DFT Study of the Reaction between VO2+ and C2H6

On the structural and electronic properties of hexanuclear vanadium oxide clusters V6On(-/0) (n=12-15): is V6O12 cluster planar or cage-like?

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations are carried out to investigate the structural and electronic properties of a series of hexanuclear vanadium oxide clusters V6On(-/0) (n=12-15). Generalized Koopmans' theorem is applied to predict the vertical detachment energies (VDEs) and simulate the photoelectron spectra (PES) for V6On(-) (n=12-15) clusters. Extensive DFT calculations are performed in search of the lowest-energy structures for both the anions and neutrals. All of these clusters appear to prefer the polyhedral cage structures, in contrast to the planar star-like structures observed in prior model surface studies for the V6O12 cluster. Molecular orbitals are performed to analyze the chemical bonding in the hexanuclear vanadium oxide clusters and provide insights into the sequential oxidation of V6On(-) (n=12-15) clusters. The V6On(-) (n=12-15) clusters possess well-defined V(5+) and V(3+) sites, and may serve as molecular models for surface defects. Electron spin density analyses show that the unpaired electrons in V6On(-) (n=12-14) clusters are primarily localized on the V(3+) sites rather than on the V(5+) sites. The difference gas phase versus model surface structures of V6O12 hints the critical roles of cluster-substrate interactions in stabilizing the planar V6O12 cluster on model surfaces.

Theoretical investigation of the gas-phase reactions of CrO(+) with ethylene

The potential energy surfaces associated with the reactions of chromium oxide cation (CrO(+)) with ethylene have been characterized using density functional, coupled-cluster, and multireference methods. Our calculations show that the most probable reaction involves the formation of acetaldehyde and Cr(+) via a hydride transfer involving the metal center. Our calculations support previous experimental hypotheses that a four-membered ring intermediate plays an important role in the reactivity of the system. We have also characterized a number of viable reaction pathways that lead to other products, including ethylene oxide. Due to the experimental observation that CrO(+) can activate carbon-carbon bonds, a reaction pathway involving C-C bond cleavage has also been characterized. Since many of the reactions involve a change in the spin state in going from reactants to products, locations of these spin surface crossings are presented and discussed. The applicability of methods based on Hartree-Fock orbitals is also discussed.

Gas-Phase Reactivity of Metavanadate [VO3]− towards Methanol and Ethanol: Experiment and Theory

The gas-phase reactivity of the metavanadate anion [VO3]- towards methanol and ethanol was examined by a combination of ion-molecule reaction and isotope labelling experiments in a quadrupole ion-trap mass spectrometer. The experimental data were interpreted with the aid of density functional theory calculations. [VO3]- dehydrated methanol to eliminate water and form [VO2(eta2-OCH2)]-, which features an [eta2-C,O-OCH2]2- ligand formed by formal removal of two protons from methanol and which is isoelectronic with peroxide. [VO3]- reacted with ethanol in an analogous manner to form [VO2(eta2-OCHCH3)]-, as well as by loss of ethene to form [VO2(OH)2]-. The calculations predicted that important intermediates in these reactions were the hydroxo alkoxo anions [VO2(OH)(OCH2R)]- (R: H, CH3). These were predicted to undergo intramolecular hydrogen-atom transfer to form [VO(OH)2(eta1-OCHR)]- followed by eta1-O-->eta2-C,O rearrangements to form [VO(OH)2(eta2-OCHR)]-. The latter reacted further to eliminate water and generate the product [VO2(eta2-OCHR)]-. This major product observed for [VO3]- is markedly different from that observed previously for [NbO3]- containing the heavier Group 5 congener niobium. In that case, the major product of the reaction was an ion of stoichiometry [Nb, O3, H2]- arising from the formal dehydrogenation of methanol to formaldehyde. The origin of this difference was examined theoretically and attributed to the intermediate alkoxo anion [NbO2(OH)(OCH3)]- preferring hydride transfer to form [HNbO2(OH)]- with loss of formaldehyde. This contrasts with the hydrogen-atom-transfer pathway observed for [VO2(OH)(OCH3)]-.

Photodissociation of Chromium Oxide Cluster Cations

Chromium oxide cluster cations, Cr(n)O(m)+, are produced by laser vaporization in a pulsed nozzle cluster source and detected with time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The mass spectrum exhibits a limited number of stoichiometries for each value of n, where m > n. The cluster cations are mass selected and photodissociated using the second (532 nm) or third (355 nm) harmonic output of a Nd:YAG laser. At either wavelength, multiphoton absorption is required to dissociate these clusters, which is consistent with their expected strong bonding. Cluster dissociation occurs via elimination of molecular oxygen, or by fission processes producing stable cation species and/or eliminating stable neutrals such as CrO3, Cr(2)O(5), or Cr(4)O(10). Specific cation clusters identified to be stable because they are produced repeatedly in the decomposition of larger clusters include Cr(2)O(4)+, Cr(3)O(6)+, Cr(3)O(7)+, Cr(4)O(9)+, and Cr(4)O(10)+.

A systematic quantum chemical investigation of the CH bond activation in methane by gas phase vanadium oxide cation VO+

The interaction between a methane molecule and the VO(+) cation in the gas phase has been investigated by means of single reference density functional (B3LYP) and wave function-based multireference (MR) correlation calculations. For the latter, an extrapolation technique is used to evaluate correlation energies at the basis set limit. A comprehensive picture for the C-H activation features a variety of molecular structures corresponding to both minima and transition states. Possible reaction paths are discussed, also taking into account change of the spin multiplicity. Activation of the methane molecule by VO(+) is always an endothermic process. Competing reaction paths might be expected. An evaluation of miscellaneous computational methods is performed using calculated energy differences for various molecular structures. Results obtained from the MR calculations exhibit no systematic convergence with increasing size of the active space used, and for two largest active spaces relative energies still differ by up to 25 kJ/mol. Simple mean difference between the B3LYP results and the best MR values is -50 +/- 19 kJ/mol.

Mononuclear metavanadate catalyses gas phase oxidation of methanol to formaldehyde employing dioxygen as the terminal oxidant

Multistage mass spectrometry experiments reveal a sequence of gas phase reactions for the oxidation of methanol to formaldehyde with a mononuclear oxo vanadate anion as the catalyst and dioxygen as the terminal oxidant.

Gas-Phase Dehydrogenation of Methanol with Mononuclear Vanadium-Oxide Cations

The reactions of methanol with mass-selected V+, VOH+, VO+, and VO2(+) cations are studied by Fourier-transform ion-cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometry in order to investigate the influence of the formal oxidation state of the metal on the reactivity of vanadium-oxide compounds. Interestingly, the most reactive species is the low-valent hydroxide cation VOH+, for which a formal condensation reaction prevails to afford VOCH3(+). In contrast, atomic V+ is oxidized and the high-valent dioxide cation VO2(+) is reduced by methanol. The dehydrogenation of methanol mediated by VO+ does not involve any change of the metal's oxidation state. For the latter reaction, the experimental results are complemented by a theoretical investigation by using density functional theory.

On the Nature of Metal−Carbon Bonding: AIM and ELF Analyses of MCHn (n = 1−3) Compounds Containing Early Transition Metals

Ab initio and DFT calculations have been performed on a series of organometallic compounds, according to the formula MCH(n), where M = K, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, or Mn and n = 1-3. Various theoretical methods are compared, the B3LYP level yielding the same agreement with the experimental geometries available as the correlated MP2 and CISD methods, with the 6-311++G(3df,2p) basis set for C and H and Wachter's (15s11p6d3f1g)/[10s7p4d3f1g] basis set for transition metals. The main geometric and electronic features of the molecules studied are described, analyzing the M-C bonding characteristics in terms of the atoms in molecules theory (AIM) and the electron localization function (ELF). Although multiple bonding is expected from the Lewis bonding scheme, the results indicate an almost pure ionic bond for all of the systems studied. The net charge transfer from the metal to the carbon atom ranges from 0.5 to 1 e(-), and the electronic structure of the CH(n)(-) moiety is unaltered after the interaction with the metal cation, showing little or no effect on the shape of the electron pairing. The bond paths corresponding to a possible alpha-agostic bond for these systems are not present.