Loading...
Derniers dépôts, tout type de documents
Abstract Chiral molecules, used in applications such as enantioselective photocatalysis 1 , circularly polarized light detection 2 and emission 3 and molecular switches 4,5 , exist in two geometrical configurations that are non-superimposable mirror images of each other. These so-called ( R ) and ( S ) enantiomers exhibit different physical and chemical properties when interacting with other chiral entities. Attosecond technology might enable influence over such interactions, given that it can probe and even direct electron motion within molecules on the intrinsic electronic timescale 6 and thereby control reactivity 7–9 . Electron currents in photoexcited chiral molecules have indeed been predicted to enable enantiosensitive molecular orientation 10 , but electron-driven chiral dynamics in neutral molecules have not yet been demonstrated owing to the lack of ultrashort, non-ionizing and perturbative light pulses. Here we use time-resolved photoelectron circular dichroism (TR-PECD) 11–15 with an unprecedented temporal resolution of 2.9 fs to map the coherent electronic motion initiated by ultraviolet (UV) excitation of neutral chiral molecules. We find that electronic beatings between Rydberg states lead to periodic modulations of the chiroptical response on the few-femtosecond timescale, showing a sign inversion in less than 10 fs. Calculations validate this and also confirm that the combination of the photoinduced chiral current with a circularly polarized probe pulse realizes an enantioselective filter of molecular orientations following photoionization. We anticipate that our approach will enable further investigations of ultrafast electron dynamics in chiral systems and reveal a route towards enantiosensitive charge-directed reactivity.
Photocatalysis that uses the energy of light to promote chemical transformations by exploiting the reactivity of excited-state molecules is at the heart of a virtuous dynamic within the chemical community. Visible-light metal-based photosensitizers are most prominent in organic synthesis, thanks to their versatile ligand structure tunability allowing to adjust photocatalytic properties toward specific applications. Nevertheless, a large majority of these photocatalysts are cationic species whose counterion effects remain underestimated and overlooked. In this report, we show that modification of the X counterions constitutive of [Ru(bpy)3](X)2 photocatalysts modulates their catalytic activities in intermolecular [2 + 2] cycloaddition reactions operating through triplet–triplet energy transfer (TTEnT). Particularly noteworthy is the dramatic impact observed in low-dielectric constant solvent over the excited-state quenching coefficient, which varies by two orders of magnitude depending on whether X is a large weakly bound (BArF4–) or a tightly bound (TsO–) anion. In addition, the counterion identity also greatly affects the photophysical properties of the cationic ruthenium complex, with [Ru(bpy)3](BArF4)2 exhibiting the shortest 3MLCT excited-state lifetime, highest excited state energy, and highest photostability, enabling remarkably enhanced performance (up to >1000 TON at a low 500 ppm catalyst loading) in TTEnT photocatalysis. These findings supported by density functional theory-based calculations demonstrate that counterions have a critical role in modulating cationic transition metal-based photocatalyst potency, a parameter that should be taken into consideration also when developing energy transfer-triggered processes.
DNA in living beings is constantly damaged by exogenous and endogenous agents. However, in some cases, DNA photodamage can have interesting applications, as it happens in photodynamic therapy. In this work, the current knowledge on the photophysics of 4-thiouracil has been extended by further quantum-chemistry studies to improve the agreement between theory and experiments, to better understand the differences with 2-thiouracil, and, last but not least, to verify its usefulness as a photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy. This study has been carried out by determining the most favorable deactivation paths of UV–vis photoexcited 4-thiouracil by means of the photochemical reaction path approach and an efficient combination of the complete-active-space second-order perturbation theory//complete-active-space self-consistent field (CASPT2//CASSCF), (CASPT2//CASPT2), time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT), and spin-flip TDDFT (SF-TDDFT) methodologies. By comparing the data computed herein for both 4-thiouracil and 2-thiouracil, a rationale is provided on the relatively higher yields of intersystem crossing, triplet lifetime and singlet oxygen production of 4-thiouracil, and the relatively higher yield of phosphorescence of 2-thiouracil.
In the realm of photochemistry, the significance of double excitations (also known as doubly-excited states), where two electrons are concurrently elevated to higher energy levels, lies in their involvement in key electronic transitions essential in light-induced chemical reactions as well as their challenging nature from the computational theoretical chemistry point of view. Based on state-of-the-art electronic structure methods (such as high-order coupled-cluster, selected configuration interaction, and multiconfigurational methods), we improve and expand our prior set of accurate reference excitation energies for electronic states exhibiting a substantial amount of double excitations [http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jctc.8b01205; Loos et al. J. Chem. Theory Comput. 2019, 15, 1939]. This extended collection encompasses 47 electronic transitions across 26 molecular systems that we separate into two distinct subsets: (i) 28 "genuine" doubly-excited states where the transitions almost exclusively involve doubly-excited configurations and (ii) 19 "partial" doubly-excited states which exhibit a more balanced character between singly- and doubly-excited configurations. For each subset, we assess the performance of high-order coupled-cluster (CC3, CCSDT, CC4, and CCSDTQ) and multiconfigurational methods (CASPT2, CASPT3, PC-NEVPT2, and SC-NEVPT2). Using as a probe the percentage of single excitations involved in a given transition ($\%T_1$) computed at the CC3 level, we also propose a simple correction that reduces the errors of CC3 by a factor of 3, for both sets of excitations. We hope that this more complete and diverse compilation of double excitations will help future developments of electronic excited-state methodologies.
To enrich and enhance the diversity of the \textsc{quest} database of highly-accurate excitation energies [\href{https://doi.org/10.1002/wcms.1517}{V\'eril \textit{et al.}, \textit{WIREs Comput.~Mol.~Sci.}~\textbf{11}, e1517 (2021)}], we report vertical transition energies in transition metal compounds. Eleven diatomic molecules with singlet or doublet ground state containing a fourth-row transition metal (\ce{CuCl}, \ce{CuF}, \ce{CuH}, \ce{ScF}, \ce{ScH}, \ce{ScO}, \ce{ScS}, \ce{TiN}, \ce{ZnH}, \ce{ZnO}, and \ce{ZnS}) are considered and the corresponding excitation energies are computed using high-level coupled-cluster (CC) methods, namely CC3, CCSDT, CC4, and CCSDTQ, as well as multiconfigurational methods such as CASPT2 and NEVPT2. In some cases, to provide more comprehensive benchmark data, we also provide full configuration interaction estimates computed with the \textit{``Configuration Interaction using a Perturbative Selection made Iteratively''} (CIPSI) method. Based on these calculations, theoretical best estimates of the transition energies are established in both the aug-cc-pVDZ and aug-cc-pVTZ basis sets. This allows us to accurately assess the performance of CC and multiconfigurational methods for this specific set of challenging transitions. Furthermore, comparisons with experimental data and previous theoretical results are also reported.
Sujets
TD-DFT computations
Solid state luminescence enhancement SLE
Crystal
Photosubstitution
Quinones
Molecular orbitals
Metalloporphyrin
Actinides
NBO
Insertion reaction
ICP-MS
Ab initio calculations
Orbitales moléculaires
Redox reactions
Photosolvolysis mechanism
DIMER
Inorganic chemistry
Photorelease Mechanism
Electrochemical reduction
Modeling
Mathematical methods
Photochemistry
Chimie inorganique
Photoisomerization
Computational Photochemistry
Ruthenium polypyridine complex
Photoisomérisation
Mécanisme de Photoisomérisation
PERTURBATION-THEORY APPROACH
Hydrolysis
Sulfite
Nitrosyl Ruthenium Complexes
Etats Excités
MOLECULES
Ruthenium complexes
Chimie Théorique
Density functional calculations
KOHN-SHAM ORBITALS
Nudged elastic band
Photochromes
Photoisomerization Mechanism
SF-TD-DFT
Dithienylethene
Excited States
Excited states
Photochromism
Nitric oxide
Coordination compounds
Metal-centered excited states
DENSITY-FUNCTIONAL THEORY
Phosphorescence
RASPT2
Multiple bonds
CROSS-SECTIONS
Mechanoresponsive luminescence
Iron
Oxidation
Crystal structure
Photorelease
Ruthenium
Lanthanides
Photochimie Computationnelle
3MC
INFRARED-SPECTRUM
ESIPT
DER-WAALS COMPLEXES
Photoluminescence
Aggregation induced emission AIE
IPEA
Quantum mechanics
Organic semiconductor
Photophysique
Chimie Théorique et Computationnelle
Electrochemistry
ACETYLENE
Diarylethenes
Complexes de Ruthénium à Ligand Nitrosyle
Photochimie
Density functional theory
Mécanisme de Photolibération
Carbonate
Ion-molecule reactions
Photodissociation
SPECTROSCOPY
Sulphate
Aggregation induced emission AIE solid state luminescence enhancement SLE ESIPT photoluminescence crystal structure SF-TD-DFT
Rhenium
3MLCT
Photophysics
Groundwaters
Complexe de coordination
DFT computations
Ruthénium
DFT
Photochromisme
Density Functional Theory DFT
Chimie théorique
Electrochemical properties
Computational photochemistry
Ab initio