Benzotrithiophene (BTT) isomers were investigated using density functional theory (DFT) and time‐dependent DFT (TD‐DFT) with the aim to explore their structures, linear optical properties, vertical and adiabatic ionization potentials (IPv and IPa), electron affinities (EAv and EAa), and reorganization energies (λ). The computed bond lengths and bond angles at the B3LYP/6–311+G (d, p) level of theory are in good agreement with experimental crystal structures of the known BTTs. These molecules are planar with zero dihedral angle, making them an ideal backbone for high charge mobility. The UV–visible spectra of BTT isomers are in the range 280–360 nm. All BTT isomers have low hole/electron reorganization energies, which is the main characteristic of good hole/electron transporting materials, and these isomers in turn have potential applications in the field of organic materials.
The impact of changing the central benzene ring on the electronic excitations and reorganization energies (λ) of the anthratetrathiophene (ATT) molecules is studied by density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) quantum chemical calculations. The effect of changing the position of the sulfur atom at the periphery of anthracene on the optical and charge transfer properties is also studied. The calculated results suggest that the HOMO, LUMO, HOMO-LUMO energy gap, ionization potential (IP), electron affinity (EA), hole extraction potential (HEP), electron extraction potential (EEP), and reorganization energies (λ) are affected by replacing the central ring with different heterocyclic rings and the position of the sulfur atom. In addition, all molecules show good hole-and electron-transport properties. This work may be helpful for future design and preparation of high-performance charge-transport materials.
Visible absorbing C-N bonding squaraines (SQ1-SQ5) and croconines (CR1-CR5) with an increase in conjugation at donor groups and heteroaromatic donor substituents have been studied by density functional theory and time-dependent density functional theory methodologies. In these molecules, croconines always have absorption nearly 100-nm red shift than its corresponding squaraines (it is in consistent with C-C bonding, near infrared absorbing squaraine and croconines). The reason behind this drastic red shift, by changing the central acceptor of 4-membered squarate ring with 5-membered croconate ring, has been analyzed by considering the concept of diradical character and variation in central C-C-C angle. It is also observed that within the same series of molecules (either in squaraine or in croconines), with an increase in donor capacity (conjugation), absorption increases towards longer wavelength region because of destabilization of HOMO and stabilization of LUMO levels. A small blue shift was observed for heteroaromatic donor groups when compared with aromatic donor group.
We report a comparative computational study of 2 series of molecules with C–N bonding squaraines (NSQ) and C–C bonding squaraines (CSQ), having absorption from visible to near infrared region (350‐800 nm). The NSQ are considered as molecules with break‐in conjugation, and CSQ are considered as molecules with complete conjugation in molecular backbone. The lowest electronic excitations in CSQ molecules are always having around 200 nm red shifted absorption than its corresponding NSQ molecules. The reason for this drastic red shift in CSQ series than NSQ has been systematically studied by density functional theory, time‐dependent density functional theory, and symmetry adopted cluster configuration interaction methods. The CSQ series are showing less charge transfer than NSQ, but having small diradical character. This study may be helpful in design and synthesis of new squaraine dyes, which are useful in materials applications.
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