Theoretical studies of conjugation and substituent effect on intramolecular proton transfer in the ground and excited states

The ground- and excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (GSIPT and ESIPT) for 8-hydroxy-4H-naphthalen-1-one (HNA), 5-hydroxynaphthoquinone (HNQ), 1-hydroxy-anthraquione (HAQ), 7-hydroxy-1-indenone (7HIN), 5,8-dihydroxynaphthoquinone (DHNQ) and 4,9-dihydroxyperylene-3,10-quinone (DHP) are studied at B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) and TD B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level. The calculated results show that the PES of GSIPT for HNA, HNQ and HAQ exhibit a single minimum in the enol zone, while for 7-HIN, DHNQ and DHP exhibit a double minimum and a high barrier between the two minima. The barrierless ESIPT for HNA is predicted, however, the PES of ESIPT for HNQ, HAQ, 7HIN, DHNQ and DHP exhibit a high barrier in the S1 tautomerism.