Controllable Electron Transfer in Mixed-Valence Bridged Norbornylogous Compounds: Ab Initio Calculation Combined with a Parametric Model and Through-Bond and Through-Space Interpretation

Shmuel Zilberg, Yaniv Stekolshik, Andrew Palii, Boris Tsukerblat

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

In the context of a computationally guided approach to the controllable electron transfer in mixed-valence (MV) systems, in this article, we study the electron transfer (ET) in the series of oxidized norbornadiene C7H8 (I) and its polycyclic derivatives, C12H12 (II), C17H16, (III), C27H24 (IV), and C32H28 (V), with variable lengths of the bridge connecting redox sites. The work combines an ab initio CASSCF evaluation of the electronic structure of systems I-V with the parametric description in the framework of the biorbital two-mode vibronic model. The model involves coupling with the "breathing"mode and intercenter vibration modulating the distances between the redox fragments. The ab initio calculations were performed for two types of optimized structures of I-V: (a) charge-localized global minimum (Cs) and (b) symmetric configuration (C2v) with the delocalized charge. This allows one to estimate the potential barrier separating charge-localized configurations as well as vibronic coupling parameters and the electron transfer integral. Along with the adiabatic approach, the quantum-mechanical analysis of the vibronic levels has been applied to precisely estimate the quantum effect of tunneling splitting. We estimate the "through-space"and "through-bond"contributions to the parameters interrelated with the charge transfer (CT). The through-space effect proves to be a major factor of ET at a short distance between the redox centers, whereas the through-bond contribution is dominant at a long distance. Vibronic coupling under the condition of through-space ET leads to the localization of the positive charge on the -chromophore, while the through-bond component of ET results in compensating σ-shifts and subsequent charge delocalization over the bridge. The limitations of the parametric approach were discussed in the context of the two components contributing to the ET. Particularly, the bridge polarization in the course of through-bond ET proves to be beyond the basis of the employed parametric model.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2855-2878
JournalJournal of Physical Chemistry A
Volume126
Issue number19
DOIs
StatePublished - May 2022

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Physical and Theoretical Chemistry

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