DFT study of potential energy surfaces and conical intersection structures of Rhenium(I) tricarbonyl diimine complexes

Computational Design of Rhenium(I) Carbonyl Complexes for Anticancer Photodynamic Therapy

New Re(I) carbonyl complexes are proposed as candidates for photodynamic therapy after investigating the effects of the pyridocarbazole-type ligand conjugation, addition of substituents to this ligand, and replacement of one CO by phosphines in [Re(pyridocarbazole)(CO)3(pyridine)] complexes by means of the density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT. We have found, first, that increasing the conjugation in the bidentate ligand reduces the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO)-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy gap of the complex, so its absorption wavelength red-shifts. When the enlargement of this ligand is carried out by merging the electron-withdrawing 1H-pyrrole-2,5-dione heterocycle, it enhances even more the stabilization of the LUMO due to its electron-acceptor character. Second, the analysis of the shape and composition of the orbitals involved in the band of interest indicates which substituents of the bidentate ligand and which positions are optimal for reducing the HOMO-LUMO energy gap. The introduction of electron-withdrawing substituents into the pyridine ring of the pyridocarbazole ligand mainly stabilizes the LUMO, whereas the HOMO energy increases primarily when electron-donating substituents are introduced into its indole moiety. Each type of substituents results in a bathochromic shift of the lowest-lying absorption band, which is even larger if they are combined in the same complex. Finally, the removal of the π-backbonding interaction between Re and the CO trans to the monodentate pyridine when it is replaced by phosphines PMe3, 1,4-diacetyl-1,3,7-triaza-5-phosphabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane (DAPTA), and 1,4,7-triaza-9-phosphatricyclo[5.3.2.1]tridecane (CAP) causes another extra bathochromic shift due to the destabilization of the HOMO, which is low with DAPTA, moderate with PMe3, but especially large with CAP. Through the combination of the PMe3 or CAP ligands with adequate electron-withdrawing and/or electron-donating substituents at the pyridocarbazole ligand, we have found several complexes with significant absorption at the therapeutic window. In addition, according to our results on the singlet-triplet energy gap, all of them should be able to produce cytotoxic singlet oxygen.

Novel Molecular-Dynamics-Based Protocols for Phase Space Sampling in Complex Systems

The adequate exploration of the phase space of a chromophore is a fundamental necessity for the simulation of their optical and photophysical properties, taking into account the effects of vibrational motion and, most importantly, the coupling with a (non-homogeneous) molecular environment. A representative set of conformational snapshots around the Franck-Condon region is also required to perform non-adiabatic molecular dynamics, for instance in the framework of surface hopping. Indeed, in the latter case one needs to prepare a set of initial conditions providing a meaningful and complete statistical base for the subsequent trajectory propagation. In this contribution, we propose two new protocols for molecular dynamics-based phase space sampling, called "local temperature adjustment" and "individual QM/MM-based relaxation." These protocols are intended for situations in which the popular Wigner distribution sampling procedure is not applicable-as it is the case when anharmonic or nonlinear vibrations are present-and where regular molecular dynamics sampling might suffer from an inaccurate distribution of internal energy or from inaccurate force fields. The new protocols are applied to the case of phase space sampling of [Re(CO)3(Im)(Phen)]+ (im, imidazole; phen, phenanthroline) in aqueous solution, showing the advantages and limitations of regular Wigner and molecular dynamics sampling as well as the strengths of the new protocols.

Excited-states of a rhenium carbonyl diimine complex: solvation models, spin-orbit coupling, and vibrational sampling effects

We present a quantum-chemical investigation of the excited states of the complex [Re(CO)₃(Im)(Phen)]⁺ (Im = imidazole; Phen = 1,10-phenanthroline) in solution including spin-orbit couplings and vibrational sampling. To this aim, we implemented electrostatic embedding quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) in the Amsterdam Density Functional program suite, suitable for time-dependent density functional calculations including spin-orbit couplings. The new implementation is employed to simulate the absorption spectrum of the complex, which is compared to the results of implicit continuum solvation and frozen-density embedding. Molecular dynamics simulations are used to sample the ground state conformations in solution. The results demonstrate that any study of the excited states of [Re(CO)₃(Im)(Phen)]⁺ in solution and their dynamics should include extensive sampling of vibrational motion and spin-orbit couplings.

Ligand substitution and conformational effects on the ultrafast luminescent decay of [Re(CO)3(phen)(L)]+ (L = imidazole, pyridine): non-adiabatic quantum dynamics

The C_s conformers of [Re(CO)₃(phen)(L)]⁺ (L = imidazole, pyridine) complexes are investigated by means of density functional theory (DFT/time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT)) electronic structure calculations and non-adiabatic quantum dynamics including spin–orbit coupling (SOC).

Theoretical study of the cis–trans isomerization mechanism of a pendant metal-bound azobenzene

Theoretical study of the cis–trans isomerization mechanism of azobenzene substituents in rhenium complexes.

Description of Conical Intersections with Density Functional Methods

Conical intersections are perhaps the most significant mechanistic features of chemical reactions occurring through excited states. By providing funnels for efficient non-adiabatic population transfer, conical intersections govern the branching ratio of products of such reactions, similar to what the transition states do for ground-state reactivity. In this regard, intersections between the ground and the lowest excited states play a special role, and the correct description of the potential energy surfaces in their vicinity is crucial for understanding the mechanism and dynamics of excited-state reactions. The methods of density functional theory, such as time-dependent density functional theory, are widely used to describe the excited states of large molecules. However, are these methods suitable for describing the conical intersections or do they lead to artifacts and, consequently, to erroneous description of reaction dynamics? Here we address the first part of this question and analyze the ability of several density functional approaches, including the linear-response time-dependent approach as well as the spin-flip and ensemble formalisms, to provide the correct description of conical intersections and the potential energy surfaces in their vicinity. It is demonstrated that the commonly used linear-response time-dependent theory does not yield a proper description of these features and that one should instead use alternative computational approaches.