Synthesis, photophysical studies, solvatochromic analysis and TDDFT calculations of diazaspiro compounds

•Diazaspiro compounds have been synthesized via double Michael addition.•The solvent effect has been investigated by using the Lippert–Mataga, Reichardt methods and Catalán polarity scales.•μg and μe have been calculated by solvatochromic method.•The HOMO and LUMO energies have been calculated.

Diazaspiro[5.5]undecane-1,3,5,9-tetraones and 3-thioxo-diazaspiro[5.5]undecane-1,5,9-trione have been synthesized via double Michael addition of 1,5-diphenyl-1,4-pentadien-3-one with active methylene heterocycles N,N-dimethyl barbituric acid, barbituric acid and thiobarbituric acid in water:ethanol (1:1) using TBAB as catalyst. The solvent effect on photophysical behavior of these compounds showed that stokes shift increases with increase in polarity of solvents. The solvent effect on the spectral properties has been investigated by using the Lippert–Mataga and Reichardt methods. The solvatochromism is analyzed by linear solvation energy relationship using the new four-parameter Catalán polarity scales. The relative fluorescence quantum yield of these diazaspiro compounds varies in solvents of different polarity. The HOMO and LUMO energies have been calculated by TDDFT (B3LYP/6-311G (d, p)) approach. TDDFT calculations were also used to compare the experimental and theoretical absorption spectra.

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