Direct Dynamics Studies of a Binuclear Metal Complex in Solution: The Interplay Between Vibrational Relaxation, Coherence, and Solvent Effects

By using a newly implemented QM/MM multiscale MD method to simulate the excited state dynamics of the Ir-2(dimen)(4)(2+) (dimen = 1,8-diisocyano-p-menthane) complex, we not only report on results that support the two experimentally observed coherent dynamical modes in the molecule but also reveal a third mode, not distinguishable by spectroscopic methods. We directly follow the channels of energy dissipation to the solvent and report that the main cause for coherence decay is the initial wide range of configurations in the excited state population. We observe that the solvent can actually extend the coherence lifetime by blocking channels for intramolecular vibrational energy redistribution (IVR).