A Group Theoretical and Quantum Chemical Study of Electronic Absorption and Fluorescence, Vibrational Spectra, and Conformations of Trimethine Cyanine Dye Molecules

The energetic structures and conformations of trimethine cyanine dye molecules were investigated. For research, group theoretical and quantum chemical calculation methods were used. The theoretical group analysis of electronic and vibrational structure of molecules was carried out. Also, the energetic structures and conformations of the molecule of this dye were studied. Research shows that the investigated molecule may reside in three different conformational states, one of which is highly symmetric (symmetry ) and the other two with low symmetry. The third conformer is characterized by lowering of binding energy of the electronic system by 0.23 eV, and the long-wavelength absorption band is shifted to lower energies. Also the group theoretical analysis of the trimethine cyanine molecule had allowed systematizing the vibrational and electronic quantum transitions and identifying the bands in the absorption spectra. It is shown that the excitation of the molecule in -state causes trans-cis-isomerization. The presence of the barrier of ~0.1 eV allows the fluorescence process to compete with isomerization process, but isomerization causes a decrease in the fluorescence quantum yield of the dye.