Femtosecond photoelectron spectroscopy of trans-stilbene above the reaction barrier

A catalyzed E/Z isomerization mechanism of stilbene using para-benzoquinone as a triplet sensitizer

Sensitizer molecules affect not only the quantum yield but also the selectivity of photochemical reactions. For an appropriate design of sensitized photochemical processes, we need to elucidate the reaction mechanism in detail. Here we investigated the mechanism of photoisomerization of stilbene via the triplet state with a para-benzoquinone sensitizer using density functional theory. In general, the isomerization of stilbene via the triplet state exhibits (Z)-selectivity (cis-selectivity); however, the para-benzoquinone sensitizer changes it to (E)-selectivity (trans-selectivity). The calculations showed that stilbene and para-benzoquinone form stable exciplexes having a preoxetane structure. The E/Z isomerization occurred via this exciplex, in which para-benzoquinone acted as a photocatalyst rather than a sensitizer only providing excitation energy. The spin-density distribution of the exciplex differed from the isolated stilbene in the triplet state. Therefore, the stilbene moiety could take (E)-conformation in the exciplex. The intermolecular charge-transfer drove the exciplex formation. This specific reaction mechanism originated from the electron-accepting ability of para-benzoquinone in the triplet state.

Influence of charge transfer on the isomerisation of stilbene derivatives for application in cancer therapy

The photoisomerisation of non-toxic trans-combretastatin CA4 to its cytotoxic cis isomer demonstrates the high potential of this and similar compounds for localised cancer therapy. The introduction of intramolecular charge-transfer character by altering the substituents of combretastatin systems opens up possibilities to tailor these stilbene derivatives to the special demands of anticancer drugs. In this TDDFT study we explore how absorption wavelengths for both the trans and cis isomers can be red shifted to enable deeper light penetration into tissue and how the trans → cis and cis → trans isomerisations are affected by charge transfer effects to different degrees.

Tuning Stilbene Photochemistry by Fluorination: State Reordering Leads to Sudden Polarization near the Franck-Condon Region

Spontaneous polarization of a nonpolar molecule upon photoexcitation (the sudden polarization effect) earlier discussed for 90°-twisted alkenes is observed and calculated for planar ring-fluorinated stilbenes, trans-2,3,5,6,2',3',5',6'-octofluorostilbene (tF2356) and trans-2,3,4,5,6,2',3',4',5',6'-decafluorostilbene (tF23456). Due to the fluorination, Franck-Condon states S₁^FC and S₂^FC are dominated by the quasi-degenerate HOMO-1 → LUMO and HOMO-2 → LUMO excitations, while their interaction gives rise to a symmetry-broken zwitterionic S₁ state. After optical excitation of tF2356, one observes an ultrafast (∼0.06 ps) evolution that reflects relaxation from initial nonpolar S₃^FC to long-lived (1.3 ns in n-hexane and 3.4 ns in acetonitrile) polar S₁. The polarity of S₁ is evidenced by a solvatochromic shift of its fluorescence band. The experimental results provide a sensitive test for quantum-chemical calculations. In particular, our calculations agree with the experiment, and raise concerns about the applicability of the common TDDFT approach to relatively simple stilbenic systems.

Analysis of the vibronic structure of the trans-stilbene fluorescence and excitation spectra: the S0 and S1 PES along the Ce[double bond, length as m-dash]Ce and Ce-Cph torsions

We analyze the highly resolved vibronic structure of the low energy (≤200 cm^-1) region of the fluorescence and fluorescence excitation spectra of trans-stilbene in supersonic beams. In this spectral region the vibronic structure is associated mainly with vibrational levels of the C_e-C_e torsion (τ) and the a_u combination of the two C_e-C_ph bond twisting (ϕ). We base this analysis on the well-established S₀(τ, ϕ) two-dimensional potential energy surface (PES) and on a newly refined S₁(τ, ϕ) PES. We obtain vibrational eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the anharmonic S₀(τ, ϕ) and S₁(τ, ϕ) PES using a numerical procedure based on the Meyer's flexible model [R. Meyer, J. Mol. Spectrosc., 1979, 76, 266]. Then we derive Franck-Condon factors and therefore intensities of the relevant vibronic bands for the S₀ → S₁ excitation and S₁ → S₀ fluorescence spectra. Furthermore, we assess the role of the b_g combination of the two C_e-C_ph bond twisting (ν₄₈) in the structure of the S₁ → S₀ fluorescence spectra. By the use of these results we are able to assign most of the low energy vibrational levels of the S₀ → S₁ excitation spectra and of the fluorescence spectra of the emission from several low energy S₁ vibronic levels. The good agreement between the observed and the computed vibrational structure of the S₀ → S₁ and S₁ → S₀ spectra suggests that the proposed picture of the E₁(τ, ϕ) and E₀(τ, ϕ) PES, in particular along the coordinate τ governing trans-cis photo-isomerization in S₁, is accurate. In S₀, the barriers for the C_e[double bond, length as m-dash]C_e torsion and for the a_u type C_e-C_ph bond twisting are 16 080 cm^-1 and 3125 cm^-1, respectively, while in S₁, where the bond orders of the C_e[double bond, length as m-dash]C_e and C_e-C_ph bonds are reversed, the two barriers become 1350 cm^-1 and 8780 cm^-1, respectively.

Molecular logic gates based on benzo-18-crown-6 ether of styrylquinoline: a theoretical study

In the present work, we examine the possibility of a benzo-18-crown-6 ether of styrylquinoline molecule (1) in acetonitrile solvent to act as a sensor for the Ca⁺⁺ cation and as a molecular logical gate. DFT and TDDFT calculations are carried out using the M06-2X and the PBE0 functionals. The quinoline moiety is an electron donor and an H⁺ receptor, while the crown ether is a Ca⁺⁺ receptor forming host-guest complexes with Ca⁺⁺. The calculations show that there are 8 thermally stable forms, i.e., trans and cis isomers of neutral (1), protonated (1H+), complexed with Ca⁺⁺ (1Ca++), and both protonated and Ca⁺⁺ complexed (1H+Ca++), with different absorption and emission spectra, and which can be interconverted from one form to another. The addition of H⁺ and/or Ca⁺⁺ to 1 results in variation of the oscillator strength of the major absorption and emission peaks as well as in significant shifts of the major absorption and emission peaks including shifting from the vis spectral area to UV and vice versa. Consequently, 1 is a candidate for a sensor for the Ca⁺⁺ cation. Furthermore it is shown that 1 can act as a molecular optical switch owing to its ability to be reversibly protonated and/or Ca⁺⁺ complexed with substantial accompanying differences in the spectral properties. Similarly, 1 can be used as a sensor molecular logic gate, in which using H⁺ and Ca⁺⁺ and irradiation as input, the emission output at 500, 470, 430, and 407 nm can be utilized as output to build AND, NOR, XOR, XNOR, INHIBIT, and IMPLICATION logic gates.

Trans- and cis-stilbene isolated in cryogenic argon and xenon matrices

Monomers of trans- (TS) and cis-stilbene (CS) were isolated in cryogenic argon and xenon matrices, and their infrared (IR) spectra were fully assigned and interpreted. The interpretation of the vibrational spectra received support from theoretical calculations undertaken at the DFT(B3LYP)/6-311++G(d,p) level of theory. In situ broadband UV irradiation of the matrix-isolated CS led to its isomerization to TS, which appeared in the photolysed matrices in both non-planar and planar configurations. The non-planar species was found to convert into the more stable planar form upon subsequent annealing of the matrices at higher temperature. TS was found to be photostable under the used experimental conditions. The structure of the non-planar TS form was assigned based on the comparison of its observed IR spectrum with those theoretically predicted for different conformations of TS. Chemometrics was used to make this assignment. Additional reasoning on the structure of the studied stilbenes is presented taking as basis results of the Natural Bond Orbital analysis.

Excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) in 2-(2'-hydroxyphenyl)benzoxazole and its naphthalene-fused analogs: a TD-DFT quantum chemical study

The intramolecular proton transfer reactions in 2-(2'-hydroxyphenyl)benzoxazole (HBO) and its naphthalene-fused analogs, (HNB1-3) in both S0 and S1 states at the PBE1PBE/6-311++G(2d,2p) level of theory in the gas phase and water have been investigated to find the effects of extension of aromaticity on the intramolecular proton transfer and photophysical properties. The results show that the ground state intramolecular proton transfer (GSIPT) in the studied species is impossible. Excited states potential energy surface calculations support the existence of ESIPT process. Structural parameters, relative energy of isomers, H-bonding energy, adsorption and emission bands, vertical excitation and emission energies, oscillator strength, fluorescence rate constant, dipole moment, atomic charges and electron density at critical points were calculated. Orbital analysis shows that vertical S0→S1 transition in the studied molecules corresponds essentially to the excitation from HOMO (π) to LUMO (π(*)). The potential of HNB2 molecule as an emissive and electron transport material in designing improved organic white light emitting diodes is predicted in this work. Our calculations are also supported by the experimental observations.

Photoisomerization of Stilbene: The Detailed XMCQDPT2 Treatment

We report the detailed XMCQDPT2/cc-pVTZ study of trans-cis photoisomerization in one of the core systems of both experimental and computational photochemistry-the stilbene molecule. For the first time, the potential energy surface (PES) of the S1 state has been directly optimized and scanned using a multistate multiconfiguration second-order perturbation theory. We characterize the trans-stilbene, pyramidalized (phantom), and DHP-cis-stilbene geometric domains of the S1 state and describe their stationary points including the transition states between them, as well as S1/S0 intersections. Also reported are the minima and the activation barriers in the ground state. Our calculations correctly predict the kinetic isotope effect due to H/D exchange at ethylenic hydrogens, the dynamic behavior of excited cis-stilbene, and trans-cis branching ratio after relaxation to S0 through a rather unsymmetric conical intersection. In general, the XMCQDPT2 results confirm the qualitative adequacy of the TDDFT (especially SF-TDDFT) picture of the excited stilbene but also reveal quantitative discrepancies that deserve further exploration.

Photoisomerization of stilbene: a spin-flip density functional theory approach

The photoisomerization process of 1,2-diphenylethylene (stilbene) is investigated using the spin-flip density functional theory (SFDFT), which has recently been shown to be a promising approach for locating conical intersection (CI) points (Minezawa, N.; Gordon, M. S. J. Phys. Chem. A2009, 113, 12749). The SFDFT method gives valuable insight into twisted stilbene to which the linear response time-dependent DFT approach cannot be applied. In contrast to the previous SFDFT study of ethylene, a distinct twisted minimum is found for stilbene. The optimized structure has a sizable pyramidalization angle and strong ionic character, indicating that a purely twisted geometry is not a true minimum. In addition, the SFDFT approach can successfully locate two CI points: the twisted-pyramidalized CI that is similar to the ethylene counterpart and another CI that possibly lies on the cyclization pathway of cis-stilbene. The mechanisms of the cis--trans isomerization reaction are discussed on the basis of the two-dimensional potential energy surface along the twisting and pyramidalization angles.

Electronic effects on photochemistry: the diverse reaction dynamics of highly excited stilbenes and azobenzene

Ultrafast time-resolved mass spectrometry and structural dynamics experiments on trans-stilbene, cis-stilbene, and azobenzene, with excitation to high-lying electronic states, reveal a rich diversity of photochemical reaction dynamics. All processes are found to be quite unlike the well-known photochemistry on lower electronic surfaces. While in trans-stilbene, excitation at 6 eV induces a phenyl twisting motion, in cis-stilbene it leads to an ultrafast ring-closing to form 4a,4b-dihydrophenanthrene. Azobenzene dissociates on an ultrafast time scale, rather than isomerizing as it does on a lower surface. The photochemical dynamics of the sample molecules proceed along steep potential energy surfaces and conical intersections. Because of that, the dynamics are much faster than vibrational relaxation, the randomizing effects from vibrational energy scrambling are avoided, and excitation-energy specific reaction dynamics results.

Effective method to compute Franck-Condon integrals for optical spectra of large molecules in solution

The authors present a new method for the computation of vibrationally resolved optical spectra of large molecules, including the Duschinsky [Acta Physicochim. URSS 7, 551 (1937)] rotation of the normal modes. The method automatically selects the relevant vibronic contributions to the spectrum, independent of their frequency, and it is able to provide fully converged spectra with a quite modest computational time, both in vacuo and in condensed phase. Starting from the rigorous time-dependent expression they discuss indeed in which limits the spectrum of a molecule embedded in a solvent, described as a polarizable continuum, can be computed in a time-independent formalism, defining both nonequilibrium and equilibrium limits. In these cases the polarizable continuum model provides a suitable description of the solvent field. By computing the absorption spectra of anthracene in gas phase and of coumarin C153 in gas phase and cyclohexane, and the phosphorescence spectrum of the unsubstituted coumarin in ethanol they show that the method is fast and efficient.

Ab initiotreatment of time-resolved x-ray scattering: Application to the photoisomerization of stilbene

In this work we present a general theoretical outline for calculating time-dependent x-ray scattering signal changes from first principles. We derive a formalism for the description of atom-atom correlation functions as Fourier transforms of quantum-chemically calculated electron densities and show their proportionality to the molecular form factor. The formalism derived in this work is applied to the photoisomerization of stilbene. We can demonstrate that wide-angle x-ray scattering offers a possibility to study the changes in electron densities in nonperiodic complex systems, which renders it a suitable technique for the investigation of (bio)organic systems.

Excited-State Behavior of trans and cis Isomers of Stilbene and Stiff Stilbene: A TD-DFT Study

The first part of the isomerization path on the two lowest excited states of trans and cis isomers of stilbene and stiff stilbene is investigated by means of TD-PBE0 calculations in the gas phase and in heptane solution. Solvent effects are taken into account by the PCM model. The excited-state optimized structures and the computed absorption and emission frequencies are in good agreement with the available experimental results. In all of the examined compounds, the isomerization process before barrier crossing occurs on the HOMO --> LUMO bright state, whereas the role played by other single-excitation states appears negligible. The relative energy barriers on the isomerization paths are consistent with the experimental excited-state lifetimes, suggesting a unifying picture of the isomerization process in stilbene-like molecules.