An Ab initio study on the photophysics of tris(salicylideneaniline)

Photochemical reactions of tris(salicylideneaniline) were explored by theoretical investigation of relevant potential energy profiles using ab initio methods. A photophysical mechanism was proposed, in which an optical excitation leads to the formation of several tautomeric species in the first excited singlet state, allowing emission over a broad range of wavelengths.