CO2 Activation by Nb+ and NbO+ in the Gas Phase. A Case of Two-State Reactivity Process

Ta+ and Nb+ + CO2: intersystem crossing in ion-molecule reactions

The reactions of Ta+ and Nb+ with CO2 proceed only by a highly efficient oxygen atom transfer reaction to the respective oxide at room temperature in the gas phase. Although the product spin states are not determined, thermochemistry dictates that they must be different from ground state quintet Ta+ and Nb+, implying that intersystem crossing (ISC) has occurred. Recent reactive scattering experiments found dominant indirect dynamics for the reaction with Ta+ hinting at a bottleneck along the reaction path. The question on the nature of the bottleneck, whether it involves a crossing point or a transition state, could not be finally answered because theory located both close to each other. Here, we aim at shedding further light onto the impact of intersystem crossing on the reaction dynamics and ultimately the reactivity of transition metal ion reactions in the gas phase. We employ a combination of thermal kinetics for Ta+ and Nb+ with CO2 using a selected-ion flow tube (SIFT) apparatus and differential scattering cross sections for Nb+ + CO2 from crossed-beam velocity map imaging. The reaction with niobium again shows dominant indirect dynamics and in general very similar dynamics compared to Ta+ + CO2. At thermal energies, both reactions show sub-collisional rate constants with small negative temperature dependencies. Experiments are complemented by high level quantum chemical calculations of the minimum energy pathway. Statistical modelling well-reproduces the experimental thermal rate constants, and suggests that the Nb+ reaction is rate-limited by the intersystem crossing at thermal energies.

Measurement of time dependent product branching ratios indicates two-state reactivity in metal mediated chemical reactions

For several decades, the influence of Two State Reactivity (TSR) has been implicated in a host of reactions, but has lacked a stand-alone, definitive experimental kinetic signature identifying its occurrence. Here, we demonstrate that the measurement of a temporally dependent product branching ratio is indicative of spin inversion and is a kinetic signature of TSR. This is caused by products exiting different hypersurfaces with different rates and relative exothermicities. The composite measurement of product intensities with the same mass but with different multiplicities yield biexponential temporal dependences with the sampled product ratio changing in time. These measurements are made using the single photon initiated dissociative rearrangement reaction (SPIDRR) technique which identifies TSR but further determines the kinetic parameters for reaction along the original ground electronic surface in competition with spin inversion and its consequent TSR.

Infrared photodissociation spectroscopic investigation on VO+ and NbO+ hydrolysis catalyzed by water molecules

We investigate the hydrolysis of vanadium/niobium monoxide cation (VO⁺/NbO⁺) with water molecules in the gas phase.

Carbon dioxide and water co-adsorption on the low-index surfaces of TiC, VC, ZrC and NbC: a DFT study

We present a theoretical DFT study into the activation of CO₂ and H₂O by four low-index surfaces of TiC, VC, ZrC and NbC. Two distinct chemisorption pathways are found for CO₂ activation, whilst multiple surface mediated interactions between H₂O and CO₂ are reported.

High reactivity of nanosized niobium oxide cluster cations in methane activation: A comparison with vanadium oxides

The reactions between methane and niobium oxide cluster cations were studied and compared to those employing vanadium oxides. Hydrogen atom abstraction (HAA) reactions were identified over stoichiometric (Nb2O5)N(+) clusters for N as large as 14 with a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The reactivity of (Nb2O5)N(+) clusters decreases as the N increases, and it is higher than that of (V 2O5)N(+) for N ≥ 4. Theoretical studies were conducted on (Nb2O5)N(+) (N = 2-6) by density functional calculations. HAA reactions on these clusters are all favorable thermodynamically and kinetically. The difference of the reactivity with respect to the cluster size and metal type (Nb vs V) was attributed to thermodynamics, kinetics, the electron capture ability, and the distribution of the unpaired spin density. Nanosized Nb oxide clusters show higher HAA reactivity than V oxides, indicating that niobia may serve as promising catalysts for practical methane conversion.

Infrared spectra and structures of the neutral and charged CrCO2 and Cr(CO2)2 isomers in solid neon

The reactions from codeposition of laser-ablated chromium atoms with carbon dioxide in excess neon are studied by infrared absorption spectroscopy. The species formed are identified by the effects of isotopic substitution on their infrared spectra. Density functional calculations are performed to support the spectral assignments and to interpret the geometric and electronic structures of the experimentally observed species. Besides the previously reported insertion products OCrCO and O2Cr(CO)2, the one-to-one Cr(CO2) complex and the one-to-two Cr(CO2)2 complex as well as the CrOCrCO and OCCrCO3 complexes are also formed. The Cr(CO2) complex is characterized to be side-on η(2)-C,O-coordinated. The Cr(CO2)2 complex is identified to involve a side-on η(2)-C,O-coordinated CO2 and an end-on η(1)-O-coordinated CO2. OCCrCO3 is a carbonate carbonyl complex predicted to have a planar structure with a η(2)-O,O-coordinated carbonate ligand. The CrOCrCO complex is predicted to be linear with a high-spin ground state. Besides the neutral molecules, charged species are also produced. The Cr(CO2)(+) and Cr(CO2)2(+) cation complexes are characterized to have linear end-on η(1)-O-coordinated structures with blue-shifted antisymmetric CO2 stretching vibrational frequencies. The OCrCO(-) anion is bent with the Cr-O and CO stretching frequencies red-shifted from those of OCrCO neutral molecule.