Theoretical study of isomerism of compounds of N2 and N2H2 molecules with aluminum clusters Al13 and Al12Ti

Segments of the potential energy surfaces corresponding to successive elementary stages of multistep fragmentation of nitrogen and diimine molecules upon their reaction with the aluminum cluster Al₁₃ and its doped analogue Al₁₂Ti have been calculated by the density functional theory method. The minimum energy pathways of these reactions have been calculated for the stages of physisorption, chemisorption, and N₂ and N₂H₂ fragmentation with different ways of insertion of fragments into the Al₁₃ and Al₁₂Ti cages. Relative energies, structural characteristics, and vibrational frequencies of coordinated and fragment isomers have been calculated, the barriers separating these isomers have been evaluated, and molecular diagrams of the reactions have been constructed. The effect of doping on the relative energies of intermediates and activation barriers has been considered. A conclusion has been drawn that doping with titanium should facilitate the reactions of molecular nitrogen with aluminum clusters. Unusual isomers with a five- and six-coordinate nitrogen atom N* have been localized. The results are compared with the data of analogous previous calculations of the PES of isomers corresponding to stepwise fragmentation of an acetylene molecule in related Al₁₃C₂H₂ and Al₁₂TiC₂H₂ derivatives.