropy signal of localized excitation. In particular, based on the law of additivity for anisotropy, the degree of delocalized excitation can be simply estimated for a given dimer.     

Probing the Ignored Elimination Channel of Br2 in the 248 nm Photodissociation of 1,1‐Dibromoethylene by Cavity Ring‐Down Absorption Spectroscopy

A process of elimination : Optical spectra of the Br₂ product eliminated from the photodissociation of 1,1‐dibromoethylene at 248 nm are obtained (see picture), and the subsequent dissociation pathways are proposed with the aid of ab initio potential energy calculations. The behavior of the compound is compared with that of 1,2‐dibromoethylene.

     

Carbon‐Centered Radical Addition and β‐Scission Reactions: Modeling of Activation Energies and Pre‐exponential Factors

A consistent set of group additive values ΔGAV° for 46 groups is derived, allowing the calculation of rate coefficients for hydrocarbon radical additions and β-scission reactions. A database of 51 rate coefficients based on CBS-QB3 calculations with corrections for hindered internal rotation was used as training set. The results of this computational method agree well with experimentally observed rate coefficients with a mean factor of deviation of 3, as benchmarked on a set of nine reactions. The temperature dependence on the resulting ΔGAV°s in the broad range of 300–1300 K is limited to ±4.5 kJ mol⁻¹ on activation energies and to ±0.4 on logA (A: pre-exponential factor) for 90 % of the groups. Validation of the ΔGAV°s was performed for a test set of 13 reactions. In the absence of severe steric hindrance and resonance effects in the transition state, the rate coefficients predicted by group additivity are within a factor of 3 of the CBS-QB3 ab initio rate coefficients for more than 90 % of the reactions in the test set. It can thus be expected that in most cases the GA method performs even better than standard DFT calculations for which a deviation factor of 10 is generally considered to be acceptable.     

Hydrogen Radical Additions to Unsaturated Hydrocarbons and the Reverse β‐Scission Reactions: Modeling of Activation Energies and Pre‐Exponential Factors

The group additivity method for Arrhenius parameters is applied to hydrogen addition to alkenes and alkynes and the reverse β‐scission reactions, an important family of reactions in thermal processes based on radical chemistry. A consistent set of group additive values for 33 groups is derived to calculate the activation energy and pre‐exponential factor for a broad range of hydrogen addition reactions. The group additive values are determined from CBS‐QB3 ab‐initio‐calculated rate coefficients. A mean factor of deviation of only two between CBS‐QB3 and experimental rate coefficients for seven reactions in the range 300–1000 K is found. Tunneling coefficients for these reactions were found to be significant below 400 K and a correlation accounting for tunneling is presented. Application of the obtained group additive values to predict the kinetics for a set of 11 additions and β‐scissions yields rate coefficients within a factor of 3.5 of the CBS‐QB3 results except for two β‐scissions with severe steric effects. The mean factor of deviation with respect to experimental rate coefficients of 2.0 shows that the group additive method with tunneling corrections can accurately predict the kinetics and is at least as accurate as the most commonly used density functional methods. The constructed group additive model can hence be applied to predict the kinetics of hydrogen radical additions for a broad range of unsaturated compounds.     

Anion Recognition by Uranyl–Salophen Derivatives as Probed by Infrared Multiple Photon Dissociation Spectroscopy and Ab Initio Modeling

The vibrational features and molecular structures of complexes formed by a series of uranyl–salophen receptors with simple anions, such as Cl^?, H^?, and HCOO^?, have been investigated in the gas phase. Spectra of the anionic complexes were studied in the $\tilde \nu $ =800–1800 cm^?1 range by mass‐selective infrared multiple photon dissociation (IRMPD) spectroscopy with a continuously tunable free‐electron laser. The gas‐phase decarboxylation of the formate adducts produces uranyl–salophen monohydride anions, which have been characterized for the first time and reveal a strong U?H bond, the nature of which has been elucidated theoretically. The spectra are in excellent agreement with the results obtained from high‐quality ab initio calculations, which provided the structure and binding features of the anion–receptor complexes.     

Spectroscopic and theoretical study of vibrational spectra of hydrogen‐bonded tropolone

Theoretical simulation of the bandshape and fine structure of the ν_s stretching band is presented for tropolone‐H and tropolone‐D taking into account an adiabatic coupling between the high‐frequency O–H(D) stretching and the low‐frequency intra‐ and intermolecular OO stretching modes, and linear and quadratic distortions of the potential energies for the low‐frequency vibrations in the excited state of the O–H(D) stretching vibration. In order to determine the low‐frequency vibrations, the experimental spectra of the polycrystalline tropolone in the far‐infrared and the low‐frequency Raman range have been recorded for the first time. The experimental frequencies in the low‐frequency region are compared with the results of the HF/6‐31G** and Becke3LYP/6‐31G** calculations carried out for the tropolone dimer. ©1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quant Chem 73: 275–282, 1999     

Synthesis and Two‐Photon Absorption Property Characterizations of Small Dendritic Chromophores Containing Functionalized Quinoxaliniod Heterocycles

A series of star‐shaped multi‐polar chromophores (compounds 1 – 3 ) containing functionalized quinoxaline and quinoxalinoid (indenoquinoxaline and pyridopyrazine) units has been synthesized and characterized for their two‐photon absorption (2PA) properties both in the femtosecond and the nanosecond time domain. Under our experimental conditions, these model fluorophores are found to manifest strong and wide‐dispersed two‐photon absorption in the near‐infrared region. It is demonstrated that molecular structures with multi‐branched π frameworks incorporating properly functionalized quinoxalinoid units would possess large molecular nonlinear absorptivities within the studied spectral range. Effective optical‐power attenuation and stabilization behaviors in the nanosecond time domain of a selected representative dye molecule (i.e., compound 2 ) from this model compound set were also investigated and the results indicate that such structural motif could be a useful approach for the molecular design toward strong two‐photon‐absorbing material systems for quick‐responsive and broadband optical‐suppressing‐related applications, particularly to confront long laser pulses.     

Absorption Spectra of 4‐Nitrophenolate Ions Measured in Vacuo and in Solution

From blue to red: While four π‐conjugated nitrophenolates absorb within a relatively narrow region in solution, they cover the entire visible spectrum when isolated in vacuo (see picture). The work combines gas‐ and solution‐phase spectroscopy and provides the first benchmark of theoretical excitation energies for nitrophenolates.

     

Ab initio prediction of the vibrational spectra of the hydrogen‐bonded complexes between CO and HONO2

The vibrational characteristics (vibrational frequencies and infrared intensities) for free and complexed CO and HONO₂ have been predicted using ab initio calculations at SCF and MP2 levels with different basis sets and B3LYP/6?31G(d,p) calculations. The ab initio calculations show that the complexation between HONO₂ and CO leads to two stable structures: CO … HONO₂ (1A) and OC … HONO₂ (1B). The changes in the vibrational characteristics from free monomers to complexes have been estimated. It was established that the most sensitive to the complexation is the stretching O? H vibration. In agreement with the experiment, its vibrational frequency in the complexes is shifted to lower frequency (Δν = ?123 cm^?1). The magnitude of the wave number shift is indicative of relatively strong hydrogen‐bonded interaction. The ab initio calculations at different levels predict an increase of the infrared intensity of the stretching O? H vibration for structure 1A more than five times and for structure 1B more than nine times. The most consistent agreement between the computed values of the frequency shifts for structure 1B and those experimentally observed suggests that this structure is preferred. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2003     

Spectroscopic Properties and Three-photon Absorption Induced Optical Limiting of Series of Novel Nonlinear Chromophores

Three novel nonlinear chromophores with symmetric D-π-D molecular structure and extended conjugated length were synthesized. Solvatochromism analysis shows great symmetric intramolecular charge transfer occurring in chromophores by the enhancement in the dipole moment between the ground and excited states. The properties of optical power limiting induced by three-photon absorption (3PA) are demonstrated. Large 3PA coefficients and the corresponding molecular cross sections as high as 10-74 cm6s2 were obtained for nanosecond laser pulses at 1.06 μm from nonlinear transmission measurements.     

Revision of the dissociation energies of mercury chalcogenides--unusual types of mercury bonding.

Mercury chalcogenides HgE (E=O, S, Se, etc.) are described in the literature to possess rather stable bonds with bond dissociation energies between 53 and 30 kcal mol(-1), which is actually difficult to understand in view of the closed-shell electron configuration of the Hg atom in its ground state (...4f(14)5d(10)6s(2)). Based on relativistically corrected many body perturbation theory and coupled-cluster theory [IORAmm/MP4, Feenberg-scaled IORAmm/MP4, IORAmm/CCSD(T)] in connection with IORAmm/B3LYP theory and a [17s14p9d5f]/aug-cc-pVTZ basis set, it is shown that the covalent HgE bond is rather weak (2-7 kcal mol(-1)), the ground state of HgE is a triplet rather than a singlet state, and that the experimental bond dissociation energies have been obtained for dimers (or mixtures of monomers, dimers, and even trimers) Hg2E2 rather than true monomers. The dimers possess association energies of more than 100 kcal mol(-1) due to electrostatic forces between the monomer units. The covalent bond between Hg and E is in so far peculiar as it requires a charge transfer from Hg to E (depending on the electronegativity of E) for the creation of a single bond, which is supported by electrostatic forces. However, a bonding between Hg and E is reduced by strong lone pair-lone pair repulsion to a couple of kcal mol(-1). Since a triplet configuration possesses somewhat lower destabilizing lone pair energies, the triplet state is more stable. In the dimer, there is a Hg-Hg pi bond of bond order 0.66 without any a support. Weak covalent Hg-O interactions are supported by electrostatic bonding. The results for the mercury chalcogenides suggests that all experimental dissociation energies for group-12 chalcogenides have to be revised because of erroneous measurements.     

On the kinetic mechanism of the hydrogen abstraction reactions of the hydroxyl radical with CH3CF2Cl and CH3CFCl2: A dual level direct dynamics study

By means of the dual‐level direct dynamics method, the mechanisms of the reactions, CH₃CF₂Cl + OH → products (R1) and CH₃CFCl₂ + OH → products (R2), are studied over a wide temperature range 200–2000 K. The optimized geometries and frequencies of the stationary points are calculated at the MP2/6‐311G(d,p) level, and then the energy profiles of the reactions are refined with the interpolated single‐point energy method at the G3(MP2) level. The canonical variational transition‐state theory with the small‐curvature tunneling (SCT) correction method is used to calculate the rate constants. For the title reactions, three reaction channels are identified and the H‐abstraction channel is the major pathway. The results indicate that F substitution has a significant (reductive) effect on hydrochlorofluorocarbon reactivity. Also, for all H‐abstraction reaction channels the variational effect is small and the SCT effect is only important in the lower temperature range on the rate constants calculation. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2010     

Photodissociation of 1,2‐Dibromoethylene at 248 nm: Br2 Molecular Elimination Probed by Cavity Ring‐Down Absorption Spectroscopy

The Br₂ elimination channel is probed for 1,2‐C₂H₂Br₂ in the B –X transition upon irradiation at 248 nm by using cavity ring‐down absorption spectroscopy (CRDS). The nascent vibrational population ratio of Br₂(v=1)/Br₂(v=0) is obtained to be 0.7±0.2, thus indicating that the Br₂ fragment is produced in hot vibrational states. The obtained Br₂ products are anticipated to result primarily from photodissociation of the ground‐state cis isomer via four‐center elimination or from cis/trans isomers via three‐center elimination, each mechanism involving a transition state that has a Br? Br distance much larger than that of ground‐state Br₂. According to ab initio potential energy calculations, the pathways that lead to Br₂ elimination may proceed either through the electronic ground state by internal conversion or through the triplet state by intersystem crossing. Temperature‐dependence measurements are examined, thereby supporting the pathway that involves internal conversion—which was excluded previously by using product translational spectroscopy (PTS). The quantum yield for the Br₂ elimination reaction is determined to be 0.12±0.1, being substantially contributed by the ground‐state Br₂ product. The discrepancy of this value from that (of 0.2) obtained by PTS may rise from the lack of measurements in probing the triplet‐state Br₂ product.     

Kinetic mechanism of the hydrogen abstraction reactions of the chlorine atoms with CH3CF2Cl and CH3CFCl2: a dual level direct dynamics study

The mechanisms of the reactions: CH(3)CFCl(2) + Cl (R1) and CH(3)CF(2)Cl + Cl (R2) are studied over a wide temperature range (200-3000 K) using the dual-level direct dynamics method. The minimum energy path calculation is carried out at the MP2/6-311G(d,p) and B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) levels, and energetic information is further refined by the G3(MP2) theory. The H-abstraction from the out-of-plane for (R1) is the major reaction channel, while the in-plane H-abstraction is the predominant route of (R2). The canonical variational transition-state theory (CVT) with the small-curvature tunneling (SCT) correction method is used to calculate the rate constants. Using group-balanced isodesmic reactions and hydrogenation reactions as working chemical reactions, the standard enthalpies of formation for CH(3)CFCl(2), CH(3)CF(2)Cl, CH(2)CFCl(2), and CH(2)CF(2)Cl are evaluated at the CCSD(T)/6-311 + G(3df,2p)//MP2/6-311G(d,p) level of theory. The results indicate that the substitution of fluorine atom for the chlorine atom leads to a decrease in the C-H bond reactivity with a small increase in reaction enthalpies. Also, for all reaction pathways the variational effect is small and the SCT effect is only important in the lower temperature range on the rate constants.     

Probing the barrier for internal rotation of the retinal chromophore

Molecular ion calorimetry: A technique for measuring the heat capacity of an isolated gas-phase chromophore is presented and applied to the retinal protonated Schiff base. The potential use of this technique for studying barriers for internal rotations is discussed.     

In Situ Analysis of the Zn(S,O) Buffer Layer Preparation for Chalcopyrite Solar Cells by Zn L‐edge X‐Ray Absorption Spectroscopy

Bridging the gap between high‐vacuum soft X‐ray absorption spectroscopy and real systems under ambient conditions probes chemical reactions in situ during deposition and annealing processes. The origin of highly efficient buffer layers in Zn(S,O) is the complex formation between Zn²⁺ and the S?C group of thiourea (see schematic), which allows ligand‐to‐metal and metal‐to‐ligand charge transfer (LMCT and MLCT).