Diazanaphthalenes Research Articles

MP2, DFT and DFT-D study of the dimers of diazanaphthalenes: a comparative study of their structures, stabilisation and binding energies

Diazanaphthalenes (DAPs) are a broad class of N-heteroaromatic compounds with several technological and biological applications. Some of these applications are attributed to the ability of DAP molecules to form associated dimers through non-covalent interactions. A study of the types and strength of the interactions involved is crucial for understanding the preferred geometries and energetics of the dimers. In this study, the dimers of five DAPs are investigated by means of Møller–Plesset second order perturbation theory, hybrid meta-GGA [density functional theory methods (DFT): DFT/MPWB1K, DFT/M05-2X and DFT/M06-2X] and DFT dispersion-corrected (DFT-D/ωB97XD) methods to elucidate their dimers' preferred geometries, relative energies and nature of the interactions between monomer units. The results indicate that the monomer units of the dimers are held by either intermolecular hydrogen bonds or π…π stacking interactions, and that the preferred dimers are those in which the monomer units interact through π…π stacking interactions. A comparison across structures suggests that the position of the N atom in the ring has significant role in determining the relative energy and binding strength of the dimers. A comparison among the different methods utilised for the study indicates that DFT/M06-2X method provides binding energies that are close to those of DFT-CCSD(T) correction scheme and could therefore be considered as the best method for describing the binding properties of DAP dimers.

Excited state absorption spectra and intersystem crossing kinetics in diazanaphthalenes

Picosecond time-resolved, excited state absorption spectra in the visible following excitation at 355 nm are discussed for room temperature solutions of four diazanaphthalenes (DN)—quinoxaline (1,4-DN), quinazoline (1,3-DN), cinnoline (1,2-DN), and phthalazine (2,3-DN). Kinetics of singlet state decay are obtained by monitoring the decay of Sn←S1 bands. The intersystem crossing rate constant (kisc) is found to vary as kisc(1,4-DN)≳kisc(1,3-DN)≳kisc(1,2-DN). The kisc in phthalazine could not be determined from the weak, visible Sn←S1 absorption. Assuming rapid singlet vibrational relaxation and only minor effects due to energy gap variations, these experimental results agree with statistical limit predictions for the relative nonradiative rate. Calculations of the spin–orbit coupling matrix element βel= 〈S1(1nπ*)‖ ℋso ‖ T1(3ππ*)〉, using INDO wave functions, give the ordering βel(1,4-DN)≳βel(2,3-DN)≳βel(1,3-DN) ≳βel(1,2-DN).