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At least 1,423 records · Page 79

On the choice of reference orbitals for linear-response calculations of solution-phase K-edge X-ray absorption spectra

The simplest response theory methods for computing vertical excitation spectra in condensed-phase are configuration interaction with single excitations (CIS) and linear-response time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) within the Tamm–Dancoff approximation. In applications to X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), methods like CIS and TDDFT that codify only single excitations into the wave function are prone to catastrophic errors in main-edge and post-edge features whose shapes act as a crucial fingerprint in structural analyses of liquids. Here, we show that these errors manifest primarily due to a lack of orbital relaxation in conventional linear-response theories and that core-ionized (n - 1-electron) references, like those of electron-affinity TDDFT, can eliminate the errors in the spectral profile, even in the highest-energy parts of the post-edge. Crucially, we find that single excitations atop core-ionized references are sufficient to elucidate liquid-phase XAS spectra with semi-quantitative accuracy, opening the door for methods like electron-affinity CIS/TDDFT to be used as efficient alternatives to higher-order wave function approaches.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Identifying hydroxylated copper dimers in SSZ-13 via UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy

Cu-Exchanged zeolites are promising materials for the selective conversion of methane to methanol. Their activity is attributed to the presence of small Cu-oxo and Cu-hydroxy clusters, but the nature of active centers in various zeolite structures is still under debate. In this contribution, we combine time dependent density functional theory with spin–orbit coupling to predict the optical spectra of various Cu monomers and dimers in SSZ-13. As a result, we furthermore compare theoretical results to experimental measurements and find that the presence of Cu-hydroxy dimers and Cu monomers could potentially explain the experimentally observed UV-vis-NIR spectra.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

An energetics assessment of benzo[ a ]tetracene and benzo[ a ]pyrene as triplet–triplet annihilation emitters

Optical upconversion (UC) of low energy photons into high energy photons enables solar cells to harvest photons with energies below the band gap of the absorber, reducing the transmission loss. UC based on triplet–triplet annihilation (TTA) in organic chromophores can upconvert photons from sunlight, albeit with low conversion efficiency. We utilize three energy-based criteria to assess the UC potential of TTA emitters in terms of the quantum yield (QY) and the anti-Stokes shift. The energy loss in the singlet pathway of an emitter encounter complex, where a high energy photon is emitted, determines whether a chromophore may undergo TTA. The energy loss in the triplet pathway, which is the main competing process, impacts the TTA QY. The energy difference between the lowest singlet and triplet excitation states in TTA emitters sets an upper bound for the anti-Stokes shift of TTA-UC. Using the energetic criteria evaluated by time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculations, we find that benzo[a]tetracene, benzo[a]pyrene, and their derivatives are promising TTA emitters. The energetics assessment and computer simulations could be used to efficiently discover and design more candidate high-performance TTA emitters.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Single and dual metal atom catalysts for enhanced singlet oxygen generation and oxygen reduction reaction

We demonstrate rational design of graphene-supported single and dual metal atom catalysts (SACs and DACs) for photocatalytic applications, such as singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) sensitization and H 2 O 2 production. Here we combine density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) calculations with experimental verifications. We found a synergistic effect between triplet sensitization and triplet–triplet (Dexter) energy transfer; both play a role in the photocatalytic activity through the volcano plot of 3d transition metal SACs. More specifically, FeN 4 -SAC exhibits a low ISC energy gap (ΔE ISC ) of 0.039 eV, compared with 0.108 eV for FeNiN8-DACs, both possessing a high Bader charge transfer of 0.366 e- and 0.405 e-, respectively. Guided by these computational results, we synthesized a series of SACs and a DAC and confirmed their structures with scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) along with the X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS). We then confirm their band structures with low-energy inverse photoemission spectroscopy (LEIPS) and UV-vis-NIR. Subsequently, we synthesized the catalysts for the photooxygenation of anthracene and two-electron oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) to measure their photocatalytic activity. We found that H 2 O 2 production through the two-electron ORR competes with the 1 O 2 generation through Dexter energy transfer. FeN 4 -SAC demonstrates a high photooxygenation conversion of 86% and a high 1 O 2 quantum yield of 1.04, obtained from electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy, with low H 2 O 2 production. In contrast, NiN 4 -SAC exhibits a low 1 O 2 generation and a high H 2 O 2 production mainly because of the high Gibbs free energy of the OOH* intermediate. In conclusion, this work proposes an effective DFT-guided strategy for designing SACs and DACs for various photocatalytic applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Mixed quantum/classical theory for rotational energy exchange in symmetric-top-rotor + linear-rotor collisions and a case study of the ND 3 + D 2 system

The extension of mixed quantum/classical theory (MQCT) to describe collisional energy transfer is developed for a symmetric-top-rotor + linear-rotor system and is applied to ND 3 + D 2 . State-to-state transition cross sections are computed in a broad energy range for all possible processes: when both ND 3 and D 2 molecules are excited or both are quenched, when one is excited while the other is quenched and vice versa, when the ND 3 state changes its parity while D 2 is excited or quenched, and when ND 3 is excited or quenched while D 2 remains in the same state, ground or excited. In all these processes the results of MQCT are found to approximately satisfy the principle of microscopic reversibility. For a set of sixteen state-to-state transitions available from the literature for a collision energy of 800 cm –1 the values of cross sections predicted by MQCT are within 8% of accurate full-quantum results. A useful time-dependent insight is obtained by monitoring the evolution of state populations along MQCT trajectories. It is shown that, if before the collision, D 2 is in its ground state, the excitation of ND 3 rotational states proceeds through a two-step mechanism in which the kinetic energy of molecule–molecule collision is first used to excite D 2 and only then is transferred to the excited rotational states of ND 3 . Finally, it is found that both potential coupling and Coriolis coupling play important roles in ND 3 + D 2 collisions.

inelastic cross-sections↗

Comparing the structures and photophysical properties of two charge transfer co-crystals

Organic co-crystals have emerged as a promising class of semiconductors for next-generation optoelectronic devices due to their unique photophysical properties. This paper presents a joint experimental-theoretical study comparing the crystal structure, spectroscopy, and electronic structure of two charge transfer co-crystals. Reported herein is a novel co-crystal Npe:TCNQ, formed from 4-(1-naphthylvinyl)pyridine (Npe) and 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) via molecular self-assembly. This work also presents a revised study of the co-crystal composed of Npe and 1,2,4,5-tetracyanobenzene (TCNB) molecules, Npe:TCNB, herein reported with a higher-symmetry (monoclinic) crystal structure than previously published. Npe:TCNB and Npe:TCNQ dimer clusters are used as theoretical model systems for the co-crystals; the geometries of the dimers are compared to geometries of the extended solids, which are computed with periodic boundary conditions density functional theory. UV-Vis absorption spectra of the dimers are computed with time-dependent density functional theory and compared to experimental UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectra. Both Npe:TCNB and Npe:TCNQ are found to exhibit neutral character in the S 0 state and ionic character in the S 1 state. In conclusion, the high degree of charge transfer in the S 1 state of both Npe:TCNB and Npe:TCNQ is rationalized by analyzing the changes in orbital localization associated with the S 1 transitions.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Electronic structure and energetics of a heterodimeric BChl g ′/Chl a ′ special pair generated by exposure of Heliomicrobium modesticaldum to dioxygen

Heliobacteria are anoxygenic phototrophs that have a Type I homodimeric reaction center containing bacteriochlorophyll g (BChl g). Previous experimental studies have shown that in the presence of light and dioxygen, BChl g is converted into 8 1 -OH-chlorophyll a F (hereafter Chl a F ), with an accompanying loss of light-driven charge separation. These studies suggest that the reaction center only loses the ability to transfer electrons once both BChl g′ molecules of the P 800 special pair have been converted to Chl a F ′. Here, the present work confirms that the partially converted BChl g′/Chl a F ′ special pair remains functional in samples exposed to dioxygen by demonstrating its presence using hyperfine couplings obtained from Q-band 1 H ENDOR, 2D 14 N HYSCORE and DFT methods. The DFT calculations of the BChl g′/BChl g′ homodimeric primary donor, which are based on the recently published X-ray crystal structure, predict that the unpaired electron spin is equally delocalized over both BChl g′ molecules and provide an excellent match to the experimental hyperfine couplings of the anaerobic samples. Exposure to dioxygen leads to substantial changes in the hyperfine interactions, indicative of greater localization of the unpaired electron spin. The measured hyperfine couplings are reproduced in the DFT calculations by replacing one of the BChl g′ molecules of the primary donor with a Chl a F ′ molecule. The calculations reveal that the spin density becomes localized on BChl g′ in the heterodimeric primary donor. Time-dependent DFT calculations demonstrate that conversion of either or both of the accessory BChl g molecules and/or one of the BChl g′ molecules of P800 to Chl a F ′ results in minor effects on the energy of the charge-separated states. In contrast, if both of the BChl g′ molecules of P 800 are converted a large increase in the energy of the charge-separated state occurs. This suggests that the reaction center remains functional when only one half of the dimer is converted, however, conversion of both halves of the P 800 dimer leads to loss of function

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Ultrafast dynamics of fluorene initiated by highly intense laser fields

Here, we present an investigation of the ultrafast dynamics of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon fluorene initiated by an intense femtosecond near-infrared laser pulse (810 nm) and probed by a weak visible pulse (405 nm). Using a multichannel detection scheme (mass spectra, electron and ion velocity-map imaging), we provide a full disentanglement of the complex dynamics of the vibronically excited parent molecule, its excited ionic states, and fragments. We observed various channels resulting from the strong-field ionization regime. In particular, we observed the formation of the unstable tetracation of fluorene, above-threshold ionization features in the photoelectron spectra, and evidence of ubiquitous secondary fragmentation. We produced a global fit of all observed time-dependent photoelectron and photoion channels. This global fit includes four parent ions extracted from the mass spectra, 15 kinetic-energy-resolved ionic fragments extracted from ion velocity map imaging, and five photoelectron channels obtained from electron velocity map imaging. The fit allowed for the extraction of 60 lifetimes of various metastable photoinduced intermediates.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Understanding 2p core-level excitons of late transition metals by analysis of mixed-valence copper in a metal–organic framework

The L 2,3 -edge X-ray absorption spectra of late transition metals such as Cu, Ag, and Au exhibit absorption onsets lower in energy for higher oxidation states, which is at odds with the measured spectra of earlier transition metals. Time-dependent density functional theory calculations for Cu 2+ /Cu + reveal a larger 2p core-exciton binding energy for Cu 2+ , overshadowing shifts in single-particle excitation energies with respect to Cu + . Finally, we explore this phenomenon in a Cu + metal–organic framework with ~12% Cu 2+ defects and find that corrections with self-consistent excited-state total energy differences provide accurate XAS peak alignment.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Spectroscopic evidence of intra-unit-cell charge redistribution in a charge-neutral magnetic topological insulator

The magnetic topological insulator MnBi 6 Te 10 has emerged as a promising candidate for realizing the quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE), owing to its ability to retain ferromagnetism through precise control of anti-site defects. The next important task for realizing the QAHE is to tune the chemical potential into the energy gap formed by the broken time-reversal symmetry. Here we reveal an intra-unit-cell charge redistribution even when the overall doping suggests a near-charge-neutral condition. By performing time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (trARPES) on the optimally 18% Sb-doped MnBi 6 Te 10 , we observe transient surface photovoltage (SPV) effects on both the MnBi 2 Te 4 and single-Bi 2 Te 3 terminations. Furthermore, we observe a time-dependent splitting of the band structure indicating multiple SPV shifts with different magnitudes. This observation suggests that adjacent plateaus with nominally the same terminating layer exhibit a strong intra-unit-cell charge redistribution, resulting in spontaneous electrical polarization. This is consistent with static micro-ARPES measurements revealing significant doping deviations from the charge-neutral configuration. Our findings underscore the challenges of engineering the family of Mn-Bi-Te materials to realize QAHE purely through chemical doping. Achieving the desired topological quantum phase requires both a uniform carrier doping and a ferromagnetic ground state. Furthermore, the light-induced polarization within each unit cell of ferromagnetic Mn(Bi 0.82 Sb 0.18 ) 6 Te 10 may open new possibilities for optoelectronic and spintronics.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

Photoswitching dynamics of a guanidine anion receptor

Photoswitchable molecules involving large-scale structural changes such as E/Z photoisomerization offer remarkable opportunities for light-stimulated catch-and-release chemical separations. While the feasibility of this photochemically driven mechanism has been demonstrated in pioneering studies, the electronic excited-state relaxation processes and concomitant structural changes of such a functional photoswitcher remain largely unexplored. Here, we investigate an exceptional photoswitchable molecule, 2-pyridyl-diiminoguanidinium (2PyDIG), which exhibits strong and selective anion binding, along with an extraordinary capability for light-induced release of a guest ion. Through time-resolved fluorescence measurements and multireference and time-dependent density functional theory calculations, we reveal the dynamics underlying electronic excited state relaxation and photoisomerization central to photoswitching. A very rapid and dominant decay component was found that is consistent with radiationless de-excitation from S 1 to S 0 through conical intersections. This process competes effectively with the slower photoisomerization process taking place in 94 ps. We further identified the underlying causes through theoretical calculations and potential routes towards improved photoisomerization efficiencies.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Experimental studies of high-temperature thermal dissociation of iso-propanol

iso-Propanol is an important biofuel for transportation and industrial applications, as well as a canonical compound for understanding alcohol reaction chemistry. There are few studies of the thermal decomposition of iso-propanol, hence the objective of this work was to investigate the mechanism of iso-propanol pyrolysis at high-temperature conditions. Shock tube studies were used to investigate the thermal decomposition of iso-propanol and identify the dominant reaction pathways and the intermediate species present in the temperature range of 1395–2053 K and at pressures of 0.3–4 bar. Time-resolved mass spectra were obtained from pyrolysis experiments in shock tube/mass spectrometer apparatuses using electron impact ionization or synchrotron vacuum ultraviolet photoionization. The relative concentrations of the intermediate species were used to identify the dominant reaction channels. iso-Propanol dissociated by water loss to propene and by elimination of a methyl radical yielding a 1-hydroxyethyl radical at the conditions studied. The time-dependent mass spectra allowed secondary products to be identified along with the orders of appearance. Notably, peaks at m/z = 50 and 52 were observed providing insight into secondary reactions. These features have not been previously reported in propanol-pyrolysis literature.

Kim, John H. [Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (Un↗

Quantum effects on the dynamics and properties of soft materials

The quantum effects of nuclear and electronic motion play an important role in the structure, dynamics, and function of soft materials, yet they are difficult to capture with conventional classical simulations or static electronic–structure methods. In this work several complementary approaches for treating quantum effects in polymeric and soft–matter systems are demonstrated, with a focus being on the hydrogen-bonded networks, ion and charge transport, and photoactive chromophores. The proton transfer, tunneling, and isotope effects are captured within the reduced-dimensionality models by implementing grid-based nuclear quantum dynamics in terms of the discrete variable and Fourier bases. The nuclear quantum dynamics is extended to larger systems by employing the quantum trajectories and quantum–thermal bath schemes combined with on-the-fly electronic structure, enabling the description of high-dimensional polymeric environments at feasible cost. The dynamics in the electronic degrees of freedom, simulating the optical response in large chromophores such as chlorophylls, is performed using the real-time time-dependent density functional theory implemented in the real-space multigrid (RMG) code. These approaches are demonstrated on case studies of the proton and hydroxide transport in hydrated polymer membranes, charge transfer in conjugated polymers, and the optical spectra of chlorophyll chromophores relevant to polymerized chlorophyll materials and chlorophyll–polymer hybrids. The reviewed methods and applications highlight practical routes of including quantum effects in simulations of soft functional materials.

Garashchuk, Sophya [Univ. of South Carolina, Colum↗

Dynamics in a stellar convective layer and at its boundary: Comparison of five 3D hydrodynamics codes

Our ability to predict the structure and evolution of stars is in part limited by complex, 3D hydrodynamic processes such as convective boundary mixing. Hydrodynamic simulations help us understand the dynamics of stellar convection and convective boundaries. However, the codes used to compute such simulations are usually tested on extremely simple problems and the reliability and reproducibility of their predictions for turbulent flows is unclear. We define a test problem involving turbulent convection in a plane-parallel box, which leads to mass entrainment from, and internal-wave generation in, a stably stratified layer. We compare the outputs from the codes FLASH, MUSIC, PPMSTAR, PROMPI, and SLH, which have been widely employed to study hydrodynamic problems in stellar interiors. The convection is dominated by the largest scales that fit into the simulation box. All time-averaged profiles of velocity components, fluctuation amplitudes, and fluxes of enthalpy and kinetic energy are within ≲3σ of the mean of all simulations on a given grid (128 3 and 256 3 grid cells), where σ describes the statistical variation due to the flow’s time dependence. They also agree well with a 512 3 reference run. The 128 3 and 256 3 simulations agree within 9% and 4%, respectively, on the total mass entrained into the convective layer. The entrainment rate appears to be set by the amount of energy that can be converted to work in our setup and details of the small-scale flows in the boundary layer seem to be largely irrelevant. Our results lend credence to hydrodynamic simulations of flows in stellar interiors. We provide in electronic form all outputs of our simulations as well as all information needed to reproduce or extend our study.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

The advanced evolution of massive stars

The nuclear rates for reactions involving 12 C and 16 O are key to computing the energy release and nucleosynthesis evolution of massive stars during their advanced burning phases. Ultimately, these burning rates shape the stellar structure and evolution and influence the nature of the compact objects produced at the end of the stellar life. We explore the implications of new nuclear reaction rates from both experimental and theoretical studies for 12 C(α, γ) 16 ​O, 12 C+ 12​ C, 12 C+ 16 ​O, and 16 O+ 16 ​O reactions for massive stars. Our goal is to investigate how the chemical structure and nucleosynthesis evolve from the He-exhaustion stage to the O-burning phase and how these processes influence the ultimate stellar fate. We computed rotating and non-rotating models for stars of different masses at solar metallicity. We used the stellar evolution code GENEC, which includes a large network of nuclear reactions and isotopes involved in advanced phases, as well as updated rates for 12 C(α,γ) 16 O. For the three fusion reactions involving 12 C and 16 O, we considered new rates following a data-driven fusion suppression scenario (hereafter HIN(RES)) and new theoretical rates obtained with time-dependent Hartree-Fock (TDHF) calculations. The updated 12 C(α, γ) 16 ​O rates mainly impact the chemical structure evolution changing the 12 C/ 16 O ratio at He-exhaustion and have little effect on the CO core mass. This variation in the 12 C/ 16 O ratio is in some cases critical for predicting the final fate of the model, which is very sensitive to 12 C abundance, and in particular the 20 M ⊙ remnant may change from a black hole to a neutron star. The He-burning (C-burning) lifetime is also decreased (increased) by about −2% (+15%). The combined new rates for 12 C+ 12 ​C and 16 O+ 16 ​O fusion reactions according to the HIN(RES) model lead to shorter C- and O-burning lifetimes by ≈ − 10%, and −50%, respectively, and shift the ignition conditions to higher temperatures and densities. In contrast, the theoretical TDHF rates primarily affect C-burning, increasing its duration by about 30% and lowering the ignition temperature. These changes modify the chemical structure of the core, the size and duration of C-burning shells, and hence their compactness. They also impact the central and shell nucleosynthesis (by ±1 dex and by factors of ±2–10, respectively), while 12 C+ 16 ​O reaction rates variations remain the least important.

abundances↗

Chemical templates of the Central Molecular Zone

Context . The Central Molecular Zone (CMZ) of the Milky Way exhibits extreme conditions, including high gas densities, elevated temperatures, enhanced cosmic-ray ionization rates, and large-scale dynamics. This makes it a perfect laboratory for astrochemical studies. With large-scale molecular surveys revealing increasing chemical and physical complexity in the CMZ, it is essential to develop robust methods to decode the chemical information embedded in this extreme region. Aims . A key step to interpreting the molecular richness found in the CMZ is building chemical templates tailored to its diverse conditions. In particular, understanding how CMZ environments affect shock and protostellar chemistry is crucial. The combined impact of high ionization, elevated temperatures, and dense gas remains insufficiently explored for observable tracers. Methods . For this study, we utilized UCLCHEM , a gas-grain time-dependent chemical model, to link physical conditions with their corresponding molecular signatures and identify key tracers of temperature, density, ionization, and shock activity. To achieve this, we ran a grid of models of shocks and protostellar objects representative of typical CMZ conditions, focusing on 24 species, including complex organic molecules. Results . Shocked and protostellar environments show distinct evolutionary timescales (≲10 4 vs. ≳10 4 years); 300 K emerges as a key temperature threshold for chemical differentiation. We find that cosmic-ray ionization and temperature are the main drivers of chemical trends. HCO + , H 2 CO, and CH 3 SH trace ionization, while HCO, HCO + , CH 3 SH, CH 3 NCO, and HCOOCH 3 show consistent abundance contrasts between shocks and protostellar regions over similar temperature ranges. Conclusions . We characterized the behavior of 24 species in protostellar and shock-related environments. While our models underpredict some complex organics in shocks, they reproduce observed trends for most species, supporting scenarios involving a need for recurring shocks in Galactic Center clouds and enhanced ionization toward Sgr B2(N2). Future work should assess the role of shock recurrence and metallicity in shaping chemistry.

Galaxy: center↗

Validation of Thermal Scattering Laws for Light Water at Elevated Temperatures with Diffusion Experiments

Light water is the most important neutron moderator in many reactor applications. Thermal neutron scattering kernels for H bound in H 2 O are represented by ENDF-format thermal scattering laws (TSLs) evaluated at discrete temperatures T . Nuclear data evaluations are conventionally validated utilizing a combination of critical benchmarks and experimental cross section data. Existing public critical benchmarks may be inadequate for testing water TSLs over the full range of T of interest in reactor applications, and experimental thermal scattering cross section data for water is sparse at elevated T . In this work, MC21 is used to simulate the decay of the equilibrium thermal neutron flux in light-water spheres of several radii. The fundamental-mode time eigenvalue $\mathcal{a}$ is calculated at 22 °C and 227 °C (at saturation pressure) for each sphere using three different H-H 2 O TSLs. Fitting $\mathcal{a}$ to a polynomial function of geometric buckling allows calculation of the thermal neutron diffusion length L . Extrapolation lengths are treated as a function of the transport mean free path and geometry. Experimental L data from 25 publications at 49 temperatures (from 10 °C to 295 °C), computed by several different time-dependent and space-dependent decay methods, is used to develop an empirical fit of L vs. T . The MC21-calculated L for the TSLs tested are within ±1% of the predicted values at 22 °C and 227 °C. This validation approach, which may be repeated at arbitrary T , constitutes an integral benchmark specific to and characterizing the detailed physics of the thermal scattering kernel applied.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗