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At least 19 records

Quantum chemical calculation of the equilibrium structures of small metal atom clusters

Metal atom clusters are studied based on the application of ab initio quantum mechanical approaches. Because these large 'molecular' systems pose special practical computational problems in the application of the quantum mechanical methods, there is a special need to find simplifying techniques that do not compromise the reliability of the calculations. Research is therefore directed towards various aspects of the implementation of the effective core potential technique for the removal of the metal atom core electrons from the calculations.

Kahn, L. R.

Metal–Organic Framework-derived Atomic Metal Sites Promoting Sulfur Cathode for All-Solid-State Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

All-solid-state lithium–sulfur batteries (ASSLSBs) offer high energy density and intrinsic safety; however, they still face major challenges, including sluggish redox kinetics and poor sulfur utilization. Incorporating conductive materials into sulfur cathodes is an effective strategy to mitigate these limitations. Here, a highly conductive cobalt–nitrogen–doped carbon (Co–NC) derived from a metal–organic framework (MOF) is introduced to accelerate charge transfer and promote reversible sulfur conversion. Co−NC provides atomically dispersed Co–N sites and conductive carbon pathways that correlate with improved charge transfer, sulfur utilization, and rate capability. Co–NC@S cathode delivers 1499 mAh g–1 at C/20 with a high sulfur loading (5 mg cm–2) and retains 1292 mAh g–1 after five cycles (vs 443 mAh g–1 without Co–NC). Moreover, Co–NC derived ASSLSB achieves 903 mAh g–1 at 5C at 60 °C. This work provides a practical and effective approach to develop high energy, high-rate ASSLSBs.

25 ENERGY STORAGE

Quantum chemical calculation of the equilibrium structures of small metal atom clusters

The application of ab initio quantum mechanical approaches in the study of metal atom clusters requires simplifying techniques that do not compromise the reliability of the calculations. Various aspects of the implementation of the effective core potential (ECP) technique for the removal of the metal atom core electrons from the calculation were examined. The ECP molecular integral formulae were modified to bring out the shell characteristics as a first step towards fulfilling the increasing need to speed up the computation of the ECP integrals. Work on the relationships among the derivatives of the molecular integrals that extends some of the techniques pioneered by Komornicki for the calculation of the gradients of the electronic energy was completed and a formulation of the ECP approach that quite naturally unifies the various state-of-the-art "shape- and Hamiltonian-consistent" techniques was discovered.

Kahn, L. R.

New metal atom laser transitions in As, Bi, Ga, Ge, Hg, In, Pb, Sb, and Tl

A double discharge technique was used in the investigation. An initial discharge established between parallel arrays of tungsten pin electrodes was followed, after a variable time delay, by a high voltage (180 kV), short duration (50 nsec) secondary discharge between two aluminum main electrodes. Metal compounds, including metal alkyls, hydrides, and halides, were used to obtain the required metal atom concentrations. Twenty-four new laser transitions involving 9 different metal atoms were observed. The observed relations are shown in a number of partial energy-level diagrams.

Chou, M. S.

Attosecond time delays at Cooper minima in valence-shell photoionization of alkali-metal and alkaline-earth-metal atoms

Ji et al. [New J. Phys. 26, 093014 (2024)] established a direct link between the photoionization cross section and the attosecond time delay near Cooper minima (CM) in the valence shells of noble-gas atoms. This link is based on the analytic properties of the ionization amplitude in the complex plane of the photoelectron energy, and is particularly sensitive to the winding number of the amplitude around the origin of the complex energy plane. Here, in this study, we demonstrate an analogous relation for photoionization of the valence 𝑛⁢𝑠 shells of alkali-metal atoms (AMA), from Na (𝑛 = 3) to Cs (𝑛 = 6), as well as alkaline-earth-metal atoms (AEMA), from Mg (𝑛 = 3) to Ba (𝑛 = 6). To this end, we employ a fully relativistic formalism that separates the two complementary 𝑛⁢𝑠 1/2 → 𝐸⁢𝑝 1/2 and 𝐸⁢𝑝 3/2 ionization channels. Each of these channels exhibits a phase variation close to 𝜋, but in opposite directions, near their respective Cooper minima. This phase variation vanishes in a nonrelativistic formulation, where the two channels become degenerate. For AMA, due to the threshold proximity of the CM, the universal Coulomb contribution to the time delay must be subtracted. The remaining component of the time delay is target-specific, angular-dependent, and accessible through comparative measurements.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC

Application of Density Functional Theory to Systems Containing Metal Atoms

The accuracy of density functional theory (DFT) for problems involving metal atoms is considered. The DFT results are compared with experiment as well as results obtained using the coupled cluster approach. The comparisons include geometries, frequencies, and bond energies. The systems considered include MO2, M(OH)+(sub n), MNO+, and MCO+(sub 2). The DFT works well for frequencies and geometries, even in cases with symmetry breaking; however, some examples have been found where the symmetry breaking is quite severe and the DFT methods do not work well. The calculation of bond energies is more difficult and examples of the successes as well as failures of DFT will be given.

Bauschlicher, Charles W., Jr.

Application of Density Functional Theory to Systems Containing Metal Atoms

The accuracy of density functional theory (DFT) for problems involving metal atoms is considered. The DFT results are compared with experiment as well as results obtained using the coupled cluster approach. The comparisons include geometries, frequencies, and bond energies. The systems considered include MO2, M(OH)+n, MNO+, and MCO+2. The DFT works well for frequencies and geometries, even in case with symmetry breaking; however, some examples have been found where the symmetry breaking is quite severe and the DFT methods do not work well. The calculation of bond energies is more difficult and examples of successes as well as failures of DFT will be given.

Bauschlicher, Charles W., Jr.

Metal Atom (Dis)Order and Superconductivity in YCaH n ( n = 8–20) High-Pressure Superhydrides

High-pressure superhydrides have attracted much attention due to their high superconducting critical temperatures (T c s). Our density functional theory (DFT) calculations, focusing on YCaH n (n = 8–20) compositions, found a number of nearly isoenthalpic YCaH 8 phases, differing only in the arrangement of the metal atoms, suggesting the potential stability of metal alloy superhydrides. The computed T c s of the considered YCaH 8 phases were higher than those of the isostructural I 4/ mmm MH 4 parent compounds. DFT enthalpies suggested that YCaH 12 could also be disordered; however, the T c s of the ordered variants spanned a wide range from 105 to 253 K at 200 GPa, showing that alloying could either mildly enhance or drastically reduce T c from that of the $Im\bar{3}m$ MH 6 parents. Finally, for YCaH 18 and YCaH 20 , only a single dynamically stable ordered superhydride was found, which we attribute to the differences in the structures of the most stable MH 9 and MH 10 binary hydride parents.

anions

Metallic atoms and ions in comets: Comet Halley 1986 3

The origin of metallic atoms and ions in the cometary comae is investigated theoretically. Two effects are revealed in the comas of bright comets: (1) the Na anomalous type effect is possible within the gas-dust jets of comet P/Halley 1986 3 due to cooling cometary dust by cryogenic gas flow from the nucleus; and (2) the production of ions of refractory elements (Fe(+), Si(+), etc.) at large heliocentric distances is possible in the comas of the Halley type dusty comets due to high-velocity impacts between cometary and zodiacal dust particles. Spectral observations of comets with high sensitivity and spatial resolution are important for studying both comets and interplanetary dust.

Ibadov, S.

A study of the origin, nature, and behavior of particulate matter and metallic atoms in the mesosphere, lower thermosphere, and at the mesopause

In a study of particulate matter and metallic atoms in the vicinity of the mesopause, three areas have received the most effort. These areas are: the significance of cometary dust influxes to the earth's atmosphere; the relation of nightglows to atmospheric motions and aerosols; and the feasibility of using an airborne resonant scatter lidar to study polar noctilucent clouds, the sodium layer, and fireball dust.

Poultney, S. K.

On correlation in the first row transition metal atoms

CI (SD) calculations using both SCF and MCSCF references have been performed for the first-row transition metal atoms. Basis sets as large as 84 STO's have been used. At the highest level of calculation, good agreement with experiment is found. If relativistic effects are considered, the agreement is somewhat poorer. This aspect, as well as the trends and results, is discussed.

Bauschlicher, C. W., Jr.

(abstract) Fundamental Mechanisms of Electrode Kinetics and Alkali Metal Atom Transport at the Alkali Beta'-Alumina/Porous Electrode/Alkali Metal Vapor Three Phase Boundary

The mechanisms of electrode kinetics and mass transport of alkali metal oxidation and alkali metal cation reduction at the solid electrolyte/porous electrode boundary as well as alkali metal transport through porous metal electrodes has important applications in optimizing device performance in alkali metal thermal to electric converter (AMTEC) cells which are high temperature, high current density electrochemical cells. Basic studies of these processes also affords the opportunity to investigate a very basic electrochemical reaction over a wide range of conditions; and a variety of mass transport modes at high temperatures via electrochemical techniques. The temperature range of these investigations covers 700K to 1240K; the alkali metal vapor pressures range from about 10(sup -2) to 10(sup 2) Pa; and electrodes studied have included Mo, W, Mo/Na(sub 2)MoO(sub 4), W/Na(sub 2)WO(sub 4), WPt(sub x), and WRh(sub x) (1.0 < x < 6.0 ) with Na at Na-beta'-alumina, and Mo with K at K-beta'-alumina. Both liquid metal/solid electrolyte/alkali metal vapor and alkali metal vapor/solid electrolyte/vapor cells have been used to characterize the reaction and transport processes. We have previously reported evidence of ionic, free molecular flow, and surface transport of sodium in several types of AMTEC electrodes.

electrode kinetics thermal to electric conversion

Effect of the Electrostatic Field due to the Surface Monolayer Metal Atoms on the Dissociation of Homonuclear Diatomic Gases in Gas-Metal Surface Reactions

The present paper examines the role of an electrostatic field generated by the outermost monolayer of metal ions prior to gas adsorption in aiding the dissociation of homonuclear diatomic gas molecules. The interaction of five homonuclear diatomic gases, Cl 2 , F 2 , H 2 , N 2 and O 2 , with several pure metals are examined using Coulomb’s law to calculate the attractive and repulsive forces between the electrons or ions in the gas molecule and the free surface metallic electrons or ions assuming a Bohr model. These calculations demonstrate that the total energy of the electrostatic fields from the metals can exceed the molecular binding energies of Cl 2 , F 2 , and O 2 at some distance from the metallic surface thereby suggesting that these gases interact primarily with the metallic surface in their atomic states after molecular bond dissociation prior to reaction. In contrast, H 2 and N 2 gases do not dissociate prior to reaching the metal surface due to the fact that the effective charge of the gas ions is less than the total electron charge at the outermost electronic shell. The present results correlate linearly with the electrochemical series standard reduction potential as well as with the Pauling electronegativity for several metals.

Gas-metal reactions