DFT assessment of the spectroscopic constants and absorption spectra of neutral and charged diatomic species of group 11 and 14 elements

The spectroscopic constants and absorption spectra of neutral and charged diatomic molecules of group 11 and 14 elements formulated as [M₂]^+/0/? (M = Cu, Ag, Au), and [E₂]^+/0/? (E = C, Si, Ge, Sn, Pb) have been calculated at the PBE0/Def2‐QZVPP level of theory. The electronic and bonding properties of the diatomics have been analyzed by natural bond orbital analysis approach and topology analysis by the atoms in molecules method. Particular emphasis was given on the absorption spectra of the diatomic species, which were simulated by time‐dependent density functional theory calculations employing the hybrid Coulomb‐attenuating CAM‐B3LYP density functional. The simulated absorption spectra of the [M₂]^+/0/? (M = Cu, Ag, Au) and [E₂]^+/0/? (E = C, Si, Ge, Sn, Pb) species are in close resemblance with the experimentally observed spectra whenever available. The neutral M₂ and E₂ diatomics strongly absorb in the ultraviolet region, given rise to UVC, UVA and in a few cases UVB absorptions. In a few cases, weak absorbion bands also occur in the visible region. The absorption bands have thoroughly been analyzed and assignments of the contributing principal electronic transitions associated to individual excitations have been made. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Correlation of bond metallicity measures to electronegativity for binary oxides

We have investigated alkali, alkaline‐earth, and rutile binary oxides within density functional theory (DFT) and Bader's atoms‐in‐molecules theory, focusing on properties of bond and ring critical points, and their relations to band gap and Pauling electronegativity. We find linear relations of kinetic energy density, electron density, and the gap divided by kinetic energy density at the bond critical points to the difference of Pauling electronegativities of the cation and oxygen anion. At the ring critical points of rutile compounds, we also find that some bond metallicity measures are linearly related to the difference of electronegativities. This study extends our knowledge about the relations between bond critical points, band gap, and electronegativity, but also shows for the first time a quantitative relation between quantities at the ring critical points and global properties of the compounds.     

石墨烯条带的电子结构与性质:电场及长度效应

在密度泛函理论(DFT)和含时密度泛函理论(TDDFT)的基础上对宽度上含有8个zigzag链的石墨烯条带(8-ZGNR)的基态和激发态的性质进行了理论研究,着重考察了条带长度及电场的影响.B3LYP杂化泛函的计算结果显示:在基态上,8-ZGNR的最低能量态并不具有磁性,随着长度的增加,才会显示出反铁磁的性质.静电场的加入使8-ZGNR显示出反铁磁性和半金属性.在激发态上,诱导电子会随着外激光脉冲的变化而发生移动和变化,但是相比而言,α自旋电子更容易被激发而产生较明显的诱导电子密度,而β自旋电子则更容易脱离外激光场的控制而产生非绝热现象.     

1,2,4-三氮杂苯-(H2O)n复合物氢键相互作用的密度泛函理论研究

用密度泛函理论方法在B3LYP/6-31++G**水平上对1,2,4-三氮杂苯-(H₂O)_n (n＝1, 2, 3)氢键复合物的基态进行了结构优化和能量计算, 结果表明复合物之间存在较强的氢键作用, 所有稳定复合物结构中形成一个N…H—O氢键并终止于弱O…H—C氢键的氢键水链的构型最稳定. 同时, 用含时密度泛函理论方法(TD-DFT)在TD-B3LYP/6-31++G**水平上计算了1,2,4-三氮杂苯单体及其氢键复合物的单重态第一¹(n, π^*)垂直激发能.     

Electrostatic potential–density relationships in molecules

In this work, we present Hartree–Fock and density functional theory nuclear electrostatic potential–density relationships for several homonuclear diatomic molecules. The results of our calculations are encouraging with relatively low errors in the energies. Implications for the application of this work to novel molecular energy equations as well as the need for further improvement of these newly proposed relationships in molecules have been addressed. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2007     

第一性原理模拟氢气分子在氧化硅团簇上的吸附

基于密度泛函理论,采用广义梯度近似(GGA)分析了H2分子吸附在氧化硅团簇上的几何结构、电子性质以及吸附能.结果发现:H2分子与Si3O4团簇相互作用时,H2分子被分解,游离的H原子优先吸附在末端Si原子上,表明Si3O4团簇体系对氢气的存储主要依赖于末端存在悬挂键的Si原子,接着H2分子才以分子的形式以较小吸附能吸附在Si3O4H4团簇上.氢气分子主要引起与其邻近的原子电荷的重新分布.该团簇体系的红外、拉曼光谱图有效地鉴定了H2分子的吸附状态,为理论上确定团簇的稳定结构和实验上对观测结果的分析提供有力的途径.     

Periodic tables of diatomic and triatomic molecules

The Mendeleev periodic table of atoms is one of the most important principles in natural science. However, there is shortage of analog for molecules. Here we propose two periodic tables, one for diatomic molecules and one for triatomic molecules. The form of the molecular periodic tables is analogous to that of Mendeleev periodic table of atoms. In the table, molecules are classified and arranged by their group number G, which is the number of valence electrons, and the periodic number P, which represents the size of the molecules. The basic molecular properties, including bond length, binding energy, force constant, ionization potential, spin multiplicity, chemical reactivity, and bond angle, change periodically within the tables. The periodicities of diatomic and triatomic molecules are thus revealed. We also demonstrate that the periodicity originates from the shell-like electronic configurations of the molecules. The periodic tables not only contain free molecules, but also the "virtual" molecules present in polyatomic molecules. The periodic tables can be used to classify molecules, to predict unknown molecular properties, to understand the role of virtual molecules in polyatomic molecules, and to initiate new research fields, such as the periodicities of aromatic species, clusters, or nanoparticles. The tables should be of interest not only to scientists in a variety of disciplines, but also to undergraduates studying natural sciences.     

二原子分子和三原子分子的周期表

门捷列夫元素周期表是自然科学中最重要的原则之一．然而,对于分子而言,却缺乏类似的表格．本文提出两个分别对应于二原子分子和三原子分子的周期表．这些分子周期表的格式和门捷列夫原子周期表相似．在这些表格中,分子依照它们各自的族数G和周期数P分类排列,G是价电子的数目而P则表示分子的尺寸．分子的基本性质,包括键长、结合能、力常数、电离势、自旋多重度、化学反应活性以及键角等等,都随着表中的G和P作周期性的变化．二原子分子和三原子分子的周期性因而被揭示开来．本文还进一步指出这种周期性是源出于分子的壳状电子构型．周期表中不仅包含了游离的分子,还包含了多原子分子中的“赝”分子．这些周期表可用来从本质上分类分子,广泛地预言分子的未知性质,了解在多原子分子中赝分子的作用,以及开拓新的研究领域,如芳香族、团簇或纳米微粒的周期性等．因此这些表格不仅能够引起多学科领域中科学工作者的关注,而且还能引起理科学生们的兴趣．     

第一性原理研究镍改性ZSM-12分子筛的酸性

分子筛被用作工业催化剂时常需要过渡金属改性,镍是制备加氢/脱氢催化剂常用的过渡金属,本研究采用密度泛函理论研究镍改性的ZSM-12分子筛的结构和酸性。结果表明,分子筛的B酸质子可以被镍原子还原成氢分子,而Ni_2的团簇不能将B酸质子还原生成氢气分子。镍原子在分子筛内会被氧化,并形成Lewis酸性位,这会导致分子筛骨架铝的Lewis酸性变弱,镍改性后,分子筛吸附氢气的能力变强,被吸附的氢分子解离为氢原子,并带负电荷,不再具有B酸的功能。从计算的氨分子的吸附能来判断,由于吸附的氢会从镍原子得到电子,吸附的氢分子会增强镍原子的Lewis酸性。     

14族杂环戊二烯分子(硅、锗、锡)的电子结构与光谱性质

14族杂原子取代的杂环戊二烯分子具有独特的光谱性质, 成为发光材料的明星分子. 为了更深层次地理解硅、锗、锡杂环戊二烯分子的光谱性质, 本文从理论上计算了它们的电子结构及其吸收和发射光谱. 分别采用密度泛函理论(DFT)和含时密度泛函理论(TD-DFT), 优化了硅、锗、锡杂环戊二烯分子基态和第一激发态的平衡构型, 计算了电子结构和振动性质. 在此基础上, 运用振动关联函数公式计算了吸收光谱和发射光谱. 得到的吸收光谱和发射光谱, 特别是发射光谱的半峰宽与现有的实验值吻合很好. 通过分析结构和光谱性质的关系, 指出光谱的性质主要取决于苯环转动对应的低频振动模式和中心环C—C键的伸缩振动对应的高频振动模式.     

ERKALE—A flexible program package for X‐ray properties of atoms and molecules

ERKALE is a novel software program for computing X‐ray properties, such as ground‐state electron momentum densities, Compton profiles, and core and valence electron excitation spectra of atoms and molecules. The program operates at Hartree–Fock or density‐functional level of theory and supports Gaussian basis sets of arbitrary angular momentum and a wide variety of exchange‐correlation functionals. ERKALE includes modern convergence accelerators such as Broyden and ADIIS and it is suitable for general use, as calculations with thousands of basis functions can routinely be performed on desktop computers. Furthermore, ERKALE is written in an object oriented manner, making the code easy to understand and to extend to new properties while being ideal also for teaching purposes. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Approximation of the molecular electrostatic potential in a gaussian density functional method

The recently developed Asymptotic Density Model (ADM) [6, 9] is here implemented in the density functional framework using the program deMon-KS [13]. While the original implementation divided the atoms into a core shell and a valence shell, the present version allows for an arbitrary number of shells making it therefore more flexible and, as shown with benzene, potentially more accurate. Moreover, since this method is derived through Poisson's equation, an expression for the electronic charge density is also obtained. However, the present discussion will restrict itself to the electrostatic potential. Finally, even though this method requires parametrization, it is shown that the parameters obtained for homonuclear diatomic species, and used as is in molecular calculations, yield satisfactory results. Indeed, the ADM reproduces almost all basic features of the MEP for all molecules presented here, (water, ammonia, ethylene, acetylene, hydrogen cyanide, carbon monoxide, benzene, nitrous acid). Received: 5 July 1996 / Accepted: 12 November, 1996     

Theoretical Studies on the Molecular Structures and Thermodynamic Properties of Polychlorinated Fluorenes

Geometric structures of 135 polychlorinated fluorene (PCFR) molecules were optimized using density functional theory (DFT) at the B3LYP/6-311G** level and their thermodynamic properties in the ideal gas state were calculated. The relations of these thermodynamic properties with the number and position of chlorine atoms were also explored, from which the relative stability of PCFR congeners was theoretically proposed according to the magnitude of the relative standard Gibbs free energy of formation (Δr,fGθ). The results show that the geometric configuration of PCFR isomers is determined by the position of chlorine atoms. There exist two types of intramolecular weak interactions, i.e., C-H···Cl and Cl···Cl interactions in PCFR molecules. The change of ΔfHθ and ΔfGθ of most stable PCFR isomers with increasing the number of chlorine atoms is different from that in most unstable PCFR congeners. The values of ΔfHθ and ΔfGθ for PCFR isomers with the same number of chlorine atoms strongly depend on the position of chlorine atoms and the relative stability of PCFR congeners is mainly determined by intramolecular delocalized π bond and Cl···Cl nuclear repulsive interaction.     

Theoretical Studies on the Molecular Structures and Thermodynamic Properties of Polychlorinated Acenaphthylenes

Geometric structures of 135 polychlorinated acenaphthylene (PCAC) molecules were optimized using density functional theory (DFT) at the B3LYP/6-311G** level and some thermodynamic properties of them in the ideal gas state were calculated. The relations of these thermodynamic properties with the number and position of chlorine atoms were also explored, from which the relative stability of PCAC congeners was theoretically proposed according to the magnitude of the relative standard Gibbs free energy of formation (△r,fGθ). The results show that all PCAC isomers have planar geometric configuration. There exists intramolecular Cl···Cl weak interaction in some PCAC molecules. The change of △fHθ and fGθ of most stable PCAC isomers with increasing the number of chlorine atoms is different from that in the least stable PCAC congeners. The values of fHθ and fGθ for PCAC isomers with the same number of chlorine atoms show a strong dependence on the position of chlorine atoms and the relative stability of PCAC congeners has close relation with the intramolecular Cl···Cl nuclear repulsive interaction.     

Binding maps for the study and prediction of bimetallic catalyst surface reactions: The case of methanol oxidation

Focusing on the competing pathways of methanol oxidation on platinum and platinum/gold bimetallic catalysts, we explore a novel density functional theory (DFT)‐based approach to the study of reactions on catalyst surfaces. Traditionally, DFT has been used to compute binding energies of products and intermediates as proxies for catalytic activity, and to compute full reaction pathways and their activation energy barriers. Merging the computational simplicity and intuitive clarity of binding energy calculations with the site sensitivity of transition state calculations, we construct maps of the binding energies of relevant atoms and molecules at all sites on a surface. We show that knowledge of the arrangement of strong and weak binding sites on a surface is powerful in rationalizing the ease with which a reaction step proceeds on a given local motif of surface atoms. We highlight the prospects and challenges of this approach toward catalyst screening and prediction.     

Theoretical Studies on the Electronic Structures and Spectral Properties of 4,4′-（Ethane-1,2-diylbis-（oxy））dibenzaldehyde and Its Polymorph

The ground state geometries, frontier molecular orbital properties, and absorption properties of 4,4′-(ethane-1,2-diylbis(oxy))dibenzaldehyde (EDO-DBDHD) and its polymorph have been studied theoretically. The density functional theory (DFT) method was employed to optimize the ground state geometries, and theoretical data reveal that EDO-DBDHD features the planar molecular conformations, in contrast to V-shaped structures of its polymorph, which agrees with the experimental data. Additionally, the absorption spectra of both compounds were predicted using time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT). The calculated results show that the lowest lying absorption bands of these compounds have the transition configurations of HOMO → LUMO, resulting in the transition character of π→π*/n→π*. The transition of HOMO → LUMO+3 mainly contributes to the highest lying absorption bands of two compounds at 225 nm with the character of π→π*/n→π*.     

Solvent density inhomogeneities and solvation free energies in supercritical diatomic fluids: a density functional approach

Density functional theory is used to explore the solvation properties of a spherical solute immersed in a supercritical diatomic fluid. The solute is modeled as a hard core Yukawa particle surrounded by a diatomic Lennard-Jones fluid represented by two fused tangent spheres using an interaction site approximation. The authors' approach is particularly suitable for thoroughly exploring the effect of different interaction parameters, such as solute-solvent interaction strength and range, solvent-solvent long-range interactions, and particle size, on the local solvent structure and the solvation free energy under supercritical conditions. Their results indicate that the behavior of the local coordination number in homonuclear diatomic fluids follows trends similar to those reported in previous studies for monatomic fluids. The local density augmentation is particularly sensitive to changes in solute size and is affected to a lesser degree by variations in the solute-solvent interaction strength and range. The associated solvation free energies exhibit a nonmonotonous behavior as a function of density for systems with weak solute-solvent interactions. The authors' results suggest that solute-solvent interaction anisotropies have a major influence on the nature and extent of local solvent density inhomogeneities and on the value of the solvation free energies in supercritical solutions of heteronuclear molecules.     

A semiempirical long-range corrected exchange correlation functional including a short-range Gaussian attenuation (LCgau-B97)

We applied an improved long‐range correction scheme including a short‐range Gaussian attenuation (LCgau) to the Becke97 (B97) exchange correlation functional. In the optimization of LCgau‐B97 functional, the linear parameters are determined by least squares fitting. Optimizing μ parameter (0.2) that controls long‐range portion of Hartree‐Fock (HF) exchange to excitation energies of large molecules (Chai and Head‐Gordon, J Chem Phys 2008, 128, 084106) and additional short‐range Gaussian parameters (a = 0.15 and k = 0.9) that controls HF exchange inclusion ranging from short‐range to mid‐range (0.5–3 Å) to ground state properties achieved high performances of LCgau‐B97 simultaneously on both ground state and excited state properties, which is better than other tested semiempirical density functional theory (DFT) functionals, such as ωB97, ωB97X, BMK, and M0x‐family. We also found that while a small μ value (～0.2) in LC‐DFT is appropriate to the local excitation and intramolecular charge‐transfer excitation energies, a larger μ value (0.42) is desirable in the Rydberg excitation‐energy calculations. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2011     

密度泛函活性理论中的Rényi熵, Tsallis熵和Onicescu信息能

根据密度泛函理论,分子的电子密度确定了该体系基态下的所有性质,其中包括结构和反应活性.如何运用电子密度泛函有效地预测分子反应活性仍然是一个有待解决的难题.密度泛函活性理论(DFRT)倾力打造这样一个理论和概念架构,使得运用电子密度以及相关变量准确地预测分子的反应特性成为可能.信息理论方法的香农熵和费舍尔信息就是这样的密度泛函,研究表明,它们均可作为反应活性的有效描述符.本文将在DFRT框架中介绍和引进三个密切相关的描述符, Rényi熵、Tsallis熵和Onicescu信息能.我们准确地计算了它们在一些中性原子和分子中的数值并讨论了它们随电子数量和电子总能量的变化规律.此外,以第二阶Onicescu信息能为例,在分子和分子中的原子两个层面上,系统地考察了其随乙烷二面角旋转的变化模式.这些新慨念的引入将为我们深入洞察和预测分子的结构和反应活性提供额外的描述工具.