Theoretical analysis of the intermolecular interactions in naphthalene diimide and pyrene complexes

Abstract

Supramolecular assembly of donor–acceptor complexes as the key component in organic functional nanomaterials is a promising approach for future electronic devices. One representative example of the donor–acceptor complexes is the naphthalene diimide–pyrene (NDI–Py) system, which shows fascinating photoelectric properties. Herein, the analysis of the π–π interactions between NDI and Py has been investigated using the DFT/M06-2X and reduced density gradient methods. According to the calculations, the attractive forces for the stabilization of the NDI–Py dimer are dependent on the rotation angles, which provide physical insight into the experimental data reported by Wilson and co-workers (Langmuir, 2011, 27, 6554). Our results not only provide computational evidence for the origin of the rotation in the crystal structure of the NDI–Py but also address the role of the charge-transfer attractions in the complexes.