Quantum chemical studies of photochromic properties of benzoxazine compound

Abstract

Molecular electronic structure of ground and excited states of a photochromic indolo[2,1-b][1,3]benzoxazine compound incorporating closed-ring system, which opens upon UV light excitation, was studied using various quantum chemical methods. Three local minima of the ground electronic state potential energy surface and related transition states were identified along the path of rotation of 4-nitrophenol group. Additionally, three local minima of the excited electronic states were located. The evaluated transition energy barriers between local ground-state minima nearest to the initial structure of the investigated molecule are less than 2 kBT, making open structures likely to revert to the initial structure by thermalization. Results obtained using ab initio GMC–QDPT method were explored and compared to the widely used TD-DFT and semi-empiric ZINDO methods.