Coordination of niobium and tantalum oxides by Ar, Xe and O2: Matrix isolation infrared spectroscopic and theoretical study of NbO2(Ng)2 (Ng=Ar, Xe) and MO4(X) (M=Nb, Ta; X=Ar, Xe, O2) in solid argon

A large copper-niobate cluster with the pagoda-shaped subunit {Nb20O59}

A 72-nuclearity niobium cluster was synthesized, in which two {CuNb26O76} clusters and one {Nb20O59} cluster are fused in a triangular fashion, resulting in a {Nb12} cavity. Further, the simple nature of the species allowed its investigation by ESI-MS analysis, yielding two subunits with time.

Noble Gas-Tungsten Peroxide Complexes in Noble Gas Matrixes: Infrared Spectroscopy and Density Functional Theoretical Study

The matrix isolation infrared spectroscopic and quantum chemical calculation results indicate that tungsten oxo and mono-superoxide, WO₃ and (η²-O₂)WO₂, coordinate noble gas atoms in forming noble gas-tungsten oxide complexes. The results showed that both WO₃ and (η²-O₂)WO₂ oxides can coordinate one Ar or Xe atom in solid noble gas matrixes; otherwise, tungsten mono- and dioxides cannot. Hence, the WO₃ and (η²-O₂)WO₂ molecules trapped previously in solid argon noble gas matrixes should be regarded as the WO₃(Ar) oxide and (η²-O₂)WO₂(Ar) peroxide complexes. When annealing, the lighter Ar atom can be replaced by a heavier xenon atom to form WO₃(Xe) and (η²-O₂)WO₂(Xe) complexes. What's more, upon UV photolysis, both Ar and Xe atoms can be replaced by oxygen to form a tungsten disuperoxide (η²-O₂)₂WO₂ complex. The binding energies were predicted to be 25.7, 16.6, 9.4, 14.7, and 8.1 kcal/mol for the (η²-O₂)₂WO₂, WO₃(Xe), WO₃(Ar), (η²-O₂)WO₂(Xe), and (η²-O₂)WO₂(Ar) complexes at the CCSD(T)//M06-2X-D3//def2-TZVP/DGDZVP/SDD level. The substitution law, O₂ > Xe > Ar, can be interpreted according to the chemical reaction energies calculated to be -6.6 and +11.0 kcal/mol, respectively, for the equation formulas Xe + (η²-O₂)WO₂(Ar) = (η²-O₂)WO₂(Xe) + Ar and O₂ + (η²-O₂)WO₂(Xe) = (η²-O₂)₂WO₂ + Xe at the same level.

Metal Cluster Models for Heterogeneous Catalysis: A Matrix-Isolation Perspective

Metal cluster models are of high relevance for establishing new mechanistic concepts for heterogeneous catalysis. The high reactivity and particular selectivity of metal clusters is caused by the wealth of low-lying electronically excited states that are often thermally populated. Thereby the metal clusters are flexible with regard to their electronic structure and can adjust their states to be appropriate for the reaction with a particular substrate. The matrix isolation technique is ideally suited for studying excited state reactivity. The low matrix temperatures (generally 4-40 K) of the noble gas matrix host guarantee that all clusters are in their electronic ground-state (with only a very few exceptions). Electronically excited states can then be selectively populated and their reactivity probed. Unfortunately, a systematic research in this direction has not been made up to date. The purpose of this review is to provide the grounds for a directed approach to understand cluster reactivity through matrix-isolation studies combined with quantum chemical calculations.

Boron Nanowheels with Axles Containing Noble Gas Atoms: Viable Noble Gas Bound M©B10- Clusters (M=Nb, Ta)

The viability of noble gas axled boron nanowheels Ng_n M©B₁₀^- (Ng=Ar-Rn; M=Nb, Ta; n=1, 2) is explored by ab initio computations. In the resulting Ng₂ -M complexes, the Ng-M-Ng nanorod passes through the center of the B₁₀^- ring, providing them with an inverse sandwich-like structure. While in the singly Ng bound analogue, the Ng binding enthalpy H_b at 298 K ranges from 2.5 to 10.6 kcal mol^-1 , in doubly Ng bound cases it becomes very low for the Ng₂ M©B₁₀^- →Ng+NgM©B₁₀^- dissociation channel, except for the case of Rn, for which the corresponding H_b values are 3.4 (Nb) and 4.0 kcal mol^-1 (Ta). For a given Ng, Ta has slightly higher Ng-binding ability than Nb. The corresponding free-energy changes indicate that these systems, particularly the Xe and Rn complexes, are good candidates for experimental realization in a low-temperature matrix. The Ng-M bonds were found to be covalent in nature, as reflected in their large Wiberg bond indices, formation of a 2c-2e σ orbital between Ng and M centers in natural bond orbital and adaptive natural density partitioning (AdNDP) analyses, and the short Ng-M distances. Energy decomposition analysis and a study on the natural orbitals for chemical valence show that the Ng-M contact is supported mainly by the orbital and electrostatic interactions, with almost equal contributions. Although both the Ng→M σ donation and Ng←M π backdonation play roles in the origin of orbital interaction, the former is significantly dominant over the latter. Further, AdNDP analysis indicates that the doubly aromatic character (both σ and π) in MB₁₀^- clusters is not perturbed by the interaction with Ng atoms.

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.

Matrix isolation infrared spectra, assignment and DFT investigation on reactions of iron and manganese monoxides with CH3Cl

The reactions of iron and manganese monoxide molecules (FeO, and MnO) with monochloromethane in solid argon have been studied by matrix isolation infrared spectroscopy and quantum chemistry calculations. When annealing, the reactions of FeO and MnO with CH3Cl first form the OM-(η(Cl)-CH3Cl) (MMn, Fe) complexes, which can isomerize to CH3MOCl (MMn, Fe) upon 300<λ<580 nm irradiation. The products were characterized by isotopic IR studies with CD3Cl and (13)CH3Cl and density functional calculations. Based on theoretical calculations, the OFe-(η(Cl)-CH3Cl) and OMn-(η(Cl)-CH3Cl) complexes have (5)A' and (6)A' ground state with Cs symmetry, respectively. The accurate CCSD(T) single point calculations illustrate the CH3MOCl isomerism are 13.8 and 3.1 kcal/mol lower in energy than the OM-(η(Cl)-CH3Cl) (MMn, Fe) complexes.