Time-dependent density functional theory studies of the photoswitching of the two-photon absorption spectra in stilbene, metacyclophenadiene, and diarylethene chromophores

Photochromophores such as cis-stilbene (1a), metacyclophenadiene (2a), and the diarylethene 3a undergo photoinduced conrotatory opening and closing of a central bond and are currently being sought out as potential candidates for media within 3D optical information storage devices. Strong molecular two-photon absorption (inducing the reversible photoisomerization) is a necessary feature for this application due to the need for high 3D spatial resolution. Here, the one- and two-photon absorption (OPA and TPA) characteristics of the open- and closed-ring isomers of 1-3 have been investigated using time-dependent density functional theory. It was determined that the excited states populated by two-photon absorption were nearly 1 eV higher in energy than the lowest energy excited state populated by one-photon absorption. The electronic structures of the TPA and OPA accessed states were then compared utilizing natural transition orbital analysis. There, it was found that states excited by OPA had pi pi* character about the C-C framework associated with the bond formation/scission of the central C-C bond. In contrast, the states populated by TPA have pi pi* character along the C-C skeletal periphery, including phenyl excitations. It is postulated that these differences in excited state electronic structure may lead to reaction pathways alternative to photoisomerization about the central C-C bond, impacting the utility of these compounds as 3D information storage media.