Chemical bond inside a fullerene cage: is it possible?

The geometries, electronic structures, and hyperfine coupling constants of azafullerene C₅₉N (a π-electron radical) and its derivatives, C₅₉NH and endofullerene H@C₅₉N, were calculated at the B3LYP level of the density functional theory. Analysis of calculated potential energy profiles along trajectories of the motion of encapsulated hydrogen atom from the center of the fullerene sphere toward different atoms of C₅₉N revealed formation of a chemical bond between the H atom and a carbon atom that is involved in the 6,6-bond with the N atom and bears the most part of the π-electron spin density. The C—H endo-bond length is 1.12 Å, the bond dissociation energy being equal to 26.4 kcal mol⁻¹. The C—H exo-bond involving the same carbon atom is 0.02 Å shorter than the endo-bond, the bond dissociation energy being much higher (78.4 kcal mol⁻¹).__________Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 1, pp. 51–54, January, 2005.     

Chemical bond inside endohedral complexes H@C59B and H@C59P

The geometries, electronic structures, and spin densities on the atoms of paramagnetic heterofullerenes C₅₉X (X = B, P) and their endohedral derivatives H@C₅₉X were obtained from B3LYP/6-31G* density functional calculations. The encapsulated hydrogen atom can form a C-H bond inside the fullerene sphere. The energies of the C-H(endo) bonds are 40–50 kcal mol⁻¹ lower than those of the corresponding exo-bonds. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 7, pp. 1239–1243, July, 2007.     

Spin density distribution in transition metal complexes

The computational approaches that can be used to calculate the spin density distribution in transition metal compounds are discussed, the characteristic trends involving spin delocalization and spin polarization mechanisms are summarized, and the characteristic shapes of the spin density distributions around a transition metal atom are presented. Reference is also made to experimental methods to determine spin density distributions and to incipient work in the field of high spin molecules and single-molecule magnets.     

Spin quenching of transition metals deposited on MgO insulator and CdO semiconductor density functional calculations

We have analyzed spin quenching of first row transition metals deposited on (001) defect‐free and defect‐containing surfaces of MgO insulator and CdO semiconductor by means of density functional calculations and embedded cluster model. Clusters of moderate sizes were embedded in the simulated Coulomb fields that closely approximate the Madelung fields of the host surfaces, and relaxation of ions that surround the defect sites was taken into account. Spin states of metals deposited on the defect free surfaces were maintained as in the isolated metals except for Ti, V, and Co on MgO, and Ti, V, and Cr on CdO. On the defect containing surfaces, spin states were maintained too except for Fe on MgO, and V and Cr on CdO. The metal‐support interactions stabilize the low spin state of the adsorbed metal with respect to the isolated metal, but the effect was not in general enough to quench the spin. Spin polarization effects tend to preserve the spin states of the adsorbed metals relative to those of the isolated metals. Although charge transfer took place from the adsorbed metal to the insulator surface, it took place the other way round from the semiconductor surface to the adsorbed metal. The encountered variations in magnetic properties were attributed to the smaller band gap of the semiconductor, and the behavior of a single metal atom adsorbed on a particular surface was a result of a competition between Hund's rule for the adsorbed metal and the formation of a chemical bond at the interface. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2011     

Spin density in first-row atoms from the Hiller-Sucher-Feinberg identity

Summary The performance of delta function and Hiller-Sucher-Feinberg (HSF) operators is compared for calculations of the electronic spin density at the nucleus, which determines the observed Fermi contact hyperfine splitting. Calculations are performed on the ground states of the first-row open-shell atoms boron through fluorine. The wavefunctions include low order spin polarization effects calculated through the multiconfigurational self-consistent-field procedure. It is shown that while delta function and HSF operators give nearly the same results when essentially exact numerical grid methods are used, the HSF operator gives a significant advantage when contracted Gaussian type basis sets are utilized.     

s-p Separation Model Indo-Mo Method and the Theoretical Study of 1H Hyperfine Coupling Constant

We have recently developed a modification of the traditional semiempirical INDO-MO method especially useful for open shell problems: INDO with s-p separation (J. Chin. Chem. Soc., 32, 385(1985)). In order to show the reliability of our new method fifty seven free radicals and radical ions were selected as examples for our MO calculation. We are particularly interested in the unpaired electron distribution of hydrogen atoms. A linear correlation analysis between the spin density and the isotropic hyperfine coupling constant (a_H) for ¹H has been carried out for these radicals and ions. Most of our calculated a_H's are better than the results reported using the conventional INDO method.     

The use of the hybrid density functional theory (DFT) approach for calculation of vibrational spectra: nitromethane

The molecular geometry of nitromethane was optimized and its force field and vibrational spectrum were calculated by the BECKE3LYP method. The accuracy of optimization of the geometry of MeNO₂ obtained by this method using the 6–311G(d,p) and 6–311++G(d,p) basis sets is not poorer than that obtained at the second-order Møller-Plesset level of perturbation theory (MP2). The vibrational frequencies of nitromethane and its d₁, d₂, and d₃ isotopomers obtained by the BECKE3LYP method are in much better agreement with the experimental data than those calculated at the MP2 level using the same basis set. The average absolute error of calculations performed without the use of any scaling factors is ～2% for frequencies; the maximum deviation is ～4%.     

ESR study of the radicals obtained from adducts of dialkyl itaconates with bromotrichloromethane

Three kinds of bromides were prepared from the reaction of dialkyl itaconates with bromotrichloromethane as precursors of analogous radicals for the propagating radicals of some dialkyl itaconates, i.e., the methyl, deuterated methyl, and adamantyl ester derivatives. The radicals were generated by photoirradiation of a toluene solution of the bromides in the presence of hexabutylditin at −60 to 60°C, and ESR spectra were recorded. Hyperfine splitting and the temperature dependence of the linewidth were determined. The β-deuterated radicals were also characterized to determine a coupling to β-hydrogens. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 1969–1978, 1999     

The Design of Novel High Spin Molecules with Two-atoms Spin Centers

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Spin Multiplicity Dependence of Nonlinear Optical Properties

Spin‐restricted time‐dependent DFT for open‐shell systems is used to study the spin multiplicity dependence of nonlinear optical coefficients. Calculations are performed for various spin states of the pyrrole radical (see figure). The results indicate a substantial dependence on spin multiplicity of the NLO properties, which are sensitive to the basis set compared to closed shells at the DFT level of theory.

     

Isomerization and decomposition of germiranes: a density functional study

The formation and decomposition pathways of germiranes (germacyclopropanes), i.e., products of reactions of the GeH₂ and GeMe₂ germylenes with ethylene, tetramethylethylene, buta-1,2,3-triene, and tetramethylbuta-1,2,3-triene, were studied using the density functional approach (PBE/TZ2P approximation). The thermodynamic stabilities of the structures under consideration were evaluated by calculating the Gibbs free energies under normal conditions (ΔG°₂₉₈). Addition of germylenes to the C=C bond can proceed as a single-step process without a barrier or involve the formation of a π-complex (the barrier to this process is lower than the sum of the energies of isolated reactants). Stability of the germiranes formed is determined by their stability to retrodecomposition into the initial germylene and olefin and to the three-membered ring opening followed by simultaneous 1,2-migration of the substituent at the Ge atom and formation of the secondary germylene. Alkyl substituents can efficiently block the opening of the three-membered ring and transformation of the cyclic structure into the secondary germylene, simultaneously decreasing the germirane stability to retrodecomposition. Decomposition into germylene and olefin under normal conditions is thermally favorable for hexamethylgermirane (ΔG°₂₉₈ = −5.7 kcal mol⁻¹), being thermally forbidden for the other germiranes studied in this work (Δ G°₂₉₈ > 0). The activation energy (E _a) for the germirane ring opening depends on the substituents at the germanium atom, namely, E _a ≤ 10 kcal mol⁻¹ for unsubstituted germiranes and E _a > 30 kcal mol⁻¹ for methyl-substituted germiranes. Taking the experimentally isolated germirane as an example, it was shown how the introduction of substituents and modification of the carbon skeleton make it possible to stabilize the germacyclopropane system. Dedicated to Academician A. L. Buchachenko on the occasion of his 70th birthday. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 9, pp. 1943–1951, September, 2005.     

Magnitude of Finite‐Nucleus‐Size Effects in Relativistic Density Functional Computations of Indirect NMR Nuclear Spin–Spin Coupling Constants

A spherical Gaussian nuclear charge distribution model has been implemented for spin‐free (scalar) and two‐component (spin–orbit) relativistic density functional calculations of indirect NMR nuclear spin–spin coupling (J‐coupling) constants. The finite nuclear volume effects on the hyperfine integrals are quite pronounced and as a consequence they noticeably alter coupling constants involving heavy NMR nuclei such as W, Pt, Hg, Tl, and Pb. Typically, the isotropic J‐couplings are reduced in magnitude by about 10 to 15 % for couplings between one of the heaviest NMR nuclei and a light atomic ligand, and even more so for couplings between two heavy atoms. For a subset of the systems studied, viz. the Hg atom, Hg₂²⁺, and Tl? X where X=Br, I, the basis set convergence of the hyperfine integrals and the coupling constants was monitored. For the Hg atom, numerical and basis set calculations of the electron density and the 1s and 6s orbital hyperfine integrals are directly compared. The coupling anisotropies of TlBr and TlI increase by about 2 % due to finite‐nucleus effects.     

Solid‐State NMR Correlation Experiments and Distance Measurements in Paramagnetic Metalorganics Exemplified by Cu‐Cyclam

We show how to record and analyze solid‐state NMR spectra of organic paramagnetic complexes with moderate hyperfine interactions using the Cu‐cyclam complex as an example. Assignment of the ¹³C signals was performed with the help of density functional theory (DFT) calculations. An initial assignment of the ¹H signals was done by means of ¹H–¹³C correlation spectra. The possibility of recording a dipolar HSQC spectrum with the advantage of direct ¹H acquisition is discussed. Owing to the paramagnetic shifting the resolution of such paramagnetic ¹H spectra is generally better than for diamagnetic solid samples, and we exploit this advantage by recording ¹H–¹H correlation spectra with a simple and short pulse sequence. This experiment, along with a Karplus relation, allowed for the completion of the ¹H signal assignment. On the basis of these data, we measured the distances of the carbon atoms to the copper center in Cu‐cyclam by means of ¹³C R₂ relaxation experiments combined with the electronic relaxation determined by EPR.     

Analytical formulas for the magnetic field produced by a spin or a paramagnetic current density in the case of Gaussian basis functions

We present a derivation of simple formulas for the evaluation at any point of space of the magnetic field produced by a spin or a paramagnetic orbital current when Cartesian Gaussian basis functions are used, as is often the case in quantum chemistry. These formulas can be useful to plot the magnetic field vector density obtained from ab initio calculations or from a density operator fitted on experimental data. The magnetic field density is the observable probed in polarized neutron diffraction (PND) experiment, for it is, in fact, with this quantity that the neutron spins interact and not with the spin or magnetization density. The formulas make extensive use of the confluent hypergeometric function. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quant Chem 81: 11–15, 2001     

Revisiting the Intriguing Electronic Features of the BeOBeC Carbyne and Some Isomers: A Quantum-Chemical Assessment

Extensive high-level quantum-chemical calculations reveal that the rod-shaped molecule BeOBeC, which was recently generated in matrix experiments, exists in two nearly isoenergetic states, the ⁵Σ quintet (⁵ 6 ) and the ³Σ triplet (³ 6 ). Their IR features are hardly distinguishable at finite temperature. The major difference concerns the mode of spin coupling between the terminal beryllium and carbon atoms. Further, the ground-state potential-energy surface of the [2Be,C,O] system at 4 K is presented and differences between the photochemical and thermal behaviors are highlighted. Finally, a previously not considered, so far unknown C_2v-symmetric rhombus-like four-membered ring ³[Be(O)(C)Be] (³ 5 ) is predicted to represent the global minimum on the potential-energy surface.     

DFT study of the geometrical and electronic structure of substituted cumulenes in netral and cationic forms

The geometrical and basic energy parameters of monosubstituted cumulenes and their singly and doubly charged cations were calculated by the Hartree-Fock and density functional (DFT) methods at a B3LYP level of theory using the 6-31G(d) basis set. The substituent was fluorine, cyan, amino group, phenyl, cyanophenyl, aminophenyl, or dimethylaminophenyl. In extended linear carbon systems based on cumulene, rotation of a terminal fragment depends on the character of the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) from which electrons are removed. The terminal group rotates through 90 only when the contribution of electron density from the π molecular orbital (MO) of unsubstituted cumulene to the HOMO of substituted cumulene is over 70%. Otherwise, the terminal group rotates through a smaller angle; with a contribution of less than 30%, the dication is planar in any substituted cumulene. Thus quantitative criteria have been determined to evaluate the specific structural effect due to ionization of substituted cumulenes.     

NMR spectra of paramagnetic complexes of 1-vinylimidazole with iron group metals

The high-resolution ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectra of 1-vinylimidazole complexes with iron group metals were recorded. The contact coupling in these systems was established in the ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectra. The applicability of the NMR spectra transformed by long-range hyperfine coupling for elucidating the molecular structure of the ligand was shown. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 6, pp. 1430–1433, June, 2005.     

Two‐Step Spin Transition in a 1D FeII 1,2,4‐Triazole Chain Compound

A thermochromic 1D spin crossover coordination (SCO) polymer [Fe(βAlatrz)₃](BF₄)₂ ? 2 H₂O ( 1? 2 H₂O), whose precursor βAlatrz, (1,2,4‐triazol‐4‐yl‐propionate) has been tailored from a β‐amino acid ester is investigated in detail by a set of superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID), ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer, differential scanning calorimetry, infrared, and Raman measurements. An hysteretic abrupt two‐step spin crossover (T_1/2^↓=230 K and T_1/2^↑=235 K, and T_1/2^↓=172 K and T_1/2^↑=188 K, respectively) is registered for the first time for a 1,2,4‐triazole‐based Fe^II 1D coordination polymer. The two‐step SCO configuration is observed in a 1:2 ratio of low‐spin/high‐spin in the intermediate phase for a 1D chain. The origin of the stepwise transition was attributed to a distribution of chains of different lengths in 1? 2 H₂O after First Order Reversal Curves (FORC) analyses. A detailed DFT analysis allowed us to propose the normal mode assignment of the Raman peaks in the low‐spin and high‐spin states of 1? 2 H₂O. Vibrational spectra of 1? 2 H₂O reveal that the BF₄^? anions and water molecules play no significant role on the vibrational properties of the [Fe(βAlatrz)₃]²⁺ polymeric chains, although non‐coordinated water molecules have a dramatic influence on the emergence of a step in the spin transition curve. The dehydrated material [Fe(βAlatrz)₃](BF₄)₂ ( 1 ) reveals indeed a significantly different magnetic behavior with a one‐step SCO which was also investigated.     

Wolves in Sheep's Clothing: μ‐Oxo‐Diiron Corroles Revisited

For well over 20 years, μ‐oxo‐diiron corroles, first reported by Vogel and co‐workers in the form of μ‐oxo‐bis[(octaethylcorrolato)iron] (Mössbauer δ 0.02 mm s^?1, ΔE_Q 2.35 mm s^?1), have been thought of as comprising a pair antiferromagnetically coupled low‐spin Fe^IV centers. The remarkable stability of these complexes, which can be handled at room temperature and crystallographically analyzed, present a sharp contrast to the fleeting nature of enzymatic, iron(IV)‐oxo intermediates. An array of experimental and theoretical methods have now shown that the iron centers in these complexes are not Fe^IV but intermediate‐spin Fe^III coupled to a corrole^.2?. The intramolecular spin couplings in {Fe[TPC]}₂(μ‐O) were analyzed via DFT(B3LYP) calculations in terms of the Heisenberg–Dirac–van Vleck spin Hamiltonian H=J_Fe–corrole(S_Fe?S_corrole)+J_Fe–Fe′(S_Fe?S_Fe′)+J_{Fe′–corrole}(S_Fe′?S_corrole′), which yielded J_Fe–corrole=J_{Fe′–corrole′}=0.355 eV (2860 cm^?1) and J_Fe–Fe′=0.068 eV (548 cm^?1). The unexpected stability of μ‐oxo‐diiron corroles thus appears to be attributable to charge delocalization via ligand noninnocence.