Reactivity Control of C?H Bond Activation over Vanadium–Silver Bimetallic Oxide Cluster Cations

Vanadium–silver bimetallic oxide cluster ions (V_xAg_yO_z⁺; x=1–4, y=1–4, z=3–11) are produced by laser ablation and reacted with ethane in a fast‐flow reactor. A reflectron time of flight (Re‐TOF) mass spectrometer is used to detect the cluster distribution before and after the reactions. Hydrogen atom abstraction (HAA) reactions are identified over VAgO₃⁺, V₂Ag₂O₆⁺, V₂Ag₄O₇⁺, V₃AgO₈⁺, V₃Ag₃O₉⁺, and V₄Ag₂O₁₁⁺ ions, in which the oxygen‐centered radicals terminally bonded on V atoms are active sites for the facile HAA reactions. DFT calculations are performed to study the structures, bonding, and reactivity. The reaction mechanisms of V₂Ag₂O₆⁺+C₂H₆ are also given. The doped Ag atoms with a valence state of +1 are highly dispersed at the periphery of the V_xAg_yO_z⁺ cluster ions. The reactivity can be well‐tuned gradually by controlling the number of Ag atoms. The steric protection due to the peripherally bonded Ag atoms greatly enhances the selectivity of the V–Ag bimetallic oxide clusters with respect to the corresponding pure vanadium oxide systems.     

Computational studies of stable hexanuclear CulAgmAun (l + m + n = 6; l,m, n > 0) clusters

A DFT study was carried out on the ground state structures of ternary Cu_lAg_mAu_n (l + m + n = 6) clusters, with the aim of investigating changes of thermal and kinetic stabilities as an effect of composition, as well as the composition dependence of the electrostatic potential, of stable planar structures. DFT optimizations were performed using the PBE functional and the SDD basis set. All the optimized structures adopt planar geometries with bent triangular structures. Calculated binding energy values are in the range 1.5–1.9 eV/atom, which shows their thermal stability. The predicted HOMO‐LUMO energy gap values are in the semiconductor region, providing a qualitative indication of a moderate kinetic stability. NBO analyses indicate the existence of two mechanisms promoting planar structural stability, one due to bonding‐antibonding orbital interaction, and the other one due to the well‐known spd hybridization. Wiberg indices were obtained showing interatomic bonding. Electrostatic potential calculations show the existence of nucleophilic attack regions preferentially around silver and copper atoms located at the vertices while electrophilic attack regions are found in the vicinity of gold atoms over the cluster plane. Apparently, charge transfer occurs toward gold from silver and copper atoms when the concentration is favorable in the proximity of gold atoms. In particular, if the small ternary clusters discussed here contain only one gold atom, then a high electron density is observed at the site of this gold atom. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

A density functional theory study on the Ag<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis></Subscript>H (<Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis> = 1–10) clusters

Density functional GGA-PW91 method with DNP basis set is applied to optimize the geometries of Ag _n H (n = 1–10) clusters. For the lowest energy geometries of Ag _n H (n = 1–10) clusters, the hydrogen atom prefers to occupy the two-fold coordination bridge site except the occupation of single-fold coordination site in AgH cluster. After adsorption of hydrogen atom, most Ag _n structures are slightly perturbed and only the Ag₆ structure in Ag₆H cluster is distorted obviously. The Ag–Ag bond is strengthened and the strength of Ag–H bond exhibits a clear odd–even oscillation like the strength of Au–H bond in Au _n H clusters, indicating that the hydrogen atom is more favorable to be adsorbed by odd-numbered pure silver clusters. The adsorption strength of small silver cluster toward H atom is obviously weaker than that of small gold cluster toward H atom due to the strong scalar relativistic effect in small gold cluster. The pronounced odd–even alternation of the magnetic moments is observed in Ag _n H systems, indicating that the Ag _n H clusters possess tunable magnetic properties by adsorbing hydrogen atom onto odd-numbered or even-numbered small silver cluster.     

A DFT Investigation of Surface‐Enhanced Raman Scattering of Adenine and 2′‐Deoxyadenosine 5′‐Monophosphate on Ag20 Nanoclusters

We present a detailed analysis of the surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of adenine and 2′‐deoxyadenosine 5′‐monophosphate (dAMP) adsorbed on an Ag₂₀ cluster by using density functional theory. Calculated Raman spectra show that spectral features of all complexes depend greatly on adsorption sites of adenine and dAMP. The complexes consisting of adenine adsorbed on the Ag₂₀ cluster through N3 reproduce the measured SERS spectra in silver colloids, and thus demonstrated that adenine interacts with the silver surface via N3. We also investigate the SERS spectrum of adenine at the junction between two Ag₂₀ clusters and demonstrate that adenine can bind to the clusters through N3 and the external amino group, while dAMP can be adsorbed on the cluster in an end‐on orientation with the ribose and phosphate groups near to or away from the silver cluster. In contrast to the adenine–Ag₂₀ complexes, the dAMP–Ag₂₀ complexes produce new and strong bands in the low‐ or high‐wavenumber region of the Raman spectra, due to vibrations of the ribose and phosphate groups. Furthermore, the spectrum of dAMP bound to the Ag₂₀ cluster via N7 approaches the experimental SERS spectra on silver colloids.     

The Fukui function of an atom in a molecule: A criterion to characterize the reactive sites of chemical species

The principle of hard and soft acids and bases is interpreted as the result of two opposing tendencies, one related to the charge transfer process (chemical potential equalization principle), and the other one related to the reshuffling of the electronic density (maximum hardness or minimum softness principle). A local version of the principle is elucidated by assuming that these tendencies are dominated by the local properties rather than by the global properties of the molecule. This principle is used together with the Fukui function of the atoms in the molecule to characterize the reactive sites. The results presented for the nucleophilic addition to the pyridinium ion, and for the electrophilic substitution on pyridine oxide show the usefulness of these concepts in describing the inherent reactivity of chemical species.     

Silver-halogen cluster compounds Ag n X m (n≥2; 0≤m≤n;X=F,Br)

Nonstoichiometric silver-halogen cluster compounds Ag _n X _m (0≤m≤n;X=F, Br) are generated by cocondensation of Ag atoms and AgX species using a slightly modified gas aggregation technique. The AgX molecules are produced by partial decomposition of SF₆ and Br₂ respectively at the surface of the hot silver containing crucible, followed by the reaction of halogen atoms with silver, giving rise to the formation of AgX molecules. In a heterogeneous nucleation between these molecules and evaporated Ag atoms the afore mentioned cluster compounds are formed. The degree of halogenation can either be controlled by the adjustment of the silver evaporation rate, or even more easily by controlling the partial pressure of the halogenating agent. The mass spectra of singly charged halogenated clusters, which are generated by electron impact ionization, reflect the stability of ions. These mass spectra demonstrate that there is an alternation in the intensity pattern up to a relatively high degree of halogenation (m) for each of the investigated compound series Ag _n X _m ,n≤8. This behavior is similar to the well-known odd-even effect for pure metal clusters, allowing us to postulate the existence of a “metallic” core which governs the stability of the cluster ion (at least for not too high degree of halogenation).     

The adsorptions of silver-doped small gold clusters toward carbon monoxide molecule

An all-electron scalar relativistic calculation on Au _n AgCO (n = 1–12) clusters has been performed using density functional theory with the generalized gradient approximation at PW91 level. The introduction of impurity silver weakens the adsorption, and, however, promotes the reactivity enhancement of CO molecule. The CO molecule is relatively more favorable to be adsorbed by the odd-numbered Au _n Ag clusters with closed-shell electronic structure. The values of chemical hardness indicate that the Au _n AgCO cluster is less stable than the corresponding Au _n+1CO cluster chemically. This picture of the influence of impurity silver on the adsorption behavior of Au _n Ag (n = 1–12) clusters toward CO molecule is consistent with previous experimental work (Haeck et al. in J Phys Chem A 115:2103, 2011), in which the cluster’s reaction probability toward CO molecule is reduced upon substitution of gold atoms for silver and the clusters with closed electronic shell are the most reactive toward CO molecule.     

Linker Flexibility-Dependent Cluster Transformations and Cluster-Controlled Luminescence in Isostructural Silver Cluster-Assembled Materials (SCAMs)

Silver chalcogenolate clusters (SCCs) and silver cluster-assembled materials (SCAMs) are an important category of novel luminescent materials, the emission of which can be modulated by variation of the cluster nodes and linker species. Here, the successfully synthesis of two isostructural 2D SCAMs is reported: Ag₁₂bpa and Ag₁₂bpe are formed by using two linkers with different conformational freedom (bpa=1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane, bpe=1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethylene), with dodenuclear silver chalcogenolate clusters as secondary building units (SBUs). Interestingly, nonluminescent Ag₁₂bpa at room temperature could quickly transform into 1D Ag₁₀bpa , with concomitant dissociation of two silver atoms and the remaining ten silver atoms rearranging in the cluster, thus exhibiting an intense yellow phosphorescence after being triggered by acetonitrile (CH₃CN). Similarly, stimulating Ag₁₂bpe with CH₃CN, by contrast, gave another 2D structure Ag₁₂bpe-1b with the distorted SBUs and different topology structure, and both of them are merely red-emissive at low temperature. To note, after exchanging ligands, room-temperature nonluminescent 2D Ag₁₂bpe-1b can be transformed into intensely luminescent 1D Ag₁₀bpa . This linker-flexibility-dependent structural transformation and cluster-based SBU controlled luminescence remains scarce. Our work provides new insights into structure–luminescence relationship in clustered metal–organic frameworks and intelligent stimulus-responsive luminescent materials.     

Structural and energetic properties of Ni-Cu bimetallic clusters

The lowest-energy structures for all compositions of Ni n Cu m bimetallic clusters with N = n + m up to 20 atoms, N = 23, and N = 38 atoms have been determined using a genetic algorithm for unbiased structure optimization in combination with an embedded-atom method for the calculation of the total energy for a given structure. Comparing bimetallic clusters with homoatomic clusters of the same size, it is shown that the most stable structures for each cluster size are composed entirely of Ni atoms. Among the bimetallic clusters in the size range N = 2-20, the Ni N-1 Cu 1 clusters possess the highest stability. Further, it has been established that most of the bimetallic cluster structures have geometries similar to those of pure Ni clusters. The size N = 38 presents a special case, as the bimetallic clusters undergo a dramatic structural change with increasing atom fraction of Cu. Moreover, we have identified an icosahedron, a double, and a triple icosahedron with one, two, and three Ni atoms at the centers, respectively, as particularly stable structures. We show that in all global-minimum structures Ni atoms tend to occupy mainly high-coordination inner sites, and we confirm the segregation of Cu on the surface of Ni-Cu bimetallic clusters predicted in previous studies. Finally, it is observed that, in contrast to the bulk, the ground-state structures of the 15-, 16-, and 17-atom bimetallic clusters do not experience a smooth transition between the structures of the pure copper and the pure nickel clusters as a function of the relative number of the two types of atoms. For these sizes, the concentration effect on energy is more important than the geometric one.     

Adsorption of NO2 on Small Silver Clusters with Copper Impurity: A Density Functional Study

Density functional theory calculations were performed to investigate the structural and energetic properties of NO₂ adsorption on small bimetallic Ag _n Cu _m clusters (n?+?m?≤?5). Generally NO₂ is adsorbed in bridge configuration. The adsorbates prefer Cu sites when both Ag and Cu co-exist in the clusters. The adsorption energies and the dissociation energies of the complex clusters increase as the Cu content increases for the given cluster size. Our calculation suggests that the bimetallic Ag _n Cu _m may react with NO₂ dissociatively by way of Ag atom, Ag₂ or AgCu loss. The N–O vibrational properties of the complex clusters were also discussed and analyzed.     

Geometries and stabilities of Ag n v (v?=?±1, 0; n?=?21–29) clusters

We performed a systematical study on the lowest-energy structures of the medium-sized silver clusters Ag _n (n?=?21?C29) by using a genetic algorithm coupled with a tight-binding method, and the DFT calculations with Perdew?CWang generalized-gradient approximation. The corresponding cluster ions were also searched based on the neutral cluster structures. It is found that the Ag_21?C23 prefer icosahedron or double-icosahedron as core structures. Ag _n (n?=?24?C27) favor a bulk-like fcc stacking motif. Ag₂₈ and Ag₂₉ tend to high symmetrical structures. The relative stabilities, the ionization potentials and electronic affinities of silver clusters analyzed in the paper are consistent with the experimental data. It is interesting to find that the experimental spectra fit reasonable well the optical absorption spectra obtained with the structures calculated by us.     

Structures of bimetallic clusters

We report an optimization algorithm for studying bimetallic nanoclusters. The algorithm combines two state-of-the-art methods, the genetic algorithm and the basin hopping approach, widely employed in the literature for predicting structures of pure metallic and nonmetallic clusters. To critically test the present algorithm and its use in determining the lowest-energy structures of bimetallic nanoclusters, we apply it to study the bimetallic clusters Cu(n)Au(38-n) (0< or =n< or =38). It is predicted that the Au atoms, being larger in size than the Cu atoms, prefer to occupy surface sites showing thus the segregating behavior. As the atom fraction of Cu increases, the bimetallic cluster Cu(n)Au(38-n), as a whole, first takes on an amorphous structure and is followed by dramatic changes in structure with the Cu atoms revealing hexagonal, then assuming pentagonal, and finally shifting to octahedral symmetry in the Cu-rich range.