Githaiga, Grace W.Woodward, Adam W.Morales, Alma R.Bondar, Mykhailo V.Belfield, Kevin D.2015-12-022015-12-022015-12-02201510.1021/acs.jpcc.5b04840https://infoscience.epfl.ch/handle/20.500.14299/121246WOS:000361255100032Molecular symmetry plays an important role in the physical characteristics and spectra of a molecule. However, experimental results can sometimes be counterintuitive due to unpredictable properties of a molecule. Photophysical characterization of a centrosymmetrical indacene-1,3,5,7(2H,6H)-tetraone, or Janus dione, derivative revealed a two-photon absorption maximum closely associated with the main linear absorption band (a typically two-photon forbidden transition for molecules of high symmetry). Though observed previously in similar compounds, little explanation has been offered for this anomaly. Our investigation of a symmetrical Janus dione, including linear and nonlinear photophysical characterization along with TD-DFT calculations, provides insight regarding the origin of this phenomenon.text::journal::journal article::research article