Structure and magnetic properties of aza-aromatic triplet states. The case of quinoxaline

A theoretical study of low-lying singlet and triplet excited states of quinazoline, quinoxaline and phthalazine: insight into triplet formation

Quinazoline, quinoxaline and phthalazine are nitrogen containing heterocyclic aromatic molecules which belong to the class diazanaphthalenes. These isomers have low-lying nπ* and naphthalene-like ππ* states that interact via spin-orbit coupling. In this contribution, we study their structure and electronic states by means of a coupled-cluster method. The computed properties are compared to those of cinnoline which were obtained in our previous study [Etinski et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2014, 16, 4740]. The excited state features of these isomers are dependent on the position of the nitrogen atoms. We find that quinazoline and quinoxaline exhibit similarities in the ordering and character of the excited states. In contrast, a marked difference in the electronic and geometric structures of the lowest excited triplet states of cinnoline and phthalazine is noticed, although both are orthodiazanaphthalenes. Our findings suggest that the S₁ [radiolysis arrow - arrow with voltage kink] T₁ channel is responsible for the rapid intersystem crossing in quinazoline and quinoxaline, whereas the S₁ [radiolysis arrow - arrow with voltage kink] T₂ pathway is active in phthalazine.

Thermodynamic properties of quinoxaline-1,4-dioxide derivatives: a combined experimental and computational study

The mean (N-O) bond dissociation enthalpies were derived for three 2-methyl-3-(R)-quinoxaline 1,4-dioxide (1) derivatives, with R = methyl (1a), ethoxycarbonyl (1b), and benzyl (1c). The standard molar enthalpies of formation in the gaseous state at T = 298.15 K for the three 1 derivatives were determined from the enthalpies of combustion of the crystalline solids and their enthalpies of sublimation. In parallel, accurate density functional theory-based calculations were carried out in order to estimate the gas-phase enthalpies of formation for the corresponding quinoxaline derivatives. Also, theoretical calculations were used to obtain the first and second N-O dissociation enthalpies. These dissociation enthalpies are in excellent agreement with the experimental results herewith reported.

The Electronic Structure of the Photoexcited Triplet State of Free-Base (Tetraphenyl)porphyrin by Time-Resolved Electron−Nuclear Double Resonance and Density Functional Theory

The photoexcited triplet states of free-base porphyrin (H(2)P) and free-base tetraphenylporphyrin (H(2)TPP) have been investigated by time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance and electron-nuclear double resonance in a toluene glass at 80 K. Both the zero-field splitting parameters, D and E, and the proton A(zz) hyperfine coupling tensor components could be determined. D is about 13% larger in H(2)P than in H(2)TPP. In contrast, however, the A(zz) hyperfine coupling tensor components showed differences of less than 2%. To aid the understanding of these results, the electronic structures of H(2)P and H(2)TPP have been modeled using density functional theory. The geometrical structures of both molecules in their lowest triplet states were calculated using the Becke3 Lee-Yang-Parr composite exchange correlation functional and the 6-31G* basis set. Hyperfine couplings for these structures were calculated using the same functional but with the extended EPR-II basis set. These allow unambiguous assignment of the experimentally determined couplings. The theoretical values for H(2)P and H(2)TPP agree with the experimental values in that the presence of the phenyl groups has only a small effect on the unpaired electron spin-density distribution. The difference in sensitivity of the zero-field splitting parameters and the hyperfine couplings to mesophenyl substitution is discussed in terms of the wave functions of the four frontier orbitals of porphyrins introduced by Gouterman.