Manuel Renz

Exciton Trapping in π-Conjugated Materials: A Quantum-Chemistry-Based Protocol Applied to Perylene Bisimide Dye Aggregates

Access to excited-state structures and dynamics of pi-chromophor aggregates is needed to understand their fluorescence behavior and the properties of related materials. A quantum-chemistry-based protocol that provides quantitative and qualitative insight into fluorescence spectra has been applied to perylene bisimide dimers and provides excellent agreement with measured fluorescence spectra. Both dispersion and dipol-dipole interactions determine the preferred relative arrangements of the chromophores in ground and excited states of the dimer. An exciton trapping mechanism is identified, which may limit the energy transfer properties of perylene bisimide and other dye materials.

A reliable quantum-chemical protocol for the characterization of organic mixed-valence compounds.

Structures, dipole moments, electron-transfer barriers, and spin density distributions of a series of mixed-valent bistriarylamin radical cations have been studied systematically by hybrid density functional methods with variable exact-exchange admixture combined with a continuum solvent model. The chosen systems differ in their bridging units and are all relatively close, from both sides, to the class II/III borderline of the Robin-Day classification of mixed-valence systems. Solvent effects are found to have a dramatic influence on the localized vs delocalized character of these cations. While gas-phase calculations or computations in a nonpolar solvent place all systems on the delocalized class III side, a more polar solvent like acetonitrile enables observation of symmetry breaking and charge localization with moderate exact-exchange admixtures in a hybrid functional for the systems on the class II side (with diphenylbutadiyne and diphenylethyne bridges). In contrast, the cations with the shortest bridges (phenylene, biphenylene) are characterized as class III. The comparison of computed intervalence charge-transfer excitation frequencies with experiment confirms the system with the diphenylbutadiyne bridge, and probably the system with the diphenylethyne bridge, to be class II, whereas in the dichloromethane solvent employed for spectroscopic measurements, the two other systems are on the class III side. Nonstandard hybrid density functional calculations with 35% Hartree-Fock-like exchange combined with continuum solvent models are suggested as a practical protocol for the quantum-chemical characterization of organic mixed-valence systems. This approach should allow closer examinations and provides a basis for the evaluation of other computational methods.

Understanding Ground- and Excited-State Properties of Perylene Tetracarboxylic Acid Bisimide Crystals by Means of Quantum Chemical Computations

Quantum chemical protocols explaining the crystal structures and the visible light absorption properties of 3,4:9,10-perylene tetracarboxylic acid bisimide (PBI) derivates are proposed. Dispersion-corrected density functional theory has provided an intermolecular potential energy of PBI dimers showing several energetically low-lying minima, which corresponds well with the packing of different PBI dyes in the solid state. While the dispersion interaction is found to be crucial for the binding strength, the minimum structures of the PESs are best explained by electrostatic interactions. Furthermore, a method is introduced, which reproduces the photon energies at the absorption maxima of PBI pigments within 0.1 eV. It is based on time-dependent Hartree-Fock (TD-HF) excitation energies calculated for PBI dimers with the next-neighbor arrangement in the pigment and incorporates crystal packing effects. This success provides clear evidence that the electronically excited states, which determine the color of these pigments, have no significant charge-transfer character. The developed protocols can be applied in a routine manner to understand and to predict the properties of such pigments, which are important materials for organic solar cells and (opto-)electronic devices.

Computational and spectroscopic studies of organic mixed-valence compounds: where is the charge?

This article discusses recent progress by a combination of spectroscopy and quantum-chemical calculations in classifying and characterizing organic mixed-valence systems in terms of their localized vs. delocalized character. A recently developed quantum-chemical protocol based on non-standard hybrid functionals and continuum solvent models is evaluated for an extended set of mixed-valence bis-triarylamine radical cations, augmented by unsymmetrical neutral triarylamine-perchlorotriphenylmethyl radicals. It turns out that the protocol is able to provide a successful assignment to class II or class III Robin-Day behavior and gives quite accurate ground- and excited-state properties for the radical cations. The limits of the protocol are probed by the anthracene-bridged system 8, where it is suspected that specific solute-solvent interactions are important and not covered by the continuum solvent model. Intervalence charge-transfer excitation energies for the neutral unsymmetrical radicals are systematically overestimated, but dipole moments and a number of other properties are obtained accurately by the protocol.

Impact of Molecular Flexibility on Binding Strength and Self-Sorting of Chiral π-Surfaces

In this work, we have explored for the first time the influence of conformational flexibility of π-core on chiral self-sorting properties of perylene bisimides (PBIs) that are currently one of the most prominent classes of functional dyes. For this purpose, two series of chiral macrocyclic PBIs 3a-c and 4a-c comprising oligoethylene glycol bridges of different lengths at the 1,7 bay positions were synthesized and their atropo-enantiomers (P and M enantiomers) were resolved. Single crystal analysis of atropo-enantiomerically pure (P)-3a not only confirmed the structural integrity of the ethylene glycol bridged macrocycle but also illustrated the formation of π-stacked dimers with left-handed supramolecular helicity. Our detailed studies with the series of highly soluble chiral PBIs 4a-c by 1- and 2-D (1)H NMR techniques, and temperature- and concentration-dependent UV/vis absorption and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy revealed that in π-π-stacking dimerization of these PBIs chiral self-recognition (i.e., PP and MM homodimer formation) prevails over self-discrimination (i.e., PM heterodimer formation). Our studies clearly showed that with increasing conformational flexibility of PBI cores imparted by longer bridging units, the binding strength for the dimerization process increases, however, the efficiency for chiral self-recognition decreases. These results are rationalized in terms of an induced-fit mechanism facilitating more planarized π-scaffolds of PBIs containing longer bridging units upon π-π-stacking.

Squaraine Dyes as Efficient Coupling Bridges between Triarylamine Redox Centres

Various indolenine squarylium dyes with additional electron-donating amine redox centres have been synthesised and their redox chemistry has been studied. A combination of cyclic voltammetry, spectro-electrochemistry and DFT calculations has been used to characterise the electronic structure of the mono-, di- and, in one case, trications. All monocations still retain the cyanine-like, delocalised character due to the relatively low redox potential of the squaraine bridge and are therefore compounds of Robin-Day class III. Thus we extended previous studies on organic mixed-valence systems by using the indolenine squaraine moiety as very electron-rich bridge between two electron-donating amine redox centres to provoke a strong coupling between the additional redox centres. We synthesised TA3, which has an N-N distance of 26 bonds between the triarylamine redox centres and is to our knowledge the longest bis(triarylamine) radical cation that is completely delocalised. We furthermore show that altering the symmetry of a squaraine dye by substitution of a squaric ring oxygen atom by a dicyanomethylene group has a direct impact on the optical properties of the monocations. In case of the dications, it turned out that the energetically most stable state of dianisylamine-substituted squaraines is an anti-ferromagnetically coupled open-shell singlet state.

Reliable Quantum Chemical Prediction of the Localized/Delocalized Character of Organic Mixed-Valence Radical Anions. From Continuum Solvent Models to Direct-COSMO-RS

A recently proposed quantum-chemical protocol for the description of the character of organic mixed-valence (MV) compounds, close from both sides to the localized/delocalized borderline, is evaluated and extended for a series of dinitroaryl radical anions 1-6. A combination of global hybrid functionals with exact-exchange admixtures of 35% (BLYP35) or 42% (BMK) with appropriate solvent modeling allows an essentially quantitative treatment of, for example, structural symmetry-breaking in Robin/Day class II systems, thermal electron transfer (ET) barriers, and intervalence charge-transfer (IV-CT) excitation energies, while covering also the delocalized class III cases. Global hybrid functionals with lower exact-exchange admixtures (e.g., B3LYP, M05, or M06) provide a too delocalized description, while functionals with higher exact-exchange admixtures (M05-2X, M06-2X) provide a too localized one. The B2PLYP double hybrid gives reasonable structures but far too small barriers in class II cases. The CAM-B3LYP range hybrid gives somewhat too high ET barriers and IV-CT energies, while the range hybrids ωB97X and LC-BLYP clearly exhibit too much exact exchange. Continuum solvent models describe the situation well in most aprotic solvents studied. The transition of 1,4-dinitrobenzene anion 1 from a class III behavior in aprotic solvents to a class II behavior in alcohols is not recovered by continuum solvent models. In contrast, it is treated faithfully by the novel direct conductor-like screening model for real solvents (D-COSMO-RS). The D-COSMO-RS approach, the TURBOMOLE implementation of which is reported, also describes accurately the increased ET barriers of class II systems 2 and 3 in alcohols as compared to aprotic solvents and can distinguish at least qualitatively between different aprotic solvents with identical or similar dielectric constants. The dominant role of the solvent environment for the ET character of these MV radical anions is emphasized, as in contrast to some previous computational suggestions essentially all of the present systems have delocalized class III character in the gas phase. The present approach allows accurate estimates from the gas phase to aprotic and protic solvent environments, without the need for explicit ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, and without artificial constraints.

Predicting the localized/delocalized character of mixed-valence diquinone radical anions. Toward the right answer for the right reason.

The Robin-Day class II/III mixed-valence character is established quantum-chemically for a series of mixed-valence diquinone radical anions. Particular emphasis is placed on the radical anion of tetrathiafulvalenedibenzoquinone, Q-TTF-Q, which has recently been used to evaluate constrained density functional approaches (CDFT) and new range hybrid functionals. Using a computational protocol based on hybrid functionals with 35-42% exact-exchange admixture and inclusion of solvent models during the structure optimization, it is demonstrated that a) Q-TTF-Q(•-), 1, and the related diquinone radical anions 2-4 are all delocalized class III species in the gas phase and in nonpolar solvents, in contrast to previous assumptions; b) 1,4,5,8-anthracenetetraone radical anion, 2, remains class III in polar aprotic solvents, c) systems 1, 3 and 4 become class II, providing excellent agreement between computed and experimental intervalence charge-transfer excitations, thermal electron-transfer (ET) barriers and ESR hyperfine couplings. The direct conductor-like screening model for real solvents (D-COSMO-RS) allows the inclusion of specific hydrogen-bonding effects without the computational effort of molecular dynamics simulations and provides increased ET barriers, as well as a predicted incipient symmetry breaking for 2, due to hydrogen bonding in alcohol solvents. For the first time D-COSMO-RS optimizations in solvent mixtures have been evaluated. As previous computational studies of Q-TTF-Q(•-) neglected solvent effects during structure optimizations and obtained charge localization in gas-phase optimizations by CDFT or by exaggerated exact-exchange admixtures, they provided at best the right answer for the wrong reason.

A Combined Computational and Spectroelectrochemical Study of Platinum-Bridged Bis-Triarylamine Systems

The character of the electronic transitions in the ultraviolet-visible-near infrared (UV-vis-NIR) spectra of platinum-bis(alkynyl) bridged, bis-triarylamine mixed-valence systems trans-[Pt(C≡CC6H4NAr2)2 (PR3)2](n+) (R = ethyl, Ar = C6H4CH3-4 (1) or C6H4OCH3-4 (2); R = Ph, Ar = C6H4CH3-4 (3) or C6H4OCH3-4 (4), n = 0, 1, 2) has been determined from a combination of spectroscopic measurement and density functional theory calculations. The hybrid functional BLYP35 in combination with a suitable solvent model (i.e., conductor-like screening model (COSMO)) has been used to model the UV-vis-NIR and IR spectroscopic properties of [1-4](+), to confirm the description of [1-4](+) as examples of metal-bridged organic mixed-valence compounds, and to assign the principal features of the electronic spectra, including the triarylamine-based intervalence charge transfer transition located in the NIR region. The successful modeling of the charge distribution within the system demonstrates the utility of the BLYP35-COSMO protocol as a tool for use in the study of intramolecular charge transfer properties in mixed-valence complexes.

Electron transfer pathways in mixed‐valence paracyclophane‐bridged bis‐triarylamine radical cations

A series of paracyclophane (PC) bridged mixed‐valence (MV) bis‐triarylamine radical cations with different ([2.2], [3.3], [4.4]) linkers, with and without additional ethynyl spacers, have been studied by quantum‐chemical calculations (BLYP35‐D3/TZVP/COSMO) of ground‐state structures, thermal electron‐transfer barriers, hyperfine couplings, and lowest‐lying excited states. Such PC‐bridged MV systems are important intra‐molecular model systems for inter‐molecular electron transfer (ET) via π‐stacked aromatics, since they allow enforcement of a more or less well‐defined geometrical arrangement. Closely comparable ET barriers and electronic couplings for all [2.2] and [3.3] bridges are found for these class‐II MV systems, irrespective of the use of pseudo‐para and pseudo‐meta connections. While the latter observation contradicts notions of quantum interference for off‐resonant conduction through molecular wires, it agrees with the less intricate nodal structures of the highest occupied molecular orbitals. The ET in such MV systems may be more closely connected with hole conduction in the resonant regime. Computations on model cations, in which the [2.2] linkers have been truncated, confirm predominant through‐space π‐π electronic coupling. Systems with [4.4] PC bridges exhibit far more structural flexibility and concomitantly weaker electronic interactions between the redox centers.