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Hydroxyl radical ((•)OH) is produced in biological systems by external or endogenous agents. It can damage DNA/RNA by attacking pyrimidine nucleobases through the addition to the C5═C6 double bond. The adduct resulting from the attachment at the C5 position prevails in the experimental measurements, although the reasons for this preference remain unclear. The first aim of this work is therefore to shed light on the comprehension of this important process. Thus, the thermal (•)OH addition to the C5═C6 double bond of uracil has been studied theoretically by using DFT, MP2, and the multiconfigurational CASPT2//CASSCF methodologies. The in-vacuo results obtained with the latter protocol plus the analysis of solvent effects support the experimental observation. A significant lower barrier height is predicted for the C5 pathway with respect to that of the C6 route. In contrast to the C5 adduct, the C6 adduct is able to absorb visible light. Hence, the second aim of the work is to study the photochemistry of this species using the CASPT2//CASSCF methodology within the framework of the photochemical reaction path approach (PRPA). The nonradiative decay to the ground state of this compound has been characterized. A photoreactive character is predicted for the C6 adduct in the excited states according to the presence of excited-state minima along the main decay channel. Finally, a new mechanism of photodissociation has been explored, which implies the photoinduced regeneration of the canonical nucleobase by irradiating with visible light, being therefore relevant in RNA protection against damage by reactive oxygen species.

The OH radical is a well-known mediator in the oxidation of biological structures like DNA. Over the past decades, the precise events taking place after reaction of DNA nucleobases with OH radical have been widely investigated by the scientific community. Thirty years after the proposal of the main routes for the reaction of •OH with adenine (Vieira, A.; Steenken, S. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1990, 112, 6986−6994), the present work demonstrates that the OH radical addition to C4 position is a minor pathway. Instead, the dehydration process is mediated by the A5OH adduct. Conclusions are based on density functional theory calculations for the ground-state reactivity and highly accurate multiconfigurational computations for the excited states of the radical intermediates. The methodology has been also used to study the mechanism giving rise to the mutagens 8-oxoA and FAPyA. Taking into account the agreement between the experimental data and the theoretical results, it is concluded that addition to the C5 and C8 pos...

The present study provides new insights into the topography of the potential energy hypersurfaces (PEHs) of the thymine nucleobase in order to rationalize its main ultrafast photochemical decay paths by employing two methodologies based on the complete active space self-consistent field (CASSCF) and the complete active space second-order perturbation theory (CASPT2) methods: (i) CASSCF optimized structures and energies corrected with the CASPT2 method at the CASSCF geometries and (ii) CASPT2 optimized geometries and energies. A direct comparison between these strategies is drawn, yielding qualitatively similar results within a static framework. A number of analyses are performed to assess the accuracy of these different computational strategies under study based on a variety of numerical thresholds and optimization methods. Several basis sets and active spaces have also been calibrated to understand to what extent they can influence the resulting geometries and subsequent interpretation of the photochemical decay channels. The study shows small discrepancies between CASSCF and CASPT2 PEHs, displaying a shallow planar or twisted 1(ππ*) minimum, respectively, and thus featuring a qualitatively similar scenario for supporting the ultrafast bi-exponential deactivation registered in thymine upon UV-light exposure. A deeper knowledge of the PEHs at different levels of theory provides useful insight into its correct characterization and subsequent interpretation of the experimental observations. The discrepancies displayed by the different methods studied here are then discussed and framed within their potential consequences in on-the-fly non-adiabatic molecular dynamics simulations, where qualitatively diverse outcomes are expected.

The main intrinsic photochemical events in nucleobases can be described on theoretical grounds within the realm of non-adiabatic computational photochemistry. From a static standpoint, the photochemical reaction path approach (PRPA), through the computation of the respective minimum energy path (MEP), can be regarded as the most suitable strategy in order to explore the electronically excited isolated nucleobases. Unfortunately, the PRPA does not appear widely in the studies reported in the last decade. The main ultrafast decay observed experimentally for the gas-phase excited nucleobases is related to the computed barrierless MEPs from the bright excited state connecting the initial Franck–Condon region and a conical intersection involving the ground state. At the highest level of theory currently available (CASPT2//CASPT2), the lowest excited 1(ππ*) hypersurface for cytosine has a shallow minimum along the MEP deactivation pathway. In any case, the internal conversion processes in all the natural nucleobases are attained by means of interstate crossings, a self-protection mechanism that prevents the occurrence of photoinduced damage of nucleobases by ultraviolet radiation. Many alternative and secondary paths have been proposed in the literature, which ultimately provide a rich and constructive interplay between experimentally and theoretically oriented research.

An intriguing absorption peak around ∼270 nm (4.59 eV) has been recurrently recorded in aqueous solutions of salts, sugars, amino acids, in the free-solute zone (exclusion zone) adjacent to various hydrophilic surfaces, as well as a transient in the conversion process of ice to water. The corresponding associated fluorescence has been observed in the interval 480–490 nm (2.58–2.53 eV). The spectroscopic features have been related to the presence of structured water but its nature remains incompletely understood. On the basis of high-level ab initio computations, the main absorption feature of structured water is assigned to the presence of two π-stacked ground-state water molecules, preferably non-hydrogen bonded, at relatively short intermolecular distances (around 2 A). The lowest singlet excited state is characterised by an equilibrium distance of around 2 A with a vertical absorption transition predicted at 4.5 eV. The excited π-stacked dimer has a large binding energy (∼1 eV). Therefore, near-ultravi...

Proton/hydrogen-transfer processes have been broadly studied in the past 50 years to explain the photostability and the spontaneous tautomerism in the DNA base pairs. In the present study, the CASSCF/CASPT2 methodology is used to map the two-dimensional potential energy surfaces along the stretched NH reaction coordinates of the guanine–cytosine (GC) base pair. Concerted and stepwise pathways are explored initially in vacuo, and three mechanisms are studied: the stepwise double proton transfer, the stepwise double hydrogen transfer, and the concerted double proton transfer. The results are consistent with previous findings related to the photostability of the GC base pair, and a new contribution to tautomerism is provided. The C-based imino-oxo and imino-enol GC tautomers, which can be generated during the UV irradiation of the Watson–Crick base pair, have analogous radiationless energy-decay channels to those of the canonical base pair. In addition, the C-based imino-enol GC tautomer is thermally less stable. A study of the GC base pair is carried out subsequently taking into account the DNA surroundings in the biological environment. The most important stationary points are computed using the quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) approach, suggesting a similar scenario for the proton/hydrogen-transfer phenomena in vacuo and in DNA. Finally, the static model is complemented by ab initio dynamic simulations, which show that vibrations at the hydrogen bonds can indeed originate hydrogen-transfer processes in the GC base pair. The relevance of the present findings for the rationalization of the preservation of the genetic code and mutagenesis is discussed.

Understanding the complex events that take place in nucleic acids upon UV light exposure constitutes a key step in the comprehension of life evolution, as well as in the determination of the mechanisms that can originate genetic mutations and lead to the development of diseases like skin cancer. Over the last decade, intra- and inter-strand processes that depend on the relative movements of the DNA strands have been proposed as photochemical pathways capable to deactivate the excess of energy provided by UV light. In order to elucidate the relative importance of both types of photochemical routes, high-level ab initio quantum chemical computations have been conducted on a model formed by the guanine–cytosine base pair and an additional π-stacked cytosine yielding a GC/C trimeric system. The effect of the π-stacking has been evaluated along the reaction coordinate of the stepwise double-hydrogen-transfer (SDHT) mechanism reported in a previous study (Sauri et al. in J Chem Theory Comput 9: 481–496, 2013). It becomes apparent from the present findings that the SDHT process is available at a wide range of cytosine–cytosine intermolecular distances. At a face-to-face orientation of the two cytosine molecules with an intermolecular distance of 3.4 A, the highly effective π-stacking interaction favours the formation of the CC excimer of the canonical nucleobases. Nevertheless, no barriers are found for the inter-strand mechanism. At larger interacting distances (4.0 A), both intra-strand photochemistry and inter-strand photochemistry have to be simultaneously considered, whereas at very short distances (2.8 A) the SDHT process is significantly hindered. The present work confirms the availability of the intermolecular hydrogen transfer in a wide region of the distinct hypersurfaces explored. As compared to the canonical WC base pair, the tautomeric form has more favourable SDHT channels.

In this contribution, the multiconfigurational second-order perturbation theory method based on a complete active space reference wave function (CASSCF/CASPT2) is applied to study all possible single and double proton/hydrogen transfers between the nucleobases in the adenine-thymine (AT) base pair, analyzing the role of excited states with different nature [localized (LE) and charge transfer (CT)], and considering concerted as well as step-wise mechanisms. According to the findings, once the lowest excited states, localized in adenine, are populated during UV irradiation of the Watson-Crick base pair, the proton transfer in the N-O bridge does not require high energy in order to populate a CT state. The latter state will immediately relax toward a crossing with the ground state, which will funnel the system to either the canonical structure or the imino-enol tautomer. The base pair is also capable of repairing itself easily since the imino-enol species is unstable to thermal conversion.

Low-energy (0-3 eV) ballistic electrons originated during the irradiation of biological material can interact with DNA/RNA nucleobases yielding transient-anion species which undergo decompositions. Since the discovery that these reactions can eventually lead to strand breaking of the DNA chains, great efforts have been dedicated to their study. The main fragmentation at the 0-3 eV energy range is the ejection of a hydrogen atom from the specific nitrogen positions. In the present study, the methodological approach introduced in a previous work on uracil [I. González-Ramírez et al., J. Chem. Theory Comput. 8, 2769-2776 (2012)] is employed to study the DNA canonical nucleobases fragmentations of N-H bonds induced by low-energy electrons. The approach is based on minimum energy path and linear interpolation of internal coordinates computations along the N-H dissociation channels carried out at the complete-active-space self-consistent field//complete-active-space second-order perturbation theory level. On the basis of the calculated theoretical quantities, new assignations for the adenine and cytosine anion yield curves are provided. In addition, the π1 (-) and π2 (-) states of the pyrimidine nucleobases are expected to produce the temporary anions at electron energies close to 1 and 2 eV, respectively. Finally, the present theoretical results do not allow to discard neither the dipole-bound nor the valence-bound mechanisms in the range of energies explored, suggesting that both possibilities may coexist in the experiments carried out with the isolated nucleobases.

The present study provides new insight into the intrinsic mechanisms for the population of the triplet manifold in DNA nucleobases by determining, at the multiconfigurational CASSCF/CASPT2 level, the singlet-triplet states crossing regions and the main decay paths for their lowest singlet and triplet states after near-UV irradiation. The studied singlet-triplet interacting regions are accessible along the minimum energy path of the initially populated singlet bright (1)ππ* state. In particular, all five natural DNA/RNA nucleobases have, at the end of the main minimum energy path and near a conical intersection of the ground and (1)ππ* states, a low-energy, easily accessible, singlet-triplet crossing region directly connecting the lowest singlet and triplet ππ* excited states. Adenine, thymine, and uracil display additional higher-energy crossing regions related to the presence of low-lying singlet and a triplet nπ* state. These funnels are absent in guanine and cytosine, which have the bright (1)ππ* state lower in energy and less accessible nπ* states. Knowledge of the location and accessibility of these regions, in which the singlet-triplet interaction is related to large spin-orbit coupling elements, may help to understand experimental evidence such as the wavelength dependence measured for the triplet formation quantum yield in nucleobases and the prevalence of adenine and thymine components in the phosphorescence spectra of DNA.

The dissociative electron-attachment (DEA) phenomena at the N1-H and N3-H bonds observed experimentally at low energies (

The photophysics and deactivation pathways of the noncanonical 5-azacytosine nucleobase were studied using the CASPT2//CASSCF protocol. One of the most significant differences with respect to the parent molecule cytosine is the presence of a dark (1)(nNπ*) excited state placed energetically below the bright excited state (1)(ππ*) at the Franck-Condon region. The main photoresponse of the system is a presumably efficient radiationless decay back to the original ground state, mediated by two accessible conical intersections involving a population transfer from the (1)(ππ*) and the (1)(nNπ*) states to the ground state. Therefore, a minor contribution of the triplet states in the photophysics of the system is expected, despite the presence of a deactivation path leading to the lowest (3)(ππ*) triplet state. The global scenario on the photophysics and photochemistry of the 5-azacytosine system gathered on theoretical grounds is consistent with the available experimental data, taking especially into account the low values of the singlet-triplet intersystem crossing and fluorescence quantum yields observed.

Indole is a chromophore present in many different molecules of biological interest, such as the essential amino acid tryptophan and the neurotransmitter serotonin. On the basis of CASPT2//CASSCF quantum chemical calculations, the photophysical properties of the system after UV irradiation have been studied through the exploration of the potential energy hypersurfaces of the singlet and triplet low-lying valence excited states. In contrast to previous studies, the present work has been carried out without imposing any restriction to the geometry of the molecule (C1 symmetry) and by performing minimum energy path calculations, which is the only instrument able to provide the lowest-energy evolution of the system. Relevant findings to the photophysics of bare indole have been obtained, which compete with the currently accepted mechanism for the energy decay in the molecule. The results show the presence of a conical intersection (CI) between the initially populated (1)(La ππ*) and the (1)(Lb ππ*) state, easily accessible through a barrierless pathway from the Franck-Condon region. At this CI region, part of the population is switched from the bright (1)(La ππ*) state to the (1)(Lb ππ*) state, and the system evolves toward a minimum structure from which the expected fluorescence takes place. The reported low values of the fluorescence quantum yield are explained by means of a new nonradiative mechanism specific for the (1)(Lb ππ*) state, in which the presence of an ethene-like CI between the (Lb ππ*) and ground states is the main feature.

The UV photoreactivity of different pyrimidine DNA/RNA nucleobases along the singlet manifold leading to the formation of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers has been studied by using the CASPT2 level of theory. The initially irradiated singlet state promotes the formation of excimers between pairs of properly oriented nucleobases through the overlap between the π structures of two stacked nucleobases. The system evolves then to the formation of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers via a shearing-type conical intersection activating a [2 + 2] photocycloaddition mechanism. The relative location of stable excimer conformations or alternative decay channels with respect to the reactive degeneracy region explains the differences in the photoproduction efficiency observed in the experiments for different nucleobases sequences. A comparative analysis of the main structural parameters and energetic profiles in the singlet manifold is carried out for thymine, uracil, cytosine, and 5-methylcytosine homodimers. Thymine and uracil dimers display the most favorable paths, in contrast to cytosine. Methylation of the nucleobases seems to increase the probability for dimerization.

The photoinduced formation of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers in the triplet excited state of the DNA/RNA pyrimidine nucleobases pairs has been studied at the CASPT2 level of theory. A stepwise mechanism through the triplet state of the homodimer is proposed for the pairs of nucleobases cytosine, thymine, and uracil involving a singlet−triplet crossing intermediary structure of biradical character representing the most favorable triplet state conformation of the nucleobases as found in the DNA environment. The efficiency of the mechanism will be modulated by two factors: the effectiveness of the triplet−triplet energy transfer process from a donor photosensitizer molecule, which relates to the relative position of the intermediate in the three acceptor systems, determined here to be lower in energy in the thymine and uracil dimers than in the cytosine pairs, and that of the intersystem crossing process toward the ground state of the photoproduct.

A theoretical multiconfigurational second-order perturbation method, CASPT2, has been employed to determine the binding energies and electronic couplings for all pairs of stacked canonical nucleobases in the standard conformation of the B-DNA. The existence and relevance of conical intersections mediating the hole transfer process has been shown in different systems in vacuo and, by using hybrid QM/MM techniques, in a more realistic biological environment, formed by a double helix of 18 oligomers of DNA surrounded by water molecules. The present results support, therefore, the cooperative micro-hopping mechanism proposed in a previous work for the migration of the hole between adjacent π-stacked 2′-deoxycytidine 5′-monophosphate (dCMP) or alternate 2′-deoxyadenosine 5′-monophosphate and dCMP oligonucleotides.

Quantum chemical studies using the accurate CASPT2//CASSCF procedure show that π-stacked interactions in biochromophores such as pyrimidine (Pyr) DNA/RNA nucleobases pairs yield excimer-like situations which behave as precursors of processes like charge transfer (CT) or photoreactivity and are the source of the emissive properties in DNA. Examples are the CT between adjacent DNA nucleobases in a strand of oligonucleotides and the photodimerization taking place in cytosine (C) pairs leading to cyclobutanecytosine (CBC) mutants. These processes take place through nonadiabatic photochemical mechanisms whose evolution is determined by the presence and accessibility of conical intersections (CIs) and other surface crossings between different electronic states.

The ability of furocoumarins to participate in the PUVA (Psoralen + UV-A) therapy against skin disorders and some types of cancer, is analyzed on quantum chemical grounds. The efficiency of the process relies on its capability to populate its lowest triplet excited state, and then either form adducts with thymine which interfere DNA replication or transfer its energy, generating singlet molecular oxygen damaging the cell membrane in photoactivated tissues. By determining the spin–orbit couplings, shown to be the key property, in the intersystem crossing yielding the triplet state of the furocoumarin, the electronic couplings in the triplet–triplet energy transfer process producing the singlet oxygen, and the reaction rates and lifetimes, the efficiency in the phototherapeutic action of the furocoumarin family is predicted as: khellin

Energies and structures of different arrangements of the stacked adenine homodimer have been computed at the ab initio CASPT2 level of theory in isolation and in an aqueous environment. Adenine dimers are shown to form excimer singlet states with different degrees of stacking and interaction. A model for a 2-fold decay dynamics of adenine oligomers can be supported in which, after initial excitation in the middle UV range, unstacked or slightly stacked pairs of nucleobases will relax by an ultrafast internal conversion to the ground state, localizing the excitation in the monomer and through the corresponding conical intersection with the ground state. On the other hand, long-lifetime intrastrand stacked excimer singlet states will be formed in different conformations, including neutral and charge transfer dimers, which originate the red-shifted emission observed in the oligonucleotide chains and that will evolve toward the same monomer decay channel after surmounting an energy barrier. By computing the transient absorption spectra for the different structures considered and their relative stability in vacuo and in water, it is concluded that in the adenine homodimers the maximum-overlap face-to-face orientations are the most stable excimer conformations observed in experiment.

In order to prevent the damaging effects of sun radiation in the genetic material, its constituent chromophores, the five natural DNA/RNA nucleobases cytosine, thymine, uracil, adenine, and guanine, should be able to efficiently dissipate absorbed radiation, UV specifically, avoiding as much as possible photoreactions leading to lesions. It has been established experimentally and theoretically that efficient internal conversion channels, still open and relevant in the oligomer-stacked strands, exist in the monomers allowing an effective waste of the initial energy. Previous evidences cannot explain, however, why minor differences in the molecular structure modify drastically the photochemistry of the systems, leading for many derivatives to slower decays, sometimes to intense fluorescence, and also to reactivity. Using the accurate CASPT2//CASSCF quantum chemical method and the Photochemical Reaction Path Approach it is determined that the five natural nucleobases display barrierless paths from the allowed excited state toward accessible conical intersection seams with the ground state. Such features are known to be the funnels for efficient energy decay and fluorescence quenching. Modified nucleobases, except the methylated ones, are predicted less photostable because they display energy barriers along lowest-energy paths and hence restricted accessibility of the internal conversion channel. This specificity speaks in favor of the choice of the biological nucleobases by natural selection based on their resistance to photochemical damage. Whereas natural and methylated nucleobases, also frequent in the genetic code, are photostable and cannot be photochemically discarded, other non-natural nucleobases may have been eliminated at early stages of the natural selection process.

The accurate ab initio quantum chemical (QM) method multiconfigurational second-order perturbation (CASSPT2)/complete active space self-consistent field (CASSCF) has been used in conjunction with molecular mechanics (MM) procedures to compute molecular properties and photoinduced reactivity of DNA/RNA nucleobases (NABs) in isolation and within a realistic environment, in which the double helix strand, the aqueous media, and the external counterions are included. It is illustrated that the use of an MM model is helpful both to account for short- and long-range effects of the system surrounding the QM molecular core and to provide the proper structural constraints that allow more accurate QM geometry determinations.

The mechanism of the [2 + 2] cycloaddition photoreaction of psoralen and a DNA nucleobase, thymine, cornerstone of the furocoumarin-based PUVA (psoralen + UVA radiation) phototherapy, has been studied by the quantum-chemical multiconfigurational CASPT2 method. Triplet- and singlet-mediated mono- and diadduct formations have been determined to take place via singlet-triplet crossings and conical intersections, correlated with the initially promoted triplet or singlet states in different possible reactive orientations. Pyroneside monoadducts are suggested to be formed in the triplet manifold of the system, and to be less prone to yield diadducts because of the properties of the monoadduct lowest triplet state and the minor accessibility of its excited singlet states. Furan-side monoadducts are better produced in the singlet manifold after reaching a conical intersection with the ground state of the system. From there, the absorption of a second photon would in this case trigger the formation of the diadduct. The proposed mechanisms enable rationalizing the phototherapeutic behavior of several furocoumarins.

Furocoumarins are widely used as photosensitizers in photochemical therapies against different skin disorders such as psoriasis and vitiligo. Absorption of near-UV light by the chromophore triggers a set of photoreactions related to the therapeutic properties of the technique: linkage of a furocoumarin to thymine DNA nucleobases preventing proliferation of pathogenic cells, or generation of highly reactive singlet oxygen in damaged tissues. The family of furocoumarins has been studied in depth for many years seeking a drug having the most remarkable set of properties to act as a photosensitizer. For this purpose, understanding the underlying photochemical mechanisms behind the effectiveness of this therapy is required. We have undertaken a quantum-mechanical study on the photophysics and photochemistry of several relevant furocoumarins: psoralen, 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) and 5-methoxypsoralen (5-MOP), 4,5′,8-trimethylpsoralen (TMP), 3-carbethoxypsoralen (3-CPS), and khellin, analyzing the most efficient way in which the lowest excited triplet state, as protagonist of the photosensitizing action, is populated from the initially promoted singlet states. The results point out to khellin, in particular, and 5-MOP, as the most efficient photosensitizers.

Based on CASPT2 results, the present contribution establishes for the first time that cytosine photodimer formation (CC) is mediated along the triplet and singlet manifold by a singlet-triplet crossing, (T1/S0)X, and by a conical intersection, (S1/S0)CI, respectively. The former can be accessed in a barrierless way from a great variety of photochemical avenues and exhibits a covalent single bond between the ethene C6-C6' carbon atoms of each monomer. The efficiency of the stepwise triplet mechanism, however, would be modulated by the effectiveness of the intersystem crossing mechanism. The results provide the grounds for the understanding of the potential photogenotoxicity of endogenous and exogenous compounds via triplet-triplet sensitization, with a lower bound for cytosine oligonucleotides predicted to be 2.70 eV, and give support to the traditional view of the primary role of triplet excited states in the photochemistry of DNA, a well-known source of photoproducts in solution under triplet photosensitization conditions. The function played by singlet excimers (excited dimers) to explain both the red-shifted fluorescence and photoreaction is highlighted. A rationale on the pronounced wavelength dependence of the observed fluorescence is offered. Geometrical arrangements at the time of light irradiation close to, but energetically above, (S1/S0)CI are suggested as reactive orientations that become prone to produce CC directly, with no energy barrier. Because of the outstanding intrinsic ability of cytosine to form stable relaxed excimers, the system located near the bound relaxed excimer has to accumulate enough vibrational energy to surmount a small barrier of 0.2 eV to reach (S1/S0)CI, making the overall process to proceed at a slower relative rate as compared to other compounds such as thymine, which is not susceptible of forming so stable excimers.

Charge transport in DNA strands has been studied by characterizing on theoretical grounds the lowest doublet states of the oxidized cytosine homodimer (CC + ) and adenine–cytosine heterodimer (CA + ) along the intermolecular separation of the monomers. The high-level quantum-chemical ab initio CASPT2 method and accurate one-electron basis sets have been employed. Both cationic species are found to be bound with comparable binding energies as those of neutral CC and reduced CC − . The results suggest that charge transport in DNA and the distinct photophysical attributes related to the polymer can be described within the framework of a unified theory. A cooperative micro-hopping mechanism involving consecutively two-by-two adjacent π-stacked nucleobases is proposed for hole transport along single strands of only dCMP or alternate dAMP and dCMP oligonucleotides. This model could be extrapolated to other combinations of deoxynucleotides and even to double stranded DNA and is expected to be similar for the transport of an excess electron. It is suggested that the efficiency of the process is controlled by the presence and relative location of conical intersections connecting the relevant hypersurfaces.

The effect of electromagnetic radiation on biological objects extends from heating to complex photochemistry, and includes DNA alteration, that properly modified in damaged cells may entail beneficial effects. In this regard, psoralen + UV-A (PUVA) therapy, in which furocoumarins, psoralen-like chromophores, are used as photosensitizers and photoreactants with DNA bases, is one of the most promising strategies against a plethora of diseases. Understanding the underlying photochemical mechanisms is crucial to design effective drugs without undesired side effects. We have undertaken a quantum-mechanical study on the photophysics and photochemistry of furocoumarins, analyzing firstly the most efficient way in which the lowest excited triplet state, as protagonist of the photosensitizing action, is populated from the initially promoted singlet states, and secondly the basics of the formation of furocoumarin–DNA photoadducts.

The population of the lowest triplet state of thymine after near-UV irradiation has been established, on the basis of CASPT2//CASSCF quantum chemical calculations, to take place via three distinct intersystem crossing mechanisms from the initially populated singlet bright 1pipi* state. Two singlet-triplet crossings have been found along the minimum-energy path for ultrafast decay of the singlet state at 4.8 and 4.0 eV, involving the lowest 3npi* and 3pipi* states, respectively. Large spin-orbit coupling elements predict efficient intersystem crossing processes in both cases. Another mechanism involving energy transfer from the lowest 1npi* state with much larger spin-orbit coupling terms can also be proposed. The wavelength dependence measured for the triplet quantum yield of pyrimidine nucleobases is explained by the location and accessibility of the singlet-triplet crossing regions.

From CASPT2//CASSCF quantum-chemical computations it is determined that the lowest triplet state of uracil can be efficiently populated from the initially activated singlet manifold through respective singlet–triplet crossings of the singlet state with the low-lying 3nπ∗ state at 4.6 eV and with the lowest 3ππ∗ state at 4.2 eV located along the minimum energy path of the low-lying 1ππ∗ state. Large spin–orbit coupling elements predict, in particular for the former case, efficient intersystem crossing processes. The wavelength dependence measured for the triplet quantum yield can be explained by the location of the singlet–triplet crossing regions.

CASPT2//CASSCF/6-31G* computations are used on the singlet S 1 and S 2 states to map the photoisomerization process of the 11-cis retinal protonated Schiff base in vacuo and to characterize its optical properties. It is shown that the spectroscopic observations recorded in Rhodopsin are reproduced quite well, calling for a substantially neutral effect of the protein. Furthermore, a rationale is proposed for the unreactive population recently observed in Rhodopsin, which is here addressed to the accessible S 2 state, behaving as a trap. The experimental transient absorption and (absorption-wavelength dependent) emission are discussed and interpreted under the light of this novel model. Finally, a planarization of the β-ionone ring is observed on S 1, which may cause a steric lever effect into the protein pocket, thus assisting photoisomerization catalysis. The reported results constitute a solid reference for further studies aimed to rationalize the effect of the environment on the photochemical reactivity of retinal chromophores.

The efficient population of the low-lying triplet ππ * state of psoralen is studied with the quantum chemical CASPT2 method. Minima, singlet–triplet crossings, conical intersections, and reaction paths on the low-lying singlet and triplet states hypersurfaces of the system have been computed together with electronic energy gaps and spin–orbit coupling terms. A mechanism is proposed, favorable in the gas phase, for efficient deactivation of the initially populated singlet excited ππ * state, starting with an intersystem crossing with an n π * triplet state and evolving via a conical intersection toward the final lowest-lying ππ * triplet state, protagonist of the reactivity of psoralen.

The photoinduced mechanism leading to the formation of the thymine-thymine (6-4) photolesion has been studied by using the CASPT2//CASSCF approach over a dinucleotide model in vacuo. Following light absorption, localization of the excitation on a single thymine leads to fast singlet-triplet crossing that populates the triplet (3)(nπ*) state of thymine. This state, displaying an elongated C(4)═O bond, triggers (6-4) dimer formation by reaction with the C(5)═C(6) double bond of the adjacent thymine, followed by a second intersystem crossing, which acts as a gate between the excited state of the reactant and the ground state of the photoproduct. The requirement of localized excitation on just one thymine, whose main decay channel (by radiationless repopulation of its ground state) is nonphotochemical, can rationalize the experimentally observed low quantum yield of formation for the thymine-thymine (6-4) adduct.

The electronic singlet-singlet and singlet-triplet electronic transitions of the isoalloxazine ring of the flavin core are studied using second-order perturbation theory within the framework of the CASPT2//CASSCF protocol. The main features of the absorption spectrum are computed at 3.09, 4.28, 4.69, 5.00, and 5.37 eV. The lowest singlet (S1) and triplet (T1) excited states are found to be both of pi character with a singlet-triplet splitting of 0.57 eV. On the basis of the analysis of the computed spin-orbit couplings and the potential energy hypersurfaces built for the relevant excited states, the intrinsic mechanism for photoinduced population of T1 is discussed. Upon light absorption, evolution of the lowest singlet excited state along the relaxation pathway leads ultimately to the population of the lowest triplet state, which is mediated by a singlet-triplet crossing with a state of npi* type. Subsequently a radiationless decay toward T1 through a conical intersection takes place. The intersystem crossing mechanism and the internal conversion processes documented here provide a plausible route to access the lowest triplet state, which has a key role in the photochemistry of the flavin core ring and is mainly responsible for the reactivity of the system.

An ab initio theoretical study at the CASPT2 level is reported on minimum energy reaction paths, state minima, transition states, reaction barriers, and conical intersections on the potential energy hypersurfaces of two tautomers of adenine: 9H- and 7H-adenine. The obtained results led to a complete interpretation of the photophysics of adenine and derivatives, both under jet-cooled conditions and in solution, within a three-state model. The ultrafast subpicosecond fluorescence decay measured in adenine is attributed to the low-lying conical intersection (gs/pipi* La)(CI), reached from the initially populated 1(pipi* La) state along a path which is found to be barrierless only in 9H-adenine, while for the 7H tautomer the presence of an intermediate plateau corresponding to an NH2-twisted conformation may explain the absence of ultrafast decay in 7-substituted compounds. A secondary picosecond decay is assigned to a path involving switches towards two other states, 1(pipi* Lb) and 1(npi*), ultimately leading to another conical intersection with the ground state, (gs/npi*), with a perpendicular disposition of the amino group. The topology of the hypersurfaces and the state properties explain the absence of secondary decay in 9-substituted adenines in water in terms of the higher position of the 1(npi*) state and also that the 1(pipi* Lb) state of 7H-adenine is responsible for the observed fluorescence in water. A detailed discussion comparing recent experimental and theoretical findings is given. As for other nucleobases, the predominant role of a pipi*-type state in the ultrafast deactivation of adenine is confirmed.

Accurate CASPT2 calculations on the excited state double proton transfer reaction in the 7-azaindole dimer have been performed on different symmetric and asymmetric pathways along the protons interchange. The presence of a conical intersection connecting the initially photoinduced singlet excited state with a charge transfer state leading both to asymmetric ionic and neutral structures promotes a step-wise mechanism, probably taking place through the ionic intermediate. The concerted path is computed slightly higher in energy in the gas phase.

The present contribution contains an overview of quantum-chemical methods and strategies to compute and interpret spectroscopic and photochemical phenomena in molecular systems. The state of the art for the quantum chemistry of the excited state is reviewed, focusing in the advantages and disadvantages of the most commonly employed computational methods, from the single configurational procedures like CI-Singles (CIS), propagator approaches, and Coupled-Cluster (CC) techniques, to the more sophisticated multiconfigurational treatments, with particular emphasis on perturbation theory, the CASPT2 approach. Also, a short summary on the performance, lights, and shadows of the popular TDDFT methods is included. The role of the differential correlation effects on quantum-chemical calculations is analyzed, especially for the location of potential energy surface crossings. The contribution finally addresses the importance that theoretical constructs as conical and non-conical intersections play in non-adiabatic photochemistry. The nice photochemistry of cytosine is used as an illustrative example of theoretical photochemistry, a continuously expanding field of research.

The nature and properties of the low-lying singlet and triplet valence excited states of 2,2':5',2-terthiophene (terthiophene) and 2,2':5',2:5,2'-quictterthiophene (tetrdthiophene) are discussed on the basis of high-level ab initio. computations. The spectrascopic features determined experimentally for short α-oligothiophenes are rationalised on theoretical grounds. Special attention is devoted to the nonradiative decay process through intersystem crossing (ISC) from the singlet to the triplet manifold, which is known to be relatively less efficient in tetrathiophene. Along the geometry relaxation of the S 1 state of terthiophene, the S' 1 and T 2 states become degenerate, which leads. to a favourable situation for the occurrence. of ISC. The parallel process is expected to be less favoured in tetrathiophene because of the less efficient spin-orbit coupling and the increase of the S 1 -T 2 energy gap.

The low-lying electronic states of tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) and its radical anion were studied using multiconfigurational second-order perturbation theory (CASPT2) and extended atomic natural orbital (ANO) basis sets. The results obtained yield a full interpretation of the electronic absorption spectra, explain the spectral changes undergone upon reduction, give support to the occurrence of a bound excited state for the anionic species, and provide valuable information for the rationalization of the experimental data obtained with electron transmission spectroscopy.

Triplet energy transfer (TET) from aromatic donors to 1,3,5,7-cyclooctatetraene (COT) is an extreme case of "nonvertical" behavior, where the transfer rate for low-energy donors is considerably faster than that predicted for a thermally activated (Arrhenius) process. To explain the anomalous TET of COT and other molecules, a new theoretical model based on transition state theory for nonadiabatic processes is proposed here, which makes use of the adiabatic potential energy surfaces (PES) of reactants and products, as computed from high-level quantum mechanical methods, and a nonadiabatic transfer rate constant. It is shown that the rate of transfer depends on a geometrical distortion parameter gamma=(2g(2)/kappa(1))(1/2) in which g stands for the norm of the energy gradient in the PES of the acceptor triplet state and kappa(1) is a combination of vibrational force constants of the ground-state acceptor in the gradient direction. The application of the model to existing experimental data for the triplet energy transfer reaction to COT from a series of pi,pi(*) triplet donors, provides a detailed interpretation of the parameters that determine the transfer rate constant. In addition, the model shows that the observed decrease of the acceptor electronic excitation energy is due to thermal activation of C=C bond stretchings and C-C bond torsions, which collectively change the ground-state COT bent conformation (D(2d)) toward a planar triplet state (D(8h)).

The low-energy region of the singlet →singlet, singlet →triplet, and triplet→triplet electronic spectra of 2,2'-bithiophene are studied using multiconfigurational second-order perturbation theory (CASPT2) and extended atomic natural orbitals (ANO) basis sets. The computed vertical, adiabatic, and emission transition energies are in agreement with the available experimental data. The two lowest singlet excited states, 1 1 B u and 2'B u , are computed to be degenerate, a novel feature of the system to be borne in mind during the rationalization of its photophysics. As regards the observed high triplet quantum yield of the molecule, it is concluded that the triplet states 2 3 A g and 2 3 B u , separated about 0.4 eV from the two lowest singlet excited states, can be populated by intersystem crossing from nonplanar singlet states.

The vertical absorption spectra of phenanthrene and its radical cation have been studied theoretically by means of a multiconfigurational second-order perturbation approach. Singlet-singlet transition energies and oscillator strengths, and singlet-triplet excitation energies have been studied in the absorption spectrum of phenanthrene up to 6 eV. The absorption spectrum of the pehnanthrene radical cation has been computed up to 3.4 eV. The results obtained confirm previous assignments and also lead to new interpretations of the main features of the spectra of these systems.

The electronic absorption and emission spectra of phenylacetylene have been studied by means of a multiconfigurational second-order perturbation method and its multistate extension. The low-lying valence singlet and triplet π→π* excited states together with 3s3p3d members of the two lowest Rydberg series have been computed in the vertical spectrum. By optimization of the geometries of the ground and low-lying excited states and the calculation of transition energies and properties, the obtained results lead to a detailed analysis and assignment of the available experimental absorption spectrum and to the description of the basic features of the emission processes in phenylacetylene. Vibrational frequencies for the two lowest singlet and triplet excited states have also been computed. The spectroscopy of phenylacetylene is finally related to that of other aryl olefins such as styrene and benzaldehyde. Differences and similarities of their excited state structures are discussed.

The electronic excited states of maleimide have been studied using multiconfigurational second-order perturbation theory in its multistate formulation (MS-CASPT2) and extended atomic natural orbita...

The singlet → singlet and singlet → triplet electronic spectra of cycloocta-1,3,5,7-tetraene are studied using multiconfigurational second-order perturbation theory (CASPT2) and extended atomic natural orbitals (ANOs) basis sets. The observed dipole-allowed features at 4.43, 6.02, and 6.42 eV and the spin-forbidden singlet → triplet bands with maxima at 3.05, 4.05, and 4.84 eV (Frueholz, R. P.; Kuppermann, A. J. Chem. Phys. 1978, 69, 3614) are assigned as the transitions 1 1 A 1 → 1 1 A 2 , 1 1 A 1 → 2 1 B 2 (3p z ), 1 1 A 1 → 3 1 E, and 1 1 A 1 - 1 3 A 2 , 1 1 A 1 → 1 3 E, 1 1 A 1 → 1 3 B 1 , respectively. The lowest (3s) Rydberg singlet and triplet states are placed at 5.58 (2 1 A 1 ) and 5.54 (1 3 A 1 ) eV. New assignments are tentatively suggested for the recorded higher-energy peaks in the singlet manifold. The three lowest ionization potentials are also characterized. At the highest level of theory, the computed adiabatic electron affinity is 0.56 eV, in agreement with experimental determinations. As regards the role of cyclooctatetraene as an efficient triplet quencher of laser dye solutions, the computation supports it could act as acceptor with donors having a triplet excited-state energy equal to or higher than 0.8 eV.

The atmospheric reaction NH 2 +0 3 →H 2 NO+O 2 has been investigated theoretically by using MP2, QCISD, QCISD(T), CCSD(T), CASSCF, and CASPT2 methods with various basis sets. At the MP2 level or theory, the hypersurface of the potential energy (HPES) shows a two step reaction mechanism. Therefore, the mechanism proceeds along two transition states (TS1 and TS2), seperated by an intermediate disignated as Int. However, when the single-reference higler correlated QCISD and the multiconfigurational CASSCF methodologies have been employed, the minimum structure Int and TS2 are not found on the HPES, which thus confirms a direct reaction mechanism. Single-reference high correlated and multiconfigurational methods consistently predict the barrier height of the reaction to be within the range of 3.9 to 6.6 kcal mol -1 , wich is somewhat higher than the experiemntal value. The calculated reaction enthalpy is - 67.7 kcal mol -1 .

A theoretical analysis and interpretation of the reported UV absorption spectra of the anti and gauche conformers of n-tetrasilane is offered, based on the results of multistate complete active spa...

The low-lying electronic states of tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) and its radical cation (TTF+) have been studied using the multistate extension of a multiconfigurational second-order perturbation method (MS−CASPT2). The minimum-energy equilibrium geometries optimized at the CASSCF level have a boatlike conformation for the neutral molecule, with no significant barrier toward planarity. A more aromatic planar structure is, however, found for the ionic system. For TTF, the calculations of the vertical excitation energies comprise valence singlet and triplet states as well as the lowest members of the Rydberg series converging to the first ionization limit. Valence doublet states have been considered for TTF+. The results obtained lead to elucidate controversial assignments, yielding a full interpretation of the available experimental absorption spectra. In addition, vertical ionization energies of TTF have been computed, and the lowest-energy peaks of the gas-phase photoelectron spectra have been interpreted in ...

The electronic absorption and emission spectra of acridine have been studied by means of a multiconfigurational second-order perturbation method (CASSCF/CASPT2) and its multistate extension (MS-CASPT2). The low-lying valence singlet and triplet π → π* and n → π* excited states have been computed. The location of the lowest Rydberg state (3s) has been also estimated. By optimization of the geometries of the ground and low-lying excited states and the calculation of transition energies and properties, the obtained results lead to a complete analysis and assignment of the available experimental singlet−singlet and triplet−triplet absorption spectra and to the description of the basic features of the fluorescence and phosphorescence processes of acridine. The photophysics of acridine and its protonated form are analyzed and the effects of solvation are discussed. The present findings support the model of a state reversal on the lowest singlet excited state upon increasing the solvent polarity.

Analysis of the electronic spectra of 2,2‘-bithiophene and 2,2‘:5‘,2‘ ‘-terthiophene radical cations has been performed by using multiconfigurational second-order perturbation theory (CASPT2). Atomic natural orbital (ANO) type basis sets of split valence quality, including polarization functions on all heavy atoms, have been used. In agreement with experimental data, in the energy range below the lowest optically allowed transition of the respective neutral system, theoretical results predict two main absorption bands for both cations. The 22Au and 32Au states computed at 1.94 and 2.80 eV, respectively, are related to the corresponding band maxima recorded for bithiophene cation. The 12B1 state of terthiophene cation placed at 1.31 eV is assigned to the observed lowest-energy band. Nevertheless, according to the present results, the highest-energy band observed in terthiophene cation stems from two electronic transitions. They involve the 22B1(1.94 eV) and 32B1(2.12 eV) excited states.