An Ab Initio Computational Study of Electronic and Structural Factors in the Isomerization of Donor-Acceptor Stenhouse Adducts

In this work, the photochemically and thermally induced isomerization of multiple donor-acceptor Stenhouse adducts (DASAs) of the first, second, and third generation is studied by means of state-of-the-art ab initio electronic structure methods leading to new insight into multiple facets of the reaction mechanism. Importantly, prior to any studies of the reaction mechanism, a set of test calculations demonstrate the suitability of the applied ADC(2) and CC2 methods in the present context. An important aspect in this regard is the availability of electronic energies and gradients under implicit consideration of solvent effects. On the basis of calculated reaction energies and barriers as well as a thorough analysis of the wave function compositions, interesting features of the reaction mechanism are deduced. For example, the closed form of second- and third-generation DASAs can be significantly stabilized by pi - pi interactions between the donor and acceptor termini when certain structural requirements are fulfilled. The central point of this work concerns the delicate balance between neutral and zwitterionic resonance structures that governs the relative barrier height for the crucial C-2-C-3 and C-3-C-4 bond rotations. Finally, a set of calculations on yet unreported derivatives highlights how this balance and hence the barrier heights can be tuned through variation of the donor-acceptor strength as well as the solvent polarity.