Resolving the ultrafast intersystem crossing in a bimetallic platinum complex.

Bimetallic platinum complexes have interesting luminescent properties and feature long-lasting vibrational coherence and ultrafast intersystem crossing (ISC) after photoexcitation. Ultrafast triplet formation is driven by very strong spin-orbit coupling in these platinum (II) systems, where relativistic theoretical approaches beyond first-order perturbation theory are desirable. Using a fully variational relativistic theoretical method recently developed by the authors, we investigate the origins of ultrafast ISC in the [Pt(ppy) (µ-tBu2pz)]2 complex (ppy = phenylpyridine, pz = pyrazolate). Spin-orbit coupling values, evaluated along a Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics trajectory, are used to propagate electronic populations in time. Using this technique, we estimate ultrafast ISC rates of 15-134 fs in this species for the possible ISC pathways into the three low-lying triplet states.

Role of Vibrational Dynamics on Excited-State Electronic Coherence in a Binuclear Platinum Complex.

Long-lived quantum coherence between excited electronic states can enable highly efficient energy and charge transport processes in chemical systems. Recent pump-probe experiments on binuclear platinum complexes identified persistent, periodic beating of transient absorption anisotropy signals, indicating long excited-state coherence lifetimes. Our previous simulations of the electronic dynamics of these complexes indicate that coherence lifetimes are sensitive to the balance between competitive electronic couplings. The complexes with shorter Pt-Pt distances underwent no appreciable dephasing in the limit of static nuclei, motivating the inclusion of nuclear motion into our simulations. The tert-butyl-substituted complex is studied in this work using the Ehrenfest method for mixed quantum-classical dynamics to investigate the role of vibrational dynamics on a complex shown to support long coherence lifetimes. Results indicate that the inclusion of excited-state vibrations drives a rapid collapse of the two-state coherence prior to the experimentally determined intersystem crossing. This further suggests singlet excited-state coherences may not be prerequisites for long-lived triplet coherences.

Can Excited State Electronic Coherence Be Tuned via Molecular Structural Modification? A First-Principles Quantum Electronic Dynamics Study of Pyrazolate-Bridged Pt(II) Dimers.

Materials and molecular systems exhibiting long-lived electronic coherence can facilitate coherent transport, opening the door to efficient charge and energy transport beyond traditional methods. Recently, signatures of a possible coherent, recurrent electronic motion were identified in femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy experiments on a binuclear platinum complex, where a persistent periodic beating in the transient absorption signal's anisotropy was observed. In this study, we investigate the excitonic dynamics that underlie the suspected electronic coherence for a series of binuclear platinum complexes exhibiting a range of interplatinum distances. Results suggest that the long-lived coherence can only result when competitive electronic couplings are in balance. At longer Pt-Pt distances, the electronic couplings between the two halves of the binuclear system weaken, and exciton localization and recombination is favored on short time scales. For short Pt-Pt distances, electronic couplings between the states in the coherent superposition are stronger than the coupling with other excitonic states, leading to long-lived coherence.