Singlet fission initiating triplet generations of BODIPY derivatives through $$\pi $$ π -stacking: a theoretical study

Abstract The role of singlet fission (SF) in the triplet-state generation mechanism of 1,3,5,7-tetramethyl-boron-dipyrromethene derivatives is revealed by exploring the cause for the solvent dependence of the generation rate. Comparing the adsorption energy calculations of solvent molecules, i.e., c...

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Main Authors: Takao Tsuneda, Tetsuya Taketsugu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2022-11-01
Series:Scientific Reports
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-23370-y
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author Takao Tsuneda
Tetsuya Taketsugu
author_facet Takao Tsuneda
Tetsuya Taketsugu
author_sort Takao Tsuneda
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The role of singlet fission (SF) in the triplet-state generation mechanism of 1,3,5,7-tetramethyl-boron-dipyrromethene derivatives is revealed by exploring the cause for the solvent dependence of the generation rate. Comparing the adsorption energy calculations of solvent molecules, i.e., cyclohexane, chloroform and acetonitrile molecules, to the derivatives with the $$\pi $$ π -stacking energies of these derivatives surprisingly show that the hierarchy of the solvation energies and $$\pi $$ π -stacking energies strongly correlates with the experimentally-suggested solvent dependence of the triplet-state generation of these derivatives for five and more adsorbing solvent molecules. Following this finding, the excitation spectra of these derivatives in acetonitrile solvent are explored using the proprietary spin-flip long-range corrected time-dependent density functional theory. It is, consequently, confirmed that the $$\pi $$ π -stacking activates the second lowest singlet excitation to trigger the spin-allowed transition to the singlet doubly-excited tetraradical (TT) $$_1$$ 1 state, which generates the long-lived quintet (TT) $$_1$$ 1 state causing the SF. However, it is also found that the $$\pi $$ π -stacking also get a slow intersystem crossing active around the intersections of the lowest singlet excitations with the lowest triplet T $$_1$$ 1 excitations in parallel with the SF due to the charge transfer characters of the lowest singlet excitations. These results suggest that SF initiates the triplet-state generations through near-degenerate low-lying singlet and (TT) excitations with a considerable singlet-triplet energy gap after the $$\pi $$ π -stacking of chromophores stronger than but not far from the solvation. Since these derivatives are organic photosensitizers, this study proposes that SF should be taken into consideration in developing novel heavy atom-free organic photosensitizers, which will contribute to a variety of research fields such as medical care, photobiology, energy science, and synthetic chemistry.
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spelling doaj.art-c0ebaa23fb3340c992a2b96f3da7060e2022-12-22T03:43:05ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222022-11-011211910.1038/s41598-022-23370-ySinglet fission initiating triplet generations of BODIPY derivatives through $$\pi $$ π -stacking: a theoretical studyTakao Tsuneda0Tetsuya Taketsugu1Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido UniversityDepartment of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido UniversityAbstract The role of singlet fission (SF) in the triplet-state generation mechanism of 1,3,5,7-tetramethyl-boron-dipyrromethene derivatives is revealed by exploring the cause for the solvent dependence of the generation rate. Comparing the adsorption energy calculations of solvent molecules, i.e., cyclohexane, chloroform and acetonitrile molecules, to the derivatives with the $$\pi $$ π -stacking energies of these derivatives surprisingly show that the hierarchy of the solvation energies and $$\pi $$ π -stacking energies strongly correlates with the experimentally-suggested solvent dependence of the triplet-state generation of these derivatives for five and more adsorbing solvent molecules. Following this finding, the excitation spectra of these derivatives in acetonitrile solvent are explored using the proprietary spin-flip long-range corrected time-dependent density functional theory. It is, consequently, confirmed that the $$\pi $$ π -stacking activates the second lowest singlet excitation to trigger the spin-allowed transition to the singlet doubly-excited tetraradical (TT) $$_1$$ 1 state, which generates the long-lived quintet (TT) $$_1$$ 1 state causing the SF. However, it is also found that the $$\pi $$ π -stacking also get a slow intersystem crossing active around the intersections of the lowest singlet excitations with the lowest triplet T $$_1$$ 1 excitations in parallel with the SF due to the charge transfer characters of the lowest singlet excitations. These results suggest that SF initiates the triplet-state generations through near-degenerate low-lying singlet and (TT) excitations with a considerable singlet-triplet energy gap after the $$\pi $$ π -stacking of chromophores stronger than but not far from the solvation. Since these derivatives are organic photosensitizers, this study proposes that SF should be taken into consideration in developing novel heavy atom-free organic photosensitizers, which will contribute to a variety of research fields such as medical care, photobiology, energy science, and synthetic chemistry.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-23370-y
spellingShingle Takao Tsuneda
Tetsuya Taketsugu
Singlet fission initiating triplet generations of BODIPY derivatives through $$\pi $$ π -stacking: a theoretical study
Scientific Reports
title Singlet fission initiating triplet generations of BODIPY derivatives through $$\pi $$ π -stacking: a theoretical study
title_full Singlet fission initiating triplet generations of BODIPY derivatives through $$\pi $$ π -stacking: a theoretical study
title_fullStr Singlet fission initiating triplet generations of BODIPY derivatives through $$\pi $$ π -stacking: a theoretical study
title_full_unstemmed Singlet fission initiating triplet generations of BODIPY derivatives through $$\pi $$ π -stacking: a theoretical study
title_short Singlet fission initiating triplet generations of BODIPY derivatives through $$\pi $$ π -stacking: a theoretical study
title_sort singlet fission initiating triplet generations of bodipy derivatives through pi π stacking a theoretical study
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-23370-y
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