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Di Maiolo F, Phan Huu DKA, Giavazzi D, Landi A, Racchi O, Painelli A. Shedding light on thermally-activated delayed fluorescence. Chem Sci 2024; 15:5434-5450. [PMID: 38638233 PMCID: PMC11023041 DOI: 10.1039/d4sc00033a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) is a hot research topic in view of its impressive applications in a wide variety of fields from organic LEDs to photodynamic therapy and metal-free photocatalysis. TADF is a rare and fragile phenomenon that requires a delicate equilibrium between tiny singlet-triplet gaps, sizable spin-orbit couplings, conformational flexibility and a balanced contribution of charge transfer and local excited states. To make the picture more complex, this precarious equilibrium is non-trivially affected by the interaction of the TADF dye with its local environment. The concurrent optimization of the dye and of the embedding medium is therefore of paramount importance to boost practical applications of TADF. Towards this aim, refined theoretical and computational approaches must be cleverly exploited, paying attention to the reliability of adopted approximations. In this perspective, we will address some of the most important issues in the field. Specifically, we will critically review theoretical and computational approaches to TADF rates, highlighting the limits of widespread approaches. Environmental effects on the TADF photophysics are discussed in detail, focusing on the major role played by dielectric and conformational disorder in liquid solutions and amorphous matrices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Di Maiolo
- Dept. Chemistry, Life Science and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma Parco Area delle Scienze 17/A 43124 Parma Italy
| | - D K Andrea Phan Huu
- Dept. Chemistry, Life Science and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma Parco Area delle Scienze 17/A 43124 Parma Italy
| | - Davide Giavazzi
- Dept. Chemistry, Life Science and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma Parco Area delle Scienze 17/A 43124 Parma Italy
| | - Andrea Landi
- Dept. Chemistry, Life Science and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma Parco Area delle Scienze 17/A 43124 Parma Italy
| | - Ottavia Racchi
- Dept. Chemistry, Life Science and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma Parco Area delle Scienze 17/A 43124 Parma Italy
| | - Anna Painelli
- Dept. Chemistry, Life Science and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma Parco Area delle Scienze 17/A 43124 Parma Italy
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2
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Bardi B, Giavazzi D, Ferrari E, Iagatti A, Di Donato M, Phan Huu DKA, Di Maiolo F, Sissa C, Masino M, Lapini A, Painelli A. Solid state solvation: a fresh view. MATERIALS HORIZONS 2023; 10:4172-4182. [PMID: 37522331 DOI: 10.1039/d3mh00988b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
The design of efficient organic electronic devices, including OLEDs, OPVs, luminescent solar concentrators, etc., relies on the optimization of relevant materials, often constituted by an active (functional) dye embedded in a matrix. Understanding solid state solvation (SSS), i.e. how the properties of the active dye are affected by the matrix, is therefore an issue of fundamental and technological relevance. Here an extensive experimental and theoretical investigation is presented shedding light on this, somewhat controversial, topic. The spectral properties of the dye at equilibrium, i.e. absorption and Raman spectra, are not affected by the matrix dynamics. Reliable estimates of the matrix polarity are then obtained from an analysis of the micro-Raman spectra of polar dyes. Specifically, to establish a reliable polarity scale, the spectra of DCM or NR dispersed in amorphous matrices are compared with the spectra of the same dyes in liquid solvents with known polarity. On the other hand, steady-state emission spectra obtained in solid matrices depend in a highly non-trivial way on the matrix polarity and its dynamics. An extensive experimental and theoretical analysis of the time-resolved emission spectra of NR in a very large time window (15 fs-15 ns) allows us to validate this dye as a good probe of the dielectric dynamics of the surrounding medium. We provide a first assessment of the relaxation dynamics of two matrices (mCBPCN and DPEPO) of interest for OLED application, unambiguously demonstrating that the matrix readjusts for at least 15 ns after the dye photoexcitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brunella Bardi
- Dept. Chemistry, Life Science and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 17/A, 43124 Parma, Italy.
| | - Davide Giavazzi
- Dept. Chemistry, Life Science and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 17/A, 43124 Parma, Italy.
| | - Elena Ferrari
- Dept. Chemistry, Life Science and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 17/A, 43124 Parma, Italy.
| | - Alessandro Iagatti
- CNR-INO (Istituto Nazionaledi Ottica), Largo Fermi 6, 50125 Firenze, Italy
- LENS (European Laboratory for Non-Linear Spectroscopy), Via N. Carrara 1, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, FI, Italy
| | - Mariangela Di Donato
- LENS (European Laboratory for Non-Linear Spectroscopy), Via N. Carrara 1, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, FI, Italy
- ICCOM-CNR, via Madonna del Piano 10, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino, FI, Italy
| | - D K Andrea Phan Huu
- Dept. Chemistry, Life Science and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 17/A, 43124 Parma, Italy.
| | - Francesco Di Maiolo
- Dept. Chemistry, Life Science and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 17/A, 43124 Parma, Italy.
| | - Cristina Sissa
- Dept. Chemistry, Life Science and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 17/A, 43124 Parma, Italy.
| | - Matteo Masino
- Dept. Chemistry, Life Science and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 17/A, 43124 Parma, Italy.
| | - Andrea Lapini
- Dept. Chemistry, Life Science and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 17/A, 43124 Parma, Italy.
- LENS (European Laboratory for Non-Linear Spectroscopy), Via N. Carrara 1, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, FI, Italy
| | - Anna Painelli
- Dept. Chemistry, Life Science and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 17/A, 43124 Parma, Italy.
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3
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Giavazzi D, Saseendran S, Di Maiolo F, Painelli A. A Comprehensive Approach to Exciton Delocalization and Energy Transfer. J Chem Theory Comput 2022; 19:436-447. [PMID: 36563008 PMCID: PMC9878730 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.2c00980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Electrostatic intermolecular interactions lie at the heart of both the Förster model for resonance energy transfer (RET) and the exciton model for energy delocalization. In the Förster theory of RET, the excitation energy incoherently flows from the energy donor to a weakly coupled energy acceptor. The exciton model describes instead the energy delocalization in aggregates of identical (or nearly so) molecules. Here, we introduce a model that brings together molecular aggregates and RET. We will consider a couple of molecules, each described in terms of two diabatic electronic states, coupled to an effective molecular vibration. Electrostatic intermolecular interactions drive energy fluxes between the molecules, that, depending on model parameters, can be described as RET or energy delocalization. At variance with the standard Förster model for RET and of the exciton model for aggregates, our approach applies both in the weak and in the strong coupling regimes and fully accounts for the quantum nature of molecular vibrations in a nonadiabatic approach. Coupling the system to a thermal bath, we follow RET and energy delocalization in real time and simulate time-resolved emission spectra.
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Affiliation(s)
- D. Giavazzi
- Department of Chemistry,
Life Science and Environmental Sustainability, Università di Parma, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - S. Saseendran
- Department of Chemistry,
Life Science and Environmental Sustainability, Università di Parma, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - F. Di Maiolo
- Department of Chemistry,
Life Science and Environmental Sustainability, Università di Parma, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - A. Painelli
- Department of Chemistry,
Life Science and Environmental Sustainability, Università di Parma, 43124 Parma, Italy
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4
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Di Maiolo F, Painelli A. Dynamical disorder and resonance energy transfer: a novel quantum-classical approach. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2020; 22:1061-1068. [DOI: 10.1039/c9cp06038c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
A novel quantum-classical approach demonstrates that dynamic disorder, as induced by a liquid polar solvent, boosts RET efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- F. Di Maiolo
- Department of Chemistry
- Life Science and Environmental Sustainability
- Università di Parma
- 43124 Parma
- Italy
| | - A. Painelli
- Department of Chemistry
- Life Science and Environmental Sustainability
- Università di Parma
- 43124 Parma
- Italy
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5
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Campioli E, Sanyal S, Marcelli A, Di Donato M, Blanchard‐Desce M, Mongin O, Painelli A, Terenziani F. Addressing Charge‐Transfer and Locally‐Excited States in a Twisted Biphenyl Push‐Pull Chromophore. Chemphyschem 2019; 20:2860-2873. [DOI: 10.1002/cphc.201900703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Revised: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Campioli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, della Vita e della Sostenibilità AmbientaleUniversità di Parma Parco Area delle Scienze 17/A 43124 Parma Italy
| | - Somananda Sanyal
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, della Vita e della Sostenibilità AmbientaleUniversità di Parma Parco Area delle Scienze 17/A 43124 Parma Italy
| | | | | | | | - Olivier Mongin
- Univ Rennes CNRS, ISCR (Institut des Sciences Chimiques de Rennes) UMR 6226 35000 Rennes France
| | - Anna Painelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, della Vita e della Sostenibilità AmbientaleUniversità di Parma Parco Area delle Scienze 17/A 43124 Parma Italy
| | - Francesca Terenziani
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, della Vita e della Sostenibilità AmbientaleUniversità di Parma Parco Area delle Scienze 17/A 43124 Parma Italy
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Heid E, Schmode S, Chatterjee P, MacKerell AD, Schröder C. Solvation dynamics: improved reproduction of the time-dependent Stokes shift with polarizable empirical force field chromophore models. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2019; 21:17703-17710. [PMID: 31367711 DOI: 10.1039/c9cp03000j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The inclusion of explicit polarization in molecular dynamics simulation has gained increasing interest during the last several years. An understudied area is the role of polarizability in computer simulations of solvation dynamics around chromophores, particularly for the large solutes used in experimental studies. In this work, we present fully polarizable ground and excited state force fields for the common fluorophores N-methyl-6-oxyquinolium betaine and Coumarin 153. While analyzing the solvation responses in water, methanol, and the highly viscous ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate we found that the inclusion of solute polarizability considerably increases the agreement of the obtained Stokes shift relaxation functions with experimental data. Solute polarizability slows down the inertial solvation response in the femtosecond time regime and enables the chromophore to adapt its dipole moment to the environment. Furthermore, the developed chromophore force field reproduces the solute dipole moments in both the electronic ground and excited state in environments ranging from gas phase to highly polar media correctly. Based on these studies it is anticipated that polarizable models of chromophores will lead to an improved understanding of the relationship of their environment to their spectroscopic properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther Heid
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Computational Biological Chemistry, Währingerstr. 17, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
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Heid E, Hunt PA, Schröder C. Evaluating excited state atomic polarizabilities of chromophores. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2018. [PMID: 29542743 PMCID: PMC5885803 DOI: 10.1039/c7cp08549d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Ground and excited state atomic polarizabilities of the chromophores N-methyl-6-oxyquinolinium betaine and coumarin 153 have been evaluated via quantum mechanics.
Ground and excited state dipoles and polarizabilities of the chromophores N-methyl-6-oxyquinolinium betaine (MQ) and coumarin 153 (C153) in solution have been evaluated using time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT). A method for determining the atomic polarizabilities has been developed; the molecular dipole has been decomposed into atomic charge transfer and polarizability terms, and variation in the presence of an electric field has been used to evaluate atomic polarizabilities. On excitation, MQ undergoes very site-specific changes in polarizability while C153 shows significantly less variation. We also conclude that MQ cannot be adequately described by standard atomic polarizabilities based on atomic number and hybridization state. Changes in the molecular polarizability of MQ (on excitation) are not representative of the local site-specific changes in atomic polarizability, thus the overall molecular polarizability ratio does not provide a good approximation for local atom-specific polarizability changes on excitation. Accurate excited state force fields are needed for computer simulation of solvation dynamics. The chromophores considered in this study are often used as molecular probes. The methods and data reported here can be used for the construction of polarizable ground and excited state force fields. Atomic and molecular polarizabilities (ground and excited states) have been evaluated over a range of functionals and basis sets. Different mechanisms for including solvation effects have been examined; using a polarizable continuum model, explicit solvation and via sampling of clusters extracted from a MD simulation. A range of different solvents have also been considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther Heid
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Computational Biological Chemistry, Währingerstraße 19, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
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8
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Kurhuzenkau SA, Woodward AW, Yao S, Belfield KD, Shaydyuk YO, Sissa C, Bondar MV, Painelli A. Ultrafast spectroscopy, superluminescence and theoretical modeling of a two-photon absorbing fluorene derivative. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2016; 18:12839-46. [DOI: 10.1039/c6cp01393g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Linear and nonlinear optical properties and photostability of a fluorene derivative are studied and rationalized within essential state models.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - A. W. Woodward
- Department of Chemistry
- University of Central Florida
- Orlando
- USA
| | - S. Yao
- Department of Chemistry
- University of Central Florida
- Orlando
- USA
| | - K. D. Belfield
- College of Science and Liberal Arts
- New Jersey Institute of Technology
- University Heights
- Newark
- USA
| | - Y. O. Shaydyuk
- Institute of Physics National Academy of Science of Ukraine
- Kiev-28
- Ukraine
| | - C. Sissa
- Department of Chemistry
- University of Parma
- Parma
- Italy
| | - M. V. Bondar
- Institute of Physics National Academy of Science of Ukraine
- Kiev-28
- Ukraine
| | - A. Painelli
- Department of Chemistry
- University of Parma
- Parma
- Italy
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9
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Terenziani F, Painelli A. Two-dimensional electronic-vibrational spectra: modeling correlated electronic and nuclear motion. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2015; 17:13074-81. [DOI: 10.1039/c5cp01485a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
2D-EV spectra of solvated organic dyes modeled in terms of a reduced set of electronic diabatic states.
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Affiliation(s)
- F. Terenziani
- Dipartimento di Chimica
- Università di Parma & INSTM UdR Parma
- 43124 Parma
- Italy
| | - A. Painelli
- Dipartimento di Chimica
- Università di Parma & INSTM UdR Parma
- 43124 Parma
- Italy
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10
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Sissa C, Delchiaro F, Di Maiolo F, Terenziani F, Painelli A. Vibrational coherences in charge-transfer dyes: A non-adiabatic picture. J Chem Phys 2014; 141:164317. [DOI: 10.1063/1.4898710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Sissa
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli studi di Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 17/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - Francesca Delchiaro
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli studi di Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 17/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - Francesco Di Maiolo
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli studi di Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 17/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - Francesca Terenziani
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli studi di Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 17/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
- National Interuniversity Consortium of Materials Science and Technology, INSTM-UdR Parma, Italy
| | - Anna Painelli
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli studi di Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 17/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
- National Interuniversity Consortium of Materials Science and Technology, INSTM-UdR Parma, Italy
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11
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Olsen S, McKenzie RH. A two-state model of twisted intramolecular charge-transfer in monomethine dyes. J Chem Phys 2012; 137:164319. [DOI: 10.1063/1.4762561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
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12
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Sissa C, Terenziani F, Painelli A, Siram RBK, Patil S. Spectroscopic Characterization and Modeling of Quadrupolar Charge-Transfer Dyes with Bulky Substituents. J Phys Chem B 2012; 116:4959-66. [DOI: 10.1021/jp3005508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Sissa
- Dipartimento di Chimica GIAF
and INSTM-UdR Parma, Università di Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 17/a, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - Francesca Terenziani
- Dipartimento di Chimica GIAF
and INSTM-UdR Parma, Università di Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 17/a, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - Anna Painelli
- Dipartimento di Chimica GIAF
and INSTM-UdR Parma, Università di Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 17/a, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | | | - Satish Patil
- Solid State and Structural Chemistry
Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
560012, India
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Terenziani F, D'Avino G, Painelli A. Multichromophores for Nonlinear Optics: Designing the Material Properties by Electrostatic Interactions. Chemphyschem 2007; 8:2433-44. [DOI: 10.1002/cphc.200700368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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14
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Zhou LC, Liu JY, Zhao GJ, Shi Y, Peng XJ, Han KL. The ultrafast dynamics of near-infrared heptamethine cyanine dye in alcoholic and aprotic solvents. Chem Phys 2007. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chemphys.2007.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Terenziani F, Painelli A, Girlando A, Metzger RM. From Solution to Langmuir−Blodgett Films: Spectroscopic Study of a Zwitterionic Dye. J Phys Chem B 2004. [DOI: 10.1021/jp047954m] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Terenziani
- Dipartimento di Chimica GIAF and INSTM UdR−Parma, Università di Parma, viale delle Scienze 17/a, 43100 Parma, Italy
| | - Anna Painelli
- Dipartimento di Chimica GIAF and INSTM UdR−Parma, Università di Parma, viale delle Scienze 17/a, 43100 Parma, Italy
| | - Alberto Girlando
- Dipartimento di Chimica GIAF and INSTM UdR−Parma, Università di Parma, viale delle Scienze 17/a, 43100 Parma, Italy
| | - Robert M. Metzger
- Laboratory for Molecular Electronics, Department of Chemistry, University of Alabama, Box 870336, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487-0336
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