Theoretical study on the emeraldine salt – impact of the computational protocol

The relationship between structure and excited-state properties in polyanilines from geminal-based methods

We employ state-of-the-art quantum chemistry methods to study the structure-to-property relationship in polyanilines (PANIs) of different lengths and oxidation states. Specifically, we focus on leucoemeraldine, emeraldine, and pernigraniline in their tetramer and octamer forms. We scrutinize their structural properties, HOMO and LUMO energies, HOMO-LUMO gaps, and vibrational and electronic spectroscopy using various Density Functional Approximations (DFAs). Furthermore, the accuracy of DFAs is assessed by comparing them to experimental and wavefunction-based reference data. We perform large-scale orbital-optimized pair-Coupled Cluster Doubles (oo-pCCD) calculations for ground and electronically excited states and conventional Configuration Interaction Singles (CIS) calculations for electronically excited states in all investigated systems. The EOM-pCCD+S approach with pCCD-optimized orbitals allows us to unambiguously identify charge transfer and local transitions across the investigated PANI systems-an analysis not possible within a delocalized canonical molecular orbital basis obtained, for instance, by DFAs. We show that the low-lying part of the emeraldine and pernigraniline spectrum is dominated by charge transfer excitations and that polymer elongation changes the character of the leading transitions. Furthermore, we augment our study with a quantum informational analysis of orbital correlations in various forms of PANIs.

Modeling a multiple-chain emeraldine gas sensor for NH3 and NO2 detection

This paper describes atomistic device models of a multiple-chain polyaniline (PANI) gas sensing component, utilizing the non-equilibrium Green's functions formalism. The numerical results are compared with experimental data of ammonia and nitrogen dioxide detection. Multiple molecules of PANI in the form of emeraldine salt were studied with more than one absorbed molecule of ammonia or nitrogen dioxide. From the I-V characteristics of the system with and without adsorbed gas molecules for gas concentrations of 3, 6, 9, and 12 ppm, the effective resistance changes, (R - R ₀)/R ₀, were obtained and compared with experimental results. A good agreement with the measured values was obtained. In summary, PANI as emeraldine salt was numerically modeled for several adsorbed gas concentrations, several gas configurations, and different PANI molecule positions, including carrier hopping between them. The results are comparable to the experiment and show good properties for the application as gas sensor device for NH₃ detection and rather good properties for NO₂ detection.

Time-dependent density functional theory study on the excited-state hydrogen-bonding characteristics of polyaniline in aqueous environment

A theoretical study was carried out to study the excited-state of hydrogen-bonding characteristics of polyaniline (PANI) in aqueous environment. The hydrogen-bonded PANI-H₂O complexes were studied using first-principles calculations based on density functional theory (DFT). The electronic excitation energies and the corresponding oscillator strengths of the low-lying electronically excited states for hydrogen-bonded complexes were calculated by time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT). The ground-state geometric structures were optimized, and it is observed that the intermolecular hydrogen bonds CN⋯HO and NH⋯OH were formed in PANI-H₂O complexes. The formed hydrogen bonds influenced the bond lengths, the charge distribution, as well as the spectral characters of the groups involved. It was concluded that all the hydrogen-bonded PANI-H₂O complexes were primarily excited to the S1 states with the largest oscillator strength. In addition, the orbital transition from the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) to the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) involved intramolecular charge redistribution resulting to increase the electron density of the quinonoid rings.

Excited-state hydrogen-bonding dynamics of camphorsulfonic acid doped polyaniline: a theoretical study

We present a TDDFT study on excited-state hydrogen-bonding dynamics of a camphorsulfonic acid doped polyaniline complex.

Conductance modulation in tetraaniline monolayers by HCl-doping and by field-enhanced dissociation of H₂O

Oligoanilines are interesting candidates for organic electronics, as their conductivity can be varied by several orders of magnitude upon protonic doping. Here we demonstrate that tetraaniline self-assembled monolayers exhibit an unprecedented conductance on/off ratio of ∼710 (at +1 V) upon doping of the layers from the emeraldine base to the emeraldine salt form. Furthermore, a pronounced asymmetry in the current-voltage characteristics indicates dynamic doping of the tetraaniline layer by protons generated through field-enhanced dissociation of water molecules, a phenomenon known as the second Wien effect. These results point toward oligoanilines as promising substitutes for polyaniline layers in next-generation thin film devices.