Comprehensive quantum chemical study of the associative complex of para-aminobenzoic acid and 7-diethylamino 4-methyl coumarin by adsorption and aromatic bridges.

CONTEXT: The present study accounts for the quantum chemical and nonlinear optical properties of the combination of para-aminobenzoic acid and 7-diethylamino 4-methyl coumarin. Three different complexes were designed, surface interaction (adsorption) and two by connecting both molecules with π-bridge benzene and biphenyl. The amino and carboxyl groups were observed to behave as strong donor and acceptor sites in all the complexes. The band gap of the adsorbed complex was found more suitable. The absorption wavelength and intensity both were seen to increase with the increase in the number of benzene rings in the π-bridge. The values of first- and second-order hyperpolarizability suggest the improved nonlinear optical responses of the introduced complexes. Additionally, the negative value of second-order hyperpolarizability suggests the possibility of the occurrence of reverse saturable absorption in these combinations. The reported work gives theoretical insights into the nonlinear optical properties of the combination of para-aminobenzoic acid and 7-diethylamino 4-methyl coumarin.

METHODS: The molecular modeling and the quantum chemical studies were performed with Gaussian software packages. The standard B3LYP-6-311++G(d,p) basis functionals were used for energy minimization and other spectral calculations. All the surface analyses reported here are obtained by employing Multiwfn software. The chemical reactivity was established by the global reactivity descriptors. The intramolecular interactions and charge localization were stated using inter-fragment charge transfer analysis.