Diffusion of Li ion in graphite cluster model at 800 K: a direct molecular orbital dynamics study

Using the hydrogen terminated planar cluster model, C₅₄H₁₈, the stabilization site of Li⁺ ion was determined by the unrestricted Hartree-Fock (UHF) AM1 energy gradient method. Six kinds of stabilization sites are considered, suggesting that the Li⁺ ion is rather stable at the two distinct sites in the bulk where the potential energy difference between them is 2.0 kcal/mol. For the Li⁺ ions stabilized at these two sites, the diffusion processes were simulated at 800 K through the direct molecular orbital dynamics procedure which was newly developed by one of the present authors. No jumping diffusion occurs with Li⁺ ions among the stabilization sites, but they diffuse along the outline of the cluster model with the fluctuations. It takes 2.0 ps for a Li⁺ ion to diffuse from the lower potential site to another equivalent site. On the other hand, it takes 0.7 ps to move from the higher potential site to the unstable circumference site composed of corner (armchair edge) carbon atoms. As the result, the diffusivity is approximated as 10⁻⁸-10⁻⁷ m²/s.     

Molecular dynamics simulation for sodium atom in and on the two layers of C150H 30 graphite plane

For inspection of thermal behaviors of sodium (Na) atom in the bulk and on the surface of two layered hydrogen terminated cluster model, 2C₁₅₀H₃₀, the molecular dynamics calculation was taken place at molecular mechanics 2 level. From the requirement of structural optimization, interlayer distance of 2C₁₅₀H₃₀ is 3.38 Å which is consistent with the observed value. In the cluster models intercalated and adsorbed by one Na atom, C₁₅₀H₃₀·Na·C₁₅₀H₃₀ and Na·2C₁₅₀H₃₀, respectively, the Na atom is stabilized beneath and above the nearest central carbon atom, C₀, in the upper layer where the distances, Na-C₀, are 2.76 and 3.16 Å, respectively. Adsorption of the Na atom to the surface has no influence on the geometrical structure of cluster model, whereas, intercalation to two layers expands the interlayer distance maximally to 5.01 Å which will be responsible for the carbon expansion of graphite electrode in cryolite melt-alumina slurries. Diffusion processes are observed above 200 K for the Na atoms stabilized in both sites. Although the Na atom migrates parallel to the layers in the range between 200 and 300 K in C₁₅₀H₃₀·Na·C₁₅₀H₃₀, it moves above the carbon layer from the center to the circumference periodically below 250 K and gets out at 300 K for Na·2C₁₅₀H₃₀. The migration rates of Na atom are almost the same irrespective of the diffusion areas.     

Adsorption-desorption studies using ESD of CCl2F2, C2H2F2 and C2F6 on tungsten

The behavior of the desorbing F⁺ ion current from electron bombarded CCl₂F₂, C₂H₂F₂ and C₂F₆ adsorbed on tungsten has been used to investigate the processes of adsorption and desorption of these gases. For tungsten near room temperature, measurements of the F⁺ ion current as a function of electron bombardment time indicated very similar or even identical F⁺-yielding adsorbed species resulting from adsorption of either CCl₂F₂ or C₂H₂F₂ and widely different species from C₂F₆. Cl⁺ ions were also observed to desorb from CCl₂F₂ ad-layers. The behavior of the Cl⁺ ion current with time during electron bombardment indicated electronic conversion between adsorbed binding modes. Complementary investigations on the interaction of CCl₂F₂, C₂H₂F₂ and C₂F₆ with tungsten were carried out by thermal desorption experiments in which the F⁺ ion signal was used to observe the coverage decrease of the F⁺-yielding species. The experiments were performed at tungsten temperatures in the 1200–1600 K range. It was concluded that the F⁺-yielding adsorbed species from CCl₂F₂ and C₂H₂F₂ were strongly bound to the tungsten surface. The F⁺-yielding species from C₂F₆ were found to be weakly bound. From a comparison of the ESD and thermal desorption results, the possibility of dissociative adsorption as well as the nature of the adsorbed species is discussed.     

Geometry of the internal dynamics of the 12C13CH 3 + carbocation

The internal dynamics of the ¹²C¹³CH₃⁺ isotopomer of the simplest carbocation is considered to be a distorted dynamics of its symmetric C₂H₃⁺ isotopomer. By using the group-chain methods and assuming quite naturally that the carbocation equilibrium structures continue to be planar and the nonrigid motion occurring between them is retained upon this isotopic substitution, a simple algebraic model is constructed to describe the spectrum of the ¹²C¹³CH₃⁺ isotopomer. The correctness of the model is limited only by that of the adopted geometrical symmetry of internal dynamics of the C₂H₃⁺ isotopomer.     

Adsorption and coadsorption of carbon monoxide and hydrogen on Pd(111)

The adsorption and coadsorption of CO and H₂ have been studied by means of thermal desorption (TD) and electron stimulated desorption (ESD) at temperatures ranging from 250 to 400 K. Three CO TD states, labelled as β₂, β₁, and β₀ were detected after adsorption at 250 K. The population of β₂ and β₁ states which are the only ones observed upon adsorption at temperatures higher than 300 K was found to depend on adsorption temperature. The correlation between the binding states in the TD spectra and the ESD O⁺ and CO⁺ ions observed was discussed. Hydrogen is dissociatively adsorbed on Pd(111) and no ESD H⁺ signal was recorded following H₂ adsorption on a clean Pd surface. The presence of CO was found to cause an appearance of a H⁺ ESD signal, a decrease of hydrogen surface population and an arisement of a broad H₂ TD peak at about 450 K. An apparent influence of hydrogen on CO adsorption was detected at high hydrogen precoverages alone, leading to a decrease in the CO sticking coefficient and the relative population of CO β₂ state. The coadsorption results were interpreted assuming mutual interaction between CO and H at low and medium CO coverages, the “cooperative” species being responsible for the H⁺ ESD signal. Besides, the presence of CO was proved to favour hydrogen penetration into the bulk even at high CO coverage when H atoms were completely displaced from the surface.     

Ultrafast delocalization of hydrogen atoms in allene in intense laser fields

Ultrafast delocalization of hydrogen atoms in allene (CH₂=C=CH₂) induced by intense laser fields was investigated by the Coulomb explosion coincidence momentum imaging method. On the basis of the kinetic energy distributions of the fragment ions produced through the two three-body Coulomb explosion pathways, C₃H₄³⁺ ? H⁺ + CH⁺ + C₂H₂⁺\mathrm{C}_{3}\mathrm{H}_{4}^{3+} \rightarrow \mathrm{H}^{+} + \mathrm{CH}^{+} + \mathrm{C}_{2}\mathrm{H}_{2}^{+} and C₃H₄³⁺ ? H⁺ + C₂H⁺ +CH₂⁺\mathrm{C}_{3}\mathrm{H}_{4}^{3+} \rightarrow \mathrm{H}^{+} + \mathrm{C}_{2}\mathrm{H}^{+} +\mathrm{CH}_{2}^{+}, and the proton maps for both pathways, it was shown that the decomposition proceeds in a stepwise manner as well as in a concerted manner. The time scale of the hydrogen migration within an allene molecule was estimated to be ∼20 fs.     

Effects of subsurface Na,H and C on the bonding of carbon to nickel surfaces

This paper reports the results of a theoretical study of Na, H and C subsurface atomic species in nickel and demonstrates how these interstitial atoms influence the reactivity of the Ni(111) surface and the structure of carbon species adsorbed on the surface. The benzene molecule, C₆H₆, in planar and nonplanar geometries, is used to probe bonding at the surface. Adsorption energies are calculated by ab initio configuration interaction techniques modelling the surface as an embedded cluster. Adsorption energies of planar C₆H₆ at the most stable, three-fold, adsorption site are 18 kcal/mol for the Ni(111) surface, and 10, 19 and 44 kcal/mol in the presence of the Na, H and C interstitials, respectively. The energies required for the planar to puckered distortion are 99 kcal/mol on Ni(111), 69 kcal/mol with the Na interstitial, 83 kcal/mol with H, and 134 kcal/mol with C compared to 198 kcal/mol for distortion of C₆H₆ in the gas phase. The possible relevance of these results to the nucleation of diamond on nickel are discussed. The results indicate that subsurface Na stabilizes tetrahedrally bonded carbon subunits of the diamond structure while subsurface C may make it easier for the overlayer to revert to a planar graphite structure.     

Growth and characterization of two new NLO materials from the amino acid family: l-Histidine nitrate and l-Cysteine tartrate monohydrate

Single crystals of organic nonlinear optical (NLO) materials l-Histidine nitrate (C₆H₁₀N₃O₂)⁺ · (NO₃)⁻ and l-Cysteine tartrate monohydrate (C₃H₈NO₂S)⁺ · (C₄H₅O₆)⁻ · H₂O were grown by submerged seed solution method. Characterization of the crystals was made using single crystal X-ray diffraction. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic studies, optical behaviour such as UV-visible-NIR absorption spectra and second harmonic generation (SHG) conversion efficiency were investigated to explore the NLO characteristics of the above materials. Microhardness measurements and dielectric studies of the compounds were also carried out.     

Electron stimulated desorption of H3O from 316L stainless steel

Surface ions generated by electron stimulated desorption from mass spectrometer ion source grids are frequently observed, but often misidentified. For example, in the case of mass 19, the source is often assumed to be surface fluorine, but since the metal oxide on grid surfaces has been shown to form water and hydroxides, a more compelling case can be made for the formation of hydronium. Further, fluorine is strongly electronegative, so it is rarely generated as a positive ion. A commonly used metal for ion source grids is 316L stainless steel. Thermal vacuum processing by bakeout or radiation heating from the filament typically alters the surface composition to predominantly Cr₂O₃. X-ray photoelectron spectral shoulders on the O 1s and Cr 2p_3/2 peaks can be attributed to adsorbed water and hydroxides, the intensity of which can be substantially increased by hydrogen dosing. On the other hand, the sub-peak intensities are substantially reduced by heating and/or by electron bombardment. Electron bombardment diode measurements show an initial work function increase corresponding to predominant hydrogen desorption (H₂) and a subsequent work function decrease corresponding to predominant oxygen desorption (CO). The fraction of hydroxide concentration on the surface was determined from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and from the deconvolution of temperature desorption spectra. Electron stimulated desorption yields from the surface show unambiguous H₃O⁺ peaks that can be significantly increased by hydrogen dosing. Time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry sputter yields show small signals of H₃O⁺, as well as its constituents (H⁺, O⁺ and OH⁺) and a small amount of fluorine as F⁻, but no F⁺ or F⁺ complexes (HF⁺, etc.). An electron stimulated desorption cross-section of σ⁺ ∼ 1.4 × 10⁻²⁰ cm² was determined for H₃O⁺ from 316L stainless steel for hydrogen residing in surface chromium hydroxide.     

SIMS and TDS study of the reaction of water and oxygen on Pt(111)

The reaction of H₂¹⁶O with ¹⁸O on Pt(111) was investigated using temperature programmed static secondary ion mass spectrometry (TPSSIMS), SSIMS and thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS). The TPSSIMS behavior of the H₃O⁺ and H₃¹⁸O⁺ signals, after coadsorption of the reactants at 95 K, indicates that the isotopic exchange rate increases sharply at temperatures above 130 K. At 150 K, hydroxyl formation is indicated by a sharp drop in the H₃O⁺ and a similar sharp increase in the H₃¹⁸O⁺ signals. Using TDS, the overall stoichiometry of the reaction was determined to be 2H₂O(a)+O(a)→ 3 OH(a)+H(a). SSIMS data suggest that at least two kinds of hydroxyls are formed and that they do not interconvert at 160 K.     

Depth profiling of taxol-loaded poly(styrene-b-isobutylene-b-styrene) using Ga and C60 ion beams

The surface of a triblock copolymer, containing a solid-phase drug, was investigated using 15 keV Ga⁺ and 20 keV C₆₀⁺ ion beams. Overall, the results illustrate the successful use of a cluster ion beam for greatly enhancing the molecular ion and high-mass fragment ion intensities from the surface and bulk of the polymer system. The use of C₆₀⁺ also established the ability to see through common overlayers like poly(dimethyl siloxane) which was not possible using atomic ion sources. Moreover, the use of C₆₀⁺ allowed depth profiles to be obtained using primary ion dose densities in excess of 6 × 10¹⁴ C₆₀⁺/cm². Resulting sputter craters possess relatively flat bottoms without the need for sample rotation and reached depths of ca. 2 μm. AFM results illustrate the more gentile removal of surface species using cluster ions. Specifically, phase contrast and topographic images suggest the relatively high ion doses do not significantly alter the phase distribution or surface topography of the polymer. However, a slight increase in rms roughness was noticed.     

Hydrogen migration tunneling effects in the rotational and vibrational spectrum of protonated acetylene C2H3+

The influence of a possible hydrogen atom migration in protonated acetylene, C₂H₃⁺, on the high-resolution vibration-rotation spectrum of this ion is considered. The migration model, which derives from ab initio calculations, consists of a planar structure with the three hydrogen atoms moving on an approximately elliptical path around the two carbon atoms. Symmetry considerations for this ion are discussed in terms of the permuation-inversion group G₂₄. A method for calculating energy levels for a highly idealized model of this ion can be found in the early microwave literature. In this idealized model, an equilateral triangle of three hydrogen atoms performs internal rotation about a dumbbell of two carbon atoms, with all atoms remaining in the same plane. This model gives rise to a symmetric rotor top, an asymmetric rotor frame, and a sixfold barrier to the internal rotation motion. An alternative method of calculating the migrational tunneling splittings in this ion, involving a more recently proposed algebraic formalism, shows that qualitatively similar splitting patterns are obtained even when the hydrogens are not constrained to form a rigid equilateral triangle during their migration motion. Energy level diagrams, nuclear spin statistical weights, selection rules for electric dipole transitions, etc., are presented. It is hoped that the patterns described in the present work will aid in identifying and interpreting any spectrum of C₂H₃⁺ obtained as a result of ongoing efforts elsewhere in high-resolution ion spectroscopy.     

The role of co-adsorbed O2 on the catalytic reduction of NO with C2H5OH on the surface of Pt(3 3 2)

The influence of pre-dosed O₂ on the catalytic reduction of NO with ¹³C₂H₅OH on the surface of stepped Pt(3 3 2) was investigated using Fourier transform infra red reflection-absorption spectroscopy (FTIR-RAS) and thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS). We show that the oxidation of ¹³C₂H₅OH with O₂ is a very effective reaction, occurring at 150 K and giving rise to acetate. The presence of NO does not lead to any evident oxidation of ¹³C₂H₅OH irrespective of the annealing temperature. For the case of O₂ + ¹³C₂H₅OH + NO co-adlayers, oxidation of ¹³C₂H₅OH also takes place at 150 K. However, no new surface species that are supposed to be an intermediate for the production of N₂ are detected.The influence of O₂ on the production and desorption of N₂ is intimately related to both O₂ and ¹³C₂H₅OH coverage. The presence of pre-dosed O₂ does not greatly promote N₂ desorption. In fact, N₂ desorption is suppressed quantitatively with increasing O₂ coverage, after which unreacted, or left-over O atoms appear and remain on steps. It is concluded that the presence of pre-dosed O₂ does not play a role of activating reactants in the catalytic reduction of NO with ¹³C₂H₅OH on the surface of Pt(3 3 2).     

The Composition of Saturated Vapor over 1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium Tetrafluoroborate Ionic Liquid: A Multi-Technique Study of the Vaporization Process

A multi-technique approach based on Knudsen effusion mass spectrometry, gas phase chromatography, mass spectrometry, NMR and IR spectroscopy, thermal analysis, and quantum-chemical calculations was used to study the evaporation of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (BMImBF₄). The saturated vapor over BMImBF₄ was shown to have a complex composition which consisted of the neutral ion pairs (NIPs) [BMIm⁺][BF₄⁻], imidazole-2-ylidene C₈N₂H₁₄BF₃, 1-methylimidazole C₄N₂H₆, 1-butene C₄H₈, hydrogen fluoride HF, and boron trifluoride BF₃. The vapor composition strongly depends on the evaporation conditions, shifting from congruent evaporation in the form of NIP under Langmuir conditions (open surface) to primary evaporation in the form of decomposition products under equilibrium conditions (Knudsen cell). Decomposition into imidazole-2-ylidene and HF is preferred. The vapor composition of BMImBF₄ is temperature-depended as well: the fraction ratio of [BMIm⁺][BF₄⁻] NIPs to decomposition products decreased by about a factor of three in the temperature range from 450 K to 510 K.     

Substrate effects on the analysis of biomolecular layers using Au, Au3 and C60 bombardments

Effects of platinum silicon, graphite and PET substrates on the secondary ion yield of sub-monolayer and multilayer samples of Cyclosporin A following 20 keV Au⁺, Au₃⁺and C₆₀⁺ impacts have been investigated. The obtained results of sub-monolayer samples show that platinum enhances the yield of the pseudo-molecular ion following Au⁺ and Au₃⁺ impacts due to the high density of the substrate that enables the energy of the primary ions to be deposited near the surface. C₆₀⁺ impacts on sub-monolayer samples are less effective, but there is an enhancement on PET substrates. Impacts of 20 keV Au⁺ and Au₃⁺ are not very efficient on multilayer samples. 20 keV C₆₀⁺ impacts enhance the yields significantly, especially for the relatively high molecular weight [M+H]⁺ ion.     

A study of the relative brönsted acidities of surface complexes on Ag(110)

The relative acidities of a number of Brönsted acids have been established on the Ag(110) surface under UHV conditions. For acids which react completely with adsorbed oxygen atoms on this surface to form H₂O, relative acidities were determined by means of acid-base titration reactions. Adsorbed species such as carboxylates, alkoxides, etc., were formed by reaction of the parent acids with O(a) and then displaced from the surface by titration with stronger acids. Relative acidities of the acids which did not react to completion with O(a) were established on the basis of their relative extents of reaction. The relative acidity scale on Ag(110), according to the reaction BH(g) + B'(a) B'H(g) + B(a) was found to be HCOOH ≈ CH₃COOH>C₂H₅OH> C₂H₂>CH₃OH>C₃H₆, H₂O>C₂H₄, C₂H₆, H₂. This order is in excellent agreement with the acidity scale for these species in the gas phase according to BH(g)B^?(g) + H⁺ (g); it cannot be explained by aqueous dissociation constants or homolytic bond dissociation energies. This result is in accord with the appreciable anionic character of the adsorbed species, since the electron affinity of the base, B, is a strong thermodynamic factor in the acidity in the gas phase. Both XPS and UPS results for adsorbed species on the Ag(110) surface are consistent with this interpretation.     

Experimental and kinetic modeling study of the positive ions in premixed ethylene flames over a range of equivalence ratios

Understanding the ion chemistry in flames is crucial for developing ion sensitive technologies for controlling combustion processes. In this work, we measured the spatial distributions of positive ions in atmospheric-pressure burner-stabilized premixed flames of ethylene/oxygen/argon mixtures in a wide range of equivalence ratios ϕ = 0.4÷1.5. A flame sampling molecular beam system coupled with a quadrupole mass spectrometer was used to obtain the spatial distributions of cations in the flames, and a high mass resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometer was utilized for the identification of the cations having similar m/z ratios. The measured profiles of the flame ions were corrected for the contribution of hydrates formed during sampling in the flames slightly upstream the flame reaction zone. We also proposed an updated ion chemistry model and verified it against the experimental profiles of the most abundant cations in the flames. Our model is based on the kinetic mechanism available in the literature extended with the reactions for C₃H₅⁺ cation. Highly accurate W2-F12 quantum chemical calculations were used to obtain a reliable formation enthalpy of C₃H₅⁺. The model was found to reproduce properly the measured relative abundance of the key oxygenated cations (viz., CH₅O⁺, C₂H₃O⁺) in the whole range of equivalence ratios employed, and the C₃H₅⁺ cation abundance in the richest flame with ϕ=1.5, but significantly underpredicts the relative mole fraction of C₃H₃⁺, which becomes a key species under fuel-rich conditions. Apart from this, several aromatic and cyclic C_xH_y cations dominating under fuel-rich conditions were identified. We also considered the most important directions for the further refinement of the mechanism.     

Primary ion fluence dependence in time-of-flight SIMS of self-assembled monolayer of alkyl thiol molecules on Au(1 1 1)—Discussion of static limit

The nondestructive nature of static secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) in the context of studies of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of organic molecules has been examined by measuring the primary ion fluence dependence of secondary ion signals with two well-known SAMs, C₁₈H₃₇SH on Au(1 1 1) and C₁₈H₃₇PO₃H₂ on freshly cleaved mica. This SIMS analysis is challenging because the bonding nature is delicate and the areal molecular density is less than 10¹⁵ cm⁻². In SIMS, it is prevalently assumed that if the primary ion fluence is confined to not more than 1 × 10¹² cm⁻², all secondary ion signals should not change by more than 10% and the practically defined static condition is satisfied. Our results from time-of-flight SIMS with the common primary ions of Bi₃⁺, Bi⁺ and Ar⁺, indicate that this prevalent static assumption fails for both model SAMs. The SIMS results from the phosphyl case, which have been recently published, consistently display the evidence of bombardment-induced damage. In comparison, the thiol case presented here shows much more complex primary ion fluence dependence of SIMS signals. It is therefore concluded that practical static analysis should use primary ion fluence not more than 1 × 10¹¹ cm⁻² or should simply record and report the effects of primary ion fluence.     

Stretching the limits of static SIMS with C60

Pristine and Au-covered molecular films have been analyzed by ToF-SIMS (TRIFT™), using 15 keV Ga⁺ (FEI) and 15 keV C₆₀⁺ (Ionoptika) primary ion sources. The use of C₆₀⁺ leads to an enormous yield enhancement for gold clusters, especially when the amount of gold is low (2 nmol/cm²), i.e. a situation of relatively small nanoparticles well separated in space. It also allows us to extend significantly the traditional mass range of static SIMS. Under 15 keV C₆₀⁺ ion bombardment, a series of clusters up to a mass of about 20,000 Da (Au₁₀₀⁻: 19,700 Da) is detected. This large yield increase is attributed to the hydrocarbon matrix (low-atomic mass), because the yield increase observed for thick metallic films (Ag, Au) is much lower. The additional yield enhancement factors provided by the Au metallization procedure for organic ions (MetA-SIMS) have been measured under C₆₀⁺ bombardment. They reach a factor of 2 for the molecular ion and almost an order of magnitude for Irganox fragments such as C₄H₉⁺, C₁₅H₂₃O⁺ and C₁₆H₂₃O⁻.     

The hydrogen‐bond effect on the high pressure behavior of hydrazinium monochloride

The first high pressure study of solid hydrazinium monochloride has been performed by in situ Raman spectroscopy and synchrotron X‐ray diffraction (XRD) experiments in diamond anvil cell (DAC) up to 39.5 and 24.6 GPa, respectively. The structure of phase I at room temperature is confirmed to be space group C2/c by the Raman spectral analysis and Rietveld refinement of the XRD pattern. A structural transition from phase I to II is observed at 7.3 GPa. Pressure‐induced position variation of hydrogen atoms in NH₃⁺ unit during the phase transition is attributed to the formation of N―H…Cl hydrogen‐bonds, which play a vital role in the stability and subsequent structural changes of this high energetic material under pressure. This inference is proved from the abnormal pressure shifts and obvious Fermi resonance in NH stretching mode of N₂H₅⁺ ion in the Raman experiment. Finally, a further transition from phase II to III accompanied with a slight internal distortion in the N₂H₅⁺ ions occurs above 19.8 GPa, and phase III persists up to 39.5 GPa. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.