RESUMEN

Helicene diradical derivatives have attracted widespread attentions because of their unique magnetic and chiroptoelectronic properties, however, crystalline and enantiomerically pure forms of helicene diradicals are extremely rare. Herein, we describe the rational design and synthesis of o-quinone functionalized helicene diradicals with crystalline enantiomerical purity. Diradical dianion salt Rac-3K and its enantiomers P/M-3K were obtained by reduction of corresponding precursors Rac-3 and P/M-3 with two equivalent potassium graphite in THF in the presence of (di)benzo-18-crown-6. Neutral dioxoborocyclic helicene diradicals (Rac-3B and P/M-3B) were produced by reactions of Rac-3 or P/M-3 with chlorobis(perfluorophenyl)borane (B(C6F5)2Cl. Crystal structures of compounds Rac-3K, Rac-3B and P/M-3K were obtained by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Their open-shell singlet state ground states were confirmed by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) measurements and theoretical calculations. Their chiroptical properties were investigated by the electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectroscopy. This work provides the first examples of enantiopure helicene diradical dianions and boron-containing helicene diradicals.

RESUMEN

Diradicals based on a meta-quinodimethane (m-QDM) scaffold generally have a triplet ground state and are rather scarce. Herein, m-QDM-based non-Kekulé diradicals [3,3'-(NHC)2BP] (3-NHC) (NHC = SIPr = C{N(Dipp)CH2}2; IPr = C{N(Dipp)CH}2, Me-IPr = C{N(Dipp)CMe}2; Dipp = 2,6-iPr2C6H3; BP = 1,1'-C6H3C6H3) featuring N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) pendants are reported as crystalline solids. The EPR spectra of 3-NHC show both allowed (Dms = 1) and forbidden (Dms = 2; 'half-field') transitions characteristic for triplet diradicals. Variable temperature EPR studies however reveal a singlet ground state for 3-SIPr. Consistent with the EPR spectra, calculations predict a remarkably small (open-shell) singlet-triplet energy gap (ΔEST ≤ 0.26 kcal/mol) for the 3-NHC compounds. The calculated singlet diradical character for the ground states of the 3-NHC compounds amounts to ~99%.

RESUMEN

It is very challenging to obtain stable room-temperature luminescent open-shell singlet diradicals. Herein we report the first stable Müller's hydrocarbon TTM-PhTTM with luminescent properties. Variable-temperature electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy measurements and theoretical calculations show that TTM-PhTTM has an open-shell singlet ground state with a diradical character of 90 %. Because of a small singlet-triplet energy gap, the open-shell singlet ground state can be thermally excited to a triplet state. TTM-PhTTM shows room-temperature deep-red emission in various solutions. Unusually high stability of TTM-PhTTM was also observed owing to effective steric hindrance and spin delocalization. Our results are beneficial to the rational design and discovery of more stable luminescent diradical materials.

RESUMEN

A reliable first-principles description of singlet diradical character is essential for predicting nonlinear optical and magnetic properties of molecules. As diradical and closed-shell electronic structures differ in their distribution of single, double, triple, and aromatic bonds, modeling electronic diradical character requires accurate bond-length patterns, in addition to accurate absolute bond lengths. We therefore introduce structural diradical character, which we suggest as an additional measure for comparing first-principles calculations with experimental data. We employ this measure to identify suitable exchange-correlation functionals for predicting the bond length patterns and electronic diradical character of a biscobaltocene with the potential for photoswitchable nonlinear optical activity. Out of four popular approximate exchange-correlation functionals with different exact-exchange admixtures (BP86, TPSS, B3LYP, TPSSh), the two hybrid functionals TPSSh and B3LYP perform best for diradical bond length patterns, with TPSSh being best for the organometallic validation systems and B3LYP for the organic ones (for which the D3 dispersion correction was included). Still, none of the functionals is suitable for correctly describing relative bond lengths across the range of molecules studied, so that none can be recommended for predictive studies of (potential) diradicals without reservation. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

RESUMEN

This chapter theoretically explains the electronic structures of open-shell singlet systems with a wide range of open-shell (diradical) characters. The definition of diradical character and its correlation to the excitation energies, transition properties, and dipole moment differences are described based on the valence configuration interaction scheme using a two-site model with two electrons in two active orbitals. The linear and nonlinear optical properties for various polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with open-shell character are also discussed as a function of diradical character.

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RESUMEN

Heteroatomic derivatives of Chichibabin's hydrocarbon are explored theoretically to highlight the relationship between the electronic structure and nonlinear optical (NLO) properties. The results show that the systems are divided into two classes: one that has intermediate electronic structure between two main contributing resonance structures, and a second with an electronic structure that is approximated by only one resonance structure. It is found that the former class of derivatives exhibits approximately one-order larger static second hyperpolarizability (γ) than the latter class, because of either their intermediate diradical or charge-transfer (CT) characteristics. The asymmetric systems are further scrutinized by using the static electric field model, which shows that the intermediate CT character is essential for the very large enhancement of γ in the asymmetric systems. These results not only clarify the structure-property relationships of open-shell singlet NLO compounds with redox switching properties, but also shed light on a new and unexplored class of closed-shell NLO systems generated by the introduction of intermediate CT nature into open-shell singlet systems.

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To create a design guideline for efficient third-order nonlinear optical (NLO) molecules, the chain-length (n) dependences of the diradical character y and the longitudinal second hyperpolarizability γ of quinoidal oligothiophenes (QTs), from monomers to octamers, involving thiophene-S,S-dioxide rings are investigated by using the density functional theory method. It turns out that the diradical character of the modified QTs is reduced as compared to those of the pristine QTs. By introducing an appropriate number of oxidized rings into the QT framework, intermediate y values can be achieved even in the systems with large values of n, in which the pristine QTs are predicted to have pure diradical character. Such intermediate diradical oligomers are shown to exhibit enhanced γ values as compared to the pristine QTs with the same value for n. From the calculation results, the introduction of the optimal number of thiophene-S,S-dioxide rings is predicted to be an efficient chemical modification for optimizing the third-order NLO properties of open-shell QTs through tuning the diradical characters.

RESUMEN

Using the time-dependent tuned long-range corrected density functional theory method, the feasibility for singlet fission in oligorylenes has been investigated within the scope of the diradical character based guideline and of the energy level matching conditions for the isolated monomers. It is found that the relatively small-size oligorylenes, that is, terrylene and quaterrylene, which present intermediate diradical character without significant tetraradical character, are possible candidates for energetically efficient singlet fission. In relation to this result, we also raise the possibility that the unsettled ultrafast dynamics previously observed on quaterrylene is evidence for singlet fission.