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The theory of nuclear ring currents of torsional molecules induced by an external magnetic field along the torsion axis was developed in the preceding paper [D. Jia et al., preceding paper, Phys. Rev. A 106, 042801 (2022)]. Here we study the magnetically induced electronic current density (MIC) for toluene in the presence of an external magnetic field that is aligned with the torsion axis of the methyl group. Properties of the MIC are studied in detail at the density-functional theory (DFT) level using our gauge-including magnetically induced current method, the derivation of which is briefly outlined. The strength of the MIC is determined by numerical integration and compared to the estimated strength of the magnetically induced nuclear ring current reported in the preceding paper. Spatial contributions to the diatropic and paratropic MICs are discussed in detail, where the diatropic MIC flows in the classical direction and the paratropic MIC flows in the opposite direction. The MIC in the vicinity of the methyl group is mainly diatropic, whereas the phenyl group ring is dominated by a paratropic MIC of -14.90 nA T-1 localized to the carbon atoms. The strength of the MIC near the methyl group is 10.41 nA T-1, which is of about the same size as the strength of the ring current of benzene when the magnetic field is perpendicular to the molecular ring. The strength of the magnetically induced nuclear ring current of the whole toluene molecule is 19.9 pA T-1, which is two orders of magnitude smaller than the electronic one of -1.93 nA T-1 calculated for the eclipsed structure at the employed DFT level. This value is in perfect agreement with the current strength of -1.93 nA T-1 calculated at the coupled-cluster singles and doubles level with a perturbative treatment of the triple excitations. The current strength calculated at the second-order Moller-Plesset perturbation level is 1.20 nA T-1, which is of the same size with opposite sign.

The aromaticity of three nonplanar, fully conjugated aza-nanographenes built around a pyrrolo[3,2-b]pyrrole core is assessed through the application of two different computational procedures—GIMIC and NICS. We examine the calculated magnetically induced current densities (GIMIC) and nucleus-independent chemical shifts (NICS). The structural differences between these three apparently similar molecules lead to significantly different aromatic properties. GIMIC analysis indicates that the peripheral diatropic ring current of 3.9 nA/T for the studied bowl-shaped diaza-nanographene is the strongest, followed by the double [6]helicene which lacks seven-membered rings, and is practically nonexistent for the double [5]helicene possessing seven-membered rings. The biggest difference however is that in the two not-fully-fused molecules, the central pyrrole rings possess a significant diatropic current of about 4.1 nA/T, whereas there is no such current in the diaza-nanographene. Moreover, the antiaromaticity of the seven-membered rings is increasing while moving from double [5]helicene to diaza-nanographene (from −2.4 to −6.0 nA/T). The induced currents derived from NICSπ,zz-XY-scan analysis for all of the studied systems are in qualitative agreement with the GIMIC results. Subtle differences may originate from σ-electron currents in GIMIC or inaccuracy of NICSπ,zz values due to the nonplanarity of the systems, but the general picture is similar.

The topology of twisted molecular rings is characterized by the linking number, which is equal to the sum of the twist-a local property of the molecular frame-and the writhe-a global parameter, which represents the bending of the molecular ring. In this work, we investigate a number of cyclic all-trans C40H40 annulenes with varying twisting numbers for a given linking number and their dications. The aromatic character is assessed by calculating ring-current strength susceptibilities using the gauge-including magnetically induced currents (GIMIC) method, which makes it possible to conduct a systematic study of the relation between the topology and aromaticity of twisted molecules. We found that the aromatic properties of the investigated Mobius twisted molecules are not only dependent on the linking number as previously suggested but also depend strongly on the partitioning of the linking number into the twist and writhe contributions.

Magnetically induced current densities are reported for porphycenes at the density functional theory level using gauge-including atomic orbitals, which ensure gauge-origin independence and a fast basis-set convergence of the current densities. We have analyzed the current densities by using the gauge-including magnetically induced current (GIMIC) method. The porphycenes are found to be aromatic. They sustain strong diatropic ring currents. The ring-current pathways have been obtained by integrating the strength of the current density passing selected bonds. The calculations show that the ring current of the porphycenes divides into an outer and inner pathways at the pyrrolic rings. Thus, the ring current involves all 26 pi electrons of the porphycenes, which is similar to the ring current of porphin. No significant local ring currents are sustained by the pyrrolic rings. Dihydroporphycene with four inner hydrogens is found to be antiaromatic with weakly aromatic pyrrolic rings. The six-membered rings in benzoporphycene sustain local paratropic ring currents. The global ring current of dibenzoporphycene divides into an outer and inner pathway at the benzoic rings. Interactions between the inner hydrogen and the neighbor nitrogen are found to be more significant for differences in the H-1 NMR shieldings than variations in global ring-current strengths. We found that the antiaromatic dihydroporphycene has a larger HOMO-LUMO gap but a smaller optical gap than the aromatic porphycene.

Magnetically induced current susceptibilities and current pathways have been calculated for molecules consisting of two pentalene groups annelated with a benzene (1) or naphthalene (2) moiety. Current strength susceptibilities have been obtained by numerically integrating separately the diatropic and paratropic contributions to the current flow passing planes through chosen bonds of the molecules. The current density calculations provide novel and unambiguous current pathways for the unusual molecules with annelated aromatic and antiaromatic hydrocarbon moieties. The calculations show that the benzene and naphthalene moieties annelated with two pentalene units as in molecules 1 and 2, respectively, are unexpectedly antiaromatic sustaining only a local paratropic ring current around the ring, whereas a weak diatropic current flows around the C-H moiety of the benzene ring. For 1 and 2, the individual five-membered rings of the pentalenes are antiaromatic and a slightly weaker semilocal paratropic current flows around the two pentalene rings. Molecules 1 and 2 do not sustain any net global ring current. The naphthalene moiety of the molecule consisting of a naphthalene annelated with two pentalene units (3) does not sustain any strong ring current that is typical for naphthalene. Instead, half of the diatropic current passing the naphthalene moiety forms a zig-zag pattern along the C-C bonds of the naphthalene moiety that are not shared with the pentalene moieties and one third of the current continues around the whole molecule partially cancelling the very strong paratropic semilocal ring current of the pentalenes. For molecule 3, the pentalene moieties and the individual five-membered rings of the pentalenes are more antiaromatic than for 1 and 2. The calculated current patterns elucidate why the compounds with formally [4n + 2] p-electrons have unusual aromatic properties violating the Huckel pi-electron count rule. The current density calculations also provide valuable information for interpreting the measured H-1 NMR spectra.

Magnetically induced current densities and ring-current pathways have been calculated at density functional theory (DFT) and second-order Moller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP2) levels of theory for a set of expanded porphyrins consisting of five or six pyrrolic rings. The studied molecules are sapphyrin, cyclo [6]pyrrole, rubyrin, orangarin, rosarin, and amethyrin. Different functionals have been employed to assess the functional dependence of the ring-current strength susceptibility. Vertical singlet and triplet excitation energies have been calculated at the second-order approximate coupled cluster (CC2), expanded multiconfigurational quasi-degenerate perturbation theory (XMC-DPT2), and time-dependent density functional theory levels. The lowest electronic transition of the antiaromatic molecules was found to be pure magnetic transitions providing an explanation for the large paratropic contribution to the total current density. Rate constants for different nonradiative deactivation channels of the lowest excited states have been calculated yielding lifetimes and quantum yields of the lowest excited singlet and triplet states. The calculations show that the spin-orbit interaction between the lowest singlet (S-0) and triplet (T-1) states of the antiaromatic molecules is strong, whereas for the aromatic molecule the spin-orbit coupling vanishes. The experimentally detected fluorescence from S-2 to S-0 of amethyrin has been explained. The study shows that there are correlations between the aromatic character and optical properties of the investigated expanded porphyrins.

Nuclear magnetic shieldings have been calculated at the density functional theory (DFT) level for stacks of benzene, hexadehydro[12]annulene, dodecadehydro[18]annulene, and hexabenzocoronene. The magnetic shieldings due to the ring currents in the adjacent molecules have been estimated by calculating nucleus independent molecular shieldings for the monomer in the atomic positions of neighbor molecules. The calculations show that the independent shielding model works reasonably well for the H-1 NMR shieldings of benzene and hexadehydro[12]annulene, whereas for the larger molecules and for the C-13 NMR shieldings the interaction between the molecules leads to shielding effects that are at least of the same size as the ring current contributions from the adjacent molecules. A better agreement is obtained when the nearest neighbors are also considered at full quantum mechanical (QM) level. The calculations suggest that the nearest solvent molecules must be included in the quantum mechanical system, at least when estimating solvent shifts at the molecular mechanics (MM) level. Current density calculations show that the stacking does not significantly affect the ring current strengths of the individual molecules, whereas the shape of the ring current for a single molecule differs from that of the stacked molecules.

Magnetically induced current densities have been calculated and analyzed for a number of synthesized carbachlorins and carbaporphyrins using density functional theory and the gauge including magnetically induced current (GIMIC) method. Aromatic properties have been determined by using accurate numerical integration of the current flow yielding reliable current strengths and pathways that are related to the degree of aromaticity and the aromatic character of the studied molecules. All investigated compounds are found to be aromatic. However, the obtained aromatic pathways differ from those previously deduced from spectroscopic data and magnetic shielding calculations. For all studied compounds, the ring current divides into an outer and an inner branch at each pyrrolic subring, showing that all pi-electrons of the pyrrolic rings take part in the delocalization pathway. The calculations do not support the common notion that the main share of the current takes the inner route at the pyrrolic rings without an inner hydrogen and follows an 18 pi aromatic pathway. The aromatic pathways of the investigated carbaporphyrins and carbachlorins are very similar, since the current strength via the C-beta=C-beta' bond of the cyclopentadienyl ring of the carbaporphyrins is almost as weak as the current density passing the corresponding saturated C beta-C-beta' bond of the carbachlorins.