Magnetism‐Tunable Oligoacene Dioxide Diradicals: Promising Magnetic Oligoacene‐Like Molecules

Graphene oxide has attracted intense research interest recently because the graphene oxide synthesis route, as a promising alternative for cost‐effective mass production of graphene, has been explored. To further study the oxidation process and possible mechanism and to explore applicability of the oxidized products, we have performed a computational study on three series of oligoacene dioxides, focusing on their structures and electronic properties. Taking 1,5‐dioxidized naphthalene as a starting point, three series of oligoacene dioxides are considered as follows: 1) middle insertion by 1–2 benzene rings; 2) single‐side expansion using 1–2 benzene rings; 3) double‐side expansion using two benzene rings. On the basis of density functional theory and complete active space self‐consistent field (CASSCF) calculations, we reveal that oligoacene dioxides in the middle insertion series have a triplet ground state, whereas those in the single‐side expansion series and the double‐side expansion series have open‐shell broken‐symmetry singlet diradical ground states except for their common origin naphthalene‐1,5‐dioxide whose ground state is triplet and which is also viewed as the origin of the middle insertion series. Magnetic coupling interactions of these oligoacene dioxides are also determined. This work should help people toward an atomistic understanding of the electronic structures and properties of possible intermediates or products and even the oxidation mechanism of graphene sheets, and provides a reasonable strategy of designing novel graphene‐oxide‐based magnetic materials.     

An experimental and theoretical approach to the molecular structure of 3‐{[4‐(3‐Methyl‐3‐phenyl‐cyclobutyl)‐thiazol‐2‐yl]‐hydrazono}‐1,3‐dihydro‐ indol‐2‐one

The title molecule, 3‐{[4‐(3‐methyl‐3‐phenyl‐cyclobutyl)‐thiazol‐2‐yl]‐hydrazono}‐1,3‐dihydro‐indol‐2‐one (C₂₂H₂₀N₄O₁S₁), was prepared and characterized by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, IR, UV–visible, and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. The compound crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21 with a = 8.3401(5), b = 5.6976(3), c = 20.8155(14) Å, and β = 95.144(5)°. Molecular geometry from X‐ray experiment and vibrational frequencies of the title compound in the ground state has been calculated using the Hartree–Fock with 6‐31G(d, p) and density functional method (B3LYP) with 6‐31G(d, p) and 6‐311G(d, p) basis sets, and compared with the experimental data. The calculated results show that optimized geometries can well reproduce the crystal structural parameters, and the theoretical vibrational frequencies values show good agreement with experimental data. Density functional theory calculations of the title compound and thermodynamic properties were performed at B3LYP/6‐31G(d, p) level of theory. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2012     

Electronic Coupling between Two Amine Redox Sites through the 5,5′‐Positions of Metal‐Chelating 2,2′‐Bipyridines

Electron delocalization of new mixed‐valent (MV) systems with the aid of lateral metal chelation is reported. 2,2′‐Bipyridine (bpy) derivatives with one or two appended di‐p‐anisylamino groups on the 5,5′‐positions and a coordinated [Ru(bpy)₂] (bpy=2,2′‐bipyridine), [Re(CO)₃Cl], or [Ir(ppy)₂] (ppy=2‐phenylpyridine) component were prepared. The single‐crystal molecular structure of the bis‐amine ligand without metal chelation is presented. The electronic properties of these complexes were studied and compared by electrochemical and spectroscopic techniques and DFT/TDDFT calculations. Compounds with two di‐p‐anisylamino groups were oxidized by a chemical or electrochemical method and monitored by near‐infrared (NIR) absorption spectral changes. Marcus–Hush analysis of the resulting intervalence charge‐transfer transitions indicated that electron coupling of these mixed‐valent systems is enhanced by metal chelation and that the iridium complex has the largest coupling. TDDFT calculations were employed to interpret the NIR transitions of these MV systems.     

Study of the electronic and atomic structure of thermally treated SrTiO3(110) surfaces

The electronic structure of heated SrTiO₃(110) surfaces was investigated with metastable impact electron spectroscopy and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (He(I)). Scanning tunnelling microscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used to study the topology of the surface. The crystals were heated up to 1000°C under reducing conditions in ultrahigh vacuum or under oxidizing conditions in synthetic air for 1 h, respectively. Under both conditions microfacetting of the surface is observed. The experimental results are compared with ab initio Hartree–Fock calculations, also presented here, carried out for both ideal and reconstructed SrTiO₃(110) surfaces. The results give direct evidence for Ti termination of the faceted TiO₂ rows. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

二氧化钚分子的多体展式势能函数

从导出基态PuO2分子的电子状态X5Σ g正确地判断其离解极限出发,采用MP2方法,应用相对论有效原子实模型(RECP)优化出PuO2(X5Σ g)分子稳定构型为线性OPuO(D∞h),其平衡核间距Re=0.18004nm.同时也计算出振动频率,并优化出存在亚稳态的Pu-O-O(C∞v)构型.使用多体项展式理论方法,导出了基态PuO2分子的分析势能函数.该势能表面准确地再现了O-Pu-O(D∞h)平衡结构和亚稳态的Pu-O-O(C∞v)构型.然后根据势能函数等值图讨论了O(3Pg) PuO反应的势能面静态特征.     

Graphdiyne-actinyl complexes as potential catalytic materials: A DFT perspective from their structural,bonding, electronic and redox properties

Versatile graphdiyne (GDY) substrate has been modified by numerous transition metals and resulting composites showed excellent photo/electro-catalytic performance. However, GDY materials modified by actinides that are stockpiled waste product due to large-scale use in nuclear industry, are particularly scarce and remains great challenge. To deeply understand the structural properties, GDY complexating actinyl (An^mO₂)ⁿ⁺ (An = U, Np, Pu; m = VI, V) species with its atomistic pore was investigated by relativistic density functional theory (DFT). The GDY pore was found suitable to hold actinyl species, by forming organometallic AnC dative bonds. This chemical coupling interaction was further confirmed by quantum theory of atoms-in-molecule and electronic structure calculations. The GDY-uranyl(V), for instance, shows a π(UC) bonding HOMO, which is anticipated to improve electron transfer between ligand and metal. Orbital structures and compositions of complexes suggest their implication towards catalysis, which were further corroborated by calculations on redox potentials of GDY-actinyl complexes. Hence, our results show the potential applications of GDY complexating actinyl species towards novel catalytic surfaces.     

Gd0.2Ce0.8O1.9纳米颗粒对固体氧化物电解池La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-δ阳极 析氧反应的影响

化石燃料的使用排放了大量CO2,对气候和环境造成了日益严重的危害.固体氧化物电解池(SOEC)能够利用可再生能源产生的电能将CO2高效转化成CO,降低CO2排放的同时,又能减少化石燃料的使用,近年来受到研究者的广泛关注.相比于低温液相CO2电还原,SOEC高的运行温度保证了其较高的反应速率,即较高的电流密度.典型的SOEC单电池由多孔阴极、致密电解质和多孔阳极以三明治的方式组装而成.CO2分子在阴极得到两个电子解离成CO和一个O2–;生成的O2–通过致密电解质传导至阳极,在阳极失去四个电子发生析氧反应(OER)生成一个O2.相比于两电子的阴极反应,阳极四电子的析氧反应更难进行,可能是整个电极过程的速控步,因此开发高性能的阳极材料有望显著提高SOEC的CO2电还原性能.La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-δ(LSCF)因具有较高的混合离子-电子导电性而被用作SOEC阳极材料,但受LSCF-气体两相界面的限制,其OER性能较低.研究表明,LSCF-掺杂的CeO2-气体所构成的三相界面相比于LSCF-气体两相界面具有更高的电化学反应活性,即OER反应更易在三相界面进行.因此,本文将Gd0.2Ce0.8O1.9(GDC)纳米颗粒浸渍到SOEC LSCF阳极来提高其OER活性,考察了纳米颗粒浸渍量(3,5,10和20 wt%)对SOEC电化学性能的影响.结果表明,SOEC的电化学性能随浸渍量的增加而逐渐升高,当GDC纳米颗粒浸渍量为10 wt%时(10GDC/LSCF),SOEC的电化学性能达到最高,在800 oC和1.6 V的电流密度为0.555 A cm–2,是LSCF阳极SOEC性能的1.32倍.继续增加浸渍量到20 wt%,电化学性能反而开始下降.电化学阻抗谱测试结果表明,GDC纳米颗粒的加入减小了SOEC的极化电阻.对应的弛豫时间分布函数解析结果表明10GDC/LSCF阳极上的OER由四个基元反应构成.电镜和O2-程序升温脱附结果表明,GDC纳米颗粒的加入显著增加了10GDC/LSCF阳极三相界面和表面氧空位的数量以及体相氧的流动性,从而促进了OER四个基元反应的反应速率,降低了这几个过程的极化电阻,因而降低了OER反应的极化电阻,提高了SOEC电还原CO2的电化学性能.