From molecule to bulk material: optical properties of hydrogen-bonded dimers [C12H12N4O2AgPF6]2 and [C28H28N6O3AgPF6]2 depend on the arrangement of the oxime moieties

The dependence of the optical properties of C(12)H(12)N(4)O(2)AgPF(6)](2) (dimer-1) and C(28)H(28)N(6)O(3)AgPF(6)](2) (dimer-2) on the arrangement of the oxime moieties in the molecule and in bulk crystals was investigated by means of time-dependent density functional theory. Dimer-1 with simple pyridine oxime ligands and a wavy arrangement has a smaller dipole moment and larger transition energy between the two states, and thus smaller third-order polarizabilities and two-photon absorption cross sections. Dimer-2 with extended pyridine oxime ligands and a ladder arrangement has a larger dipole moment and smaller transition energy between the two states, and thus larger third-order polarizabilities and two-photon absorption cross sections. The lowest energy absorption band is red-shifted for dimer-2 as compared with dimer-1, due to more pronounced pi-pi delocalization interactions and weaker hydrogen bonding in dimer-2. The electronic absorption spectra, frequency-dependent third-order polarizabilities, and two-photon absorption cross sections involve significant contributions from charge transfers from pi/pi* orbitals of the pyridine oxime ligands but no contribution from PF(6) (-) ions or H(2)O molecules in the wavelength range studied for the monomers and dimers of the C(12)H(12)N(4)O(2)AgPF(6) and C(28)H(28)N(6)O(3)AgPF(6) molecules. The third-order susceptibilities and two-photon absorption coefficients of bulk solids were estimated on the basis of the optical properties of the corresponding dimers, and the bulk material constructed from dimer-2 has the larger optical parameters of the two.