Photoinduced hole hopping through tryptophans in proteins

Hole hopping through tryptophan/tyrosine chains enables rapid unidirectional charge transport over long distances. We have elucidated structural and dynamical factors controlling hopping speed and efficiency in two modified azurin constructs that include a rhenium(I) sensitizer, Re(His)(CO)3(dmp)+, and one or two tryptophans (W1, W2). Experimental kinetics investigations showed that the two closely spaced (3 to 4 Å) intervening tryptophans dramatically accelerated long-range electron transfer (ET) from CuI to the photoexcited sensitizer. In our theoretical work, we found that time-dependent density-functional theory (TDDFT) quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics/molecular dynamics (QM/MM/MD) trajectories of low-lying triplet excited states of ReI(His)(CO)3(dmp)+–W1(–W2) exhibited crossings between sensitizer-localized (*Re) and charge-separated [ReI(His)(CO)3(dmp•–)/(W1•+ or W2•+)] (CS1 or CS2) states. Our analysis revealed that the distances, angles, and mutual orientations of ET-active cofactors fluctuate in a relatively narrow range in which the cofactors are strongly coupled, enabling adiabatic ET. Water-dominated electrostatic field fluctuations bring *Re and CS1 states to a crossing where *Re(CO)3(dmp)+←W1 ET occurs, and CS1 becomes the lowest triplet state. ET is promoted by solvation dynamics around *Re(CO)3(dmp)+(W1); and CS1 is stabilized by Re(dmp•–)/W1•+ electron/hole interaction and enhanced W1•+ solvation. The second hop, W1•+←W2, is facilitated by water fluctuations near the W1/W2 unit, taking place when the electrostatic potential at W2 drops well below that at W1•+. Insufficient solvation and reorganization around W2 make W1•+←W2 ET endergonic, shifting the equilibrium toward W1•+ and decreasing the charge-separation yield. We suggest that multiscale TDDFT/MM/MD is a suitable technique to model the simultaneous evolution of photogenerated excited-state manifolds

Tryptophan to Tryptophan Hole Hopping in an Azurin Construct.

Electron transfer (ET) between neutral and cationic tryptophan residues in the azurin construct [ReI(H126)(CO)3(dmp)](W124)(W122)CuI (dmp = 4,7-Me2-1,10-phenanthroline) was investigated by Born-Oppenheimer quantum-mechanics/molecular mechanics/molecular dynamics (QM/MM/MD) simulations. We focused on W124•+ ← W122 ET, which is the middle step of the photochemical hole-hopping process *ReII(CO)3(dmp•-) ← W124 ← W122 ← CuI, where sequential hopping amounts to nearly 10,000-fold acceleration over single-step tunneling (ACS Cent. Sci. 2019, 5, 192-200). In accordance with experiments, UKS-DFT QM/MM/MD simulations identified forward and reverse steps of W124•+ ↔ W122 ET equilibrium, as well as back ET ReI(CO)3(dmp•-) → W124•+ that restores *ReII(CO)3(dmp•-). Strong electronic coupling between the two indoles (≥40 meV in the crossing region) makes the productive W124•+ ← W122 ET adiabatic. Energies of the two redox states are driven to degeneracy by fluctuations of the electrostatic potential at the two indoles, mainly caused by water solvation, with contributions from the protein dynamics in the W122 vicinity. ET probability depends on the orientation of Re(CO)3(dmp) relative to W124 and its rotation diminishes the hopping yield. Comparison with hole hopping in natural systems reveals structural and dynamics factors that are important for designing efficient hole-hopping processes

Combined experimental and theoretical DFT study of molecular nanowires negative differential resistance and interaction with gold clusters

Electric-field-assisted assembly has been used to place rod-shaped metal nanowires containing 4-[[2-nitro-4-(phenylethynyl) phenyl] ethynyl] benzenthiol molecules onto lithographically defined metal pads. These junctions exhibited negative differential resistance. The quantum chemical approach was used to compare the properties of Au-bonded 4-[[2-nitro-4-(phenylethynyl) phenyl] ethynyl] benzenthiol molecule and a molecule that does not exhibit the negative differential resistance, Au-bonded 4-[[4-(phenylethynyl) phenyl] ethynyl] benzenthiol. The influence of the static electric field and charge variation were modelled for both systems

New organic FET-like photoactive device, experiments and DFT modeling

We present the possible construction of an organic FET-like photoactive device in which source-drain current through a phthalocyanine ( H2Pc film is affected by a photo-induced dipolar field in a photoactive “gate” electrode. The influence of the dipolar electric field on charge transfer between H2Pc molecules is modeled by DFT quantum-chemical calculations on H2Pc dimers and tetramers

Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry

ABSTRACT It has been reported that physico-chemical properties of diamond surfaces are closely related to the surface chemisorbed species on the surface. Hydrogen chemisorption on a chemical vapor deposition grown diamond surface is well-known to be important for stabilizing diamond surface structures with sp 3 hybridization. It has been suggested that an H-chemisorbed structure is necessary to provide a negative electron affinity condition on the diamond surfaces. Negative electron affinity condition could change to a positive electron affinity by oxidation of the Hchemisorbed diamond surfaces. Oxidized diamond surfaces usually show characteristics completely different from those of the H-chemisorbed diamond surfaces. The unique electron affinity condition, or the surface potential, is strongly related to the chemisorbed species on diamond surfaces. The relationship between the surface chemisorption structure and the surface electrical properties, such as the surface potential of the diamond, has been modelled using DFT based calculations

Fluorescent Nanodiamonds: Effect of Surface Termination

ABSTRACT It has been reported that physico-chemical properties of diamond surfaces are closely related to the surface chemisorbed species on the surface. Hydrogen chemisorption on a chemical vapor deposition grown diamond surface is well-known to be important for stabilizing diamond surface structures with sp 3 hybridization. It has been suggested that an H-chemisorbed structure is necessary to provide a negative electron affinity condition on the diamond surfaces. Negative electron affinity condition could change to a positive electron affinity by oxidation of the Hchemisorbed diamond surfaces. Oxidized diamond surfaces usually show characteristics completely different from those of the H-chemisorbed diamond surfaces. The unique electron affinity condition, or the surface potential, is strongly related to the chemisorbed species on diamond surfaces. The relationship between the surface chemisorption structure and the surface electrical properties, such as the surface potential of the diamond, has been modelled using DFT based calculations