DFT based insights into reactivity descriptors of encapsulated B<Subscript>24</Subscript>N<Subscript>24</Subscript> nanocages

The purpose of this study is to probe the DFT based chemical reactivity parameter, electrophilicity index as a possible molecular engineering of endohedral BN-nanocages. The structure and electronic properties of endohedral boron nitride nanocages have been investigated as a function of alkali atom inside the nanocage using density functional theory. We have calculated and analyzed basic characteristic related to the reactive behavior, such as HOMO–LUMO band gap, chemical hardness, chemical potential, vertical electron affinity, and vertical ionization potential, as well as the global electrophilicity index, ω(I, A) of the encapsulated B₂₄N₂₄ nanocages. We also investigated the MQZVP basis set effect on total electronic energy of the clusters.     

Pi-donor/acceptor effect on Lindqvist type polyoxomolibdates because of various multiple-bonded nitrogenous ligands

The electronic structures of Lindqvist type functionalized polyoxometalates (POM) ([Mo6O18R]n- R=O, NO, NAr, NNAr, NNAr2; n=2, 3) have been investigated using density functional methods. We discuss the role of the replacement of terminal oxo ligands by pi-donor/acceptor multiple-bonded nitrogenous ligands on the basis of geometrical parameters, charge analyses, reactivity indexes, and vibrational spectra. The calculated reactivity indexes (chemical potential, electronegativity, hardness, and electrophilicity) indicate that the most reactive functionalized POMs are those substituted by pi-acceptor ligands. These pi-acceptor ligands induce a decrease in the hardness and an increase in the chemical potential and electrophilicity, thus increasing the reactivity. Our calculations are in reasonable agreement with reported experimental data.     

Stability conditions for density functional reactivity theory: an interpretation of the total local hardness

The second-order Taylor series expansions commonly used in the density functional chemical reactivity theory are used to define local stability conditions for electronic states. Systems which satisfy these conditions are stable to infinitesimal perturbations due to approaching chemical reagents. The basic formalism considered here supersedes previous variational approaches to chemical reactivity theory like the electrophilicity, potentialphilicity, and chargephilicity. The total local hardness emerges naturally in this analysis, and can be clearly interpreted. When the total local hardness is small, the system is relatively insensitive to perturbations. Furthermore, minus the total local hardness is an energetically favorable perturbation of the external potential.     

Reactivity dynamics of a confined molecule in presence of an external magnetic field

Reactivity dynamics and stability of a confined hydrogen molecule in presence of an external magnetic field has been studied using quantum fluid density functional theory. Dynamic profiles of various reactivity parameters such as hardness, electrophilicity, magnetizability, phase volume, entropy, etc. have been studied within a confined environment. Responses in the reactivity parameters as well as the associated electronic structure principles validate the stability of the confined H₂ molecule in ground and excited states in presence of an external magnetic field. Confinement to the system has been imposed by the Dirichlet type boundary condition. Confinement and excitation act in opposite directions. Ground state type dynamics is obtained on simultaneous electronic excitation and confinement. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Frontier orbital and density functional study of the variation of the hard–soft behavior of monoborane (BH3) and boron trifluoride (BF3) as a function of angles of reorganization from planar (D3h) to pyramidal (C3v) shape

In chemical response the BH₃ and BF₃ molecules undergo the physical process of planar (D_3h) to pyramidal (C_3v) reorganization in shape as the condition precedent to the event of chemical reaction under the requirement of symmetry. A frontier orbital and density functional study of the variation of the stability of electronic structures and chemical reactivity of associated with the physical process of D_3h to C_3v geometry reorganization has been performed. The theoretical parameters viz. eigenvalues of HOMO and LUMO, the HOMO and LUMO energy gap, the global hardness and global softness, the chemical potential, the condensed Fukui function, and local softness of B atom, the reaction site, have been computed over a wide range of ∠XBX angles. The nature of variation in the intrinsic chemical reactivity, global and local, of the molecules associated with their geometry reorganization during the chemical event of charge transfer interaction involving their frontier molecular orbitals has been quantitatively explored. The hardness profiles as a function of reaction coordinates are consistent with the principle of maximum hardness (PMH). Results demonstrate that the hardness and softness are not a static and invariable property of molecules but a dynamic and variable function of molecular structure. The hardness parameters and the HOMO–LUMO gap of the molecules are so modified with the distortion of molecular geometry that, after a certain stage of molecular deformation, the profiles of such parameters of the molecules intersect and cross each other, signifying that the relative order of the intrinsic hardness of their equilibrium geometry is reversed. The intrinsically hard molecule BF₃ becomes softer than the intrinsically soft molecule BH₃ as a consequence of structural distortion. The increase in chemical reactivity computed in terms of density functional parameters are transparent and justified in terms of the profiles of the eigenvalues of the frontier orbitals. The profiles of chemical potential reveal the inherent difference in the tendency of backdonation from two molecules. The computed values of Fukui functions and local softness parameters of the B atom site demonstrate that the concept of local softness can be exploited for a theoretical analysis and understanding of the characteristic chemical events of the molecules under consideration. The profiles of the Fukui functions and local softness parameters of the two molecules seem to reflect and reveal their intrinsic difference in the tendency of receiving donation in the LUMO (electrophilicity) and that of backdonation from the HOMO (nucleophilicity) and the inherent difference of overall reactivity of the two molecules by a simultaneous operation of two opposing processes of charge transfer. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2003     

Beyond electronegativity and local hardness: Higher-order equalization criteria for determination of a ground-state electron density

Higher-order global softnesses, local softnesses, and softness kernels are defined along with their hardness inverses. The local hardness equalization principle recently derived by the authors is extended to arbitrary order. The resulting hierarchy of equalization principles indicates that the electronegativity/chemical potential, local hardness, and local hyperhardnesses all are constant when evaluated for the ground-state electron density. The new equalization principles can be used to test whether a trial electron density is an accurate approximation to the true ground-state density and to discover molecules with desired reactive properties, as encapsulated by their chemical reactivity indicators.