Interfacial segregation in Ag-Au,Au-Pd,and Cu-Ni alloys: I. (100) surfaces

Atomistic simulations of segregation to (100) free surface in Ag–Au, Au–Pd, and Cu–Ni alloy systems have been performed for a wide range of temperatures and compositions within the solid solution region of these alloy phase diagrams. In addition to the surface segregation profiles, surface free energies, enthalpies, and entropies were determined. These simulations were performed within the framework of the free energy simulation method, in which an approximate free energy functional is minimized with respect to atomic coordinates and atomic site occupation. The effects of the relaxation with respect to either the atomic positions or the atomic concentrations are discussed. For all alloy bulk compositions (0.05 C 0.95) and temperatures (400 T(K) 1,100) examined, Ag, Au, and Cu segregates to the surface in the Ag–Au, Au–Pd, and Cu–Ni alloy systems, respectively. The present results are compared with several theories for segregation. The resultant segregation profiles in Au–Pd and Ag–Au alloys are shown to be in good agreement with an empirical segregation theory, while in Cu–Ni alloys the disagreement in Ni-rich alloys is substantial. The width of the segregation profile is limited to approximately three to four atomic planes. The surface thermodynamic properties depend sensitively on the magnitude of the surface segregation, and some of them are shown to vary linearly with the magnitude of the surface segregation.     

Quantum mechanical study of the potential energy surface of the ClO + NO2 reaction

In the study of the reaction pathways of the ClO + NO2 reaction including reliable structures of the reactants, products, intermediates, and transition states as well as energies the MP2/6-311G(d), B3LYP/6-311G(d), and G2(MP2) methods have been employed. Chlorine nitrate, ClONO2, is formed by N-O association without an entrance barrier and is stabilized by 29.8 kcal mol(-1). It can undergo either a direct 1,3 migration of Cl or OCl rotation to yield an indistinguishable isomer. The corresponding barriers are 45.8 and 7.1 kcal mol(-1), respectively. ClONO2 can further decompose into NO3 + Cl with an endothermicity of 46.4 kcal mol(-1). The overall endothermicity of the NO2 + ClO --> NO3 + Cl reaction is calculated to be 16.6 kcal mol(-1). The formation of cis-perp and trans-perp conformer of chlorine preoxynitrite, ClOONO(cp) and ClOONO(tp), are exothermic by 5.4 and 3.8 kcal mol(-1), respectively. Calculations on the possible reaction pathways for the isomerization of ClOONO to ClONO2 showed that the activation barriers are too high to account for appreciable nitrate formation from peroxynitrite isomerization. All quoted relative energies are related to G2(MP2) calculations.     

Sublimation properties of CoF(3): mass spectrometric and quantum chemical studies

The sublimation of cobalt trifluoride was studied using the Knudsen effusion method combined with mass spectrometry. The pressure of F was directly measured for decomposition of CoF(3)(s) into CoF(2)(s). The average kinetic energy of CoF(2)(+), CoF(+) and Co(+) fragment ions was determined and the relative ionisation cross section curves measured from 6 eV to 100 eV. Thermodynamic functions of gaseous CoF(3) and Co(2)F(6), were evaluated from geometrical and vibrational parameters provided from theoretical calculations. Heats of formation of CoF(3)(s), CoF(3)(g), Co(2)F(6)(g) were established as (-784 +/- 6) kJ/mol, (-565 +/- 11) kJ/mol and (-1289 +/- 22) kJ/mol, respectively.     

The quantum defect: the true measure of time-dependent density-functional results for atoms

Quantum defect theory is applied to (time-dependent) density-functional calculations of Rydberg series for closed shell atoms: He, Be, and Ne. The performance and behavior of such calculations are much better quantified and understood in terms of the quantum defect rather than transition energies.     

Thermoresponsive Poly(2‐oxazine)s

The monomers 2‐methyl‐2‐oxazine (MeOZI), 2‐ethyl‐2‐oxazine (EtOZI), and 2‐n‐propyl‐2‐oxazine (nPropOZI) were synthesized and polymerized via the living cationic ring‐opening polymerization (CROP) under microwave‐assisted conditions. pEtOZI and pnPropOZI were found to be thermoresponsive, exhibiting LCST behavior in water and their cloud point temperatures (T_CP) are lower than for poly(2‐oxazoline)s with similar side chains. However, comparison of poly(2‐oxazine) and poly(2‐oxazoline)s isomers reveals that poly(2‐oxazine)s are more water soluble, indicating that the side chain has a stronger impact on polymer solubility than the main chain. In conclusion, variations of both the side chains and the main chains of the poly(cyclic imino ether)s resulted in a series of distinct homopolymers with tunable T_CP.     

Electronic spectrum and photodissociation of ClONO in comparison to BrONO

A theoretical study of the low-lying singlet and triplet states of ClONO is presented. Calculations of excitation energies and oscillator strengths are reported using multireference configuration interaction, MRD-CI, methods with the cc-pVDZ + sp basis set. The calculations predict the dominant transition, 4(1)A' <-- 1(1)A', at 5.70 eV. The transition 2(1)A' <-- 1(1)A', at 4.44 eV, with much lower intensity nicely matches the experimental absorption maximum observed around 290 nm (4.27 eV). The potential energy curves for both states are found to be highly repulsive along the Cl-O coordinate implying that direct and fast dissociation to the Cl + NO2 products will occur. Photodissociation along the N-O coordinate is less likely because of barriers on the order of 0.3 eV for low-lying excited states. A comparison between the calculated electronic energies related to the two dominant excited states of ClONO and BrONO indicates that the transitions lie about 0.6 eV higher if bromine is replaced by chlorine. The stratospheric chemistry implications of ClONO and BrONO are discussed.     

Vibrational exciton cluster states,percolation and pairwise interactions: Benzene A2u band

Infrared spectra of isotopic mixed benzene crystals (C₆H₆/C₆D₆) were obtained at about boiling nitrogen temperature, with, emphasis on the umbrella mode (at about 700 cm^?1). These are interpreted in terms of guest cluster spectra (monomers, pairs, etc.) up to about 55% mole. Static percolation sets in at about 50%, resulting in an extended exciton band. The line positions, line intensities and the percolation concentration all agree quantitatively with an effective 2-dimensional square lattice exciton interaction topology. This means that very short range, nearest neighbor interchange equivalent, excitation exchange interactions dominate over the long range transition-dipole type terms even in this most intense, dipole allowed IR band. These results fully support our recent picture of the umbrella mode exciton band, in both solid and liquid benzene. Similarities between these solid and liquid exciton bands are pointed out. The existence of pseudolocalized states, in the middle of the energy band of the extended states, is illustrated.     

Mass spectrometric investigation of the equilibrium gas-phase composition over InI3 at elevated temperatures

Mass spectra of the saturated vapour and partial pressures of different species over solid InI₃ were measured between 350 and 450 K with a mass spectrometric Knudsen effusion technique. By measuring appearance energies (AE) for different ions in the mass spectra, it was proved that InI₃ evaporates congruently from the solid phase as InI_3(g) and In₂I_6(g). Values of AE for In₂I_n⁺ ions (n = 0–5) increase as n decreases, showing an interesting periodicity with In? I bond strengths. For these measurements an improved deconvolution of the ionization efficiency curves by fast Fourier transformation, using a combined Maxwellian and Gaussian electron energy distribution, was performed. By measuring ion abundances as a function of temperature, the Clausius–Clapeyron plots for all ions appearing in the mass spectra were drawn.     

Quantum mechanical investigation of the atmospheric reaction CH3O2 + NO

The important stationary points on the potential energy surface of the reaction CH(3)O(2) + NO have been investigated using ab initio and density functional theory techniques. The optimizations were carried out at the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) and MP2/6-311++G(d,p) levels of theory while the energetics have been refined using the G2MP2, G3//B3LYP, and CCSD(T) methodologies. The calculations allow the proper characterization of the transition state barriers that determine the fate of the nascent association conformeric minima of methyl peroxynitrite. The main products, CH(3)O + NO(2), are formed through either rearrangement of the trans-conformer to methyl nitrate and its subsequent dissociation or via the breaking of the peroxy bond of the cis-conformer to CH(3)O + NO(2) radical pair. The important consequences of the proposed mechanism are (a) the allowance on energetic grounds for nitrate formation parallel to radical propagation under favorable external conditions and (b) the confirmation of the conformational preference of the homolytic cleavage of the peroxy bond, discussed in previous literature.