Photoelectron Spectroscopy of Vx(Coronene)y and Tix(Coronene)y Anions

The effect of Hubbard-like interaction on molecular magnetism of TM-coronene complex (TM = Fe and Co)

The adsorption of two transition metal adatoms, Fe and Co added to a coronene molecule were studied by means of a full potential local orbital method in the framework of relativistic density functional theory. A sequence of fixed spin moment calculations based on the Hubbard-like interaction (U) were carried out on the basis of the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) of the exchange-correlation functional. We found a transition from low-spin to high-spin state upon increasing the transition metal-coronene distance. Furthermore, the magnetism of both Fe-coronene and Co-coronene complexes revealed sensitivity to the magnitude of the U values. In our GGA+U (U  =  2 eV) calculations, a low-spin ground state was found with in-plane magnetic anisotropy for both Fe-coronene and Co-coronene, whereas the GGA+U (U  =  4 eV) calculations resulted in high-spin state with out-of-plane and in-plane magnetic anisotropy for Fe-coronene and Co-coronene, respectively.

Invited review article: laser vaporization cluster sources

The laser vaporization cluster source has been used for the production of gas phase atomic clusters and metal-molecular complexes for 30 years. Numerous experiments in the chemistry and physics of clusters have employed this source. Its operation is simple in principle, but there are many subtle design features that influence the number and size of clusters produced, as well as their composition, charge state, and temperature. This article examines all aspects of the design of these cluster sources, discussing the relevant chemistry, physics, and mechanical aspects of experimental configurations employed by different labs. The principles detailed here provide a framework for the design and implementation of this source for new applications.

Photodissociation of [Fe(x)(C24H12)y]+ complexes in the PIRENEA setup: iron-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon clusters as candidates for very small interstellar grains

Astronomical observations suggest that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that emit at the surface of molecular clouds in the interstellar medium are locally produced by photodestruction of very small grains (VSGs). In this paper, we investigate [Fex(PAH)y]+ clusters as candidates for these VSGs. [FeC24H12]+ and [Fex(C24H12)2]+ (x = 1-3) complexes were formed by laser ablation of a solid target in the PIRENEA setup, a cold ion trap dedicated to astrochemistry. Their photodissociation was studied under continuous visible irradiation. Photodissociation pathways are identified and characteristic time scales for photostability are provided. [Fex(C24H12)2]+ (x = 1-3) complexes sequentially photodissociate by losing iron atoms and coronene units under laboratory irradiation conditions with C24H12+ as the smallest photofragment. The study of the dissociation kinetics gives interesting insights into the structures of the complexes. The dissociation rate is found to increase with the complex size. Density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT calculations show that the increase of the number of Fe atoms leads to an increased stability of the complex but also to an increased heating rate in the experimental conditions, due to the presence of strong electronic excitations in the visible. The modeling of the dissociation kinetics of the smallest complex [FeC24H12]+ by using a kinetic Monte Carlo code allows derivation of the dissociation parameters and the internal energy for this complex, showing in particular that it could dissociate under interstellar irradiation conditions. First insights into the dissociation of larger complexes in these conditions are also given.

Ground state structures and photoelectron spectroscopy of [Com(coronene)]− complexes

A synergistic approach involving theory and experiment has been used to study the structure and properties of neutral and negatively charged cobalt-coronene [Com(coronene)] complexes. The calculations are based on density functional theory with generalized gradient approximation for exchange and correlation potential, while the experiments are carried out using photoelectron spectroscopy of mass selected anions. The authors show that the geometries of neutral and anionic Co(coronene) and Co2(coronene) are different from those of the corresponding iron-coronene complexes and that both the Co atom and the dimer prefer to occupy eta2-bridge binding sites. However, the magnetic coupling between the Co atoms remains ferromagnetic as it is between iron atoms supported on a coronene molecule. The accuracy of the theoretical results is established by comparing the calculated vertical detachment energies, and adiabatic electron affinities with their experimental data.

Characterization of cation-pi interactions in aqueous solution using deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Chemical interactions of aromatic organic contaminants control their fate, transport, and toxicity in the environment. Recent molecular modeling studies have suggested that strong interactions can occur between the pi electrons of aromatic molecules and metal cations in aqueous solutions and/or on mineral surfaces, and that such interactions may be important in some environmental systems. However, spectroscopic evidence for these so-called cation-pi interactions has been extremely limited to date. In this paper, cation-pi interactions in aqueous salt solutions were characterized via 2H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spin-lattice relaxation times (T1) and calculations of molecular correlation times (tau(c)) for a series of perdeuterated (d6-benzene) benzene-cation complexes. The T1 values for d6-benzene decreased with increasing concentrations of LiCl, NaCl, KCl, RbCl, CsCl, and AgNO3, with the largest effects observed in the AgNO3 and CsCl solutions. Upon normalizing tau(c) values by solution viscosity effects, an overall affinity trend of Ag+ >> Cs+ > K+ > Rb+ > Na+ > Li+ was derived for the d6-benzene-cation complexes. The ability of Ag+ to complex d6-benzene was significantly reduced upon addition of NH3, which strongly coordinates Ag+ at high pH. Results with d6-benzene, d8-naphthalene, d2-dichloromethane, and d12-cyclohexane in 0.1 M methanolic salt solutions confirmed that spin-lattice relaxation rates are characterizing cation-pi interactions. The relatively strong cation-pi bonding observed between Ag+ and aromatic hydrocarbons probably results from covalent interactions between the aromatic pi electrons and the d orbitals of Ag+, in addition to the normal electrostatic interaction.