ABSTRACT
A new general framework for treating the dynamics on intersecting multidimensional potential energy surfaces is presented. It rests on a sub-division of the nuclear coordinates into different classes, one of primary importance with large-amplitude displacements during the process of interest and another one with smaller displacements, thus permitting a more approximate description. The latter are treated within the well-known linear + quadratic vibronic coupling scheme, where, however, the expansion "coefficients" are general functions of the "primary" coordinates. This may be augmented by an effective-mode approach for further degrees of freedom acting as an environment for the dynamics of the original modes. Following the general considerations, the approach is applied to the nonadiabatic photodynamics of furan and is shown to allow for an eight-dimensional quantum treatment, of higher dimension than was possible so far. The influence of the various degrees of freedom on the dynamics and lifetime of furan due to nonadiabatic ring-opening is discussed.
ABSTRACT
Novel issues of electronic nonadiabatic coupling in the excited state dynamics of prototypical naphthalene radical cation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon of the polyacene family are theoretically investigated. A benchmark ab initio quantum dynamical study is performed and its complex vibronic spectra and nonradiative decay are examined. The findings are in very good accord with the experiment, unambiguously establishing the crucial role of intricate electron-nuclear coupling in the photoinduced dynamical processes of this system.
ABSTRACT
Photodetachment spectroscopy of phenide anion C6H5- is theoretically studied with the aid of electronic structure calculations and quantum dynamical simulations of nuclear motion. The theoretical results are compared with the available experimental data. The vibronic structure of the first, second, and third photoelectron bands associated with the ground X 2A1 and low-lying excited A 2B1 and B 2A2 electronic states of the phenyl radical C6H5 is examined at length. While the X state of the radical is energetically well separated and its interaction is found to be rather weak with the rest, the A and B electronic states are found to be only approximately 0.57 eV apart in energy at the vertical configuration. Low-energy conical intersections between the latter two states are discovered and their impact on the nuclear dynamics underlying the second and third photoelectron bands is delineated. The nuclear dynamics in the X state solely proceeds through the adiabatic path and the theoretically calculated vibrational level structure of this state compares well with the experimental result. Two Condon active totally symmetric (a1) vibrational modes of ring deformation type form the most dominant progression in the first photoelectron band. The existing ambiguity in the assignment of these two vibrational modes is resolved here. The A-B conical intersections drive the nuclear dynamics via nonadiabatic paths, and as a result the second and third photoelectron bands overlap and particularly the third band due to the B state of C6H5 becomes highly diffused and structureless. Experimental photodetachment spectroscopy results are not available for these bands. However, the second band has been detected in electronic absorption spectroscopy measurements. The present theoretical results are compared with these absorption spectroscopy data to establish the nonadiabatic interactions between the A and B electronic states of C6H5.
