Structural studies of ammonia and metallic lithium-ammonia solutions

A fresh perspective on metal ammonia molecular complexes and expanded metals: opportunities in catalysis and quantum information

Recent advances in our comprehension of the electronic structure of metal ammonia complexes have opened avenues for novel materials with diffuse electrons. These complexes in their ground state can host peripheral "Rydberg" electrons which populate a hydrogenic-type shell model imitating atoms. Aggregates of such complexes form the so-called expanded or liquid metals. Expanded metals composed of d- and f-block metal ammonia complexes offer properties, such as magnetic moments and larger numbers of diffuse electrons, not present for alkali and alkaline earth (s-block) metals. In addition, tethering metal ammonia complexes via hydrocarbon chains (replacement of ammonia ligands with diamines) yields materials that can be used for redox catalysis and quantum computing, sensing, and optics. This perspective summarizes the recent findings for gas-phase isolated metal ammonia complexes and projects the obtained knowledge to the condensed phase regime. Possible applications for the newly introduced expanded metals and linked solvated electrons precursors are discussed and future directions are proposed.

Electron Presolvation in Tetrahydrofuran-Incorporated Supramolecular Sodium Entities

Alkali metal atoms can repopulate their valence electrons toward solvation due to impact from solvents or microsurroundings and provide the remaining alkali metal cations for coordinating with a variety of specific solvents, forming various electron-expanded complexes or solvated ionic pairs with special interactions. Such special solute-solvent interactions not only affect their electronic structures but also enable the formation of entirely new species. Taking Na(THF)_n (n = 1-6, THF = tetrahydrofuran) and Na₂@THF complexes as typical representatives, density functional theory calculations are carried out to explore the solvation of a sodium atom and its dimer in THF and characterize their complexes as solvent-incorporated supramolecular entities and particularly valence electron presolvation due to their interaction with solvent THF. Electron presolvation is caused by the Pauli repulsion between THF containing a coordinating O atom with a lone pair of electrons and the alkali metal Na or Na₂ containing valence electrons, and THF coordination to them forces their valence electrons to redistribute, which can be easily realized in such solvents. Compared with strongly bound valance electrons of alkali metal atoms, THF coordination enables Na or Na₂ electrons to exhibit much more active states (i.e., the presolvated states) featuring small vertical detachment energies of electrons and distorted diffuse distributions in the frames of the generally structured metal cation complexes, acting as the electron-expanded chemical entities. Furthermore, the degree of electron diffusion and the polarity of the Na-Na bond are proportional to the coordination number (n) and the coordination number difference (Δn) between two Na centers in Na₂@THF. The unique properties of such entities are also discussed. This work offers a theoretical support to the supramolecular entities formed by alkali-metal atoms or their dimers with ligands containing O or N and uncovers the unique electron presolvation phenomena and also enriches our understanding of the novel metal atom complexes.

Ground and excited states analysis of alkali metal ethylenediamine and crown ether complexes

High-level electronic structure calculations are carried out to obtain optimized geometries and excitation energies of neutral lithium, sodium, and potassium complexes with two ethylenediamine and one or two crown ether molecules. Three different sizes of crowns are employed (12-crown-4, 15-crown-5, 18-crown-6). The ground state of all complexes contains an electron in an s-type orbital. For the mono-crown ether complexes, this orbital is the polarized valence s-orbital of the metal, but for the other systems this orbital is a peripheral diffuse orbital. The nature of the low-lying electronic states is found to be different for each of these species. Specifically, the metal ethylenediamine complexes follow the previously discovered shell model of metal ammonia complexes (1s, 1p, 1d, 2s, 1f), but both mono- and sandwich di-crown ether complexes bear a different shell model partially due to their lower (cylindrical) symmetry and the stabilization of the 2s-type orbital. Li(15-crown-5) is the only complex with the metal in the middle of the crown ether and adopts closely the shell model of metal ammonia complexes. Our findings suggest that the electronic band structure of electrides (metal crown ether sandwich aggregates) and expanded metals (metal ammonia aggregates) should be different despite the similar nature of these systems (bearing diffuse electrons around a metal complex).

Electronic and geometric structure of cationic and neutral chromium and molybdenum ammonia complexes

High level quantum chemical approaches are used to study the geometric and electronic structures of M(NH₃)_n and M(NH₃)_n ⁺ (M = Cr, Mo for n = 1-6). These complexes possess a dual shell electronic structure of the inner metal (3d or 4d) orbitals and the outer diffuse orbitals surrounding the periphery of the complex. Electronic excitations reveal these two shells to be virtually independent of the other. Molybdenum and chromium ammonia complexes are found to differ significantly in geometry with the former adopting an octahedral geometry and the latter a Jahn-Teller distorted octahedral structure where only the axial distortion is stable. The hexa-coordinated complexes and the tetra-coordinated complexes with two ammonia molecules in the second solvation shell are found to be energetically competitive. Electronic excitation energies and computed IR spectra are provided to allow the two isomers to be experimentally distinguished. This work is a component of an ongoing effort to study the periodic trends of transition metal solvated electron precursors.

Solvation of Na? in the Sodide Solution, LiNa?10MeNH2

Alkalides, the alkali metals in their ?1 oxidation state, represent some of the largest and most polarizable atomic species in condensed phases. This study determines the solvation environment around the sodide anion, Na^?, in a system of co-solvated Li⁺. We present isotopically varied total neutron scattering experiments alongside empirical potential structure refinement and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations for the alkali?alkalide system, LiNa?10MeNH₂. Both local coordination modes and the intermediate range liquid structure are determined, which demonstrate that distinct structural correlations between cation and anion in the liquid phase extend beyond 8.6 ?. Indeed, the local solvation around Na^? is surprisingly well defined with strong solvent orientational order, in contrast to the classical description of alkalide anions not interacting with their environment. The ion-paired Li(MeNH₂)₄⁺?Na^? species appears to be the dominant alkali?alkalide environment in these liquids, whereby Li⁺ and Na^? share a MeNH₂ molecule through the amine group in their primary solvation spheres.

Aqueous Solvation of Ammonia and Ammonium: Probing Hydrogen Bond Motifs with FT-IR and Soft X-ray Spectroscopy

In a multifaceted investigation combining local soft X-ray and vibrational spectroscopic probes with ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, hydrogen-bonding interactions of two key principal amine compounds in aqueous solution, ammonia (NH₃) and ammonium ion (NH₄⁺), are quantitatively assessed in terms of electronic structure, solvation structure, and dynamics. From the X-ray measurements and complementary determination of the IR-active hydrogen stretching and bending modes of NH₃ and NH₄⁺ in aqueous solution, the picture emerges of a comparatively strongly hydrogen-bonded NH₄⁺ ion via N-H donating interactions, whereas NH₃ has a strongly accepting hydrogen bond with one water molecule at the nitrogen lone pair but only weakly N-H donating hydrogen bonds. In contrast to the case of hydrogen bonding among solvent water molecules, we find that energy mismatch between occupied orbitals of both the solutes NH₃ and NH₄⁺ and the surrounding water prevents strong mixing between orbitals upon hydrogen bonding and, thus, inhibits substantial charge transfer between solute and solvent. A close inspection of the calculated unoccupied molecular orbitals, in conjunction with experimentally measured N K-edge absorption spectra, reveals the different nature of the electronic structural effects of these two key principal amine compounds imposed by hydrogen bonding to water, where a pH-dependent excitation energy appears to be an intrinsic property. These results provide a benchmark for hydrogen bonding of other nitrogen-containing acids and bases.

Electron Solvation and the Unique Liquid Structure of a Mixed-Amine Expanded Metal: The Saturated Li-NH3 -MeNH2 System

Metal-amine solutions provide a unique arena in which to study electrons in solution, and to tune the electron density from the extremes of electrolytic through to true metallic behavior. The existence and structure of a new class of concentrated metal-amine liquid, Li-NH₃ -MeNH₂ , is presented in which the mixed solvent produces a novel type of electron solvation and delocalization that is fundamentally different from either of the constituent systems. NMR, ESR, and neutron diffraction allow the environment of the solvated electron and liquid structure to be precisely interrogated. Unexpectedly it was found that the solution is truly homogeneous and metallic. Equally surprising was the observation of strong longer-range order in this mixed solvent system. This is despite the heterogeneity of the cation solvation, and it is concluded that the solvated electron itself acts as a structural template. This is a quite remarkable observation, given that the liquid is metallic.

Questioning Antiferromagnetic Ordering in the Expanded Metal, Li(NH3)4: A Lack of Evidence from μSR

We present the results of a muon spin relaxation study of the solid phases of the expanded metal, Li(NH3)4. No discernible change in muon depolarization dynamics is witnessed in the lowest temperature phase (≤25 K) of Li(NH3)4, thus suggesting that the prevailing view of antiferromagnetic ordering is incorrect. This is consistent with the most recent neutron diffraction data. Discernible differences in muon behavior are reported for the highest temperature phase of Li(NH3)4 (82-89 K), attributed to the onset of structural dynamics prior to melting.

Quantifying solvated electrons' delocalization

The electron delocalization range EDR(r;u_av) (left) captures the spin density (right) of an electron delocalized over u_av = 5.77 Å on the surface of an (H₂O)₂₀⁻ cluster.

Electron tunneling in lithium-ammonia solutions probed by frequency-dependent electron spin relaxation studies

Electron transfer or quantum tunneling dynamics for excess or solvated electrons in dilute lithium-ammonia solutions have been studied by pulse electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy at both X- (9.7 GHz) and W-band (94 GHz) frequencies. The electron spin-lattice (T(1)) and spin-spin (T(2)) relaxation data indicate an extremely fast transfer or quantum tunneling rate of the solvated electron in these solutions which serves to modulate the hyperfine (Fermi-contact) interaction with nitrogen nuclei in the solvation shells of ammonia molecules surrounding the localized, solvated electron. The donor and acceptor states of the solvated electron in these solutions are the initial and final electron solvation sites found before, and after, the transfer or tunneling process. To interpret and model our electron spin relaxation data from the two observation EPR frequencies requires a consideration of a multiexponential correlation function. The electron transfer or tunneling process that we monitor through the correlation time of the nitrogen Fermi-contact interaction has a time scale of (1-10) × 10(-12) s over a temperature range 230-290 K in our most dilute solution of lithium in ammonia. Two types of electron-solvent interaction mechanisms are proposed to account for our experimental findings. The dominant electron spin relaxation mechanism results from an electron tunneling process characterized by a variable donor-acceptor distance or range (consistent with such a rapidly fluctuating liquid structure) in which the solvent shell that ultimately accepts the transferring electron is formed from random, thermal fluctuations of the liquid structure in, and around, a natural hole or Bjerrum-like defect vacancy in the liquid. Following transfer and capture of the tunneling electron, further solvent-cage relaxation with a time scale of ∼10(-13) s results in a minor contribution to the electron spin relaxation times. This investigation illustrates the great potential of multifrequency EPR measurements to interrogate the microscopic nature and dynamics of ultrafast electron transfer or quantum-tunneling processes in liquids. Our results also impact on the universal issue of the role of a host solvent (or host matrix, e.g. a semiconductor) in mediating long-range electron transfer processes and we discuss the implications of our results with a range of other materials and systems exhibiting the phenomenon of electron transfer.

On the hydration of the phosphocholine headgroup in aqueous solution

The hydration of the phosphocholine headgroup in 1,2-dipropionyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (C(3)-PC) in solution has been determined by using neutron diffraction enhanced with isotopic substitution in combination with computer simulation techniques. The atomic scale hydration structure around this head group shows that both the -N(CH(3))(3) and -CH(2) portions of the choline headgroup are strongly associated with water, through a unique hydrogen bonding regime, where specifically a hydrogen bond from the C-H group to water and a strong association between the water oxygen and N(+) atom in solution have both been observed. In addition, both PO(4) oxygens (P=O) and C=O oxygens are oversaturated when compared to bulk water in that the average number of hydrogen bonds from water to both X=O oxygens is about 2.5 for each group. That water binds strongly to the glycerol groups and is suggestive that water may bind to these groups when phosophotidylcholine is embedded in a membrane bilayer.

A first principles molecular dynamics study of excess electron and lithium atom solvation in water-ammonia mixed clusters: structural, spectral, and dynamical behaviors of [(H2O)5NH3]- and Li(H2O)5NH3 at finite temperature

First principles molecular dynamics simulations are carried out to investigate the solvation of an excess electron and a lithium atom in mixed water-ammonia cluster (H(2)O)(5)NH(3) at a finite temperature of 150 K. Both [(H(2)O)(5)NH(3)](-) and Li(H(2)O)(5)NH(3) clusters are seen to display substantial hydrogen bond dynamics due to thermal motion leading to many different isomeric structures. Also, the structures of these two clusters are found to be very different from each other and also very different from the corresponding neutral cluster without any excess electron or the metal atom. Spontaneous ionization of Li atom occurs in the case of Li(H(2)O)(5)NH(3). The spatial distribution of the singly occupied molecular orbital shows where and how the excess (or free) electron is primarily localized in these clusters. The populations of single acceptor (A), double acceptor (AA), and free (NIL) type water and ammonia molecules are found to be significantly high. The dangling hydrogens of these type of water or ammonia molecules are found to primarily capture the free electron. It is also found that the free electron binding motifs evolve with time due to thermal fluctuations and the vertical detachment energy of [(H(2)O)(5)NH(3)](-) and vertical ionization energy of Li(H(2)O)(5)NH(3) also change with time along the simulation trajectories. Assignments of the observed peaks in the vibrational power spectra are done and we found a one to one correlation between the time-averaged populations of water and ammonia molecules at different H-bonding sites with the various peaks of power spectra. The frequency-time correlation functions of OH stretch vibrational frequencies of these clusters are also calculated and their decay profiles are analyzed in terms of the dynamics of hydrogen bonded and dangling OH modes. It is found that the hydrogen bond lifetimes in these clusters are almost five to six times longer than that of pure liquid water at room temperature.

Nature of metal-nonmetal transition in metal-ammonia solutions. II. From uniform metallic state to inhomogeneous electronic microstructure

Applying semianalytical models of nonideal plasma, we evaluate the behavior of the metallic phase in metal-ammonia solutions (MAS). This behavior is mainly controlled by the degenerate electron gas, which remains stable down to 5 MPM due to high solvent polarizability and strong dielectric screening of solvated ions. Comparing the behavior of the metallic state with those of localized solvated electrons, we have estimated the miscibility gap Delta n for various alkali metals and found Delta n(Na)>Delta n(K). It is rather narrow in Rb-NH3 and does not occur in Cs-NH3 solutions, which is in full agreement with the experiments. The case of Li is discussed separately. The difference calculated in the excess free energies of the metallic and nonmetallic phases is in the order of kBT, yielding a thermally fluctuating mixed state at intermediate metal concentrations. It results in a continuous metal-nonmetal (MNM) transition above the consolute point Tc and a phase separation below Tc. We propose a criterion for the MNM transition which may be attributed to the line of the maximum of compressibility above Tc. This line crosses the spinodal one at the critical temperature. Finally, we assert that a new electronic phase similar to microemulsion should also arise between the spinodal and the binodal lines.

High frequency dynamics and structural relaxation process in liquid ammonia

The dynamic structure factor S(Q,omega) of liquid ammonia has been measured by inelastic x-ray scattering in the terahertz frequency region as a function of the temperature in the range of 220-298 K at a pressure P=85 bars. The data have been analyzed using the generalized hydrodynamic formalism with a three term memory function to take into account the thermal, the structural, (alpha) and the microscopic (mu) relaxation processes affecting the dynamics of the liquid. This allows to extract the temperature dependence of the structural relaxation time (tau(alpha)) and strength (Delta(alpha)). The former quantity follows an Arrhenius behavior with an activation energy E(a)=2.6+/-0.2 kcal/mol, while the latter is temperature independent suggesting that there are no changes in the interparticle potential and arrangement with T. The obtained results, compared with those already existing in liquid water and liquid hydrogen fluoride, suggest the strong influence of the connectivity of the molecular network on the structural relaxation.

Structure and Hydration of l-Proline in Aqueous Solutions

The structure and hydration of L-proline in aqueous solution have been investigated using a combination of neutron diffraction with isotopic substitution, empirical potential structure refinement modeling, and small-angle neutron scattering at three concentrations, 1:10, 1:15, and 1:20 proline/water mole ratios. In each solution the carboxylate oxygen atoms from proline accept less than two hydrogen bonds from the surrounding water solvent and the amine hydrogen atoms donate less than one hydrogen bond to the surrounding water molecules. The solute-solute radial distribution functions indicate relatively weak interactions between proline molecules, and significant clustering or aggregation of proline is absent at all these concentrations. The spatial density distributions for the hydration of the COO- group in proline show a similar shape to that found previously in L-glutamic acid in aqueous solution but with a reduced coordination number.

Perturbation of water structure due to monovalent ions in solution

The ion induced modification to the tetrahedral structure of water is a topic of much current interest. We address this question by interpreting neutron diffraction data from monovalent ionic solutions of NaCl and KCl using a computer assisted structural modeling technique. We investigate the effect that these ions have on the water-water O-O, O-H and H-H radial distribution functions as a function of ionic concentration. It is found that the O-H and H-H functions are only marginally affected by ionic composition, signaling that hydrogen bonding between water molecules remains largely intact, even at the highest concentrations. On the other hand the O-O functions are strongly modified by the ions. In particular the position of the second peak in g(OO)(r), is found to move inwards with increasing salt concentration, in a manner closely analogous to what happens in pure water under pressure. Furthermore by recalculating g(OO)(r) after excluding all the water molecules in the first hydration shell of each ion, we show that this structural perturbation exists outside the first hydration shell of the ions.

The hydration of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in aqueous solution

Neutron diffraction augmented with hydrogen isotope substitution has been used to examine the water structure around the acetylcholine molecular ion in aqueous solution. It is shown that the nearest-neighbor water molecules in the region around the trimethylammonium headgroup are located either in a ring around the central nitrogen atom or between the carbon atoms, forming a sheath around the onium group. Moreover the water molecules in this cavity do not bond to the onium group but rather form hydrogen bonds with water molecules in the surrounding aqueous environment. Given that in the bound state the onium headgroup must be completely desolvated, the absence of bonding between the onium headgroup and the surrounding water solvent may be selectively favorable to acetylcholine-binding in the receptor site. Away from the headgroup, pronounced hydrogen-bonding of water to the carbonyl oxygen is observed, but not to the ether oxygen in the acetylcholine chain.

Infrared spectroscopy of Li(NH3)n clusters for n=4–7

Infrared spectra of Li(NH3)(n) clusters as a function of size are reported for the first time. Spectra have been recorded in the N-H stretching region for n=4-->7 using a mass-selective photodissociation technique. For the n=4 cluster, three distinct IR absorption bands are seen over a relatively narrow region, whereas the larger clusters yield additional features at higher frequencies. Ab initio calculations have been carried out in support of these experiments for the specific cases of n=4 and 5 for various isomers of these clusters. The bands observed in the spectrum for Li(NH3)(4) can all be attributed to N-H stretching vibrations from solvent molecules in the first solvation shell. The appearance of higher frequency N-H stretching bands for n > or =5 is assigned to the presence of ammonia molecules located in a second solvent shell. These data provide strong support for previous suggestions, based on gas phase photoionization measurements, that the first solvation shell for Li(NH3)(n) is complete at n=4. They are also consistent with neutron diffraction studies of concentrated lithium/liquid ammonia solutions, where Li(NH3)(4) is found to be the basic structural motif.

Model of saturated lithium ammonia as a single-component liquid metal

We use the single-component picture and the nearly-free-electron theory for describing collective excitations in the saturated Li-ammonia solution. The physical justification is discussed, and all predictions are compared with current experimental findings. The plasmon dispersion and the long-wavelength dielectric function of the solution can be explained within the homogeneous-electron-gas theory. The parameters r(s) = 7.4a(0) and epsilon(infinity) = 1.44 give a good description compared with inelastic x-ray scattering and optical data. The phonon spectrum of the solution is also examined. Within the scope of the empty core model with R(c) = 3.76a(0), the phonon dispersion at low q is reproduced. The ratio BB(free) = 1.34 is compared with 1.63 obtained from experiments.

Proton dynamics in lithium-ammonia solutions and expanded metals

Quasielastic neutron scattering has been used to study proton dynamics in the system lithium-ammonia at concentrations of 0, 4, 12, and 20 mole percent metal (MPM) in both the liquid and solid (expanded metal) phases. At 230 K, in the homogenous liquid state, we find that the proton self-diffusion coefficient first increases with metal concentration, from 5.6x10(-5) cm2 s(-1) in pure ammonia to 7.8x10(-5) cm2 s(-1) at 12 MPM. At higher concentrations we note a small decrease to a value of 7.0x10(-5) cm2 s(-1) at 20 MPM (saturation). These results are consistent with NMR data, and can be explained in terms of the competing influences of the electron and ion solvation. At saturation, the solution freezes to form a series of expanded metal compounds of composition Li(NH3)4. Above the melting point, at 100 K, we are able to fit our data to a jump-diffusion model, with a mean jump length (l) of 2.1 A and residence time (tau) of 3.1 ps. This model gives a diffusion coefficient of 2.3x10(-5) cm2 s(-1). In solid phase I (cubic, stable from 88.8 to 82.2 K) we find that the protons are still undergoing this jump diffusion, with l=2.0 A and tau=3.9 ps giving a diffusion coefficient of 1.8x10(-5) cm2 s(-1). Such motion gives way to purely localized rotation in solid phases IIa (from 82.2 to 69 K) and IIb (stable from 69 to 25 K). We find rotational correlation times (tau(rot)) of the order of 2.0 and 7.3 ps in phases IIa and IIb, respectively. These values can be compared with a rotational mode in solid ammonia with tau(rot) approximately 2.4 ps at 150 K.