The combined density functional theory/multireference configuration interaction (DFT/MRCI) method [Grimme and Waletzke. J. Chem. Phys. 1999, 111, 5645] has been employed to study the 1 L a and 1 L b states of linear polyacenes and the low-lying triplet and singlet states of linear polyenes and diphenyl-polyenes. We have systematically investigated the dependence of the electronic state properties on technical parameters of the calculations such as the atomic orbital basis set or the geometry optimization approach. The choice of basis set appears to be of minor importance whereas the excitation energies of the polyenes are quite sensitive to the ground-state geometry parameters. The DFT/MRCI energies at the B3-LYP optimized geometries systematically underestimate the experimental values, but we do not observe a bias toward one or the other type of state. The energy gaps between the electronically excited states are reproduced very well. In particular, this applies also to the first excited singlet 2 1 A g and the optically bright 1 B u + state of the polyenes. The latter appears to be the S 3 or even S 4 state in longer polyenes where the multiconfigurational 1 B u state represents S 2 . Frequencies and intensities of the excited-state absorption from the 2 1 A g state are found to be strongly geometry dependent.

For 7H-furo[3,2-g][1]benzopyran-7-one (psoralen), intersystem crossing (ISC) rate constants have been computed. Employing the Fermi golden rule, the harmonic approximation, and a pure-spin Born-Oppenheimer basis, both direct and vibronic spin-orbit (SO) coupling has been taken into account. Necessary data on electronic excitation energies and potential energy hypersurfaces originate from correlated all-electron calculations applying (time-dependent) density functional theory and the density functional theory/multireference configuration interaction approach. SO coupling has been treated by means of the one-center mean-field approximation. Vibronic SO couplings have been evaluated via numerical differentiation of SO matrix elements. Accounting only for direct SO coupling, rate constants of the order of k(ISC) approximately 10(10) s(-1) result for S2(n --> pi*) --> T1(pi --> pi*) ISC, whereas the rates of the channels S1 (pi --> pi*) --> {1,2 3} (pi --> pi*) do not exceed k(ISC) approximately 10(5) s(-1). Including vibronic SO coupling, rate constants of k(ISC) approximately 3 x 10(8) s(-1) are obtained for the S1 (pi --> pi*) --> T1 (pi --> pi*) ISC. The radiationless transition from the S1(pi --> pi*) state to the nearly degenerate T3(pi --> pi*) state has been estimated to be slightly less efficient (k(ISC) approximately 10(7) s(-1)). Based on our computed rates of ISC and excited state solvent shifts, we conclude that the experimentally observed appreciable triplet quantum yields of psoralen in polar protic media are primarily due to S1(pi --> pi*) --> T (pi --> pi*) channels. For heteroaromatic systems, (pi --> pi*)/(pi --> pi*) ISC driven by vibronic SO coupling is expected to be a common triplet state population mechanism.

In this work, the resolution of the identity (RI) approximation is developed for the calculation of the electron-electron spin-spin coupling (SSC) interaction that is a central component of the zero-field splitting (ZFS) term in the effective spin Hamiltonian. The approximated integrals are then used in large-scale multireference configuration interaction treatments of the SSC interaction. The SSC contribution to the ZFS is treated using the Breit-Pauli spin-spin Hamiltonian in conjunction with first-order perturbation theory. Test calculations on a set of diatomic molecules reveal that the error of the RI approximation does not exceed 0.01 cm(-1) even if standard auxiliary basis sets are used. This error of less than 1% is considered to be negligible compared to the presently achievable accuracy of the SSC calculations relative to experimental data. The present development allows the correlated ab initio calculation of ZFS parameters of larger systems such as linear polyenes and linear polyacenes. The basis set convergence of the calculated ZFS values was investigated, and the effect of electronic correlation on the calculated ZFS parameters is discussed.

We present the implementation of two-electron spin-spin coupling as a quasidegenerate perturbative treatment of the Breit-Pauli spin-spin Hamiltonian. The evaluation is based on a multireference CI treatment and constitutes one of the first efforts in the calculation of this effect within a highly sophisticated consideration of both nondynamical and dynamical correlation. The extension of existing schemes for efficient calculation, in particular, of the spin-coupling elements necessitated some involved derivations, the outline of which is presented herein. Application of the program to calculations of diagonal as well as off-diagonal spin-coupling elements is illustrated with the test cases O(2) and NH.

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