First hyperpolarizability of the di-8-ANEPPS and DR1 nonlinear optical chromophores in solution. An experimental and multi-scale theoretical chemistry study

The solvent effects on the linear and second-order nonlinear optical properties of an aminonaphtylethenylpyridinium (ANEP) dye are investigated by combining experimental and theoretical chemistry methods. On the one hand, deep near infrared (NIR) hyper-Rayleigh scattering (HRS) measurements (1840-1950 nm) are performed on solutions of di-8-ANEPPS in deuterated chloroform, dimethylformamide, and dimethylsulfoxide to determine their first hyperpolarizablity (βHRS). For the first time, these HRS experiments are carried out in the picosecond regime in the deep NIR with very moderate (≤3 mW) average input power, providing a good signal-to-noise ratio and avoiding solvent thermal effects. Moreover, the frequency dispersion of βHRS is investigated for Disperse Red 1 (DR1), a dye commonly used as HRS external reference. On the other hand, these are compared with computational chemistry results obtained by using a sequential molecular dynamics (MD) then quantum mechanics (QM) approach. The MD method allows accounting for the dynamical nature of the molecular structures. Then, the QM part is based on TDDFT/M06-2X/6-311+G* calculations using solvation models ranging from continuum to discrete ones. Measurements report a decrease of the βHRS of di-8-ANEPPS in more polar solvents and these effects are reproduced by the different solvation models. For di-8-ANEPPS and DR1, comparisons show that the use of a hybrid solvation model, combining the description of the solvent molecules around the probe by point charges with a continuum model, already achieves quasi quantitative agreement with experiment. These results are further improved by using a polarizable embedding that includes the atomic polarizabilities in the solvent description.

New kind of electride sandwich complexes based on the cyclooctatetraene ligand M12(η8-C8H8)2M22 (M1 = Na, K and M2 = Ca, Mg): a theoretical study

In the present study, the electronic structures of a series of binuclear sandwich complexes based on the cyclooctatetraene ligand M¹₂(η⁸-C₈H₈)₂M²₂ (M¹ = Na, K and M² = Ca, Mg) are studied theoretically. Each cyclooctatetraene ligand binds with the metal in the η⁸ binding mode. The M²-M² bond length agrees well with the reported bimetallic covalent Ca₂ and Mg₂ bond lengths. The Wiberg bond index (WBI) also indicates the presence of covalent M²-M² bonds, which gives additional stability to the complex. A non-nuclear attractor (NNA) is found in-between the M²-M² bond and the negative Laplacian of the electron density is found at the NNA. Noncovalent interaction (NCI) plot shows that electron density is localized at the M²-M² bond. Based on the performed analysis, we have concluded that the designed sandwich complexes are electrides. We herein report, for the first time, the electride sandwich complexes of the cyclooctatetraene ligand. Due to the presence of a diffuse electron system, the electride complexes exhibit higher values of the static second hyperpolarizability within the range of 2.6 × 10⁵ to 1.4 × 10⁶ a.u. Among the studied complexes, M¹₂(η⁸-C₈H₈)₂Ca₂ exhibit a higher value of static second hyperpolarizability.

Concentration effects on optical properties, DFT, crystal characterization and α-glucosidase activity studies: Novel Zn(II) complex

A novel Zn(II) complex of 6-ClpicH and picH was synthesized and its structure was determined by XRD technique. The detailed experimental optical susceptibility and band gap, refractive index, linear polarizability, optical and electrical conductivity parameters in various concentrations were investigated by means of the UV-Vis spectroscopic data. The optical band gap, refractive index (n), linear optical susceptibility (χ⁽¹⁾), third-order nonlinear optical susceptibility (χ⁽³⁾), second- and third-order nonlinear optical (β and γ) parameters were examined by using DFT/M06-L and ωB97XD/6-311++G(d,p) levels. The IC₅₀ value of Zn(II) complex against α-glucosidase was also obtained at 0.44 mM. The experimental band gap of the Zn(II) complex at 13, 33, 44 and 94 µM concentrations in ethanol were found to be 4.38, 4.37, 4.35 and 4.28 eV, respectively. The third-order NLO susceptibility χ⁽³⁾ parameter at 94 µM concentration corresponding to the photon energies of 4.6 and 5.7 eV in the UV-Vis region were observed at 206.6 × 10^-13 and 294.3 × 10^-13 esu, respectively. Besides, the theoretical χ⁽³⁾ values were obtained at 50.58 × 10^-13 and 20.37 × 10^-13 esu by using M06-L level. These results indicate that Zn(II) complex could be an effective third-order NLO candidate material. In brief, the detailed theoretical and experimental structural, spectral and optical properties of the Zn(II) complex were presented comparatively.

Key Electronic, Linear and Nonlinear Optical Properties of Designed Disubstituted Quinoline with Carbazole Compounds

Organic materials development, especially in terms of nonlinear optical (NLO) performance, has become progressively more significant owing to their rising and promising applications in potential photonic devices. Organic moieties such as carbazole and quinoline play a vital role in charge transfer applications in optoelectronics. This study reports and characterizes the donor-acceptor-donor-π-acceptor (D-A-D-π-A) configured novel designed compounds, namely, Q3D1-Q3D3, Q4D1-Q1D2, and Q5D1. We further analyze the structure-property relationship between the quinoline-carbazole compounds for which density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TDDFT) calculations were performed at the B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) level to obtain the optimized geometries, natural bonding orbital (NBO), NLO analysis, electronic properties, and absorption spectra of all mentioned compounds. The computed values of λmax, 364, 360, and 361 nm for Q3, Q4, and Q5 show good agreement of their experimental values: 349, 347, and 323 nm, respectively. The designed compounds (Q3D1-Q5D1) exhibited a smaller energy gap with a maximum redshift than the reference molecules (Q3-Q5), which govern their promising NLO behavior. The NBO evaluation revealed that the extended hyperconjugation stabilizes these systems and caused a promising NLO response. The dipole polarizabilities and hyperpolarizability (β) values of Q3D1-Q3D3, Q4D1-Q1D2, and Q5D1 exceed those of the reference Q3, Q4, and Q5 molecules. These data suggest that the NLO active compounds, Q3D1-Q3D3, Q4D1-Q1D2, and Q5D1, may find their place in future hi-tech optical devices.

Superalkali-doped borazine and lithiated borazine complexes: diffuse excess electron and large first-hyperpolarizability

A number of superalkali (M₃O / M₃S; M = Li, Na, K)-doped borazine and hexalithio borazine complexes are considered for the theoretical study of their electronic structure and quadratic polarizability. Electron-rich O/S atom of superalkali species remains very close to one boron atom of the ring through non-covalent interaction. The first-hyperpolarizability increases rather significantly upon superalkali doping. The chosen complexes possess diffuse excess electron which is located on the superpalkali moiety of borazine complexes and at the ring site of lithiated borazines. First-hyperpolarizability of M₃O(S)@B₃N₃Li₆ complexes are significantly larger than that of the corresponding M₃O(S)@B₃N₃H₆ complexes. The magnitude of first-hyperpolarizability of Li₃S@B₃N₃Li₆ is larger than that of Li₃S@B₃N₃H₆ by about three orders of magnitude.

Electronic and Vibrational Hyperpolarizabilities of Lithium Substituted (Aza)benzenes and (Aza)naphthalenes

In this article we report results for the electronic and vibrational hyperpolarizabilities of ten molecules: Li@benzene, Li@pyridine, Li@pyrimidine, and Li@pyrazine; Li@naphthalene, Li@quinoline, Li@isoquinoline, Li@cinnolin, Li@quinazoline, and Li@quinoxaline. An electron correlation study shows that second-order many-body perturbation theory and density functional theory with CAM-B3LYP and M05-2X functionals give results for the electronic hyperpolarizabilities in good agreement with coupled cluster with single and doubles reference values. Static and dynamic vibrational corrections were computed through the perturbation theoretical method of Bishop and Kirtman and using a variational approach. In general, we obtained notable discrepancies between the results obtained by the two methods for the pure vibrational corrections because of the deficiency of the perturbation method to properly treat low-frequency normal modes present in the investigated systems. However, both methods give results similar to the zero-point vibrational average corrections.

Electronic structure and large second-order non-linear optical property of COT derivatives - a theoretical exploration

A new strategy to design new molecules based on a fused hydrocarbon ring system comprising a COT ring and two 5-membered rings has been proposed for the study of second order NLO properties. The four charge transferring groups -NR2 (R = H, Li, Na and K) in conjunction with a sufficient number of electron withdrawing groups lead to significant variation of structural parameters and polarity. The charge transfer characteristics can be strongly modulated by introducing calcium metal atoms at suitable sites. Ca metal atoms end-capping the nitrogen ends of two adjacent -CN groups lead to electride character while a Ca metal atom bonded directly to the COT ring leads to greater charge transfer. The size of the alkali metal atom has been found to have a dramatic effect on the enhancement of first hyperpolarizability. The most significant electronic asymmetry induced by the larger potassium metal atom strongly enhances the magnitude of first hyperpolarizability. The variation of first hyperpolarizability has been satisfactorily explained in terms of TD-CAMB3LYP calculated spectroscopic parameters in light of the two-state model.

First hyperpolarizability of cyclooctatetraene modulated by alkali and alkaline earth metals

In the present investigation, the first hyperpolarizability of alkali and alkaline earth metal derivatives of cyclooctatetraene (COT) has been calculated using BHHLYP and CAM-B3LYP functional for 6-311++G(d,p), 6-311++G(3df,3pd), and aug-pc 2 basis sets. Introduction of Na/K atoms at the axial position of COT and Li, Na, K/Be, Mg, Ca metal atoms and cyanide groups at the equatorial sites leads to lager enhancement of first hyperpolarizability. The ring charge density can account for the variation of first hyperpolarizability. The two state model has been invoked to explain the variation of first hyperpolarizability.