title: Computer aided chemical design: using quantum chemical calculations to predict properties of a series of halochromic guaiazulene derivatives.
abstract: With the scientific community becoming increasingly aware of the need for greener products and methodologies, the optimization of synthetic design is of greater importance. Building on experimental data collected from a synthesized guaiazulene derivative, a series of analogous structures were investigated with time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) methods in an effort to identify a compound with desirable photophysical properties. Thisin silicoanalysis may eliminate the need to synthesize numerous materials that, when investigated, do not possess viable characteristics. The synthesis of several computationally investigated structures revealed discrepancies in the calculation results. Further refined computational study of the molecules yielded results closer to those observed experimentally and helps set the stage for computationally guided design of organic photonic materials. Three novel derivatives were synthesized from guaiazulene, a naturally occurring chromophore, exhibiting distinct halochromic behaviour, which may have potential in a switchable optoelectronic system or combined with a photoacid generator for data storage. The protonated forms were readily excitable via two-photon absorption.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry , University of Central Florida , Orlando, FL 32816-2366 , USA.
authors.forename: Adam W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Woodward
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry , University of Central Florida , Orlando, FL 32816-2366 , USA.
authors.forename: Ebrahim H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Ghazvini Zadeh
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physics NASU , Prospect Nauki, 46, Kiev 03028 , Ukraine.
authors.forename: Mykhailo V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Bondar
authors.affiliation: College of Science and Liberal Arts, New Jersey Institute of Technology, University Heights, Newark, NJ 07102, USA; School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Kevin D
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-7339-2813
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Belfield
keywords: guaiazulene; halochromic; two-photon absorption