Electronic Excitations in Pyrrole: A Test Case for Determination of Chromophores in the Chromogenic Effects of Neurotoxic Hydrocarbons by Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory and Single-Excitation Configuration Interaction Methods
✍ Scribed by Chang-Guo Zhan; David A. Dixon
- Publisher
- Elsevier Science
- Year
- 2002
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 168 KB
- Volume
- 216
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0022-2852
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✦ Synopsis
Time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) and single-excitation configuration interaction (CIS) calculations on the electronic excitations in pyrrole have been performed to examine the reliability of these first-principles electronic structure methods in predicting electronic excitation spectra of pyrrole-containing compounds. Both the TD-DFT and CIS calculations led to satisfactory results when compared to available experimental data, particularly for low-lying excited states. The TD-DFT and CIS calculations provide lower and upper limits of the excitation energies, respectively, for low-lying singlet excited states. These results suggest that these methods can be used for the prediction of the excitation spectra, particularly the excitation energies for low-lying excited states, of chromophores responsible for the chromogenic effects of neurotoxic hydrocarbons, which are believed to be substituted pyrroles and their adducts with proteins. As an example of a practical application, the spectrum of the widely used 2,5-dimethylpyrrole has been calculated. It is shown that the 2,5-dimethylpyrrole molecule does not have an absorption in the region of the visible spectrum (400-700 nm), suggesting that the absorption observed at 530 nm and the color of 2,5-dimethylpyrrole is due to another species, probably a product of possible 2,5-dimethylpyrrole autoxidation. This suggests that the conclusions from previously reported experimental studies of biochemical reactions of neurotoxic γ -diketones need to be reexamined in terms of the relationship of chromogenicity to neurotoxicity.