Hamiltonian for the problem on the ground and excited electron–nuclear states of nano-objects of finite size with periodic structure: Oligomers

A Hamiltonian has been proposed to study ground and excited states of nano-objects with a periodic structure, which makes it possible to find a general solution as a linear combination of basis functions in the form of normal waves. Terms that allow obtaining easily the solution with varying degrees of accuracy are explicitly defined. The method is suitable for the analysis of both finite and infinitely extended objects, including segments with a periodic structure.     

M2δ to ligand π-conjugation: testbeds for current theories of mixed valence in ground and photoexcited states of molecular systems

Redox active quadruply bonded units, M(2), can be combined so that they either (i) are bridged by an organic linker or (ii) function as a bridge between two identical organic ligands. When two M(2) units are linked together by an organic group that affords M(2)δ-bridge π-conjugation the electronic structure of each M(2) unit is perturbed by the other in the ground state, the photoexcited states, and the mixed valence oxidized form. Similarly when a M(2) center links two organic π systems represented by L, the two organic units are coupled by Lπ*-M(2)δ-Lπ* interactions in their ground state, their photoexcited states, and the mixed valence reduced state. The photoexcited states of the neutral complexes (both case i and ii) provide examples of excited state mixed valence. In case (i), the positive charge may be localized on one dinuclear center or may be delocalized over both M(2) units. Similarly in (ii), the electron may be localized on one ligand or delocalized over both. In this tutorial review, spectroscopic studies (UV-vis-NIR absorption, steady state emission, EPR, and time resolved infrared) of these mixed valence systems employing carboxylate tethers are described and the data are discussed in terms of contemporary theories of mixed valence ions.     

Can a single-reference approach provide a balanced description of ground and excited states? A comparison of the completely renormalized equation-of-motion coupled-cluster method with multireference quasidegenerate perturbation theory near a conical intersection and along a photodissociation coordinate in ammonia

We calculated the two lowest electronically adiabatic potential energy surfaces of ammonia in the region of the conical intersection and at a sequence of geometries along which one of the N-H bonds is broken. We employed both a multireference (MR) method and a single-reference (SR) method. The MR calculations are based on multiconfiguration quasidegenerate perturbation theory (MC-QDPT) with a 6-311+G(3df,3pd) basis set. The SR calculations, carried out with the same basis, employ the completely renormalized equation-of-motion coupled-cluster method with singles and doubles, and a noniterative treatment of triples, denoted CR-EOMCCSD(T). At 91 geometries used for comparison, including geometries near a conical intersection, the surfaces agree to 7% on average.     

A simple QuEChERS-like extraction approach for molecular chemical characterization of organic aerosols: application to nitrated and oxygenated PAH derivatives (NPAH and OPAH) quantified by GC–NICIMS

An extraction procedure based on the Quick Easy Cheap Effective Rugged and Safe (QuEChERS) approach has been developed and used for analysis of particle-bound nitrated and oxygenated PAH derivatives (NPAH and OPAH, respectively). Several analytical conditions, for example GC injection temperature and MS detection settings, were optimized. This analytical procedure enabled simultaneous GC–NICIMS quantification of 32 NPAH and 32 OPAH (or other oxygenated compounds), including typical components of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formed by photooxidation of PAH (e.g. 2-formyl-trans-cinnamaldehyde and 6H-dibenzo[b,d]pyran-6-one). The QuEChERS-like approach was optimized, including the nature of the extraction solvent, the sorbent used for clean-up, and extraction time. The final extraction procedure was based on brief mechanical agitation (vortex mixing for 1.5 min), with 7 mL acetonitrile as solvent. Because dispersive solid-phase extraction (d-SPE) did not provide satisfactory results, SPE using SiO₂ was selected for sample purification. Identical results were obtained when the QuEChERS-like and traditional pressurised solvent extraction (PLE) procedures were compared for analysis of fortified ambient air particle samples. The procedure was validated by analysis of two aerosol standard reference materials (NIST SRM 1649b (urban dust) and SRM 2787 (fine particulate matter, <10 μm)). For numerous NPAH and OPAH, this is the first report of their quantification in both SRMs. Compared with other extraction methods, including PLE, the QuEChERS-like procedure resulted in increased productivity and reduced extraction cost. This paper shows that QuEChERS-like extraction procedures can be suitably adapted for molecular chemical characterization of aerosol samples and could be extended to other categories of compound.