PNNL

Abstract

Time dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) and single excitation configuration interaction (CIS) calculations on the electronic excitations in pyrrole have been performed to examine the reliability of these first-principles electronic structure methods in predicting electronic excitation spectra of pyrrole-containing compounds. Both the TD-DFT and CIS calculations led to satisfactory results when compared to available experimental data. The TD-DFT and CIS calculations provide lower and upper limits of the excitations energies, respectively. These results suggest that these methods can be used for the prediction of the excitation spectra of chromophores responsible for the chromogenic effects of neurotoxic hydrocarbons which are believed to be substituted pyrroles and their adducts with proteins. As an example of practical application, the spectrum of the widely used 2,5-dimethylpyrrole has been calculated. It is shown that the 2,5-dimethylpyrrole molecule does not have an absorption in the region of the visible spectrum (400-700 nm), suggesting that the absorption observed at 530 nm and the color of 2,5-dimethylpyrrole is due to another species, probably a product of possible 2,5-dimethylpyrrole autoxidation. This suggests that the conclusions from previously reported experimental studies of biochemical reactions of neurotoxic y-diketones need to be re-examined in terms of the relationship of chromogenicity to neurotoxicity.