Superexchange-mediated electronic energy transfer in a model dyad

On the basis of time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations coupled to the polarizable continuum model (PCM) and single molecule spectroscopic studies, we provide a detailed investigation of excitation energy transfer within a model bi-chromophoric system where a perylene monoimide (PMI) donor is bridged to a terrylene diimide (TDI) acceptor through a ladder-type pentaphenylene (pPh) spacer. We find that the electronic excitation on the PMI donor significantly extends over the bridge giving rise to a partial charge transfer character and inducing a approximately 3-fold increase in the electronic interaction between the chromophores, which explains the failure of the Först…

A QM/MM Approach Using the AMOEBA Polarizable Embedding: From Ground State Energies to Electronic Excitations

International audience; A fully polarizable implementation of the hybrid Quantum Mechanics/Molecular Mechanics approach is presented, where the classical environment is described through the AMOEBA polarizable force field. A variational formalism, offering a self-consistent 1 relaxation of both the MM induced dipoles and the QM electronic density is used for ground state energies and extended to electronic excitations in the framework of Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory combined with a state specific response of the classical part. An application to the calculation of the solvatochromism of the pyridinium N-phenolate betaine dye used to define the solvent ET30 scale is presented. Th…

Perspective: Polarizable continuum models for quantum-mechanical descriptions

Polarizable continuum solvation models are nowadays the most popular approach to describe solvent effects in the context of quantum mechanical calculations. Unexpectedly, despite their widespread use in all branches of quantum chemistry and beyond, important aspects of both their theoretical formulation and numerical implementation are still not completely understood. In particular, in this perspective we focus on the numerical issues of their implementation when applied to large systems and on the theoretical framework needed to treat time dependent problems and excited states or to deal with electronic correlation. Possible extensions beyond a purely electrostatic model and generalization…

Correction of cavity-induced errors in polarization charges of continuum solvation models

Hybrid QM/MM Molecular Dynamics with AMOEBA Polarizable Embedding

International audience; We present the implementation of a Born-Oppenheimer (BO) hybrid Quantum Mechan-ics/Molecular Mechanics (QM/MM) Molecular Dynamics (MD) strategy using Density Functional Theory (DFT) and the polarizable AMOEBA force field. This approach couples the Gaussian and Tinker suite of programs through a variational formalism allowing for a full self-consistent relaxation of both the AMOEBA induced dipoles and the DFT electronic density at each MD step. As the DFT SCF cycles are the limiting factor in terms of computational efforts and MD stability, we focus on the latter aspect and compare the Time-Reversible BO (TR– BO) and the Extended BO Lagrangian approaches (XL–BO) to th…

A Theoretical and Experimental Investigation of the Spectroscopic Properties of a DNA-Intercalator Salphen-Type ZnIIComplex

The photophysical and DNA-binding properties of the cationic zinc(II) complex of 5-triethylammonium methyl salicylidene ortho-phenylenediiminato (ZnL 2 + ) were investi- gated by a combination of experimental and theoretical methods. DFT calculations were performed on both the ground and the first excited states of ZnL 2 + and on its possi- ble mono- and dioxidation products, both in vacuo and in selected solvents mimicked by the polarizable continuum model. Comparison of the calculated absorption and fluores- cence transitions with the corresponding experimental data led to the conclusion that visible light induces a two-elec- tron photooxidation process located on the phenylenediimi- nato…