Showing papers on "Triplet state published in 2014"

Phosphorescence versus Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence. Controlling Singlet–Triplet Splitting in Brightly Emitting and Sublimable Cu(I) Compounds

Abstract: Photophysical properties of two highly emissive three-coordinate Cu(I) complexes, (IPr)Cu(py2-BMe2) (1) and (Bzl-3,5Me)Cu(py2-BMe2) (2), with two different N-heterocyclic (NHC) ligands were investigated in detail (IPr = 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene; Bzl-3,5Me = 1,3-bis(3,5-dimethylphenyl)-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-ylidene; py2-BMe2 = di(2-pyridyl)dimethylborate). The compounds exhibit remarkably high emission quantum yields of more than 70% in the powder phase. Despite similar chemical structures of both complexes, only compound 1 exhibits thermally activated delayed blue fluorescence (TADF), whereas compound 2 shows a pure, yellow phosphorescence. This behavior is related to the torsion angles between the two ligands. Changing this angle has a huge impact on the energy splitting between the first excited singlet state S1 and triplet state T1 and therefore on the TADF properties. In addition, it was found that, in both compounds, spin–orbit coupling (SOC) is particularly effective compared...

A Hybridized Local and Charge-Transfer Excited State for Highly Efficient Fluorescent OLEDs: Molecular Design, Spectral Character, and Full Exciton Utilization

Abstract: For a donor–acceptor (D–A) molecule, there are three possible cases for its low-lying excited state (S1): a π–π* state (a localized electronic state), a charge-transfer (CT) state (a delocalized electronic state), and a mixed or hybridized state of π–π* and CT (named here as the hybridized local and charge transfer (HLCT) state). The HLCT state is an important excited state for the design of next-generation organic light-emitting diode (OLED) materials with both high photoluminescence (PL) efficiency and a large fraction of singlet exciton generation in electroluminescence (EL). According to the principle of state mixing in quantum chemistry, a series of twisting D–A molecules are designed and synthesized, and their HLCT state characters are verified by both fluorescent solvatochromic experiments and quantum chemical calculations. The CT components in the HLCT state, which greatly affect the molecular optical properties, are found to be enhanced with a decrease of the twist angle of the D–A segment or an increase of the D–A intensity in these twisting D–A molecules. In OLEDs, using these HLCT compounds as the emitting layer, the maximum exciton utilization efficiency is harvested up to 93%. Surprisingly, an exception of Kasha's rule is revealed in some HLCT compounds: restricted internal-conversion (IC) from the high-lying triplet state (T2) to the low-lying triplet T1, and a reopened path of reverse intersystem crossing (RISC) from T2 to S1 or S2, based on the analysis of the excited-state energy levels and the measurement of the low-temperature spectrum. RISC from T2 to S1 (S2) as a “hot exciton” channel is believed to contribute to the large proportion of the radiative singlet excitons.

The Structure and Dynamics of Molecular Excitons

Abstract: The photophysical behavior of organic semiconductors is governed by their excitonic states. In this review, I classify the three different exciton types (Frenkel singlet, Frenkel triplet, and charge transfer) typically encountered in organic semiconductors. Experimental challenges that arise in the study of solid-state organic systems are discussed. The steady-state spectroscopy of intermolecular delocalized Frenkel excitons is described, using crystalline tetracene as an example. I consider the problem of a localized exciton diffusing in a disordered matrix in detail, and experimental results on conjugated polymers and model systems suggest that energetic disorder leads to subdiffusive motion. Multiexciton processes such as singlet fission and triplet fusion are described, emphasizing the role of spin state coherence and magnetic fields in studying singlet ↔ triplet pair interconversion. Singlet fission provides an example of how all three types of excitons (triplet, singlet, and charge transfer) may interact to produce useful phenomena for applications such as solar energy conversion.

Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence (TADF) and Enhancing Photoluminescence Quantum Yields of [CuI(diimine)(diphosphine)]+ Complexes—Photophysical, Structural, and Computational Studies

Abstract: The complexes [Cu(I)(POP)(dmbpy)][BF4] (1) and [Cu(I)(POP)(tmbpy)][BF4] (2) (dmbpy = 4,4′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridyl; tmbpy = 4,4′,6,6′-tetramethyl-2,2′-bipyridyl; POP = bis[2-(diphenylphosphino)-phenyl]ether) have been studied in a wide temperature range by steady-state and time-resolved emission spectroscopy in fluid solution, frozen solution, and as solid powders. Emission quantum yields of up to 74% were observed for 2 in a rigid matrix (powder), substantially higher than for 1 of around 9% under the same conditions. Importantly, it was found that the emission of 2 at ambient temperature represents a thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) which renders the compound to be a good candidate for singlet harvesting in OLEDs. The role of steric constraints within the complexes, in particular their influences on the emission quantum yields, were investigated by hybrid-DFT calculations for the excited triplet state of 1 and 2 while manipulating the torsion angle between the bipyridyl and POP ligands. Bo...

The third-order algebraic diagrammatic construction method (ADC(3)) for the polarization propagator for closed-shell molecules: Efficient implementation and benchmarkinga)

Abstract: The implementation of an efficient program of the algebraic diagrammatic construction method for the polarisation propagator in third-order perturbation theory (ADC(3)) for the computation of excited states is reported. The accuracies of ADC(2) and ADC(3) schemes have been investigated with respect to Thiel's recently established benchmark set for excitation energies and oscillator strengths. The calculation of 141 vertical excited singlet and 71 triplet states of 28 small to medium-sized organic molecules has revealed that ADC(3) exhibits mean error and standard deviation of 0.12 ± 0.28 eV for singlet states and −0.18 ± 0.16 eV for triplet states when the provided theoretical best estimates are used as benchmark. Accordingly, the ADC(2)-s and ADC(2)-x calculations revealed accuracies of 0.22 ± 0.38 eV and −0.70 ± 0.37 eV for singlets and 0.12 ± 0.16 eV and −0.55 ± 0.20 eV for triplets, respectively. For a comparison of CC3 and ADC(3), only non-CC3 benchmark values were considered, which comprise 84 singlet states and 19 triplet states. For these singlet states CC3 exhibits an accuracy of 0.23 ± 0.21 eV and ADC(3) an accuracy of 0.08 ± 0.27 eV, and accordingly for the triplet states of 0.12 ± 0.10 eV and −0.10 ± 0.13 eV, respectively. Hence, based on the quality of the existing benchmark set it is practically not possible to judge whether ADC(3) or CC3 is more accurate, however, ADC(3) has a much larger range of applicability due to its more favourable scaling of O(N6) with system size.

Highly efficient and color-stable hybrid warm white organic light-emitting diodes using a blue material with thermally activated delayed fluorescence

Abstract: Hybrid white organic light-emitting diodes (WOLEDs) often undergo triplet energy loss through the triplet state of the blue fluorophors. Here, blue fluorophors with thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) are introduced to solve this problem. The triplet excitons formed on blue TADF fluorophors can be harvested by either energy transfer to the low-lying triplet states of the phosphor or thermal upconversion to the emissive singlet states, eliminating the energy loss. Moreover, device structures are wisely designed to take full advantages of the charge trapping ability of the TADF dopant, 4,5-bis(carbazol-9-yl)-1,2-dicyanobenzene, achieving a color-stable warm white emission. Remarkably, a maximum forward viewing external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 22.5% and a maximum forward viewing power efficiency (PE) of 47.6 lm W−1 are achieved. These values are among the highest reported for hybrid WOLEDs and even comparable to full-phosphorescent ones, demonstrating that the strategy reported here is promising for OLED lighting.

Singlet Fission: From Coherences to Kinetics.

Abstract: Singlet fission, in which an initially excited singlet state spontaneously splits into a pair of triplet excitons, is a process that can potentially boost the efficiency of solar energy conversion. The separate electronic bands in organic semiconductors make them especially useful for dividing a high-energy singlet exciton into a pair of lower-energy triplet excitons. Recent experiments illustrate the role of spin coherence in fission, while kinetic models are used to describe how triplet and singlet states interact on longer time scales. Despite insights gained from recent experiments, the detailed structure and dynamics of the electronic states involved in the initial step of singlet fission remain active areas of investigation. On longer time scales, finding ways to efficiently harvest the triplet excitons will be an important challenge for making devices based on this phenomenon. A full understanding of singlet fission requires consideration of a sequence of photophysical events (decoherence, relaxation, and diffusion) occurring on different time scales.

2,4-Dithiothymine as a Potent UVA Chemotherapeutic Agent

Abstract: Substitution of both oxygen atoms in the exocyclic carbonyl groups of the thymine chromophore by sulfur atoms results in a remarkable redshift of its absorption spectrum from an absorption maximum at 267 nm in thymidine to 363 nm in 2,4-dithiothymine (ΔE = 9905 cm–1). A single sulfur substitution of a carbonyl group in the thymine chromophore at position 2 or 4 results in a significantly smaller redshift in the absorption maximum, which depends sensitively on the position at which the sulfur atom is substituted, varying from 275 nm in 2-thiothymine to 335 nm in 4-thiothymidine. Femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy reveals that excitation of 2,4-dithiothymine at 335 or 360 nm leads to the ultrafast population of the triplet state, with an intersystem crossing lifetime of 180 ± 40 fs—the shortest intersystem crossing lifetime of any DNA base derivative studied so far in aqueous solution. Surprisingly, the degree and position at which the sulfur atom is substituted have important effects on the magn...

Electrogenerated chemiluminescence of donor-acceptor molecules with thermally activated delayed fluorescence.

Abstract: The electrochemistry and electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) of four kinds of electron donor–acceptor molecules exhibiting thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) is presented. TADF molecules can harvest light energy from the lowest triplet state by spin up-conversion to the lowest singlet state because of small energy gap between these states. Intense green to red ECL is emitted from the TADF molecules by applying a square-wave voltage. Remarkably, it is shown that the efficiency of ECL from one of the TADF molecule could reach about 50 %, which is comparable to its photoluminescence quantum yield.

Communication: DMRG-SCF study of the singlet, triplet, and quintet states of oxo-Mn(Salen)

Abstract: We use CheMPS2, our free open-source spin-adapted implementation of the density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) [S. Wouters, W. Poelmans, P. W. Ayers, and D. Van Neck, Comput. Phys. Commun. 185, 1501 (2014)], to study the lowest singlet, triplet, and quintet states of the oxo-Mn(Salen) complex. We describe how an initial approximate DMRG calculation in a large active space around the Fermi level can be used to obtain a good set of starting orbitals for subsequent complete-active-space or DMRG self-consistent field calculations. This procedure mitigates the need for a localization procedure, followed by a manual selection of the active space. Per multiplicity, the same active space of 28 electrons in 22 orbitals (28e, 22o) is obtained with the 6-31G(*), cc-pVDZ, and ANO-RCC-VDZP basis sets (the latter with DKH2 scalar relativistic corrections). Our calculations provide new insight into the electronic structure of the quintet.

General design strategy for aromatic ketone-based single-component dual-emissive materials.

Abstract: Materials with both fluorescence and room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) can be useful in the field of optoelectronics. Here we present a general strategy, taking advantage of carbonyl compounds, which have been known to possess efficient intersystem crossing with high triplet state yield, as well as a strongly fluorescent intramolecular charge-transfer (ICT) state, to produce materials with both fluorescence and RTP at the same time, or dual-emission. In the presented model systems, in order to generate a suitable ICT state, Lewis acid binding to aromatic ketone derivatives has been proved to be a viable method. We have selected AlCl3, BCl3, BF3, and GdCl3 as binding Lewis acids, in that they exhibit sufficiently strong binding affinity toward the aromatic ketone derivatives to afford stable complexes and yet do not possess low-lying electronic transitions vs the ligands. We have successfully observed dual-emission from these designed complexes in polymers, which act to suppress competitive thermal decay at room temperature. One of the complexes is particularly interesting as it is dual-emissive in the crystalline state. Single-crystal XRD reveals that the molecule forms multiple hydrogen bonds with its neighbors in crystals, which may significantly enhance the rigidity of the environment.

Hyperbranched unsaturated polyphosphates as a protective matrix for long-term photon upconversion in air.

Abstract: The energy stored in the triplet states of organic molecules, capable of energy transfer via an emissive process (phosphorescence) or a nonemissive process (triplet–triplet transfer), is actively dissipated in the presence of molecular oxygen. The reason is that photoexcited singlet oxygen is highly reactive, so the photoactive molecules in the system are quickly oxidized. Oxidation leads to further loss of efficiency and various undesirable side effects. In this work we have developed a structurally diverse library of hyperbranched unsaturated poly(phosphoester)s that allow efficient scavenging of singlet oxygen, but do not react with molecular oxygen in the ground state, i.e., triplet state. The triplet–triplet annihilation photon upconversion was chosen as a highly oxygen-sensitive process as proof for a long-term protection against singlet oxygen quenching, with comparable efficiencies of the photon upconversion under ambient conditions as in an oxygen-free environment in several unsaturated polyphosp...

Tuning Ground States of Bis(triarylamine) Dications: From a Closed‐Shell Singlet to a Diradicaloid with an Excited Triplet State

Abstract: Three bis(triarylamine) dications were isolated by using weakly coordinating anions. Their electronic structures in the ground state were investigated by various experiments in conjunction with theoretical calculations. The ground-state electronic structures of these species were tunable by substituent effects, with two of them as closed-shell singlets and one of them as an open-shell singlet in the solid state. The excited state of the latter is thermally accessible, indicated by EPR and SQUID measurements. The work provides a new and stable diradicaloid structure motif with an excited triplet sate.

Experimental Charge Density Study of a Silylone

Abstract: An experimental and theoretical charge density study confirms the interpretation of (cAAC)2Si as a silylone to be valid. Two separated VSCCs present in the non-bonding region of the central silicon are indicative for two lone pairs. In the experiment, both the two crystallographically independent Si-C bond lengths and ellipticities vary notably. It is only the cyclohexyl derivative that shows significant differences in these values, both in the silylones and the germylones. Only by calculating increasing spheres of surrounding point charges we were able to recover the changes in the properties of the charge density distribution caused by weak intermolecular interactions. The nitrogen-carbene-carbon bond seems to have a significant double-bond character, indicating a singlet state for the carbene carbon, which is needed for donor acceptor bonding. Thus the sum of bond angles at the nitrogen atoms seems to be a reasonable estimate for singlet versus triplet state of cAACs.

Ultrafast intersystem crossing dynamics in uracil unravelled by ab initio molecular dynamics

Abstract: Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations have been performed in order to investigate the relaxation dynamics of uracil after UV excitation in gas phase. Intersystem crossing (ISC) has been included for the first time into time-dependent simulations of uracil, allowing the system to relax in the singlet as well as in the triplet states. The results show a qualitatively different picture than similar simulations that include singlet states only. The inclusion of ISC effectively quenches the relaxation to the singlet ground state and instead privileges transitions from the low-lying nπ* state (S1) to a ππ* triplet state (T2) followed by rapid internal conversion to the lowest triplet state.

Single-shot readout and relaxation of singlet and triplet states in exchange-coupled 31P electron spins in silicon.

Abstract: We present the experimental observation of a large exchange coupling J ≈ 300 μeV between two (31)P electron spin qubits in silicon. The singlet and triplet states of the coupled spins are monitored in real time by a single-electron transistor, which detects ionization from tunnel-rate-dependent processes in the coupled spin system, yielding single-shot readout fidelities above 95%. The triplet to singlet relaxation time T(1) ≈ 4 ms at zero magnetic field agrees with the theoretical prediction for J-coupled 31P dimers in silicon. The time evolution of the two-electron state populations gives further insight into the valley-orbit eigenstates of the donor dimer, valley selection rules and relaxation rates, and the role of hyperfine interactions. These results pave the way to the realization of two-qubit quantum logic gates with spins in silicon and highlight the necessity to adopt gating schemes compatible with weak J-coupling strengths.

Using an organic molecule with low triplet energy as a host in a highly efficient blue electrophosphorescent device.

Abstract: To achieve high efficiencies in blue phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes (PhOLEDs), the triplet energies (T1) of host materials are generally supposed to be higher than the blue phosphors. A small organic molecule with low singlet energy (S1) of 2.80 eV and triplet energy of 2.71 eV can be used as the host material for the blue phosphor, [bis(4,6-difluorophenylpyridinato-N,C(2'))iridium(III)] tetrakis(1-pyrazolyl)borate (FIr6; T1=2.73 eV). In both the photo- and electro-excited processes, the energy transfer from the host material to FIr6 was found to be efficient. In a three organic-layer device, the maximum current efficiency of 37 cd A(-1) and power efficiency of 40 Lm W(-1) were achieved for the FIr6-based blue PhOLEDs.

Thermally activated delayed fluorescence from 3nπ* to 1nπ* up-conversion and its application to organic light-emitting diodes

Abstract: Intense nπ* fluorescence from a nitrogen-rich heterocyclic compound, 2,5,8-tris(4-fluoro-3-methylphenyl)-1,3,4,6,7,9,9b-heptaazaphenalene (HAP-3MF), is demonstrated. The overlap-forbidden nature of the nπ* transition and the higher energy of the 3ππ* state than the 3nπ* one lead to a small energy difference between the lowest singlet (S1) and triplet (T1) excited states of HAP-3MF. Green-emitting HAP-3MF has a moderate photoluminescence quantum yield of 0.26 in both toluene and doped film. However, an organic light-emitting diode containing HAP-3MF achieved a high external quantum efficiency of 6.0%, indicating that HAP-3MF harvests singlet excitons through a thermally activated T1 → S1 pathway in the electroluminescent process.

Ground-state ferromagnetic transition in strongly repulsive one-dimensional Fermi gases

Abstract: We prove that as a one-dimensional Fermi gas is brought across the resonance adiabatically from large repulsion to large attraction, the singlet ground state will give way to the maximum spin state, which is the lowest energy state among the states accessible to the system in this process. In the presence of tiny symmetry-breaking fields that destroy spin conservation, the singlet ground state can evolve to the ferromagnetic state or a spin segregated state. We have demonstrated these effects by exact calculations on fermion cluster relevant to current experiments, and have worked out the quantum-mechanical wave function that exhibits phase separation.

Europium and Terbium Coordination Polymers Assembled from Hexacarboxylate Ligands: Structures and Luminescent Properties

Abstract: Six lanthanide coordination polymers of the formula [Ln(L1)0.5(H2O)2]·2H2O [where Ln3+: Eu3+ (1), Tb3+ (2), and Gd3+(3)] and [Me2NH2][Ln(H2L2)(H2O)4]·0.5DMF·xH2O [where Ln3+: Eu3+ (4), Tb3+ (5), and Gd3+(6)], based on p-terphenyl-2,2″,2‴,5,5″,5‴-hexacarboxylate acid (H6L1), and p-terphenyl-3,2″,3″,5,5″,5‴,-hexacarboxylate acid (H6L2), have been solvothermally synthesized and structurally characterized. Complexes 1–3 are 3D frameworks exhibiting 6-connected pcu alpha-Po primitive cubic network with topology (412.63), while complexes 4–6 show two-dimensional (2D) architectures showing simplified 3,4-connected binodal net and (4.62)(42.62.82) topology. Detailed photophysical behaviors have been explored on Eu3+, Tb3+, and Gd3+ complexes. The calculated triplet state energies of H6L1 and H6L2 lie above the emissive levels of Eu3+ or Tb3+ in an ideal range for sensitizing. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the optimum energy gap between the triplet state of ligand H6L1 and the emissive level of Tb3+ ion mak...

On the molecular mechanism of non-radiative decay of nitrobenzene and the unforeseen challenges this simple molecule holds for electronic structure theory

Abstract: In this work, we present a complete mechanistic picture of the non-radiative decay of the mono-substituted aromatic compound nitrobenzene from the bright singlet state to the electronic ground state. This mechanism involves internal conversion (IC) and inter-system crossing (ISC) along three dominating internal coordinates of the nitro group and consistently explains the experimental findings. Relaxation from the lowest triplet state via ISC occurs along the out-of-plane bending coordinate of the nitro group, while initial IC as well as ultrafast ISC into the triplet manifold take place along symmetric NO stretching and ONO bending modes that have not been considered yet. The proposed mechanism is based on high-level single- and multi-reference electronic structure calculations employing ADC3, MOM-CCSD(T), EOM-CCSD, DFT/MRCI and CAS-SCF/NEVPT2 levels of theory, which is, as we will demonstrate, absolutely necessary to assure a reliable and sufficiently accurate theoretical description of nitrobenzene. The need for third-order methods will be traced back to the large double-excitation character of about 50% of the second excited singlet state of nitrobenzene. As a result, second-order methods like approximate coupled-cluster of second order (CC2) and partially even (EOM-)CCSD yield a qualitatively wrong picture of the excited states. Surprisingly, already the description of the ground state geometries is problematic at the CC2 and partially also CCSD level of theory.

Time-dependent approach to spin-vibronic coupling: Implementation and assessment

Abstract: In this work, we present the generalization of a time-dependent method for the calculation of intersystem crossing (ISC) rates in the Condon approximation. When ISC takes place between electronic states with the same orbital type, i.e., when the transition is forbidden according to the El-Sayed rules, it is necessary to go beyond the Condon approximation. Similar to the Herzberg-Teller expansion of the vibronic interaction, the electronic spin-orbit matrix elements are assumed to depend linearly on the nuclear coordinates. The ISC rate is then a sum of three contributions: a direct, mixed direct-vibronic, and vibronic term. The method, presented in this work, is based on the generating function formalism and the multi-mode harmonic oscillator approximation. In addition to the zero-temperature case, we implemented formulae for finite-temperature conditions assuming a Boltzmann population of vibrational levels in the initial state. Tests have been carried out for a variety of molecules for which literature data were available. We computed vibronic one-photon spectra of free-base porphyrin and free-base chlorin and calculated ISC rates for xanthone, thioxanthone, thionine, as well as free-base porphyrin and found excellent agreement with previous results. Quantitative rates for triplet formation in rhodamine A have been determined theoretically for the first time. We find the S1↝ T2 channel to be the major source of triplet rhodamine formation in the gas phase.

Excited-state intramolecular hydrogen transfer (ESIHT) of 1,8-dihydroxy-9,10-anthraquinone (DHAQ) characterized by ultrafast electronic and vibrational spectroscopy and computational modeling.

Abstract: We combine ultrafast electronic and vibrational spectroscopy and computational modeling to investigate the photoinduced excited-state intramolecular hydrogen-transfer dynamics in 1,8-dihydroxy-9,10-anthraquinone (DHAQ) in tetrachloroethene, acetonitrile, dimethyl sulfoxide, and methanol. We analyze the electronic excited states of DHAQ with various possible hydrogen-bonding schemes and provide a general description of the electronic excited-state dynamics based on a systematic analysis of femtosecond UV/vis and UV/IR pump-probe spectroscopic data. Upon photoabsorption at 400 nm, the S2 electronic excited state is initially populated, followed by a rapid equilibration within 150 fs through population transfer to the S1 state where DHAQ exhibits ESIHT dynamics. In this equilibration process, the excited-state population is distributed between the 9,10-quinone (S2) and 1,10-quinone (S1) states while undergoing vibrational energy redistribution, vibrational cooling, and solvation dynamics on the 0.1-50 ps time scale. Transient UV/vis pump-probe data in methanol also suggest additional relaxation dynamics on the subnanosecond time scale, which we tentatively ascribe to hydrogen bond dynamics of DHAQ with the protic solvent, affecting the equilibrium population dynamics within the S2 and S1 electronic excited states. Ultimately, the two excited singlet states decay with a solvent-dependent time constant ranging from 139 to 210 ps. The concomitant electronic ground-state recovery is, however, only partial because a large fraction of the population relaxes to the first triplet state. From the similarity of the time scales involved, we conjecture that the solvent plays a crucial role in breaking the intramolecular hydrogen bond of DHAQ during the S2/S1 relaxation to either the ground or triplet state.

Non-adiabatic and intersystem crossing dynamics in SO2. II. The role of triplet states in the bound state dynamics studied by surface-hopping simulations

Abstract: The importance of triplet states in the photorelaxation dynamics of SO2 is studied by mixed quantum-classical dynamics simulations. Using the SHARC method, standing for Surface Hopping including ARbitrary Couplings, intersystem crossing (ISC) processes caused by spin-orbit coupling are found occurring on an ultrafast time scale (few 100 fs) and thus competing with internal conversion. While in the singlet-only dynamics only oscillatory population transfer between the (1)B1 and (1)A2 states is observed, in the dynamics including singlet and triplet states we find additionally continuous ISC to the (3)B2 state and to a smaller extent to the (3)B1/(3)A2 coupled states. The populations obtained from the dynamics are discussed with respect to the overall nuclear motion and in the light of recent TRPEPICO studies [I. Wilkinson, A. E. Boguslavskiy, J. Mikosch, D. M. Villeneuve, H.-J. Worner, M. Spanner, S. Patchkovskii, and A. Stolow, "Excited state dynamics in SO2. I. Bound state relaxation studied by time-resolved photoelectron-photoion coincidence spectroscopy," J. Chem. Phys. 140, 204301 (2014)].

Theoretical prediction of the rate constants for exciton dissociation and charge recombination to a triplet state in pcpdtbt with different fullerene derivatives

Abstract: The exciton dissociations and charge recombinations to a triplet state in the donor–acceptor heterojunction solar cells of [2,6-(4,4-bis(2-ethylhexyl)-4H-cyclopenta[2,1-b;3,4-b]dithiophene)-alt-4,7-(2,1,3-benzothiadiazole)] (PCPDTBT) blended with ten different fullerene derivatives are theoretically investigated by using electronic structure calculations together with a Marcus formula. The detailed discussions of available accuracy in the evaluation of all quantities entering the rate expression (driving force, electronic coupling, and internal and external reorganization energies) are provided. The results reveal that the exciton dissociations in most blends are barrierless reactions because the corresponding values of driving forces and reorganization energies are very close; however, the recombinations from the charge transfer states to the triplet state of PCPDTBT occur in the Marcus normal regime. The predicted rates for both the exciton dissociation and charge recombination are in quite good agreeme...

The phosphorescent co-crystals of 1,4-diiodotetrafluorobenzene and bent 3-ring-N-heterocyclic hydrocarbons by C–I⋯N and C–I⋯π halogen bonds

Abstract: The co-crystals 1–3 were successfully assembled from 1,4-diiodotetrafluorobenzene (1,4-DITFB) and bent 3-ring-N-heterocyclic hydrocarbons (3-R-NHHs) based on halogen bonds (XBs) and other weak interactions. The halogen bond as a good strategy of introducing a metal-free heavy-atom perturber at a suitable stoichiometry is further confirmed, which makes the spin–orbital coupling more efficient and the phosphorescence more observable. Herein, the selected 3-R-NHHs in co-crystals 1–3 show different emissions, of green, orange-yellow and orange phosphorescence with well defined vibrational bands at 544 nm (max) for 1, 592 nm (max) for 2 and 605 nm (max) for 3, whereas the pure 3-R-NHHs are not phosphorescent in the solid state. The reason can be mainly ascribed to the different N-positions within the three 3-R-NHHs that affect the C–I⋯π halogen bond properties, which influence further the energy level of the excited triplet state and meanwhile make the transition from T1 to the higher vibrational level of the S0 state become more probable with respect to the free monomer. It is estimated that in the co-crystals the energy level of the excited ππ* triplet state is lowered, as evidenced by the presence of a bathochromic effect in the maximum emission bands of 50–100 nm. The other interactions and local molecular environment can affect the phosphorescent behaviours, too. The different phosphorescent behaviours of three co-crystals should be suitable for the design of some appropriate π-type acceptors for the development of phosphorescent materials via the introduction of halogen bonds.

Intersystem Crossing Enables 4-Thiothymidine to Act as a Photosensitizer in Photodynamic Therapy: An Ab Initio QM/MM Study

Abstract: Motivated by its potential use as a photosensitizer in photodynamic therapy, we report the first ab initio quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) study of 4-thiothymidine in aqueous solution. The core chromophore 4-thiothymine was described using the multiconfigurational CASSCF and CASPT2 QM methods, while the ribose and the solvent water molecules were treated at the MM level (CHARMM and TIP3P, respectively). The minima of the five lowest electronic states (S0, S1, S2, T1, and T2) and six minimum-energy intersections were fully optimized at the QM(CASSCF)/MM level, and their energies were further refined by single-point QM(CASPT2)/MM and CASPT2 calculations. The relevant spin-orbit couplings were also computed. We find that (1) there are three efficient photophysical pathways that account for the experimentally observed ultrafast formation of the lowest triplet state with a quantum yield of nearly unity, (2) the striking qualitative differences in the photophysical behavior of 4-thiothymine and thymine originate from the different electronic structure of their S1 states, and (3) environmental effects play an important role. The present QM/MM calculations provide mechanistic insight that may guide the design of improved photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy.

Hydrogen bonding switches the spin state of diphenylcarbene from triplet to singlet.

Abstract: Spin specificity is one of the most important properties of carbenes in their reactions. Alcohols are typically used to probe the reactive spin states of carbenes: O-H insertions are assumed to be characteristic of singlet states, whereas C-H insertions are typical for the triplets. Surprisingly, the experiments presented here suggest that the spin ground state of diphenylcarbene 1 switches from triplet to singlet if the carbene is allowed to interact with methanol. Carbene 1 and methanol form a strongly hydrogen-bonded singlet ground state complex that was synthesized in low-temperature matrices and characterized by IR spectroscopy. This methanol complex is only metastable, and even at 3 K slowly rearranges to form the product of O-H insertion through quantum chemical tunneling. Thus, the ground state triplet (in the gas phase) carbene 1 forms exclusively the products expected from a singlet carbene. Whereas the assumption of spin specific reactions of carbenes is correct, the spin state itself can be changed by solvent interactions, and therefore widely accepted conclusions drawn from earlier experiments have to be revisited.

Long-Lived Heteronuclear Spin-Singlet States in Liquids at a Zero Magnetic field

Abstract: We report an observation of long-lived spin-singlet states in a 13C-1H spin pair in a zero magnetic field. In 13C-labeled formic acid, we observe spin-singlet lifetimes as long as 37 s, about a factor of 3 longer than the T1 lifetime of dipole polarization in the triplet state. In contrast to common high-field experiments, the observed coherence is a singlet-triplet coherence with a lifetime T2 longer than the T1 lifetime of dipole polarization in the triplet manifold. Moreover, we demonstrate that heteronuclear singlet states formed between a 1H and a 13C nucleus can exhibit longer lifetimes than the respective triplet states even in the presence of additional spins that couple to the spin pair of interest. Although long-lived homonuclear spin-singlet states have been extensively studied, this is the first experimental observation of analogous singlet states in heteronuclear spin pairs.