Numerical tests of coherence-corrected surface hopping methods using a donor-bridge-acceptor model system.

Surface hopping (SH) is a popular mixed quantum-classical method for modeling nonadiabatic excited state processes in molecules and condensed phase materials. The method is simple, efficient, and easy to implement, but the use of classical and independent nuclear trajectories introduces an overcoherence in the electronic density matrix which, if ignored, often leads to spurious results, such as overestimated reaction rates. Several methods have been proposed to incorporate decoherence into SH simulations, but a lack of insightful benchmarks makes their relative accuracy unknown.

Coherent exciton-vibrational dynamics and energy transfer in conjugated organics.

Coherence, signifying concurrent electron-vibrational dynamics in complex natural and man-made systems, is currently a subject of intense study. Understanding this phenomenon is important when designing carrier transport in optoelectronic materials. Here, excited state dynamics simulations reveal a ubiquitous pattern in the evolution of photoexcitations for a broad range of molecular systems.

Universal Scaling of Intrinsic Resistivity in Two-Dimensional Metallic Borophene.

Two-dimensional boron sheets (borophenes) have been successfully synthesized in experiments and are expected to exhibit intriguing transport properties. A comprehensive first-principles study is reported of the intrinsic electrical resistivity of emerging borophene structures. The resistivity is highly dependent on different polymorphs and electron densities of borophene.

Computational Dissection of Two-Dimensional Rectangular Titanium Mononitride TiN: Auxetics and Promises for Photocatalysis.

Recently, two-dimensional (2D) transition-metal nitrides have triggered an enormous interest for their tunable mechanical, optoelectronic, and magnetic properties, significantly enriching the family of 2D materials. Here, by using a broad range of first-principles calculations, we report a systematic study of 2D rectangular materials of titanium mononitride (TiN), exhibiting high energetic and thermal stability due to in-plane d-p orbital hybridization and synergetic out-of-plane electronic delocalization. The rectangular TiN monolayer also possesses enhanced auxeticity and ferroelasticity with an alternating order of Possion's Ratios, stemming from the competitive interactions of intra- and inter- Ti-N chains.

Polymorphism of Crystalline Molecular Donors for Solution-Processed Organic Photovoltaics.

Using ab initio calculations and classical molecular dynamics simulations coupled to complementary experimental characterization, four molecular semiconductors were investigated in vacuum, solution, and crystalline form. Independently, the molecules can be described as nearly isostructural, yet in crystalline form, two distinct crystal systems are observed with characteristic molecular geometries. The minor structural variations provide a platform to investigate the subtlety of simple substitutions, with particular focus on polymorphism and rotational isomerism.

Self-trapping of excitons, violation of Condon approximation, and efficient fluorescence in conjugated cycloparaphenylenes.

Cycloparaphenylenes, the simplest structural unit of armchair carbon nanotubes, have unique optoelectronic properties counterintuitive in the class of conjugated organic materials. Our time-dependent density functional theory study and excited state dynamics simulations of cycloparaphenylene chromophores provide a simple and conceptually appealing physical picture explaining experimentally observed trends in optical properties in this family of molecules. Fully delocalized degenerate second and third excitonic states define linear absorption spectra.

Role of Geometric Distortion and Polarization in Localizing Electronic Excitations in Conjugated Polymers.

Five different Density Functional Theory (DFT) models (ranging from pure GGA to long-range-corrected hybrid functionals) were used to study computationally the nature of the self-trapped electronic states in oligophenylene vinylenes. The electronic excitations in question include the lowest singlet (S1) and triplet (T1(†)) excitons (calculated using Time Dependent DFT (TD-DFT) method), positive (P(+)) and negative (P(-)) polarons, and the lowest triplet (T1) states (computed with the Self-Consistent Field (SCF) scheme). The polaron formation (spatial localization of excitations) is observed only with the use of range-corrected hybrid DFT models including long-range electronic exchange interactions.