Spectroscopy of lithium atoms sublimated from isolation matrix of solid Ne

We have studied, via laser absorption spectroscopy, the velocity distribution of (7)Li atoms released from a solid neon matrix at cryogenic temperatures. The Li atoms are implanted into the Ne matrix by laser ablation of a solid Li precursor. A heat pulse is then applied to the sapphire substrate sublimating the matrix together with the isolated atoms at around 12 K. We find interesting differences in the velocity distribution of the released Li atoms from the model developed for our previous experiment with Cr [R. Lambo, C. C. Rodegheri, D. M. Silveira, and C. L. Cesar, Phys. Rev. A 76, 061401(R) (2007)]. This may be due to the sublimation regime, which is at much lower flux for the Li experiment than for the Cr experiment, as well as to the different collisional cross sections between those species to the Ne gas. We find a drift velocity compatible with Li being thermally sublimated at 11-13 K, while the velocity dispersion around this drift velocity is low, around 5-7 K. With a slow sublimation of the matrix we can determine the penetration depth of the laser ablated Li atoms into the Ne matrix, an important information that is not usually available in most matrix isolation spectroscopy setups. The present results with Li, together with the previous results with Cr suggest this to be a general technique for obtaining cryogenic atoms, for spectroscopic studies, as well as for trap loading. The release of the isolated atoms is also a useful tool to study and confirm details of the matrix isolated atoms which are masked or poorly understood in the solid.     

First-principles study of hydrogen adsorption in metal-doped COF-10

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs), due to their low-density, high-porosity, and high-stability, have promising applications in gas storage. In this study we have explored the potential of COFs doped with Li and Ca metal atoms for storing hydrogen under ambient thermodynamic conditions. Using density functional theory we have performed detailed calculations of the sites Li and Ca atoms occupy in COF-10 and their interaction with hydrogen molecules. The binding energy of Li atom on COF-10 substrate is found to be about 1.0 eV and each Li atom can adsorb up to three H(2) molecules. However, at high concentration, Li atoms cluster and, consequently, their hydrogen storage capacity is reduced due to steric hindrance between H(2) molecules. On the other hand, due to charge transfer from Li to the substrate, O sites provide additional enhancement for hydrogen adsorption. With increasing concentration of doped metal atoms, the COF-10 substrate provides an additional platform for storing hydrogen. Similar conclusions are reached for Ca doped COF-10.     

First-principles study of hydrogen storage on Li12C60

Solid state materials capable of storing hydrogen with high gravimetric (9 wt %) and volumetric density (70 g/L) are critical for the success of a new hydrogen economy. In addition, an ideal storage system should be able to operate under ambient thermodynamic conditions and exhibit fast hydrogen sorption kinetics. No materials are known that meet all these requirements. While recent theoretical efforts showed some promise for transition-metal-coated carbon fullerenes, later studies demonstrated that these metal atoms prefer to cluster on the fullerene surface, thus reducing greatly the weight percentage of stored hydrogen. Using density functional theory we show that Li-coated fullerenes do not suffer from this constraint. In particular, we find that an isolated Li(12)C(60) cluster where Li atoms are capped onto the pentagonal faces of the fullerene not only is very stable but also can store up to 120 hydrogen atoms in molecular form with a binding energy of 0.075 eV/H(2). In addition, the structural integrity of Li(12)C(60) clusters is maintained when they are allowed to interact with each other. The lowest energy structure of the dimer is one where the Li atom capped on the five-member ring of one fullerene binds to the six-member ring of the other. The binding of hydrogen to the linking Li atom and the potential of materials composed of Li(12)C(60) building blocks for hydrogen storage are discussed.     

On the noble-gas-induced intersystem crossing for the CUO molecule: experimental and theoretical investigations of CUO(Ng)n (Ng = Ar, Kr, Xe; n = 1, 2, 3, 4) complexes in solid neon

Uranium atoms excited by laser ablation react with CO in excess neon to produce the novel CUO molecule, which forms distinct Ng complexes (Ng = Ar, Kr, Xe) when the heavier noble gases are added. The CUO(Ng) complexes are identified through CO isotopic and Ng substitution on the neon matrix infrared spectra and by comparison to DFT frequency calculations. The U-C and U-O stretching frequencies of CUO(Ng) complexes are slightly red-shifted from frequencies for the (1)Sigma(+) CUO ground state, which identifies singlet ground state CUO(Ng) complexes. In solid neon the CUO molecule is also a complex CUO(Ne)(n), and the CUO(Ne)(n-1)(Ng) complexes are likewise specified. The next singlet CUO(Ne)(x)(Ng)(2) complexes in excess neon follow in like manner. However, the higher CUO(Ne)(x)(Ng)(n) complex (n = 3, 4) stretching modes approach pure argon matrix CUO(Ar)(n) values and isotopic behavior, which are characterized as triplet ground state complexes by DFT frequency calculations. This work suggests that the singlet-triplet crossing occurs with 3 Ar, 3 Kr, or 4 Xe and a balance of Ne atoms coordinated to CUO in the neon matrix host.     

Theoretical realization of cluster-assembled hydrogen storage materials based on terminated carbon atomic chains

The capacity of carbon atomic chains with different terminations for hydrogen storage is studied using first-principles density functional theory calculations. Unlike the physisorption of H(2) on the H-terminated chain, we show that two Li (Na) atoms each capping one end of the odd- or even-numbered carbon chain can hold ten H(2) molecules with optimal binding energies for room temperature storage. The hybridization of the Li 2p states with the H(2)σ orbitals contributes to the H(2) adsorption. However, the binding mechanism of the H(2) molecules on Na arises only from the polarization interaction between the charged Na atom and the H(2). Interestingly, additional H(2) molecules can be bound to the carbon atoms at the chain ends due to the charge transfer between Li 2s2p (Na 3s) and C 2p states. More importantly, dimerization of these isolated metal-capped chains does not affect the hydrogen binding energy significantly. In addition, a single chain can be stabilized effectively by the C(60) fullerenes termination. With a hydrogen uptake of ～10 wt.% on Li-coated C(60)-C(n)-C(60) (n = 5, 8), the Li(12)C(60)-C(n)-Li(12)C(60) complex, keeping the number of adsorbed H(2) molecules per Li and stabilizing the dispersion of individual Li atoms, can serve as better building blocks of polymers than the (Li(12)C(60))(2) dimer. These findings suggest a new route to design cluster-assembled hydrogen storage materials based on terminated sp carbon chains.     

Polarized basis sets of Slater-type orbitals: H to Ne atoms

We present three Slater-type atomic orbital (STO) valence basis (VB) sets for the first and second row atoms, referred to as the VB1, VB2, and VB3 bases. The smallest VB1 basis has the following structure: [3, 1] for the H and He atoms, [5, 1] for Li and Be, and [5, 3, 1] for the B to Ne series. For the VB2 and VB3 bases, both the number of shells and the number of functions per shell are successively increased by one with respect to VB1. With the exception of the H and Li atoms, the exponents for the VB1 bases were obtained by minimizing the sum of the Hartree-Fock (HF) and frozen-core singles and doubles configuration interaction (CISD FC) energies of the respective atoms in their ground state. For H and Li, we minimized the sum of the HF and CISD FC energies of the corresponding diatoms (i.e., of H(2) or Li(2)) plus the ground-state energy of the atom. In the case of the VB2 basis sets, the sum that was minimized also included the energies of the positive and negative ions, and for the VB3 bases, the energies of a few lowest lying excited states of the atom. To account for the core correlations, the VBx (x = 1, 2, and 3) basis sets for the Li to Ne series were enlarged by one function per shell. The exponents of these extended (core-valence, CV) basis sets, referred to, respectively, as the CVBx (x = 1, 2, and 3) bases, were optimized by relying on the same criteria as in the case of the VBx (x = 1, 2, and 3) bases, except that the full CISD rather than CISD FC energies were employed. We show that these polarized STO basis sets provide good HF and CI energies for the ground and excited states of the atoms considered, as well as for the corresponding ions.     

Isothermal decomposition of hydrogen peroxide dihydrate

We present a new method of growing pure solid hydrogen peroxide in an ultra high vacuum environment and apply it to determine thermal stability of the dihydrate compound that forms when water and hydrogen peroxide are mixed at low temperatures. Using infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis, we quantified the isothermal decomposition of the metastable dihydrate at 151.6 K. This decomposition occurs by fractional distillation through the preferential sublimation of water, which leads to the formation of pure hydrogen peroxide. The results imply that in an astronomical environment where condensed mixtures of H(2)O(2) and H(2)O are shielded from radiolytic decomposition and warmed to temperatures where sublimation is significant, highly concentrated or even pure hydrogen peroxide may form.     

Local Disorder in Hydrogen Storage Compounds: The Case of Lithium Amide/Imide

Amides and imides of alkali metals are a very promising class of materials for use as a hydrogen‐storage system, as they are able to store and release hydrogen via a chemical route at controllable temperatures and pressures. We critically revise the present picture of the atomic structure of the lightest member (LiNH₂/Li₂NH) by using a combined computational and experimental approach. Specifically, ab initio path integral molecular dynamics simulations and solid‐state ¹H NMR techniques are combined. The results show that the presently assumed local structure might be inconsistent or at least incomplete and needs considerable revision. In particular, the Li atoms turn out to be more mobile and more disordered than suggested by structural data obtained from X‐ray scattering. Also, the configuration of the hydrogen atoms, which is accessible via the NMR experiment and the corresponding first‐principles calculations, is different from the previously assumed data. The computed and experimentally observed ¹H NMR parameters are in very good mutual agreement and illustrate the unusual chemical environment of the hydrogen atoms in this system. Incorporating our results on the new lithium data, we show that the effect of nuclear quantum delocalization for the hydrogen atoms is considerably reduced compared to the perfect crystal structure.     

On the viability of small endohedral hydrocarbon cage complexes: X@C4H4, X@C8H8, X@C8H14, X@C10H16, X@C12H12, AND X@C16H16

Small hydrocarbon complexes (X@cage) incorporating cage-centered endohedral atoms and ions (X = H(+), H, He, Ne, Ar, Li(0,+), Be(0,+,2+), Na(0,+), Mg(0,+,2+)) have been studied at the B3LYP/6-31G(d) hybrid HF/DFT level of theory. No tetrahedrane (C(4)H(4), T(d)()) endohedral complexes are minima, not even with the very small hydrogen atom or beryllium dication. Cubane (C(8)H(8), O(h)()) and bicyclo[2.2.2]octane (C(8)H(14), D(3)(h)()) minima are limited to encapsulating species smaller than Ne and Na(+). Despite its intermediate size, adamantane (C(10)H(16), T(d)()) can enclose a wide variety of endohedral atoms and ions including H, He, Ne, Li(0,+), Be(0,+,2+), Na(0,+), and Mg(2+). In contrast, the truncated tetrahedrane (C(12)H(12), T(d)()) encapsulates fewer species, while the D(4)(d)() symmetric C(16)H(16) hydrocarbon cage (see Table of Contents graphic) encapsulates all but the larger Be, Mg, and Mg(+) species. The host cages have more compact geometries when metal atoms, rather than cations, are inside. This is due to electron donation from the endohedral metals into C-C bonding and C-H antibonding cage molecular orbitals. The relative stabilities of endohedral minima are evaluated by comparing their energies (E(endo)) to the sum of their isolated components (E(inc) = E(endo) - E(cage) - E(x)) and to their exohedral isomer energies (E(isom) = E(endo) - E(exo)). Although exohedral binding is preferred to endohedral encapsulation without exception (i.e., E(isom) is always exothermic), Be(2+)@C(10)H(16) (T(d)(); -235.5 kcal/mol), Li(+)@C(12)H(12) (T(d)(); 50.2 kcal/mol), Be(2+)@C(12)H(12) (T(d)(); -181.2 kcal/mol), Mg(2+)@C(12)H(12) (T(d)(); -45.0 kcal/mol), Li(+)@C(16)H(16) (D(4)(d)(); 13.3 kcal/mol), Be(+)@C(16)H(16) (C(4)(v)(); 31.8 kcal/mol), Be(2+)@C(16)H(16) (D(4)(d)(); -239.2 kcal/mol), and Mg(2+)@C(16)H(16) (D(4)(d)(); -37.7 kcal/mol) are relatively stable as compared to experimentally known He@C(20)H(20) (I(h)()), which has an E(inc) = 37.9 kcal/mol and E(isom) = -35.4 kcal/mol. Overall, endohedral cage complexes with low parent cage strain energies, large cage internal cavity volumes, and a small, highly charged guest species are the most viable synthetic targets.     

Sodium hydride clusters in solid hydrogen and neon: infrared spectra and theoretical calculations

Laser-ablated sodium atom reactions with H2 have been investigated in solid molecular hydrogens and neon. The NaH molecule and (NaH)2,3,4 clusters were identified by IR spectra with isotopic substitution (HD and D2) and comparison to frequencies calculated by density functional theory and the MP2 method. The use of para-hydrogen enriched samples provides evidence for a (H2)nNaH subcomplex surrounded by the solid hydrogen matrix cage. The ionic rhombic (NaH)2 dimer is characterized by strong absorptions at 761.7, 759.1, and 757.0 cm(-1), respectively, in solid neon, para-hydrogen, and normal hydrogen matrices. The cyclic sodium hydride trimer and tetramer clusters are also observed. Although the spontaneous reaction of two Li and H2 to form (LiH)2 occurs on annealing in solid H2, the formation of (NaH)2 requires near uv photoexcitation.     

Hydrogen desorption exceeding ten weight percent from the new quaternary hydride Li3BN2H8

Mobile applications of hydrogen power have long demanded new solid hydride materials with large hydrogen storage capacities. We report synthesis of a new quaternary hydride having the approximate composition Li(3)BN(2)H(8) with 11.9 wt % theoretical hydrogen capacity. It forms by reacting LiNH(2) and LiBH(4) powders in a 2:1 molar ratio either by ball milling or by heating the mixed powders above 95 degrees C. This new quaternary hydride melts at approximately 190 degrees C and releases > or =10 wt % hydrogen above approximately 250 degrees C. A small amount of ammonia (2-3 mol % of the generated gas) is released simultaneously. Preliminary calorimetric measurements suggest that hydrogen release is exothermic and, hence, not easily reversible.     

Angle and bond-length dependent C6 coefficients for H2 interacting with H,Li, Be and rare gas atoms

Summary Accurate new C₆ dispersion energy coefficients, and their dependence on the diatom orientation and bond length, are calculated for molecular hydrogen interacting with an atom of H, Li, Be, He, Ne, Ar, Kr or Xe. They are generated from accurateab initio pseudo dipole oscillator strength distributions (DOSD) for H₂, H, He and Be, and reliable semiempirical ones for Li, Ne, Ar, Kr and Xe. Compact power series expansions for the diatom bond-length dependence of these coefficients, suitable for incorporation into representations of full potential energy surfaces for these systems, are determined and assessed.     

Sublimation as a method of matrix application for mass spectrometric imaging

Common organic matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) matrices, 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid, 3,5-dimethoxy-4-hydroxycinnamic acid, and alpha-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid, were found to undergo sublimation without decomposition under conditions of reduced pressure and elevated temperature. This solid to vapor-phase transition was exploited to apply MALDI matrix onto tissue samples over a broad surface in a solvent-free application for mass spectrometric imaging. Sublimation of matrix produced an even layer of small crystals across the sample plate. The deposition was readily controlled with time, temperature, and pressure settings and was highly reproducible from one sample to the next. Mass spectrometric images acquired from phospholipid standards robotically spotted onto a MALDI plate yielded a more intense, even signal with fewer sodium adducts when matrix was applied by sublimation relative to samples where matrix was deposited by an electrospray technique. MALDI matrix could be readily applied to tissue sections on glass slides and stainless steel MALDI plate inserts as long as good thermal contact was made with the condenser of the sublimation device. Sections of mouse brain were coated with matrix applied by sublimation and were imaged using a Q-q-TOF mass spectrometer to yield mass spectral images of very high quality. Image quality is likely enhanced by several features of this technique including the microcrystalline morphology of the deposited matrix, increased purity of deposited matrix, and evenness of deposition. This inexpensive method was reproducible and eliminated the potential for spreading of analytes arising from solvent deposition during matrix application.     

氢原子吸附的Cu(100)表面原子结构和电子态

用密度泛函理论的总能计算研究了金属铜(100)面的表面原子结构以及在不同覆盖度时氢原子的吸附状态. 研究结果表明, 在Cu(100)c(2×2)/H表面体系中, 氢原子吸附的位置是在空洞位置, 距最外层Cu原子层的距离为0.052 nm, 相应的Cu—H键长为0.189 nm, 并通过计算结构参数优化否定了其它的吸附位置模型. 总能计算得出Cu(100)c(2×2)/H表面的功函数为4.47 eV, 氢原子在这一体系的吸附能为2.37 eV(以孤立氢原子为能量参考点). 通过与衬底原子的杂化, 氢原子形成了具有二维特征的氢能带结构, 在费米能级以下约0.8 eV处出现的表面局域态是Cu(S)-H-Cu(S-1)型杂化的结果. 采用Cu(100)表面p(1×1)、p(2×2)和p(3×3)的三种氢吸附结构分别模拟1, 1/4, 1/9的原子单层覆盖度, 计算结果表明, 随着覆盖度的增加, 被吸附的氢原子之间的距离变短, 使得它们之间的静电排斥和静电能增大, 从而导致表面吸附能和吸附H原子与最外层Cu原子间垂直距离(ZH-Cu)逐渐减小. 在较低的覆盖度下, 氢原子对Cu(100)表面的影响主要表现为单个原子吸附作用的形式. 通过总能计算还排除了Cu(100)表面(根号2×2根号2)R45°-2H缺列再构吸附模型的可能性.     

Infrared spectra and theoretical calculations of lithium hydride clusters in solid hydrogen, neon, and argon

A matrix isolation IR study of laser-ablated lithium atom reactions with H2 has been performed in solid para-hydrogen, normal hydrogen, neon, and argon. The LiH molecule and (LiH)(2,3,4) clusters were identified by IR spectra with isotopic substitution (HD, D(2), and H(2) + D(2)) and comparison to frequencies calculated by density functional theory and the MP2 method. The LiH diatomic molecule is highly polarized and associates additional H(2) to form primary (H(2))(2)LiH chemical complexes surrounded by a physical cage of solid hydrogen where the ortho and para spin states form three different primary complexes and play a role in the identification of the bis-dihydrogen complex and in characterization of the matrix cage. The highly ionic rhombic (LiH)(2) dimer, which is trapped in solid matrices, is calculated to be 22 kcal/mol more stable than the inverse hydrogen bonded linear LiH-LiH dimer, which is not observed here. The cyclic lithium hydride trimer and tetramer clusters were also observed. Although the spontaneous reaction of 2 Li and H(2) to form (LiH)(2) occurs on annealing in solid H(2), the formation of higher clusters requires visible irradiation. We observed the simplest possible chemical reduction of dihydrogen using two lithium valence electrons to form the rhombic (LiH)(2) dimer.     

Structural evolution and stability of hydrogenated Li(n) (n = 1-30) clusters: a density functional study

The structure and electronic and optical properties of hydrogenated lithium clusters Li(n)H(m) (n = 1-30, m ≤ n) have been investigated by density functional theory (DFT). The structural optimizations are performed with the Becke 3 Lee-Yang-Parr (B3LYP) exchange-correlation functional with 6-311G++(d, p) basis set. The reliability of the method employed has been established by excellent agreement with computational and experimental data, wherever available. The turn over from two- to three-dimensional geometry in Li(n)H(m) clusters is found to occur at size n = 4 and m = 3. Interestingly, a rock-salt-like face-centered cubic structure is seen in Li(13)H(14). The sequential addition of hydrogen to small-sized Li clusters predicted regions of regular lattice in saturated hydrogenated clusters. This led us to focus on large-sized saturated clusters rather than to increase the number of hydrogen atoms monotonically. The lattice constants of Li(9)H(9), Li(18)H(18), Li(20)H(20), and Li(30)H(30) calculated at their optimized geometry are found to gradually approach the corresponding bulk values of 4.083. The sequential addition of hydrogen stabilizes the cluster, irrespective of the cluster size. A significant increase in stability is seen in the case of completely hydrogenated clusters, i.e., when the number of hydrogen atoms equals Li atoms. The enhanced stability has been interpreted in terms of various electronic and optical properties like adiabatic and vertical ionization potential, HOMO-LUMO gap, and polarizability.     

Evolved gas analysis of Ti(C5H5)2Cl2 by means of Li+ ion attachment mass spectrometry

Characterization of the compound Ti(C(5)H(5))(2)Cl(2) was studied using Li(+) ion attachment mass spectrometry (IAMS) as an analytical methodology. Since this target compound is used as an anticancer drug in the treatment of leukemia, accurate and rapid monitoring methods for the determination of titanium drugs in a hospital environment are desirable. A quadrupole mass spectrometry system along with a Li(+) ion attachment technique and a direct inlet probe (DIP) produced the Li(+) adduct of Ti(C(5)H(5))(2)Cl(2), Ti(C(5)H(5))(2)Cl(2)Li(+). The DIP also was used to study the temperature-resolved behavior of this compound. The slope of the plot of signal intensity of Ti(C(5)H(5))(2)Cl(2)Li(+) versus temperature for Ti(C(5)H(5))(2)Cl(2) sublimation from 60 to 100 °C was used to determine an apparent activation energy (E(a)) of 124.43 kJ/mol for the sublimation of Ti(C(5)H(5))(2)Cl(2). This value is comparable to the reported value of 118.8 kJ/mol for molar enthalpy of sublimation of Ti(C(5)H(5))(2)Cl(2). These results demonstrate that the IAMS methodology can be used to study the enthalpy of sublimation for d-metal complex materials.     

Infrared matrix-isolation spectroscopy using pulsed deposition of p-H2

We employed pulsed deposition of p-H2 onto a cold target to form a matrix sample suitable for measurements of infrared absorption. Unlike the method of rapid vapor deposition at approximately 2.5 K, developed by Fajardo et al., this method can be performed at a temperature as high as 5.5 K, achievable with a closed-cycle refrigerator; pumping on liquid helium in a cryostat is eliminated. Compared with the enclosed-cell method developed by Oka, Shida, Momose, and co-workers, this method is more versatile in sample preparation, especially for samples at a greater concentration or with high reactivity. Two experiments were tested: the pulse-deposited sample of CH4/p-H2 yields an infrared absorption spectrum nearly identical to that recorded with rapid vapor deposition, and a sample of vinyl chloride (C2H3Cl) in solid p-H2 irradiated with laser emission at 193 nm yields C2H5, in contrast to formation of HCl, C2H2, and a complex of HClC2H2 observed upon photolysis of C2H3Cl in an Ar matrix. These experiments are also compared with those with n-H2 or Ne as the matrix host.     

Recombination-pumped triatomic hydrogen infrared lasers

Mid-infrared laser lines observed in hydrogen/rare gas discharges are assigned to three-body recombination processes involving an electron, a rare gas (He or Ne) atom, and the triatomic hydrogen ion (H(3)(+)). Calculations of radiative transitions between neutral H(3) Rydberg states support this interpretation, and link it to recent results for hydrogenic∕rare gas afterglow plasmas. A mechanism for the population inversion is proposed, and the potential generality and astrophysical implications of such molecular recombination laser systems are briefly discussed.     

Energy-transfer processes in neon-hydrogen mixtures excited by electron beams

Energy- and charge-transfer processes in neon-hydrogen mixtures (500-1400 hPa neon and 0.001-3 hPa hydrogen partial pressures) excited by a pulsed low-energy (approximately 10 keV) electron beam were investigated using time-resolved spectroscopy. Time spectra of the hydrogen Lyman-alpha line, neon excimer emission (second continuum), and neon atomic lines (3p-3s transitions) were recorded. The time-integrated intensity of the Lyman-alpha emission was measured for the same range of gas mixtures. It is shown that direct energy transfer from Ne*2 excimers and neon atoms in the four lowest excited states as well as recombination of H3+ ions are the main channels populating atomic hydrogen in the n=2 state. A rate constant of (4.2+/-1.4)x10(-11) cm3 s(-1) was obtained for the charge transfer from Ne2+ ions to molecular hydrogen. A lower limit for the depopulation rate constant of Ne*2 excimers by molecular hydrogen (combination of energy transfer and ionization) was found to be 1.0 x 10(-10) cm3 s(-1).