Peculiar Photoinduced Electron Transfer in Porphyrin-Fullerene Akamptisomers

Porphyrin-fullerene dyads are promising candidates for organic photovoltaic devices. The electron-transfer (ET) properties of the molecular devices depend significantly on the mutual position of the donor and acceptor. Recently, a new type of molecular isomerism (akamptisomerism) has been discovered. In the present study, we explore how photoinduced ET can be modulated by passing from one akamptisomer to another. To this aim, four akamptisomers of the quinoxalinoporphyrin-[60]fullerene complex are selected for computational study. The most striking finding is that, depending on the isomer, the porphyrin unit in the dyad can act as either electron donor or electron acceptor. Thus, the stereoisomeric diversity allows one to change the direction of ET between the porphyrin and fullerene moieties. To understand the effect of akamptisomerism on the photoinduced ET processes, a detailed analysis of initial and final states involved in the ET is performed. The computed rate for charge separation is estimated to be in the region of 1-10 ns^-1 . The formation of a long-living quinoxalinoporphyrin anion radical species is predicted.

Iterative Atomic Charge Partitioning of Valence Electron Density

We propose an atomic charge partitioning scheme, iterative adjusted charge partitioning (I-ACP), belonging to the stockholder family and based on partitioning of the valence molecular electron density. The method uses a Slater-type weighting factor c_A r^2n-2 exp(-α_A r), where α_A is a fixed parameter and c_A is determined iteratively. The parameters α_A were fitted for 17 main-group elements. The I-ACP scheme is shown to produce consistent, chemically meaningful atomic charges. Several stockholder-type charge-partitioning are compared. Extensive numerical tests demonstrate that in most cases, I-ACP surpasses most other methods by reproducing more accurately molecular dipole moments. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A simple COSMO-based method for calculation of hydration energies of neutral molecules

A simple yet accurate method to estimate hydration free energy of neutral molecules is developed.

Hypsochromic solvent shift of the charge separation band in ionic donor–acceptor Li+@C60⊂[10]CPP

Photoinduced electron transfer in CPP-based donor–acceptor complexes C₆₀⊂[10]CPP and Li⁺@C₆₀⊂[10]CPP was studied using DFT/TDDFT. Unusual blue shift of charge separated states for Li⁺@C₆₀⊂[10]CPP complexes in the polar medium is predicted.

A simple model for calculating atomic charges in molecules

We propose a new atomic-charge analysis, termed adjusted charge partitioning (ACP) scheme. To partition the molecular electronic density into atomic components, weighting factors cAr2n-2exp(-αAr) with atomic parameters cA and αA are used. Extensive numerical tests were performed for 540 molecules containing 17 main-group elements H, Li to F, Na to Cl, Br, and I. The estimated dipole moments and atomic charges are compared with the data provided by a large number of alternative atomic-charge schemes including the Mulliken, Löwdin, Hirshfeld, Hirshfeld Iterative, CM5, ESP, NPA, and QTAIM population analyses. These tests show that the resulting atomic charges are insensitive to basis sets used, chemically consistent and accurately reproduce experimental dipole moments.

Reliable charge assessment on encapsulated fragment for endohedral systems

A simple scheme to determine charge distribution in endohedral complexes is suggested. It is based on comparison of inner-shell atomic orbital energies of the encapsulated species to the corresponding energies in reference systems with unambiguously defined charges on X. This robust approach is applied to endohedral borospherenes X@B₃₉, for which the conventional schemes provide in some cases quite different results. Efficiency of proposed scheme also has been proven for typical fullerene based Sc₃N@C₈₀ endohedral complex.

Thermally induced hopping model for long-range triplet excitation energy transfer in DNA

Long-range triplet excitation energy transfer in DNA occurs through hops between T bases, providing it with a shallow distance dependence. Hops over two thymines on the same strand are preferred.

How abasic sites impact hole transfer dynamics in GC-rich DNA sequences

Hole transfer dynamics through GC-rich DNA duplexes containing abasic sites is strongly modulated by the nature of the unpaired nucleobase.

Direct estimation of the transfer integral for photoinduced electron transfer from TD DFT calculations

A simple approach to estimate the electronic coupling for photoinduced charge separation in materials and biomolecules is proposed.

The Driving Force of Photoinduced Charge Separation in Metal-Cluster-Encapsulated Triphenylamine-[80]fullerenes

Understanding photoinduced charge separation in fullerene-based dye-sensitized solar cells is crucial for the development of photovoltaic devices. We investigate here how the driving force of the charge separation process in conjugates of M@C₈₀ (M=Sc₃ N, Sc₃ CH, Sc₃ NC, Sc₄ O₂ , and Sc₄ O₃ ) with triphenylamine (TPA) depends on the nature of the metal cluster. Both singlet and triplet excited-state electron-transfer reactions are considered. These results based on TD-DFT calculations demonstrate that the driving force of charge separation in TPA-M@C₈₀ can be tuned well by varying the structure of the metal cluster encapsulated inside the fullerene cage.

Single photon triggered dianion formation in TCNQ and F4TCNQ crystals

Excited state dynamics in two strong organic electron acceptor systems, TCNQ and F₄TCNQ single crystals, was studied. After absorption of a single photon, dianions are formed in both crystals on ultrashort timescale: TCNQ τ < 50 fs, F₄TCNQ τ = 4 ps. By use of transient absorption spectroscopy, we demonstrate that the dianion formation in F₄TCNQ is mediated by the radical anion precursor which is described by a two-step model. Our measurements show the phenomenon that in this quinoid acceptor crystals in the absence of additional donor molecule, it is possible to resolve the two step formation of a doubly charged anion upon absorption of a single low energy photon (2.6 eV).

Theoretical estimation of the rate of photoinduced charge transfer reactions in triphenylamine C60 donor-acceptor conjugate

Fullerene-based molecular heterojunctions such as the [6,6]-pyrrolidine-C60 donor-acceptor conjugate containing triphenylamine (TPA) are potential materials for high-efficient dye-sensitized solar cells. In this work, we estimate the rate constants for the photoinduced charge separation and charge recombination processes in TPA-C60 using the unrestricted and time-dependent DFT methods. Different schemes are applied to evaluate excited state properties and electron transfer parameters (reorganization energies, electronic couplings, and Gibbs energies). The use of open-shell singlet or triplet states, several density functionals, and continuum solvation models is discussed. Strengths and limitations of the computational approaches are highlighted. The present benchmark study provides an overview of the expected performance of DFT-based methodologies in the description of photoinduced charge transfer reactions in fullerene heterojunctions. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Multiple Decay Mechanisms and 2D-UV Spectroscopic Fingerprints of Singlet Excited Solvated Adenine-Uracil Monophosphate

The decay channels of singlet excited adenine uracil monophosphate (ApU) in water are studied with CASPT2//CASSCF:MM potential energy calculations and simulation of the 2D-UV spectroscopic fingerprints with the aim of elucidating the role of the different electronic states of the stacked conformer in the excited state dynamics. The adenine (1) La state can decay without a barrier to a conical intersection with the ground state. In contrast, the adenine (1) Lb and uracil S(U) states have minima that are separated from the intersections by sizeable barriers. Depending on the backbone conformation, the CT state can undergo inter-base hydrogen transfer and decay to the ground state through a conical intersection, or it can yield a long-lived minimum stabilized by a hydrogen bond between the two ribose rings. This suggests that the (1) Lb , S(U) and CT states of the stacked conformer may all contribute to the experimental lifetimes of 18 and 240 ps. We have also simulated the time evolution of the 2D-UV spectra and provide the specific fingerprint of each species in a recommended probe window between 25 000 and 38 000 cm(-1) in which decongested, clearly distinguishable spectra can be obtained. This is expected to allow the mechanistic scenarios to be discerned in the near future with the help of the corresponding experiments. Our results reveal the complexity of the photophysics of the relatively small ApU system, and the potential of 2D-UV spectroscopy to disentangle the photophysics of multichromophoric systems.

Single Amino Acid Mutation Controls Hole Transfer Dynamics in DNA-Methyltransferase HhaI Complexes

Different mutagenic effects are generated by DNA oxidation that implies the formation of radical cation states (so-called holes) on purine nucleobases. The interaction of DNA with proteins may protect DNA from oxidative damage owing to hole transfer (HT) from the stack to aromatic amino acids. However, how protein binding affects HT dynamics in DNA is still poorly understood. Here, we report a computational study of HT in DNA complexes with methyltransferase HhaI with the aim of elucidating the molecular factors that explain why long-range DNA HT is inhibited when the glutamine residue inserted in the double helix is mutated into a tryptophan. We combine molecular dynamics, quantum chemistry, and kinetic Monte Carlo simulations and find that protein binding stabilizes the energies of the guanine radical cation states and significantly impacts the corresponding electronic couplings, thus determining the observed behavior, whereas the formation of a tryptophan radical leads to less efficient HT.

Conformationally Gated Charge Transfer in DNA Three-Way Junctions

Molecular structures that direct charge transport in two or three dimensions possess some of the essential functionality of electrical switches and gates. We use theory, modeling, and simulation to explore the conformational dynamics of DNA three-way junctions (TWJs) that may control the flow of charge through these structures. Molecular dynamics simulations and quantum calculations indicate that DNA TWJs undergo dynamic interconversion among "well stacked" conformations on the time scale of nanoseconds, a feature that makes the junctions very different from linear DNA duplexes. The studies further indicate that this conformational gating would control charge flow through these TWJs, distinguishing them from conventional (larger size scale) gated devices. Simulations also find that structures with polyethylene glycol linking groups ("extenders") lock conformations that favor CT for 25 ns or more. The simulations explain the kinetics observed experimentally in TWJs and rationalize their transport properties compared with double-stranded DNA.

Fragment transition density method to calculate electronic coupling for excitation energy transfer

A general approach, the Fragment Transition Density (FTD) scheme, is introduced to estimate electronic coupling for excitation energy transfer in a molecular system. Within this method, the excitation energies and transition densities of the system are used to derive the coupling matrix element. The scheme allows one to treat systems where exciton donor and acceptor are close together and their exchange interaction and orbital overlap are significant. The FTD method can be applied in combination with any quantum mechanical approach to treat excited states of general nature including single-, double-, and higher excitations. Using FTD approach, we derive excitonic couplings for several systems computed with the CIS, TD DFT and MS-CASPT2 methods. In particular, it is shown that the estimated coupling values in DNA π-stacks are strongly affected by the short-range electronic interaction of adjacent nucleobases.

Influence of base stacking geometry on the nature of excited states in G-quadruplexes: a time-dependent DFT study

G-quadruplexes are four-stranded structures of nucleic acids that are formed from the association of guanine nucleobases into cyclical arrangements known as tetrads. G-quadruplexes are involved in a host of biological processes and are of interest in nanomaterial applications. However, not much is known about their electronic properties. In this paper, we analyze electronic excited states of G-quadruplexes using a combination of time-dependent DFT calculations and molecular dynamics simulations. We systematically consider experimentally observed arrangements of stacked guanine tetrads. The effects of structural features on exciton delocalization and photoinduced charge separation are explored using a quantitative analysis of the transition electron density. It is shown that collective coherent excitations shared between two guanine nucleobases dominate in the absorption spectrum of stacked G-tetrads. These excitations may also include a significant contribution of charge transfer states. Large variation in exciton localization is also observed between different structures with a general propensity toward localization between two bases. We reveal large differences in how charge separation occurs within different nucleobase arrangements, with some geometries favoring separation within a single tetrad and others favoring separation between tetrads. We also investigate the effects of the coordinating K(+) ion located in the central cavity of G-quadruplexes on the relative excited state properties of such systems. Our results demonstrate how the nature of excited states in G-quadruplexes depends on the nucleobase stacking geometry resulting from the mutual arrangement of guanine tetrads.