Revelation of ESIPT mechanism for the novel fluorescent system HNIBT in toluene and methanol solvents: A TDDFT study

In this work, we devote to explore excited‐state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) behavior for a novel fluorescent molecule naphthalimide‐based 2‐(2‐hydroxyphenyl)‐benzothiazole (HNIBT) [New J. Chem. 2019, 43, 9152.] in toluene and methanol (MeOH) solvents. Exploring weak interactions, stable HNIBT‐enol, and HNIBT‐MeOH‐enol complex can be found in S₀ state via TDDFT/B3LYP/6‐311+G(d,p) level. Given photoexcitation, intramolecular hydrogen bond O1? H2···N3 of HNIBT‐enol and HNIBT‐MeOH‐enol is dramatically enhanced, which offers impetus for facilitates ESIPT reaction. After repeated comparisons, we verify the unavailability of intermolecular hydrogen bonding effects between HNIBT‐enol and MeOH molecules. In view of excitation, HOMO (π) → LUMO (π*) transition and the changes of electronical densities indeed impulse ESIPT tendency. Via constructing potential energy curves (PECs), for both HNIBT‐enol and HNIBT‐MeOH‐enol complex, the ESIPT could only occur along with intramolecular hydrogen bond O1? H2···N3. Through comparison, the potential barrier falls from 4.124 kcal/mol (HNIBT‐enol) to 2.132 kcal/mol (HNIBT‐MeOH‐enol). Therefore, we confirm that the ESIPT of the HNIBT system happens more easily in the MeOH solvent compared with the toluene solvent.     

Fitting elephants in the density functionals zoo: Statistical criteria for the evaluation of density functional theory methods as a suitable replacement for counting parameters

Counting parameters has become customary in the density functional theory community as a way to infer the transferability of popular approximations to the exchange‐correlation functionals. Recent work in data science, however, has demonstrated that the number of parameters of a fitted model is not related to the complexity of the model itself, nor to its eventual overfitting. Using similar arguments, here, we show that it is possible to represent every modern exchange‐correlation functional approximations using just one single parameter. This procedure proves the futility of the number of parameters as a measure of transferability. To counteract this shortcoming, we introduce and analyze the performance of three statistical criteria for the evaluation of the transferability of exchange‐correlation functionals. The three criteria are called Akaike information criterion, Vapnik‐Chervonenkis criterion, and cross‐validation criterion and are used in a preliminary assessment to rank 60 exchange‐correlation functional approximations using the ASCDB database of chemical data.     

Recent Progress in the Simulation of Chiral Systems with Real Time Propagation Methods

In this brief review, an overview about recent efforts to simulate the spectroscopic signatures of chiral molecules is given with focus on real time propagation approaches to solve the time-dependent Schrödinger equation. In particular the simulation of electric circular dichroism spectra and vibrational Raman optical activity is discussed. In comparison to linear absorption spectra, where only the response of the electric dipole moment is necessary, the response of the magnetic dipole moment and electric quadrupole moment is more intricate. Issues such as gauge origin dependence, basis set dependence, non-local potentials and the dipole approximation are addressed.     

金属性二维过渡金属硫化物的溶剂热合成及电催化析氢性能

采用溶剂热法制备了多种二维过渡金属硫化物(TMDCs), 在合成过程中通过调控反应前驱体的滴加速率来控制所得TMDCs的形貌和结构. 然后采用高温热处理来提高TMDCs的结晶性, 从而提升了其电催化活性. 在酸性电解液中进行电催化析氢性能测试. 结果表明, “花状”结构的金属性二维二硫化铌(NbS₂)具有最佳的催化活性和稳定性, 在电流密度为10 mA/cm²时, 其过电位仅为146 mV, 持续工作24 h后电流密度几乎不衰减. 研究发现, 可充分暴露面内活性位点的“花状”结构以及高温处理后材料导电性的提高是二维NbS₂具有优异电催化性能的主要因素.     

质子水合结构的振动态密度分析

使用基于多态经验价键模型的分子动力学模拟, 对水溶液中质子的水合结构及其在质子传递过程中的动力学过程进行了研究. 在价键模型的方法下, 质子的水合结构主要以H₉O₄⁺(Eigen)以及过渡态的H₅O₂⁺(Zundel)结构形态存在, 且在这两种结构中以Eigen的形态表现明显. 通过对质子传递过程中不同水合结构的态密度频谱分析, 发现一个在2000~3000 cm^-1范围内的明显连续的宽吸收谱带, 主要归因于Eigen结构的贡献, 这些特征峰的出现与水合氢离子第一溶剂化层内的强氢键作用密切相关. 对于Zundel的结构, 在1760 cm^-1处出现一个较为明显的肩峰, 归属为质子传递模式的特征振动. 通过对质子水合结构态密度频谱的分析, 可望增强对于稀酸溶液红外光谱中的连续宽吸收带以及质子传递的微观动力学过程的理解.     

Click Chemistry in Ultra-high Vacuum – Tetrazine Coupling with Methyl Enol Ether Covalently Linked to Si(001)

The additive-free tetrazine/enol ether click reaction was performed in ultra-high vacuum (UHV) with an enol ether group covalently linked to a silicon surface: Dimethyl 1,2,4,5-tetrazine-3,6-dicarboxylate molecules were coupled to the enol ether group of a functionalized cyclooctyne which was adsorbed on the silicon (001) surface via the strained triple bond of cyclooctyne. The reaction was observed at a substrate temperature of 380 K by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). A moderate energy barrier was deduced for this click reaction in vacuum by means of density functional theory based calculations, in good agreement with the experimental results. This UHV-compatible click reaction thus opens a new, flexible route for synthesizing covalently bound organic architectures.     

Interaction of Hydrogen with Ceria: Hydroxylation,Reduction, and Hydride Formation on the Surface and in the Bulk

The study reports the first attempt to address the interplay between surface and bulk in hydride formation in ceria (CeO₂) by combining experiment, using surface sensitive and bulk sensitive spectroscopic techniques on the two sample systems, i.e., CeO₂(111) thin films and CeO₂ powders, and theoretical calculations of CeO₂(111) surfaces with oxygen vacancies (O_v) at the surface and in the bulk. We show that, on a stoichiometric CeO₂(111) surface, H₂ dissociates and forms surface hydroxyls (OH). On the pre-reduced CeO_2−x samples, both films and powders, hydroxyls and hydrides (Ce−H) are formed on the surface as well as in the bulk, accompanied by the Ce³⁺ ↔ Ce⁴⁺ redox reaction. As the O_v concentration increases, hydroxyl is destabilized and hydride becomes more stable. Surface hydroxyl is more stable than bulk hydroxyl, whereas bulk hydride is more stable than surface hydride. The surface hydride formation is the kinetically favorable process at relatively low temperatures, and the resulting surface hydride may diffuse into the bulk region and be stabilized therein. At higher temperatures, surface hydroxyls can react to produce water and create additional oxygen vacancies, increasing its concentration, which controls the H₂/CeO₂ interaction. The results demonstrate a large diversity of reaction pathways, which have to be taken into account for better understanding of reactivity of ceria-based catalysts in a hydrogen-rich atmosphere.     

Probing the Local Reaction Environment During High Turnover Carbon Dioxide Reduction with Ag-Based Gas Diffusion Electrodes

Discerning the influence of electrochemical reactions on the electrode microenvironment is an unavoidable topic for electrochemical reactions that involve the production of OH⁻ and the consumption of water. That is particularly true for the carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO₂RR), which together with the competing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) exert changes in the local OH⁻ and H₂O activity that in turn can possibly affect activity, stability, and selectivity of the CO₂RR. We determine the local OH⁻ and H₂O activity in close proximity to a CO₂-converting Ag-based gas diffusion electrode (GDE) with product analysis using gas chromatography. A Pt nanosensor is positioned in the vicinity of the working GDE using shear-force-based scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) approach curves, which allows monitoring changes invoked by reactions proceeding within an otherwise inaccessible porous GDE by potentiodynamic measurements at the Pt-tip nanosensor. We show that high turnover HER/CO₂RR at a GDE lead to modulations of the alkalinity of the local electrolyte, that resemble a 16 m KOH solution, variations that are in turn linked to the reaction selectivity.     

Highly Emissive 9-Borafluorene Derivatives: Synthesis,Photophysical Properties and Device Fabrication

A series of 9-borafluorene derivatives, functionalised with electron-donating groups, have been prepared. Some of these 9-borafluorene compounds exhibit strong yellowish emission in solution and in the solid state with relatively high quantum yields (up to 73.6 % for FMesB-Cz as a neat film). The results suggest that the highly twisted donor groups suppress charge transfer, but the intrinsic photophysical properties of the 9-borafluorene systems remain. The new compounds showed enhanced stability towards the atmosphere, and exhibited excellent thermal stability, revealing their potential for application in materials science. Organic light-emitting diode (OLED) devices were fabricated with two of the highly emissive compounds, and they exhibited strong yellow-greenish electroluminescence, with a maximum luminance intensity of >22 000 cd m⁻². These are the first two examples of 9-borafluorene derivatives being used as light-emitting materials in OLED devices, and they have enabled us to achieve a balance between maintaining their intrinsic properties while improving their stability.     

On-Surface Formation of Cyano-Vinylene Linked Chains by Knoevenagel Condensation

The rapid development of on-surface synthesis provides a unique approach toward the formation of carbon-based nanostructures with designed properties. Herein, we present the on-surface formation of CN-substituted phenylene vinylene chains on the Au(111) surface, thermally induced by annealing the substrate stepwise at temperatures between 220 °C and 240 °C. The reaction is investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy and density functional theory. Supported by the calculated reaction pathway, we assign the observed chain formation to a Knoevenagel condensation between an aldehyde and a methylene nitrile substituent.