Chemical Space of Molecular Nanomotors: Optimizing Photochemical Properties for One- and Two-photon Applications

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Mielke, Alexander, Scrimgeour, Alexander, Tapavicza, Enrico
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Mielke, Alexander
Scrimgeour, Alexander
Tapavicza, Enrico
author_facet Mielke, Alexander
Scrimgeour, Alexander
Tapavicza, Enrico
contents Light-driven molecular nanomotors hold promise for applications in material science and biomedicine. Significant efforts have focused on improving their efficiency, often targeting single candidate molecules. Here, we present a systematic data-driven approach to design nanomotors with high isomerization quantum yields for one- and two-photon applications, the latter being critical for biomedical applications requiring near-infrared light. We analyze the excited state properties of a dataset of 2016 nanomotors substituted with electron-donating and electron-withdrawing (push-pull) groups. Among the the top candidates, we achieved an increase in two-photon absorption strengths of up to two orders of magnitude compared to existing nanomotors. To ensure that the pi-pi*-character of the excited state is preserved, which is necessary to achieve the required photoisomerization, we introduce a photoreactivity score, that gauges the excited state character based on the transition. Furthermore, we benchmark three machine learning (ML) models Kernel Ridge Regression, XGBoost, and a Neural Network using physical and connectivity-based molecular descriptors. The excellent accuracy of our ML predictions holds promise to replace computationally costly quantum chemistry calculations in chemical space explorations.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2507_20328
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Chemical Space of Molecular Nanomotors: Optimizing Photochemical Properties for One- and Two-photon Applications
Mielke, Alexander
Scrimgeour, Alexander
Tapavicza, Enrico
Chemical Physics
Light-driven molecular nanomotors hold promise for applications in material science and biomedicine. Significant efforts have focused on improving their efficiency, often targeting single candidate molecules. Here, we present a systematic data-driven approach to design nanomotors with high isomerization quantum yields for one- and two-photon applications, the latter being critical for biomedical applications requiring near-infrared light. We analyze the excited state properties of a dataset of 2016 nanomotors substituted with electron-donating and electron-withdrawing (push-pull) groups. Among the the top candidates, we achieved an increase in two-photon absorption strengths of up to two orders of magnitude compared to existing nanomotors. To ensure that the pi-pi*-character of the excited state is preserved, which is necessary to achieve the required photoisomerization, we introduce a photoreactivity score, that gauges the excited state character based on the transition. Furthermore, we benchmark three machine learning (ML) models Kernel Ridge Regression, XGBoost, and a Neural Network using physical and connectivity-based molecular descriptors. The excellent accuracy of our ML predictions holds promise to replace computationally costly quantum chemistry calculations in chemical space explorations.
title Chemical Space of Molecular Nanomotors: Optimizing Photochemical Properties for One- and Two-photon Applications
topic Chemical Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.20328