Synthesis and Optical and Nonlinear Optical Properties of Linear and Two-Dimensional Charge Transfer Chromophores Based on Polyoxometalates

We present the first study of arylimido-polyoxometalate nonlinear optical (NLO) chromophores with two-dimensional (2D) structures, and a comparison with one-dimensional analogues, through the synthesis of a family of arylimido-hexamolybdate derivatives where one or two polyoxometalate (POM) acceptors are connected to a tolyl-amino donor through phenyl bridges. Electronic absorption spectra and TD-DFT calculations reveal significant red-shifts in ligand-to-polyoxometalate charge transfer (LPCT) absorption bands for the 2D species compared to linear, dipolar analogues, consistent with the involvement of a larger conjugated (bridge + POM) system in the transitions. Electrochemical measurements indicate reversible, one-electron processes for the POM acceptors with class II mixed valence behavior observed where the POMs are connected to the same aryl ring and electronic isolation of the acceptors when they are on separate rings. Molecular first hyperpolarizabilities β have been determined using hyper-Rayleigh scattering at 1064 and 1200 nm: for the most active compound, the HRS measurements and depolarization studies reveal a strongly 2D, off-diagonal response (β0,zzz = 190 × 10-30 esu; β0,zyy = -56.5 × 10-30 esu), consistent with the wide A-D-A angle and TD-DFT computed electronic transitions, which show both phenyl bridges and POMs equally involved in the acceptor orbitals.

Remarkable enhancement of the nonlinear optical behavior towards asymmetric substituted D-π-A dithiophene-based compounds

CONTEXT

Nonlinear optics (NLO) is an interesting field that discloses the interaction between intense light and matter, leading to a deeper understanding of NLO phenomena. Organic chromophores are considered as promising materials for NLO due to their exceptional structural versatility, ease of processing, and rapid response to NLO effects. Functional materials based on thiophene have been indispensable in advancing organic optoelectronics. Specifically, dithiophene-based compounds display weaker aromaticity, reduced steric hindrance, and additional sulfur-sulfur interactions. Hence, by utilizing dithieno[2,3-d:2',3'-d']benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene (DTBDT) as the core structure, designing of a set of organic compounds with D1-π-D2-π-A-type framework, namely ZR1D1-ZR1D8, was carried out in this study. The analysis of frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs) revealed that compound ZR1D2 has the lowest band gap of 1.922 eV among all the investigated chromophores. The correlation of global reactivity parameters (GRPs) with the band gap values indicates that ZR1D2 displays a hardness of 0.961 eV and a softness of 0.520 eV-1. Among the studied compounds, ZR1D2 demonstrated a broad absorption spectrum that extended across the visible region. The maximum absorption wavelengths were observed at 766.470 nm for ZR1D2 and 749.783 nm for ZR1D5. These DTBDT-based dyes exhibit a remarkable NLO response with exceptionally high first hyperpolarizability (βtot) values. Among them, compound ZR1D2 stands out with the highest average linear polarizability (⟨α⟩ = 3.0 × 10-22 esu), first hyperpolarizability (βtot = 4.1 × 10-27 esu), and second hyperpolarizability (γtot = 7.5 × 10-32 esu) values. In summary, this investigation offers valuable insights into the potential use of DTBDT-based organic chromophores, particularly ZR1D2, for advanced applications in NLO. These findings suggest promising opportunities for researchers to synthesize these molecules and utilize these compounds in hi-tech NLO-based applications.

METHODOLOGY

The density functional theory computations were performed at the M06/6-311G(d,p) functional to explore their structural effects on electronic and NLO findings. Various analyses like highest occupied molecular orbital-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy gaps, absorption maxima, density of states, open circuit voltage, binding energies of electrons and holes, and transition density matrix are employed to investigate photovoltaic efficiencies of the derivatives. Different software packages like Avogadro, Multiwfn, Origin, GaussSum, PyMOlyze, and Chemcraft were used to deduce conclusions from the output files.

Effect of charge transfer on the first hyper-polarizability of N,N-dimethylaniline and julolidine: a DFT based comparative study

CONTEXT

Quantum mechanical calculations involving electron correlation, frequency dispersion, and solvent effects were carried out to examine the second-order nonlinear optical response of various acceptor, X (-CF3, -CN, -NO2) substituted in N,N-dimethylaniline (DMA) and julolidine(JLD). Here, both DMA and JLD acts as donor and the three substituted groups, X (-CF3, -CN and -NO2) at the para position of both the ring systems as acceptor. The NLO response (βHRS) of -CF3 and -CN substituted DMA and JLD is relatively lower compared to DMA-NO2 and JLD-NO2. The charge distribution is found higher in case of -NO2 substituted DMA and JLD (±443 and ±449) compared to their -CF3 or -CN substitution. Electronic characteristics such as UV-Vis absorption spectra, crucial excited state parameters and charge transfer contribution to βHRS have been used to explain the NLO parameter of DMA-X and JLD-X. Variation of the incident optical frequency of light shows fluctuation of βHRS value and highest values of βHRS are obtain at the λmax frequency of each compound. Solvent polarity variation study on βHRS shows that βHRS varies linearly with the Kirkwood-Onsagar dielectric factor (D).

METHODS

All computational studies have been carried out using density functional theory (DFT) based method. Since CAM-B3LYP based hybrid functional improves the asymptotic behavior of the exchange interaction by dividing into short-range and long-range components, first hyperpolarizability values in the present study were computed using DFT/ CAM-B3LYP/ 6-31G+(d,p) level of theory.

Spectroscopic characterization, molecular docking and machine learning studies of sulphur containing hydrazide derivatives

Machine learning applied in chemistry is a growing field of research. For assessing structure-property variations, this paper describes in silico studies of the hydrazide derivatives of thiosemicarbazide (TSCZ) and thiocarbohydrazide (TCHZ). The structures of TSCZ and TCHZ have been elucidated using modern spectroscopic techniques. The UV-vis spectra showed strong charge transfer transitions (π-π*) for TSCZ and TCHZ with high extinction coefficients. The NBO analysis showed orbital overlap between lp1 (N2) and σ* (C3-S4) in TSCZ and TCHZ due to intramolecular charge transfer. The first hyperpolarizabilities (β0) for TSCZ and TCHZ were found to be 0.7155 and 2.1615 × 10-30 esu, respectively, indicating their greater suitability for NLO applications as compared to standard reference urea. The strong electrophilic behaviour of TSCZ and TCHZ has been indicated by their global elecrophilicity index. The electrophilic reactivity descriptor analysis indicated that the investigated molecules could serve as precursors for the targeted synthesis of new heterocyclic derivatives. The docking studies showed appreciable binding energies with target proteins having PDB IDs 2WJE and 6CLU of Gram-positive bacteria, namely, Streptococcus pneumoniae phosphatase (PTP-CPS4B) and Staphylococcus aureus dihydropteroate synthase (saDHPS), respectively, for TSCZ and TCHZ, predicting good antimicrobial activity.

Synthesis, spectroscopic characterization, density functional theory study, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of curcumin and alanine-curcumin Schiff base

In this work, a novel Schiff-base derived from curcumin and L-Alanine was synthesized under microwave conditions in excellent yield. The structural characterization has been carried out from their elemental analyses, FTIR, UV-Vis and 13C-NMR and 1H-NMR spectral techniques. The Schiff base (Cur-Ala) and curcumin (Cur) have been screened for their antimicrobial activity toward some pathogens clinically important microorganisms: Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans. Result found that the Schiff base was more active than the curcumin. The antibacterial and antifungal activities of Cur-Ala can be attributed to its greatest dipole moment, as shown by theoretical calculations. Also, the antioxidant activity of Schiff base and curcumin were studied by DPPH, cupric ion reducing antioxidant capacity and o-phenanthroline techniques. Results indicate that Cur-Ala and Cur show more antioxidant activities than the standard antioxidants (BHT and BHA). Quantum chemical parameter calculations of Cur-Ala and Cur have been investigated by DFT using B3LYP/6-31G (d,p) basis set method to calculate the optimized structure, atomic charges, MESP, global reactivity descriptors and thermomolecular proprieties of both molecules.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Anthracene-bridged sensitizers for environmentally compatible dye-sensitized solar cells: In silico modelling and prediction

Advancement in solar cells has gained the attention of researchers due to increasing demand and renewable energy sources. Modeling of electron absorbers and donors has been performed extensively for the development of efficient solar cells. In this regard, efforts are being made for designing effective units for the active layer of solar cells. In this study, CXC22 was utilized as a reference in which acetylenic anthracene acted as a π bridge and infrastructure was D-π-A. We theoretically designed four novel dye-sensitized solar cells JU1-JU4 by utilizing reference molecules to improve the photovoltaic and optoelectronic properties. All designed molecules differ from R by donor moiety modifications. Different approaches were done to R and all molecules to explore different analyses like binding energies, excitation energies, dipole moment, TDM (transition density matrix), PDOS (partial density of states), absorption maxima, and charge transfer analysis. For the evaluation of results, we used the DFT technique and the findings demonstrated that the JU3 molecule showed a better redshift absorption value (761 nm) as compared to all other molecules due to the presence of anthracene in the donor moiety which lengthens the conjugation. JU3 was proven to be the best candidate among all due to improved excitation energy (1.69), low energy band gap (1.93), higher λ_max value, and improved electron and hole energy values leading toward higher power conversion efficiency. All the other theoretically formed molecules exhibited comparable outcomes as compared to a reference. As a result, this work revealed the potential of organic dyes with anthracene bridges for indoor optoelectronic applications. These unique systems are effective contributors to the development of high-performance solar cells. Thus, we provided efficient systems to the experimentalists for the future development of solar cells.

Designing of gigantic first-order hyperpolarizability molecules via joining the promising organic fragments: a DFT study

A suitable substitution of carbazole with a π-spacer group like cyanoethynylethene offers exciting future opportunities in terms of smart nonlinear optical material. In the quest of better organic nonlinear optical material, we have designed a series of derivatives based on carbazole and cyanoethynylethene fragment combinations in a unique fashion by employing the density functional (DFT) methods. The calculated time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations infer that the gigantic first static hyperpolarizability (β_tot) values are due to a lower energy gap and higher transition dipole moment for the crucial electronic transition. Furthermore, to see the in-depth execution for enhanced second-order nonlinear optics and the structure property relationship on nonlinear optics (NLO) behavior, we have performed frontier molecular orbitals (FMO), density of state (DOS), and transition density matrix (TDM). Furthermore, CAM-B3LYP functional-based calculated results infer that the designed molecule 10 show the first static hyperpolarizability is 923.93 × 10^-30 esu which is 69 times larger than that of p-nitroaniline.

All-small-molecule organic solar cells with high fill factor and enhanced open-circuit voltage with 18.25 % PCE: Physical insights from quantum chemical calculations

All-small-molecule acceptors (ASMAs) are considered as well-defined molecular structures with good sustainability and processability. Although these acceptor molecules did not exhibit high power conversion efficiency (PCE) as compared to polymer solar cells, a lot of research is yet to be focused on the development of ASMAs. In this report, a new series of ASMAs (ZMY1 to ZMY5) has been designed by end-capped alteration of recently synthesized ZR-Si4 molecule (PCE = 10.10%). Photovoltaic, optoelectronic and geometric parameters of the newly designed molecules have been investigated through DFT and TD-DFT approaches. Additionally, power conversion efficiency along with fill factor (FF) percentage has been computed for the designed molecules. Enhanced open circuit voltage (V_oc) allows PCE at around 18.25 % which is better than the experimentally synthesized ZR-Si4 molecule. Additionally, the high mobility of electrons and hole between metal electrodes also suggested that the designed molecules are effective candidates for the development of efficient organic solar cell (OSC) applications.

Exploration of the interesting photovoltaic behavior of the fused benzothiophene dioxide moiety as a core donor with modification in acceptors for high-efficacy organic solar cells

Non-fullerene-based chromophores with end-capped acceptor modification used in organic solar cells (OSCs) have proven to offer improved performance. Therefore, eight unique benzothiophene-based molecules (D2-D9) were designed by the end-capped acceptor manipulation of a reference molecule (R1). Density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations at the B3LYP level were performed to investigate various parameters such as the optical properties, frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs), transition density matrix (TDM), binding energy, density of states (DOS), open-circuit voltage (V oc), and reorganization energies of electrons (λ e) and holes (λ h), to better understand the optoelectronic properties of the newly designed compounds. All the derivatives had broader absorption spectra of 737.562-700.555 nm with a reduced energy gap of 2.132-1.851 eV compared to those of the reference (719.082 nm), except for D8 and D9. A comparable value of V oc and lower reorganization energies were found in the derivatives compared to those of R1. Within the studied compounds, D3 was predicted to be a good optoelectronic material for environmentally friendly organic solar cells (EFOSCs) because of its superior optoelectronic capabilities, low-energy band gap (1.851 eV), highest λ max values of 794.516 and 744.784 nm in chloroform and the gas phase, respectively, and lowest transition energy (1.561 eV) than those of the reference and the other derivatives. Subsequently, end-capped acceptor modification was proven to be an effective method to achieve desired optoelectronic characteristics.

An unexpected single crystal structure of nickel(II) complex: Spectral, DFT, NLO, magnetic and molecular docking studies

This work explores the study of a synthesized nickel complex as a possible inhibitor against the main protease (Mpro) of the recent emerging coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Overall, the template reaction of 3-acetyl-2-hydroxy-6-methyl-4H-pyran-4-one with nickel(II) chloride hexahydrate in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) medium leads to the formation of neutral nickel complex. This resulting complex is formulated as [Ni(DHA)₂(DMF)₂] on the basis of FT-IR, UV-Vis., single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, magnetic susceptibility and CV measurements as well as DFT quantum chemical calculations. Its single crystal suggests was found to be surrounded by the both pairs of molecules of DHA and DMF through six oxygen atoms with octahedral coordination sphere. The obtained magnetic susceptibilities are positive and agree with its paramagnetic state. In addition to the experimental investigations, optimized geometry, spectroscopic and electronic properties were also performed using DFT calculation with B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level of theory. The nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of this complex are again examined. Some suitable quantum descriptors (E_HOMO, E_LUMO, Energy gap, Global hardness), Milliken atomic charge, Electrophilic potion and Molecular Electrostatic Potential) have been elegantly described. Molecular docking results demonstrated that the docked nickel complex displayed remarkable binding energy with Mpro. Besides, important molecular properties and ADME pharmacokinetic profiles of possible Mpro inhibitors were assessed by in silico prediction.

M, Rehman MFU, Assiri MA, Mashhadi SMA, Akram MS, Lu C. Evaluating Zn-Porphyrin-Based Near-IR-Sensitive Non-Fullerene Acceptors for Efficient Panchromatic Organic Solar Cells

Porphyrin-based non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs) have shown pronounced potential for assembling low-bandgap materials with near-infrared (NIR) characteristics. Herein, panchromatic-type porphyrin-based molecules (POR1-POR5) are proposed by modulating end-capped acceptors of a highly efficient porphyrin-based NFA PORTFIC(POR) for organic solar cells (OSCs). Quantum chemical structure-property relationship has been studied to discover photovoltaic and optoelectronic characteristics of POR1-POR5. Results show that optoelectronic properties of the POR1-POR5 are better in all aspects when compared with the reference POR. All proposed NFAs particularly POR5 proved to be the preferable porphyrin-based NIR sensitive NFA for OSCs applications owing to lower energy gap (1.56 eV), transition energy (1.11 eV), binding energy (Eb =0.986 eV), electron mobility (λe =0.007013Eh ), hole mobility (λh =0.004686 Eh ), high λmax =1116.27 nm and open-circuit voltage (Voc =1.96 V) values in contrast to the reference POR and other proposed NFAs. This quantum chemical insight provides sufficient evidence about excellent potential of the proposed porphyrin-based NIR sensitive NFA derivatives for their use in OSCs.

Influence of End-Capped Modifications in the Nonlinear Optical Amplitude of Nonfullerene-Based Chromophores with a D-π-A Architecture: A DFT/TDDFT Study

Nonlinear optical (NLO) materials have several uses in many fields such as solid physics, biology, medicine, nuclear physics, and material research. Therefore, a series of nonfullerene-based derivatives (CC10D1-CC10D8) with a D-π-A configuration was planned for the NLO investigation using CC10R as the reference molecule with structural alternations at acceptor moieties. Natural bonding orbital (NBO), UV-vis spectra, frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs), global reactivity parameters (GRPs), transition density matrix (TDM), and density of states (DOS) were analyzed using the M06/6-311G(d,p) functional in chloroform solvent to understand the NLO responses of CC10R and CC10D1-CC10D8. The highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO)-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) band gaps of CC10D1-CC10D6 were illustrated to be lower than that of CC10R, with the larger bathochromic shift (726.408-782.674 nm) resulting in a significant NLO response. Along with the band gap, the FMO method also identified an efficient interfacial charge transfer from D to A moieties via a π-bridge, which was further supported by the DOS and TDM map. Moreover, NBO calculations demonstrated that extended hyperconjugation and strong internal molecular interactions were important in their stabilization. The dipole moment (μ), linear polarizability ⟨α⟩, hyperpolarizability (β_total), and second-order hyperpolarizability (γ_total.) were studied for CC10R and CC10D1-CC10D8. Among all of the derivatives, CC10D2 was proven to be the most appropriate candidate because of its suitable NLO behavior such as being well-supported by a reduced band gap (2.093 eV) and having a suitable maximum absorption wavelength (782.674 nm). Therefore, CC10D2 was reported to have a greater value of first hyperpolarizability (208 659.330 a.u.) compared with other derivatives and CC10R. For the second hyperpolarizability, a greater value was obtained for CC10R (5.855 × 10⁷ a.u.), and its derivatives showed results comparable to that of the parent chromophore for γ_total. This theoretical framework reveals that structural customization with different acceptor units plays a significant role in obtaining attractive NLO materials for optoelectronic applications.

Novel quad-rotor-shaped photovoltaic materials: first example of fused-ring non-fullerene acceptors with proficient photovoltaic properties for high-performance solar cells

Development of novel materials for organic solar cells is a booming area of current research. Fused-ring electron accepters are the potential agents of revolution in organic photovoltaic devices and revealing high efficiency in organic solar cells. This study highlights the novel quad-rotor-shaped molecules as first example of efficient fused-ring non-fullerene acceptor materials with proficient photovoltaic parameters for their utilization in high-performance organic solar cells. First time, eight quad-rotor-shaped fused-ring electron accepters (QRFR-1-QRFR-8) are developed via modulating end-caps of experimentally synthesized (BFTT-TN) molecule (QRFR). Optoelectronic properties of proposed molecules are determined using frontier molecular orbitals (FMO), UV-Visible, density of state (DOS), overlap DOS (ODOS), transition density matrix (TDM) heat maps, open circuit voltage (V_oc), binding energies (E_b), reorganization energy of electron (λ_e), hole (λ_h), charge transfer analysis, and compared with reference QRFR. All proposed fused-ring electron accepters disclose less energy gap and λ_max in near IR region than QRFR after end-capped engineering. Highest V_oc with respect to HOMO_PM6-LUMO_acceptor is found 1.66 V in QRFR-6 than QRFR (1.63 V). E_b values of QRFR-1-QRFR-8 are found better and comparable with QRFR. The λ_e is found smaller than QRFR in all molecules except QRFR-5. The proposed quad-rotor-shaped molecules exhibit proficient photovoltaic features and can serve as best candidate for organic solar cells when blended with PM6 film. This study not only enlightens the researchers to use end-capped reforms as effective tactic for designing materials, but also provides novel quad-rotor-shaped materials to experimentalist for synthesis and their usage in future application of organic solar cells.

Concentration effects on optical properties, DFT, crystal characterization and α-glucosidase activity studies: Novel Zn(II) complex

A novel Zn(II) complex of 6-ClpicH and picH was synthesized and its structure was determined by XRD technique. The detailed experimental optical susceptibility and band gap, refractive index, linear polarizability, optical and electrical conductivity parameters in various concentrations were investigated by means of the UV-Vis spectroscopic data. The optical band gap, refractive index (n), linear optical susceptibility (χ⁽¹⁾), third-order nonlinear optical susceptibility (χ⁽³⁾), second- and third-order nonlinear optical (β and γ) parameters were examined by using DFT/M06-L and ωB97XD/6-311++G(d,p) levels. The IC₅₀ value of Zn(II) complex against α-glucosidase was also obtained at 0.44 mM. The experimental band gap of the Zn(II) complex at 13, 33, 44 and 94 µM concentrations in ethanol were found to be 4.38, 4.37, 4.35 and 4.28 eV, respectively. The third-order NLO susceptibility χ⁽³⁾ parameter at 94 µM concentration corresponding to the photon energies of 4.6 and 5.7 eV in the UV-Vis region were observed at 206.6 × 10^-13 and 294.3 × 10^-13 esu, respectively. Besides, the theoretical χ⁽³⁾ values were obtained at 50.58 × 10^-13 and 20.37 × 10^-13 esu by using M06-L level. These results indicate that Zn(II) complex could be an effective third-order NLO candidate material. In brief, the detailed theoretical and experimental structural, spectral and optical properties of the Zn(II) complex were presented comparatively.

Exploration of promising optical and electronic properties of (non-polymer) small donor molecules for organic solar cells

Non-fullerene based organic compounds are considered promising materials for the fabrication of modern photovoltaic materials. Non-fullerene-based organic solar cells comprise of good photochemical and thermal stability along with longer device lifetimes as compared to fullerene-based compounds. Five new non-fullerene donor molecules were designed keeping in view the excellent donor properties of 3-bis(4-(2-ethylhexyl)-thiophen-2-yl)-5,7-bis(2ethylhexyl) benzo[1,2-:4,5-c']-dithiophene-4,8-dione thiophene-alkoxy benzene-thiophene indenedione (BDD-IN) by end-capped modifications. Photovoltaic and electronic characteristics of studied molecules were determined by employing density functional theory (DFT) and time dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT). Subsequently, obtained results were compared with the reference molecule BDD-IN. The designed molecules presented lower energy difference (ΔΕ) in the range of 2.17-2.39 eV in comparison to BDD-IN (= 2.72 eV). Moreover, insight from the frontier molecular orbital (FMO) analysis disclosed that central acceptors are responsible for the charge transformation. The designed molecules were found with higher λmax values and lower transition energies than BDD-IN molecule due to stronger end-capped acceptors. Open circuit voltage (Voc) was observed in the higher range (1.54-1.78 V) in accordance with HOMOdonor-LUMOPC61BM by designed compounds when compared with BDD-IN (1.28 V). Similarly, lower reorganization energy values were exhibited by the designed compounds in the range of λe(0.00285-0.00370 Eh) and λh(0.00847-0.00802 Eh) than BDD-IN [λe(0.00700 Eh) and λh(0.00889 Eh)]. These measurements show that the designed compounds are promising candidates for incorporation into solar cell devices, which would benefit from better hole and electron mobility.

de la Torre A, Khan MU, Raza AR, Kamal GM, Rehman MF, Alam MM, Imran M, Braga AA, Pertino MW. Facile Synthesis of Diversely Functionalized Peptoids, Spectroscopic Characterization, and DFT-Based Nonlinear Optical Exploration

Compounds having nonlinear optical (NLO) characteristics have been proved to have a significant role in many academic and industrial areas; particularly, their leading role in surface interfaces, solid physics, materials, medicine, chemical dynamics, nuclear science, and biophysics is worth mentioning. In the present study, novel peptoids (1-4) were prepared in good yields via Ugi four-component reaction (Ugi-4CR). In addition to synthetic studies, computational calculations were executed to estimate the molecular electrostatic potential, natural bond orbital (NBO), frontier molecular orbital analysis, and NLO properties. The NBO analysis confirmed the stability of studied systems owing to containing intramolecular hydrogen bonding and hyperconjugative interactions. NLO analysis showed that investigated molecules hold noteworthy NLO response as compared to standard compounds that show potential for technology-related applications.

Exploration of efficient electron acceptors for organic solar cells: rational design of indacenodithiophene based non-fullerene compounds

The global need for renewable sources of energy has compelled researchers to explore new sources and improve the efficiency of the existing technologies. Solar energy is considered to be one of the best options to resolve climate and energy crises because of its long-term stability and pollution free energy production. Herein, we have synthesized a small acceptor compound (TPDR) and have utilized for rational designing of non-fullerene chromophores (TPD1-TPD6) using end-capped manipulation in A2-A1-D-A1-A2 configuration. The quantum chemical study (DFT/TD-DFT) was used to characterize the effect of end group redistribution through frontier molecular orbital (FMO), optical absorption, reorganization energy, open circuit voltage (Voc), photovoltaic properties and intermolecular charge transfer for the designed compounds. FMO data exhibited that TPD5 had the least ΔE (1.71 eV) with highest maximum absorption (λmax) among all compounds due to the four cyano groups as the end-capped acceptor moieties. The reorganization energies of TPD1-TPD6 hinted at credible electron transportation due to the lower values of λe than λh. Furthermore, open circuit voltage (Voc) values showed similar amplitude for all compounds including parent chromophore, except TPD4 and TPD5 compounds. These designed compounds with unique end group acceptors have the potential to be used as novel fabrication materials for energy devices.

Key Electronic, Linear and Nonlinear Optical Properties of Designed Disubstituted Quinoline with Carbazole Compounds

Organic materials development, especially in terms of nonlinear optical (NLO) performance, has become progressively more significant owing to their rising and promising applications in potential photonic devices. Organic moieties such as carbazole and quinoline play a vital role in charge transfer applications in optoelectronics. This study reports and characterizes the donor-acceptor-donor-π-acceptor (D-A-D-π-A) configured novel designed compounds, namely, Q3D1-Q3D3, Q4D1-Q1D2, and Q5D1. We further analyze the structure-property relationship between the quinoline-carbazole compounds for which density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TDDFT) calculations were performed at the B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) level to obtain the optimized geometries, natural bonding orbital (NBO), NLO analysis, electronic properties, and absorption spectra of all mentioned compounds. The computed values of λmax, 364, 360, and 361 nm for Q3, Q4, and Q5 show good agreement of their experimental values: 349, 347, and 323 nm, respectively. The designed compounds (Q3D1-Q5D1) exhibited a smaller energy gap with a maximum redshift than the reference molecules (Q3-Q5), which govern their promising NLO behavior. The NBO evaluation revealed that the extended hyperconjugation stabilizes these systems and caused a promising NLO response. The dipole polarizabilities and hyperpolarizability (β) values of Q3D1-Q3D3, Q4D1-Q1D2, and Q5D1 exceed those of the reference Q3, Q4, and Q5 molecules. These data suggest that the NLO active compounds, Q3D1-Q3D3, Q4D1-Q1D2, and Q5D1, may find their place in future hi-tech optical devices.

First theoretical framework of Z-shaped acceptor materials with fused-chrysene core for high performance organic solar cells

Chrysene core containing fused ring acceptor materials have remarkable efficiency for high performance organic solar cells. Therefore, present study has been carried out with the aim to design chrysene based novel Z-shaped electron acceptor molecules (Z1-Z6) from famous Z-shaped photovoltaic material FCIC (R) for organic photovoltaic applications. End-capped engineering at two electron-accepting end groups 1,1-dicyanomethylene-3-indanone of FCIC is made with highly efficient end-capped acceptor moieties and impact of end-capped modifications on structure-property relationship, photovoltaic and electronic properties of newly designed molecules (Z1-Z6) has been studied in detail through DFT and TDDFT calculations. The efficiencies of the designed molecules are evaluated through energy gaps, exciton binding energy along with transition density matrix (TDM) analysis, reorganizational energy of electron and hole, absorption maxima and open circuit voltage of investigated molecules. The designed molecules exhibit red-shift and intense absorption in near-infrared region (683-749 nm) of UV-Vis-NIR absorption spectrum with narrowing of HOMO-LUMO energy gap from 2.31 eV in R to 1.95 in eV in Z5. Moreover, reduction in reorganization energy of electron from 0.0071 (R) to 0.0049 (Z5), and enhancement in open circuit voltage from 1.08 V in R to 1.20 V in Z5 are also observed. Twisted Z-shape of designed molecules prevents self-aggregation that facilitates miscibility of donor and acceptor. Low values of binding energy, excitation energy, and reorganizational energy (electron and hole) suggest that novel designed molecules offer high charge mobilities as compared to FCIC. Our findings indicate that these novel designed molecules can display better photovoltaic parameters and are suitable candidates if used in organic solar cells.

Structural parameter-modulated nonlinear optical amplitude of acceptor–π–D–π–donor-configured pyrene derivatives: a DFT approach

In the present study, organic pyrene-based derivatives were selected for NLO investigation.

Exploration of Chromone-Based Thiosemicarbazone Derivatives: SC-XRD/DFT, Spectral (IR, UV-Vis) Characterization, and Quantum Chemical Analysis

By the condensation of thiosemicarbazide with coumarin aldehyde, two novel substituted thiosemicarbazones with chemical formulae C24H25N3O3S (3a) and C26H23N3O3S (3b) have been synthesized. The synthesized compounds were resolved using SC-XRD, and structure elucidation was carried out using 1H NMR, 13C NMR, UV-visible, and FT-IR spectroscopic analyses. Computational calculations at the B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) level of theory were performed to countercheck the experimental (UV-vis, FT-IR) findings and explore the electronic (FMO, NBO, MEP) properties of 3a-b. The nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of 3a-b were estimated using B3LYP, HF, LC-BLYP, CAM-B3LYP, M062X, and M06 functionals in combination with the 6-311+G(d,p) basis set. The crystallographic data revealed that compounds were crystallized as an orthorhombic crystal lattice with the Pbcn space group and the triclinic crystal lattice with the P̅1 space group. A good concurrence among experimental SC-XRD-generated bond lengths, bond angles, FT-IR, UV-vis, and corresponding DFT results was found, which confirms the purity of both compounds. The NBO analysis confirmed the presence of intramolecular hydrogen bonding and hyperconjugative interactions, which not only were the pivotal cause of stability of the investigated compounds but also led to an overwhelming NLO response. The energy differences calculated for HOMO/LUMO are 3.053 and 3.118 eV in 3a and 3b, respectively. The crystal 3b showed a higher value of first-order polarizability at all levels of theory than 3a. Overall results show that the crystals under investigation are polarized in nature with a good dipole moment. A comparative analysis with urea molecules clearly indicates that the studied compounds are acceptable NLO candidates and they can be used for future technological applications.

In Silico Modeling of New "Y-Series"-Based Near-Infrared Sensitive Non-Fullerene Acceptors for Efficient Organic Solar Cells

This work was inspired by a previous report [Janjua, M. R. S. A. Inorg. Chem. 2012, 51, 11306-11314] in which the optoelectronic properties were improved with an acceptor bearing heteroaromatic rings. Herein, we have designed four novel Y-series non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs) by end-capped acceptor modifications of a recently synthesized 15% efficient Y21 molecule for better optoelectronic properties and their potential use in solar cell applications. Density functional theory (DFT) along with time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) at the B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level of theory is used to calculate the band gap, exciton binding energy along with transition density matrix (TDM) analysis, reorganizational energy of electrons and holes, and absorption maxima and open-circuit voltage of investigated molecules. In addition, the PM6:YA1 complex is also studied to understand the charge shifting from the donor polymer PM6 to the NFA blend. Results of all parameters suggest that the DA'D electron-deficient core and effective end-capped acceptors in YA1-YA4 molecules form a perfect combination for effective tuning of optoelectronic properties by lowering frontier molecular orbital (FMO) energy levels, reorganization energy, and binding energy and increasing the absorption maximum and open-circuit voltage values in selected molecules (YA1-YA4). The combination of extended conjugation and excellent electron-withdrawing capability of the end-capped acceptor moiety in YA1 makes YA1 an excellent organic solar cell (OSC) candidate owing to promising photovoltaic properties including the lowest energy gap (1.924 eV), smallest electron mobility (λe = 0.0073 eV) and hole mobility (λh = 0.0083 eV), highest λmax values (783.36 nm (in gas) and 715.20 nm (in chloroform) with lowest transition energy values (E x) of 1.58 and 1.73 eV, respectively), and fine open-circuit voltage (V oc = 1.17 V) with respect to HOMOPM6-LUMOacceptor. Moreover, selected molecules are observed to have better photovoltaic properties than Y21, thus paving the way for experimentalists to look for future developments of Y-series-based highly efficient solar cells.

Designing Star-Shaped Subphthalocyanine-Based Acceptor Materials with Promising Photovoltaic Parameters for Non-fullerene Solar Cells

Star-shaped three-dimensional (3D) twisted configured acceptors are a type of nonfullerene acceptors (NFAs) which are getting considerable attention of chemists and physicists on account of their promising photovoltaic properties and manifestly promoted the rapid progress of organic solar cells (OSCs). This report describes the peripheral substitution of the recently reported highly efficient 3D star-shaped acceptor compound, STIC, containing a 2-(3-oxo-2,3-dihydroinden-1-ylidene)malononitrile (IC) end-capped group and a subphthalocyanine (SubPc) core unit. The 3D star-shaped SubPc-based NFA compound STIC is peripherally substituted with well-known end-capped groups, and six new molecules (S1-S6) are quantum chemically designed and explored using density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TDDFT). Density of states (DOS) analysis, frontier molecular orbital (FMO) analysis, reorganization energies of electrons and holes, open-circuit voltage, transition density matrix (TDM) surface, photophysical characteristics, and charge-transfer analysis of selected molecules (S1-S6) are evaluated with the synthesized reference STIC. The designed molecules are found in the ambience of 2.52-2.27 eV with a reduction in energy gap of up to 0.19 eV compared to R values. The designed molecules S3-S6 showed a red shift in the absorption spectrum in the visible region and broader shift in the range of 605.21-669.38 nm (gas) and 624.34-698.77 (chloroform) than the R phase values of 596.73 nm (gas) and 616.92 nm (chloroform). The open-circuit voltages are found with the values larger than R values in S3-S6 (1.71-1.90 V) and comparable to R in the S1 and S2 molecules. Among all investigated molecules, S5 due to the combination of extended conjugation and electron-withdrawing capability of end-capped acceptor moiety A5 is proven as the best candidate owing to promising photovoltaic properties including the lowest band gap (2.27 eV), smallest λe = 0.00232 eV and λh = 0.00483 eV, highest λmax values of 669.38 nm (in gas) and 698.77 nm (in chloroform), and highest V oc = 1.90 V with respect to HOMOPTB7-Th-LUMOacceptor. Our results suggest that the selected molecules are fine acceptor materials and can be used as electron and/or hole transport materials with excellent photovoltaic properties for OSCs.

Exploration of Noncovalent Interactions, Chemical Reactivity, and Nonlinear Optical Properties of Piperidone Derivatives: A Concise Theoretical Approach

The organic compounds with a π-bond system lead to electric charge delocalization which enables them to reveal fascinating nonlinear optical properties. Mono-carbonyl curcuminoids also have an appealing skeleton from the conjugation view point. Interesting chemical structures of the 3,5-bis(arylidene)-N-benzenesulfonyl-4-piperidone derivatives motivated us to perform density functional theory (DFT)-based studies. Therefore, computations using the B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) functional of DFT were executed to explore geometric parameters, highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO)-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energies, and natural bond orbital (NBO) analyses. Moreover, three different functionals such as HF, B3LYP, and M06 with the 6-311G(d,p) basis set were used to investigate the average polarizability ⟨α⟩ and first hyperpolarizability (β_tot)-based properties of all compounds. A good concurrence among calculated and experimental parameters was obtained through root mean square error calculations. The molecular stability of piperidone derivatives was examined using the Hirshfeld surface and NBO analyses. Natural population analysis was also performed to obtain insights about atomic charges. Calculated HOMO-LUMO energies showed that charge transfer interactions take place within the molecules. Moreover, global reactivity parameters including electronegativity, chemical hardness, softness, ionization potential, and electrophilicity were calculated using the HOMO and LUMO energies. The average polarizability ⟨α⟩ and first hyperpolarizability (β_tot) values of all compounds were observed to be larger in magnitude at the aforesaid functional than the standard compound.

Designing indenothiophene-based acceptor materials with efficient photovoltaic parameters for fullerene-free organic solar cells

Non-fullerene small molecular acceptors (NFSMAs) exhibit promising photovoltaic performance which promoted the rapid progress of organic solar cells (OSCs). In this study, an attempt is done to explore indenothiophene-based high-performance small molecular electron acceptors for organic solar cells. We have designed five acceptor molecules (M1-M5) with strong donor moiety indenothiophene linked to five different end-capped group acceptor moieties: diflouro-2-methylene-3-oxo-2,3-dihydroindene-1-ylidene)malononitrile (A1), 1-(dicyanomethylene)-2-methylene-3-oxo-2,3-dihydro-1H-indene-5,6-dicarbonitrile (A2), methyl-6-cyano-3-(dicyanomethylene)-2-methylene-1-oxo-2,3-dihydro-1H-indene-5-carboylate (A3), 2-(6-cyano-5-fluoro-2-methylene-3-oxo-2,3 dihydro-1H-indene-1-ylidene)malononitrile (A4), and (Z)-methyl 3-(benzo [c][1,2,5]thiadiazol-4-yl)-2-cyanoacrylate (A5) respectively. The structure-property relationship was studied and effects of structural modification on the optoelectronic properties of these acceptors (M1-M5) were determined systematically by comparing it with reference molecule R, which is recently reported as excellent non-fullerene-based small acceptor molecule. Among all designed molecules, M5 is proven as a suitable candidate for organic solar cell applications due to better photovoltaic properties including narrow HOMO-LUMO energy gap (2.11 eV), smallest electron mobility (λ_e = 0.0038 eV), highest λ_max values (702.82 nm in gas) and (663.09 nm in chloroform solvent) and highest open-circuit voltage (V_oc = 1.49 V) with respect to HOMO_PTB7-Th-LUMO_acceptor. Our results indicate that introducing more end-capped electron-accepting units is a simple and effective alternative strategy for the design of promising NFSMAs. This theoretical framework also proves that the conceptualized NFSMAs are superior and thus are recommended for the future construction of high-performance organic solar cell devices. Graphical abstract.

A facile microwave assisted synthesis and structure elucidation of (3R)-3-alkyl-4,1-benzoxazepine-2,5-diones by crystallographic, spectroscopic and DFT studies

The use of microwave (MW) irradiation in organic synthesis has become increasingly popular within the pharmaceutical and academic arenas because it is a new enabling technology for drug discovery and development. It is a rapid way of synthesis, which involves faster reaction rates and high selectivity to conventional heating method of syntheses. The MW-assisted 7-exo-tet cyclization of N-acylanthranilic acids afforded (3R)-3-alkyl-4,1-benzoxazepines-2,5-diones in very short duration (20 min) with extraordinary high yields in comparison to conventional heating mode of synthesis. The method development, comparative yields of MW-assisted and thermal method of syntheses, crystallographic, spectroscopic and density functional theory (DFT) studies are reported herein. Four novel compounds with chemical formulas C₁₀H₉BrClNO₃5m, C₁₉H₁₉NO₃6e, C₁₃H₁₄ClNO₃6h and C₁₂H₁₁Br₂NO₃6h were synthesized, validated by ¹HNMR, ¹³CNMR, FT-IR, UVVis, EIMS spectroscopic techniques and confirmed by using single crystal X-ray diffraction (SC-XRD) study. The DFT and TDDFT calculations at B3LYP/6-311 + G(d,p) level of theory were performed for comparative analysis of spectroscopic data, optimized geometries, frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs), natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis and nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of 5m, 6e, 6h and 6o. Overall, experimental findings were supported nicely by corresponding DFT computed results. The NBO analysis confirmed that the presence of non-covalent interactions, hydrogen bonding and hyper- conjugative interactions are pivotal cause for the existence of 5m, 6e, 6h and 6o in the solid-state. NLO analysis showed that 5m, 6e, 6h and 6o have significant NLO properties as compared to prototype standard compound which disclosed their potential for technology related applications.

First principles study of electronic and nonlinear optical properties of A–D–π–A and D–A–D–π–A configured compounds containing novel quinoline–carbazole derivatives

Materials with nonlinear optical (NLO) properties have significant applications in different fields, including nuclear science, biophysics, medicine, chemical dynamics, solid physics, materials science and surface interface applications. Quinoline and carbazole, owing to their electron-deficient and electron-rich character respectively, play a role in charge transfer applications in optoelectronics. Therefore, an attempt has been made herein to explore quinoline–carbazole based novel materials with highly nonlinear optical properties. Structural tailoring has been made at the donor and acceptor units of two recently synthesized quinoline–carbazole molecules (Q1, Q2) and acceptor–donor–π–acceptor (A–D–π–A) and donor–acceptor–donor–π–acceptor (D–A–D–π–A) type novel molecules Q1D1–Q1D3 and Q2D2–Q2D3 have been quantum chemically designed, respectively. Density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) computations are performed to process the impact of acceptor and donor units on photophysical, electronic and NLO properties of selected molecules. The λ_max values (321 and 319 nm) for Q1 and Q2 in DSMO were in good agreement with the experimental values (326 and 323 nm). The largest shift in absorption maximum is displayed by Q1D2 (436 nm). The designed compounds (Q1D3–Q2D3) express absorption spectra with an increased border and with a reduced band gap compared to the parent compounds (Q1 and Q2). Natural bond orbital (NBO) investigations showed that the extended hyper conjugation and strong intramolecular interaction play significant roles in stabilising these systems. All molecules expressed significant NLO responses. A large value of β_tot was elevated in Q1D2 (23 885.90 a.u.). This theoretical framework reveals the NLO response properties of novel quinoline–carbazole derivatives that can be significant for their use in advanced applications.

Materials with nonlinear optical properties have significant applications in nuclear science, biophysics, medicine, chemical dynamics, solid physics & materials science. We show how π bridges, donors & acceptors can be reconfigured to improve optical properties.

Designing triazatruxene-based donor materials with promising photovoltaic parameters for organic solar cells

To address the increasing demand of efficient photovoltaic compounds for modern hi-tech applications, efforts have been made herein to design and explore triazatruxene-based novel donor materials with greater efficiencies. Five new molecules, namely M1-M5, were designed by structural modification of acceptor moiety (rhodanine-3-acetic acid) of well known experimentally synthesized JY05 dye (reference R), and their optoelectronic properties are evaluated to be used as donor molecules in organic solar cells. In these molecules M1-M5, triazatruxene acts as a donor unit and benzene spaced different end-capped moieties including 2-(4-(dicyanomethylene)-2-thioxothiazolidin-3-yl)acetic acid (A1), (E)-2-(4-(1-cyano-2-methoxy-2-oxoethylidene)-2-thioxothiazolidin-3-yl)acetic acid (A2), (Z)-2-(3'-ethyl-4'-oxo-2,2'-dithioxo-3',4'-dihydro-2'H,5H-[4,5'-bithiazolylidene]-3(2H)-yl)acetic acid (A3), (Z)-2-(4'-(dicyano-methylene)-3'-ethyl-2,2'-dithioxo-3',4'-dihydro-2'H,5H-[4,5'-bithiazol-ylidene]-3(2H)-yl)acetic acid (A4) and 2-((4Z,4'E)-4'-(1-cyano-2-methoxy-2-oxoethylidene)-3'-ethyl-2,2'-dithioxo-3',4'-dihydro-2'H,5H-[4,5'-bithiazolylidene]-3(2H)-yl)acetic acid (A5) respectively, as acceptor units. The electronic, photophysical and photovoltaic properties of the designed molecules M1-M5 have been compared with reference molecule R. All designed molecules exhibit reduced energy gap in the region of 1.464-2.008 eV as compared to reference molecule (2.509 eV). Frontier molecular orbital (FMO) surfaces confirm the transfer of charge from donor to acceptor units. All designed molecules M1-M5 exhibited an absorption spectrum in the visible region and they were broader as compared to that of reference R. Especially, M5 with highest λ max value 649.26 nm and lowest transition energy value 1.90 eV was accredited to the strong electron withdrawing end-capped acceptor moiety A5. The highest value of open circuit voltage (V oc) 1.02 eV with respect to HOMOdonor-LUMOBTP-4Cl was shown by M5 among all investigated molecules which was 0.15 V larger than reference molecule R. The designed molecule M5 is proven to be the best candidate for both electron and hole transport mobilities due to its smallest λ e (0.0212 eV) and λ h (0.0062 eV) values among all studied molecules.