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Tunable Photoswitching in Norbornadiene (NBD)/Quadricyclane (QC) - Fullerene Hybrids.

ABSTRACT: With respect to molecular switches, initializing the quadricyclane (QC) to norbornadiene (NBD) back-reaction by light is highly desirable. Our previous publication provided a unique solution for this purpose by utilizing covalently bound C₆₀ . In this work, the fundamental processes within these hybrids has been investigated. Variation of the linker unit connecting the NBD/QC moiety with the fullerene core is used as a tool to tune the properties of the resulting hybrids. Utilizing the Prato reaction, two unprecedented NBD/QC - fullerene hybrids having a long-rigid and a short-rigid linker were synthesized. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that this results in an average QC-C₆₀ distance of up to 14.2 Å. By comparing the NBD-QC switching of these derivatives with the already established one having a flexible linker, valuable mechanistic insights were gained. Most importantly, spatial convergence of the QC moiety and the fullerene core is inevitable for an efficient back-reaction.

SUBMITTER: Lorenz P

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8596871 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Molecular photoswitches that are capable of storing solar energy, so-called molecular solar thermal storage systems, are interesting candidates for future renewable energy applications. In this context, substituted norbornadiene-quadricyclane systems have received renewed interest due to recent advances in their synthesis. The optical, thermodynamic, and kinetic properties of these systems can vary dramatically depending on the chosen substituents. The molecular design of optimal compounds therefore requires a detailed understanding of the effect of individual substituents as well as their interplay. Here, we model absorption spectra, potential energy storage, and thermal barriers for back-conversion of several substituted systems using both single-reference (density functional theory using PBE, B3LYP, CAM-B3LYP, M06, M06-2x, and M06-L functionals as well as MP2 calculations) and multireference methods (complete active space techniques). Already the diaryl substituted compound displays a strong red-shift compared to the unsubstituted system, which is shown to result from the extension of the conjugated ?-system upon substitution. Using specific donor/acceptor groups gives rise to a further albeit relatively smaller red-shift. The calculated storage energy is found to be rather insensitive to the specific substituents, although solvent effects are likely to be important and require further study. The barrier for thermal back-conversion exhibits strong multireference character and as a result is noticeably correlated with the red-shift. Two possible reaction paths for the thermal back-conversion of diaryl substituted quadricyclane are identified and it is shown that among the compounds considered the path via the acceptor side is systematically favored. Finally, the present study establishes the basis for high-throughput screening of norbornadiene-quadricyclane compounds as it provides guidelines for the level of accuracy that can be expected for key properties from several different techniques.

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Tunable Photoswitching in Norbornadiene (NBD)/Quadricyclane (QC) - Fullerene Hybrids.

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