Calculations based on (occupation constrained) density functional theory using local as well as hybrid functionals to describe the electron-electron exchange and correlation are combined with many-body perturbation theory in order to determine and rationalize the electronic and optical excitation properties of 2-aminopyrimidine-silver(I) based organic semiconductors and their parent molecules. Large quasiparticle shifts and exciton binding energies of about 4 eV are found in the aminopyrimidine molecules. Both the quasiparticle blueshift and the excitonic redshift are reduced upon crystal formation. They cancel each other partially and thus allow for a meaningful description of the molecular and crystal optical response within the independent-particle approximation. We find a surprisingly strong influence of local-field effects as well as resonant-nonresonant coupling terms in the electron-hole Hamiltonian on the optical properties. The calculations reproduce well measured data and allow for identifying chemical trends with respect to the organic building blocks of the crystals.

• Received 8 September 2011

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.85.165202