Molecular, vibrational and electronic structure of 4-bromo-2-halogenobenzaldehydes: Halogen and solvent effects

The halogen and solvent effects on the structure of 4-bromo-2-halogenobenzaldehydes [C7H4BrXO; X = F (BFB), Cl (BCB) or Br (BBB)] were investigated by the density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) methods. The B3LYP functional and HF and MP2 levels of theory were used with the 6-311+G(3df,p) or aug-cc-pVDZ basis sets. Computations were focused on the cis and trans conformers of the investigated compounds in the gas phase and solutions of 18 different polar or non-polar organic solvents. The computed frequencies of the C=O stretching vibration of the compounds were correlated with some empirical solvent parameters such as the Kirkwood-Bauer-Magat (KBM) equation, solvent acceptor number (AN), Swain parameters and linear solvation energy relationships (LSERs). The electronic properties of the compounds were also examined. The present work explores the effects of the medium and halogen on the conformation, geometrical parameters, dipole moment, ?(C=O) vibration, UV data, frontier orbitals and density-of-states diagram of the compounds. The findings of this research can be useful for studies on benzaldehydes. © 2017 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston 2017

Carotenoid to bacteriochlorophyll energy transfer in the RC–LH1–PufX complex from Rhodobacter sphaeroides containing the extended conjugation keto-carotenoid diketospirilloxanthin

RC–LH1–PufX complexes from a genetically modified strain of Rhodobacter sphaeroides that accumulates carotenoids with very long conjugation were studied by ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy. The complexes predominantly bind the carotenoid diketospirilloxanthin, constituting about 75% of the total carotenoids, which has 13 conjugated C=C bonds, and the conjugation is further extended to two terminal keto groups. Excitation of diketospirilloxanthin in the RC–LH1–PufX complex demonstrates fully functional energy transfer from diketospirilloxanthin to BChl a in the LH1 antenna. As for other purple bacterial LH complexes having carotenoids with long conjugation, the main energy transfer route is via the S2–Qx pathway. However, in contrast to LH2 complexes binding diketospirilloxanthin, in RC–LH1–PufX we observe an additional, minor energy transfer pathway associated with the S1 state of diketospirilloxanthin. By comparing the spectral properties of the S1 state of diketospirilloxanthin in solution, in LH2, and in RC–LH1–PufX, we propose that the carotenoid-binding site in RC–LH1–PufX activates the ICT state of diketospirilloxanthin, resulting in the opening of a minor S1/ICT-mediated energy transfer channel