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. 2022 Mar 25;27(7):2138.
doi: 10.3390/molecules27072138.

Organic Electronics from Nature: Computational Investigation of the Electronic and Optical Properties of the Isomers of Bixin and Norbixin Present in the Achiote Seeds

Igo Tôrres Lima  1 , Josiel da Silva Crispim  2 , Olimpio Pereira de Sá Neto  3   4 , Rafael Timóteo de Sousa Júnior  5 , Luiz Antônio Ribeiro Júnior  6 , Demétrio Antonio da Silva Filho  6
Affiliations

Organic Electronics from Nature: Computational Investigation of the Electronic and Optical Properties of the Isomers of Bixin and Norbixin Present in the Achiote Seeds

Igo Tôrres Lima et al. Molecules. .

Abstract

Organic compounds have been employed in developing new green energy solutions with good cost-efficiency compromise, such as photovoltaics. The light-harvesting process in these applications is a crucial feature that still needs improvements. Here, we studied natural dyes to propose an alternative for enhancing the light-harvesting capability of photovoltaics. We performed density functional theory calculations to investigate the electronic and optical properties of the four natural dyes found in achiote seeds (Bixa orellana L.). Different DFT functionals, and basis sets, were used to calculate the electronic and optical properties of the bixin, norbixin, and their trans-isomers (molecules present in Bixa orellana L.). We observed that the planarity of the molecules and their similar extension for the conjugation pathways provide substantially delocalized wavefunctions of the frontier orbitals and similar values for their energies. Our findings also revealed a strong absorption peak in the blue region and an absorption band over the visible spectrum. These results indicate that Bixa orellana L. molecules can be good candidates for improving light-harvesting in photovoltaics.

Keywords: achiote seeds; natural dye-sensitized solar cells; organic electronic.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conclict of interest.

Figures

Figure A1
Figure A1
Schematic representation of the frontier molecular orbitals HOMO (left) and LUMO (right) of the molecular dyes in chloroform solution. These results were obtained by employing the B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p) level of theory.
Figure A2
Figure A2
Schematic representation of the frontier molecular orbitals HOMO (left) and LUMO (right) of the molecular dyes in chloroform solution. These results were obtained by employing the M06/6-31+G(d,p) level of theory.
Figure A3
Figure A3
Schematic representation of the frontier molecular orbitals HOMO (left) and LUMO (right) of the molecular dyes in gas phase. These results were obtained by employing the CAM-B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p) level of theory.
Figure A4
Figure A4
Absorption spectra of molecular dyes in (a) gas phase and (b) chloroform solution. These results were obtained by employing the 6-31G basis set.
Figure A5
Figure A5
Absorption spectra of molecular dyes in (a) gas phase and (b) chloroform solution. These results were obtained by employing the 6-31G(d,p) basis set.
Figure 1
Figure 1
Schematic representation of the lattice structure of bixin, isobixin, norbixin, and isonorbixin.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Optimized geometries of the bixin, isobixin, norbixin, and isonorbixin in chloroform solution. These geometries were obtained within the framework of the CAM-B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p) level of theory.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Examined single and double bonds to determine the BLA value.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Schematic representation of the frontier molecular orbitals HOMO (left) and LUMO (right) of the molecular dyes in chloroform solution. These results were obtained by employing the CAM-B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p) level of theory.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Absorption spectra of the molecular dyes in (a) gas phase and (b) chloroform solution. These results were obtained by employing the 6-31+G(d,p) basis set.
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