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At least 343 records · Page 19

Distinguishing homolytic vs heterolytic bond dissociation of phenylsulfonium cations with localized active space methods

Modeling chemical reactions with quantum chemical methods is challenging when the electronic structure varies significantly throughout the reaction and when electronic excited states are involved. Multireference methods, such as complete active space self-consistent field (CASSCF), can handle these multiconfigurational situations. However, even if the size of the needed active space is affordable, in many cases, the active space does not change consistently from reactant to product, causing discontinuities in the potential energy surface. The localized active space SCF (LASSCF) is a cheaper alternative to CASSCF for strongly correlated systems with weakly correlated fragments. The method is used for the first time to study a chemical reaction, namely the bond dissociation of a mono-, di-, and triphenylsulfonium cation. LASSCF calculations generate smooth potential energy scans more easily than the corresponding, more computationally expensive CASSCF calculations while predicting similar bond dissociation energies. Furthermore, our calculations suggest a homolytic bond cleavage for di- and triphenylsulfonium and a heterolytic pathway for monophenylsulfonium.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Static and dynamic properties of multi-ionic plasma mixtures

Complex plasma mixtures with three or more components are often encountered in astrophysics or in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments. For mixtures containing species with large differences in atomic number Z, the modeling needs to consider at the same time the kinetic theory for low-Z elements combined with the theory of strongly coupled plasma for high-Z elements, as well as all the intermediate situations that can appear in multi-component systems. For such cases, we study the pair distribution functions, self-diffusions, mutual diffusion and viscosity for ternary mixtures at extreme conditions. These quantities can be produced from first principles using orbital free molecular dynamics at the computational expense of very intensive simulations to reach good statistics. Utilizing the first-principles results as reference data, we assess the merit of a global analytic model for transport coefficients, "Pseudo-Ions in Jellium" (PIJ), based on an iso-electronic assumption (iso-n e ). With a multi-component hypernetted-chain integral equation, we verify the quality of the iso-n e prescription for describing the static structure of the mixtures. This semi-analytical modeling compares well with the simulation results and allows one to consider plasma mixtures not accessible to simulations. Further, applications are given for the mix of materials in ICF experiments. A reduction of a multicomponent mixture to an effective binary mixture is also established in the hydrodynamic limit and compared with PIJ estimations for ICF relevant mixtures.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Ground electronic state description of thiourea coordination in homoleptic Zn 2+ , Ni 2+ and Co 2+ complexes using sulfur K -edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy

Sulfur K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) was employed to experimentally characterize the coordinative bond between the thiourea (TU) or thiocarbamide ligand and transition metal (TM) ions Zn 2+ , Co 2+ and Ni 2+ in distorted tetrahedral and octahedral homoleptic coordination environments. Comparisons of XAS spectra of the free TU ligand and [Zn(TU) 4 ] 2+ , [Co(TU) 4 ] 2+ and [Ni(TU) 6 ] 2+ complexes clearly identify spectral features unique to TM 2+ –S(TU) bonding. Quantitative analysis of pre-edge intensities describes the covalency of Ni 2+ —S(TU) and Co 2+ —S(TU) bonding to be at most 21% and 9% as expressed by the S 3p contributions per TM 3d electron hole. Using relevant Ni 2+ complexes with dithiocarbamate and thioether ligands, we evaluated the empirical S 1s → 3p transition dipole integrals developed for S-donor ligands and their dependence on heteroatom substitutions. With the aid of density functional theory-based ground electronic state calculations, we found evidence for the need of using a transition dipole that is dependent on the presence of conjugated heteroatom (N) substitution in these S-donor ligands.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗

Atomic Mixing of Initially Separated Mixtures

We consider the atomic mixing of two materials, initially separated in space, at fixed temperature– pressure conditions [T, p], and zero mass-mean velocity. Each material is composed of a specified set of atomic species whose density corresponds to the specieswise real Equation of State (EOS) $\tilde{&#961}$ i [T, p]. Because there are no spatial gradients in the mean [T, p] state, the only mechanism for mixing is a specieswise nonequilibrium thermal velocity distribution. The recipe for nonequilibrium species mass fluxes is taken directly from Hirschfelder, Curtiss, and Bird, who express the diffusion velocities in terms of gradients in the molar concentrations and pairwise coefficients of diffusion. EOS data from the SESAME library is used for all species. Data for the specieswise self diffusion coefficients is adopted from the Orbital Free Molecular Dynamics (OFMD) simulations of Ticknor et al.; the so-called Darken approximation is used to express the mutual diffusion coefficients of a mixture in the manner used by White et al. A one-dimensional spatial domain is used; with the left half occupied by one multispecies material and the right half occupied by the other, and with zero–gradient boundary conditions at the ends of the domain. Hence the total mass in the domain is a constant. At time t = 0 the materials are separated. Accordingly, spatial gradients at the separation point are infinite and the species fluxes are also infinite. As t → $\textbf{∞}$ the spatial gradients approach zero and a uniform set of species concentrations is obtained; at this point the system is said to be at “thermodynamic equilibrium.” Analytic solution of the problem is not possible in general due to the nonlinear concentration dependence of the species fluxes. Hence we utilize the numerical solution apparatus in Mathematica for obtaining accurate time-dependent solutions for the mixing of various initial species masses for conditions of interest in laser-driven Inertial Confinement Fusion. Concentration profiles and the speed of propagation of the mixing fronts are discussed in light of the nonlinearity of the problem.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Large Hyperfine Coupling Arising from Pseudo- 2 S Ground States in a Series of Lutetium(II) Metallocene Complexes

The synthesis of molecules with strong coupling between electronic and nuclear spins represents an important challenge in molecular quantum information science. Here, we report the synthesis and characterization of the divalent lutetium metallocene complexes Lu(Cp Me 5 )(Cp iPr 5 ) (Cp Me 5 = pentamethylcyclopentadienyl; Cp iPr 5 = pentaisopropylcyclopentadienyl), Lu(Cp iPr 4 Et ) 2 (Cp iPr 4 Et = ethyltetraisopropylcyclopentadienyl), and Lu(Cp iPr 4 ) 2 (Cp iPr 4 = tetraisopropylcyclopentadienyl). The molecular structures of these complexes, as determined through singlecrystal X-ray diffraction, feature a common bent sandwich geometry, with average Cp–Lu–Cp angles ranging from 159.9° to 152.6°. Analysis of continuous-wave electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra for the complexes reveals nearly isotropic g tensors with only a slight deviation from that of a free electron. Moreover, an extremely large splitting of the eight-line spectra indicates the presence of strong hyperfine coupling, and simulations provide isotropic hyperfine coupling constants of A iso = 4.38, 4.30, and 4.17 GHz across the series, where the value of A iso is found to decrease as the Cp–Lu–Cp angle becomes more acute. Notably, these values are the largest yet observed for any lanthanide complex. Moreover, EPR and computational analysis show that the large values of A iso stem from large s-orbital character up to 41.2% in the corresponding singly occupied molecular orbitals. To our knowledge, this degree of s-character in a molecular orbital is the largest yet reported for an open-shell isolable complex. These results outline a general strategy toward the isolation of paramagnetic molecules with strong hyperfine coupling and highly isotropic doublet electronic ground states.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Resonant Auger decay of dissociating CH 3 I near the I 4d threshold

Resonant Auger processes provide a unique perspective on electronic interactions and excited vibrational and electronic states of molecular ions. Here, new data are presented on the resonant Auger decay of excited CH 3 I in the region just below the I 4d -1 ionization threshold. The resonances include the Rydberg series converging to the five spin–orbit and ligand-field split CH 3 I (I 4d -1 ) thresholds, as well as resonances corresponding to excitation from the I 4d 5/2,3/2 orbitals into the σ* lowest unoccupied molecular orbital. This study focuses on participator decay that populates the lowest lying states of CH 3 I + , in particular, the X̃ 2 E 3/2 and 2 E 1/2 states, and on spectator decay that populates the lowest-lying (CH 3 I 2+ )σ* states of CH 3 I + . The CH 3 I (I 4d -1 )σ* resonances are broad, and dissociation to CH 3 + I competes with the autoionization of the core-excited states. Auger decay as the molecule dissociates produces a photoelectron spectrum with a long progression (up to v 3 + ~ 25) in the C–I stretching mode of the X̃ 2 E 3/2 and 2 E 1/2 states, providing insights into the shape of the dissociative core-excited surface. Further, the observed spectator decay processes indicate that CH 3 I + is formed on the repulsive wall of the lower-lying (CH 3 I 2+ )σ* potentials, and the photon-energy dependence of the processes provides insights into the relative slopes of the (4d -1 )σ* and (CH 3 I 2+ )σ* potential surfaces. Data are also presented for the spectator decay of higher lying CH 3 I (I 4d -1 )nl Rydberg resonances. Photoelectron angular distributions for the resonant Auger processes provide additional information that helps distinguish these processes from the direct ionization signal.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Range‐separated density functional theory using multiresolution analysis and quantum computing

Quantum computers are expected to outperform classical computers for specific problems in quantum chemistry. Such calculations remain expensive, but costs can be lowered through the partition of the molecular system. In the present study, partition was achieved with range-separated density functional theory (RS-DFT). The use of RS-DFT reduces both the basis set size and the active space size dependence of the ground state energy in comparison with the use of wave function theory (WFT) alone. The utilization of pair natural orbitals (PNOs) in place of canonical molecular orbitals (MOs) results in more compact qubit Hamiltonians. To test this strategy, a basis-set independent framework, known as multiresolution analysis (MRA), was employed to generate PNOs. Tests were conducted with the variational quantum eigensolver for a number of molecules. The results show that the proposed approach reduces the number of qubits needed to reach a target energy accuracy.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Powerful Organic Molecular Oxidants and Reductants Enable Ambipolar Injection in a Large-Gap Organic Homojunction Diode

Doping has proven to be a critical tool for enhancing the performance of organic semiconductors in devices like organic light-emitting diodes. However, the challenge in working with high-ionization-energy (IE) organic semiconductors is to find p-dopants with correspondingly high electron affinity (EA) that will improve the conductivity and charge carrier transport in a film. Here, we use an oxidant that has been recently recognized to be a very strong p-type dopant, hexacyano-1,2,3-trimethylene-cyclopropane (CN6-CP). The EA of CN6-CP has been previously estimated via cyclic voltammetry to be 5.87 eV, almost 300 meV higher than other known high-EA organic molecular oxidants. We measure the frontier orbitals of CN6-CP using ultraviolet and inverse photoemission spectroscopy techniques and confirm a high EA value of 5.88 eV in the condensed phase. The introduction of CN6-CP in a film of large-band-gap, large-IE phenyldi(pyren-1-yl)phosphine oxide (POPy 2 ) leads to a significant shift of the Fermi level toward the highest occupied molecular orbital and a 2 orders of magnitude increase in conductivity. Using CN6-CP and n-dopant (pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)(1,3,5-trimethylbenzene)ruthenium (RuCp*Mes)2, we fabricate a POPy 2 -based rectifying p–i–n homojunction diode with a 2.9 V built-in potential. Blue light emission is achieved under forward bias. Furthermore, this effect demonstrates the dopant-enabled hole injection from the CN6-CP-doped layer and electron injection from the (RuCp*Mes) 2 -doped layer in the diode.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Frontier Orbital Degeneracy: A New Concept for Tailoring the Magnetic State in Organic Semiconductor Adsorbates

Kondo resonances in molecular adsorbates are an important building block for applications in the field of molecular spintronics. Here, we introduce the novel concept of using frontier orbital degeneracy for tailoring the magnetic state, which is demonstrated for the case of the organic semiconductor 1,4,5,8,9,11-Hexaazatriphenylenehexacarbonitrile (HATCN, C 18 N 12 ) on Ag(111). Low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (LT-STM/STS) measurements reveal the existence of two types of adsorbed HATCN molecules with distinctly different appearances and magnetic states, as evident from the presence or absence of an Abrikosov-Suhl-Kondo resonance. Our DFT results show that HATCN on Ag(111) supports two almost isoenergetic states, both with one excess electron transferred from the Ag surface, but with magnetic moments of either 0 or 0.65 μ B . Therefore, even though all molecules undergo charge transfer of one electron from the Ag substrate, they exist in two different molecular magnetic states that resemble a free doublet or an entangled spin state. We explain how the origin of this behavior lies in the twofold degeneracy of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals of gas phase HATCN, lifted upon adsorption and charge-transfer from Ag(111). In conclusion, our combined STM and DFT study introduces a new pathway to tailoring the magnetic state of molecular adsorbates on surfaces, with significant potential for spintronics and quantum information science.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Active Thermochemical Tables: Enthalpies of Formation of Bromo- and Iodo-Methanes, Ethenes and Ethynes

Here, the thermochemistry of halocarbon species containing iodine and bromine is examined through an extensive interplay between new Feller–Peterson–Dixon (FPD) style composite methods and a detailed analysis of all available experimental and theoretical determinations using the thermochemical network that underlies the Active Thermochemical Tables (ATcT). From the computational viewpoint, a slower convergence of the components of composite thermochemistry methods is observed relative to species that solely contain first row elements, leading to a higher computational expense for achieving comparable levels of accuracy. Potential systematic sources of computational uncertainty are investigated, and, not surprisingly, spin-orbit coupling is found to be a critical component, particularly for iodine containing molecular species. The ATcT analysis of available experimental and theoretical determinations indicates that prior theoretical determinations have significantly larger uncertainties than originally reported, particularly in cases where molecular spin-orbit effects were ignored. Accurate and reliable heats of formation are reported for 38 halogen containing systems, based on combining the current computations with previous experimental and theoretical work via the ATcT approach.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Method-independent cusps for atomic orbitals in quantum Monte Carlo

Here, we present an approach for augmenting Gaussian atomic orbitals with correct nuclear cusps. Like the atomic orbital basis set itself and unlike previous cusp corrections, this approach is independent of the many-body method used to prepare wave functions for quantum Monte Carlo. Once the basis set and molecular geometry are specified, the cusp-corrected atomic orbitals are uniquely specified, regardless of which density functionals, quantum chemistry methods, or subsequent variational Monte Carlo optimizations are employed. We analyze the statistical improvement offered by these cusps in a number of molecules and find them to offer similar advantages as molecular-orbital-based approaches while remaining independent of the choice of many-body method.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Assessing the Limitations of Self-Interaction-Corrected Functionals for Describing the Hydrated Electron

Simulating the hydrated electron using density functional theory is challenging due to the prevalence of self-interaction error in standard functionals. Hybrid functionals like PBEh(40) can reasonably describe the chemistry of an excess electron in water and partially mitigate self-interaction error by incorporating exact Hartree–Fock exchange, but they are computationally expensive making them impractical for large-scale and long-time ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. Explicit self-interaction correction schemes that are applied on an orbital-by-orbital basis offer a potential alternative when the correction is limited to the singly occupied molecular orbital obtained with a generalized gradient approximation functional. Here, we examine whether the Perdew–Zunger self-interaction correction scheme applied to the revPBE functional can provide a computationally efficient and physically sensible alternative to PBEh(40) for the hydrated electron. We find that functionals incorporating a self-interaction correction scheme should be viewed with caution when applied to the hydrated electron and its reactivity. Furthermore, we show that it is critical to consider extensive sampling and diverse chemical environments when validating their performance.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Single-Molecule Conductance through Hybrid Radially and Linearly π-Conjugated Macromolecules Reveals an Unusual Intramolecular π-Interaction

We describe the design, synthesis, and single-molecule junction conductance of π-electron molecules bearing both radial and linear π-conjugation pathways, whereby cycloparaphenylene (CPP) radial cores are π-extended linearly with aryl alkyne substituents as models for previously reported CPP-arylene ethynylene conjugated polymers. Although radially and linearly conjugated molecules have been studied previously in isolation as junction-bridging molecular electronic units, this is the first study to examine molecules where both topologies are operative. Our results reveal that the presence of radial CPP components within the junction-spanning pathway leads to a reduction in the conductance of the backbone compared to model linear phenyl substituents. Through tight-binding and DFT-based calculations, we attribute this conductance change to intramolecular van der Waals (vdW) interactions between the CPP ring and the junction-spanning arylene-ethynylene molecular backbone. These interactions induce changes in the dihedral angles of the backbone, leading to a reduced overlap of π orbitals within the molecular junction.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Photoionization of the I 4d and valence orbitals of methyl iodide

Here, the photoabsorption and photoionization dynamics of the I 4d and valence orbitals in methyl iodide have been studied both experimentally and theoretically. Synchrotron radiation has been employed to measure the total ion yield in the vicinity of the I 4d ionization thresholds. The observed structure, due to excitations into Rydberg or valence states, has been assigned using transition energies and relative intensities computed with time-dependent density functional theory within the Tamm–Dancoff approximation. Photoelectron spectra, recorded with plane polarized radiation in two polarization geometries, have allowed the effect of autoionization on the valence electron angular distributions to be investigated. The spectra obtained at photon energies of 50.62 and 52.34 eV, coinciding respectively with the I 4d 5/2 → σ* and 4d 3/2 → σ* transitions, reveal, in addition to valence shell photoelectron bands, features not associated with simple photoionization of the parent molecule. High resolution photoelectron spectra of the I 4d main-lines display structure resulting from spin–orbit coupling and molecular field splitting. The binding energies of the five states contributing to the (I 4d) -1 ionization have been determined. The iodine (in CH 3 I) N 45 VV Auger spectrum has been measured and the observed structure has been assigned using the core hole binding energies derived in the present work together with established ionization energies of the doubly charged ion. The experimentally determined Auger electron angular distributions have been discussed in relation to the theoretical angular distribution parameter characterizing the spatial alignment of molecular axes in the (I 4d) -1 state.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Edge‐Driven Fringe‐Field Effects, Reduced Screening, and Bandgap Widening in Graphene Nanoribbons Enable Single‑Molecule Sensitivity

Graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) offer promising platforms for single‐molecule sensing due to their quasi‐1D channels and discrete electronic states, providing superior sensitivity toward molecular perturbations. While prior studies emphasize smoother edges as essential for optimal performance, the potential benefits of controlled edge roughness remain largely unexplored. Additionally, most investigations focus on GNR arrays, leaving critical edge‐ and width‐dependent factors, including fringe fields, bandgap widening, interactions between adsorbing molecules and GNR atoms, density of states (DOS) suppression, and electrostatic screening lengths, and their collective impact on sensitivity, poorly understood. Here, in this work, we fabricated field‐effect transistors using individual GNRs (widths: 200–20 nm) and characterized their response to molecular adsorption with perfluorooctanoic acid as the model analyte. Narrower ribbons displayed significantly enhanced sensitivity, yielding a coverage‐normalized response of 116 ± 10 mV per molecule in 20 nm‐wide GNRs (from calibrated ensemble Dirac‐point shifts). Experimental and theoretical analyses reveal that this heightened sensitivity arises from stronger fringe fields, width‐dependent quantum confinement effects, reduced DOS, and increased edge roughness that facilitates molecular anchoring, enhanced orbital overlap, and improved charge transfer efficiency. Our findings challenge the conventional assumption that smoother edges inherently enhance sensor performance, demonstrating that controlled edge disorder substantially boosts molecular sensitivity in GNR sensors.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Hilbert space multireference coupled cluster tailored by matrix product states

In the past decade, the quantum chemical version of the density matrix renormalization group method has established itself as the method of choice for strongly correlated molecular systems. However, despite its favorable scaling, in practice, it is not suitable for computations of dynamic correlation. Several approaches to include that in post-DMRG methods exist; in our group, we focused on the tailored coupled cluster (TCC) approach. This method works well in many situations; however, in exactly degenerate cases (with two or more determinants of equal weight), it exhibits a bias toward the reference determinant representing the Fermi vacuum. Although sometimes it is possible to use a compensation scheme to avoid this bias for energy differences, it is certainly a drawback. In order to overcome this bias of the TCC method, we have developed a Hilbert-space multireference version of tailored CC, which can treat several determinants on an equal footing. We have implemented and compared the performance of three Hilbert-space multireference coupled cluster (MRCC) variants—the state universal one and the Brillouin–Wigner and Mukherjee’s state specific ones. We have assessed these approaches on the cyclobutadiene and tetramethyleneethane molecules, which are both diradicals with exactly degenerate determinants at a certain geometry. We have also investigated the sensitivity of the results on the orbital rotation of the highest occupied and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (HOMO–LUMO) pair, as it is well known that Hilbert-space MRCC methods are not invariant to such transformations.

Chemistry↗

Linear and Nonlinear X-ray Spectra of Chiral Molecules: X-ray Circular Dichroism, Sum- and Difference-Frequency Generation of Fenchone and Cysteine

Recent advancements in X-ray light sources enable element-sensitive nonlinear spectroscopies for probing molecular chirality. We simulate X-ray absorption spectroscopy, X-ray circular dichroism (XCD), and nonlinear optical/X-ray SFG and DFG (OX SFG/DFG) signals for two prototypical chiral molecules, fenchone and cysteine. Furthermore, our multireference simulations reproduce experimental data and reveal how novel X-ray spectroscopies exploit the site- and element-sensitivity of X-rays to uncover molecular asymmetry. The XCD spectra show strong asymmetries at chiral centers, while distant atoms contribute weaker signals. The OX SFG/DFG signals, under fixed resonant optical excitation, strongly depend on the core and valence excitations. This allows us to introduce two-dimensional (2D) chirality-sensitive valence-core spectroscopy, which provides insight into the overlap between valence orbitals and local molecular asymmetry. Finally, our estimates using realistic laser and X-ray pulse parameters demonstrate that such nonlinear experiments are feasible at XFELs, offering a promising tool for investigating chiral molecules.

Circular dichroism spectroscopy↗

Direct observation of the magnetic anisotropy of an Fe(II) spin crossover molecular thin film

Abstract In this work, we provide clear evidence of magnetic anisotropy in the local orbital moment of a molecular thin film based on the SCO complex [Fe(H 2 B(pz) 2 ) 2 (bipy)] (pz = pyrazol−1−yl, bipy = 2,2′−bipyridine). Field dependent x-ray magnetic circular dichroism measurements indicate that the magnetic easy axis for the orbital moment is along the surface normal direction. Along with the presence of a critical field, our observation points to the existence of an anisotropic energy barrier in the high-spin state. The estimated nonzero coupling constant of ∼2.47 × 10 −5 eV molecule −1 indicates that the observed magnetocrystalline anisotropy is mostly due to spin–orbit coupling. The spin- and orbital-component anisotropies are determined to be 30.9 and 5.04 meV molecule −1 , respectively. Furthermore, the estimated g factor in the range of 2.2–2.45 is consistent with the expected values. This work has paved the way for an understanding of the spin-state-switching mechanism in the presence of magnetic perturbations.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗