Structure, Energetics, Electronic, and Hydration Properties of Neutral and Anionic Al3O6, Al3O7, and Al3O8 Clusters

Condensation and Growth of Amorphous Aluminosilicate Nanoparticles by Aggregation Process

The precipitation of zeolite nanoparticles involves the initial formation of metastable precursors such as amorphous entities that crystalize through non-classical pathways. Here, using reactive force field based simulations, we reveal...

Adsorption of carbon monoxide on small aluminum oxide clusters: Role of the local atomic environment and charge state on the oxidation of the CO molecule

We present extensive density functional theory (DFT) calculations dedicated to analyze the adsorption behavior of CO molecules on small AlxOy (±) clusters. Following the experimental results of Johnson et al. [J. Phys. Chem. A 112, 4732 (2008)], we consider structures having the bulk composition Al2O3, as well as smaller Al2O2 and Al2O units. Our electron affinity and total energy calculations are consistent with aluminum oxide clusters having two-dimensional rhombus-like structures. In addition, interconversion energy barriers between two- and one-dimensional atomic arrays are of the order of 1 eV, thus clearly defining the preferred isomers. Single CO adsorption on our charged AlxOy (±) clusters exhibits, in general, spontaneous oxygen transfer events leading to the production of CO2 in line with the experimental data. However, CO can also bind to both Al and O atoms of the clusters forming aluminum oxide complexes with a CO2 subunit. The vibrational spectra of AlxOy + CO2 provides well defined finger prints that may allow the identification of specific isomers. The AlxOy (+) clusters are more reactive than the anionic species and the final Al2O(+) + CO reaction can result in the production of atomic Al and carbon dioxide as observed from experiments. We underline the crucial role played by the local atomic environment, charge density distribution, and spin-multiplicity on the oxidation behavior of CO molecules. Finally, we analyze the importance of coadsorption and finite temperature effects by performing DFT Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics. Our calculations show that CO oxidation on AlxOy (+) clusters can be also promoted by the binding of additional CO species at 300 K, revealing the existence of fragmentation processes in line with the ones experimentally inferred.

Study of cluster anions generated by laser ablation of titanium oxides: a high resolution approach based on Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

Laser ablation of titanium oxides at 355 nm and ion-molecule reactions between [(TiO(2))(x)](-•) cluster anions and H(2)O or O(2) were investigated by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR MS) with an external ion source. The detected anions correspond to [(TiO(2))(x)(H(2)O)(y)OH](-) and [(TiO(2))(x)(H(2)O)(y)O(2)](-•) oxy-hydroxide species with x=1 to 25 and y=1, 2, or 3 and were formed by a two step process: (1) laser ablation, which leads to the formation of [(TiO(2))(x)](-•) cluster anions as was previously reported, and (2) ion-molecule reactions during ion storage. Reactions of some [(TiO(2))(x)](-•) cluster anions with water and dioxygen conducted in the FTICR cell confirm this assessment. Tandem mass spectrometry experiments were also performed in sustained off-resonance irradiation collision-induced dissociation (SORI-CID) mode. Three fragmentation pathways were observed: (1) elimination of water molecules, (2) O(2) loss for radical anions, and (3) fission of the cluster. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed to explain the experimental data.

Interaction of water, methanol, and ammonia with AlxOy-: a comparative theoretical study of Al5O4- versus Al3O3-

The chemical reactions of water, methanol, and ammonia with Al5O4- have been studied using electronic structure calculations. The chemistry of Al5O4- with these molecules is different from that of Al3O3-. While Al3O3- dissociatively adsorbs two water molecules (and methanol), Al5O4- reacts with only one. In addition, Al5O4- does not show any reaction with ammonia while recent experimental and theoretical studies suggest that Al3O3- chemisorbs ammonia. These apparent differences in their chemical reactivity have been explained based on the thermodynamic stability of the corresponding reaction products and kinetic barriers associated with their formation.

Identification of hydrolysis products of AlCl3·6H2O in the presence of sulfate by electrospray ionizationtime-of-flight mass spectrometry and computational methods

ElectroSpray Ionization-Mass Spectrometry (ESI-MS) and computational methods (DFT, MP2, and COSMO) were used to investigate the hydrolysis products of aluminium chloride as a function of sulfate concentration at pH 3.7. With the aid of computational chemistry, structural information was deduced from the chemical compositions observed with ESI-MS. Many novel types of hydrolysis products were noted, revealing that our present understanding of aluminium speciation is too simple. The role of counterions was found to be critical: the speciation of aluminium changed markedly as a function of sulfate concentration. Ab initio calculations were used to reveal the energetically most favoured structures of aluminium sulfate anions and cations selected from the ESI-MS results. Several interesting observations were made. Most importantly, the bonding behaviour of the sulfate group changed as the number of aqua ligands increased. The accompanying structural rearrangement of the clusters revealed the highly active role of sulfate as a ligand. The gas phase calculations were expanded to the aquatic environment using a conductor-like screening model. As expected, the bonding behaviour of the sulfate group in the minimum energy structures was distinctly different in the aquatic environment compared to the gas phase. Together, these methods open a new window for research in the solution chemistry of aluminium species.

Are structures with Al–H bonds represented in the photoelectron spectrum of Al3O4H2−?

Photoelectron spectra of Al3O4H2- clusters formed by reactions of Al3O3- with water molecules have been interpreted recently in terms of dissociative absorption products with hydroxide and oxide anions that are coordinated to aluminum cations. Alternative isomers with Al-H bonds have lower energies, but barriers to hydrogen migrations that break O-H bonds and create Al-H bonds are high. Ab initio electron propagator calculations of the vertical electron detachment energies of the anions indicate that the species with hydrides cannot be assigned to the chief features in the photoelectron spectrum. Therefore, the previously studied dissociative absorption products are the structures that are most likely to be probed in the photoelectron spectra.

Theoretical Study of Alnand AlnO (n= 2−10) Clusters

The stable structures, energies, and electronic properties of neutral, cationic, and anionic clusters of Al(n) (n = 2-10) are studied systematically at the B3LYP/6-311G(2d) level. We find that our optimized structures of Al5(+), Al9(+), Al9(-), Al10, Al10(+), and Al10(-) clusters are more stable than the corresponding ones proposed in previous literature reports. For the studied neutral aluminum clusters, our results show that the stability has an odd/even alternation phenomenon. We also find that the Al3, Al7, Al7(+), and Al7(-) structures are more stable than their neighbors according to their binding energies. For Al7(+) with a special stability, the nucleus-independent chemical shifts and resonance energies are calculated to evaluate its aromaticity. In addition, we present results on hardness, ionization potential, and electron detachment energy. On the basis of the stable structures of the neutral Al(n) (n = 2-10) clusters, the Al(n)O (n = 2-10) clusters are further investigated at the B3LYP/6-311G(2d), and the lowest-energy structures are searched. The structures show that oxygen tends to either be absorbed at the surface of the aluminum clusters or be inserted between Al atoms to form an Al(n-1)OAl motif, of which the Al(n-1) part retains the stable structure of pure aluminum clusters.

Al–H bond formation in hydrated aluminum oxide cluster anions

Quantum chemical calculations have been performed to investigate the interaction of a water molecule with gas phase aluminum oxide cluster anions. While oxygen-rich clusters (AlxOy-,x<y) (including Al2O3- which resembles the stoichiometry of bulk alumina) form hydroxides as the end product, many aluminum-rich clusters (AlxOy-,x>y) generate metal hydrides. These hydride species are, in many cases, 30-35 kcal/mol more stable than their hydroxide counterparts. Our observations on such competing reaction pathways may be useful to understand the catalytic role of alumina nanoparticles in many chemical reactions.

Computational studies of the cationic aluminium(chloro) hydroxides by quantum chemical ab initio methods

Cationic aluminium(chloro) hydroxide complexes with two to four aluminium atoms were studied using quantum chemical methods. Complexes were studied in both gas and liquid phase. The liquid environment was modeled by using a conductor-like screening model (COSMO). COSMO calculations were carried out as a single point calculation at the optimized gas phase structures. Water (epsilon = 78.54) was used as the solvent. The minimum energy structures obtained from the gas phase studies were mostly compact cyclic structures. Aluminium preferred to be five-coordinated in oxygen rich clusters. Core oxygen preferred three-fold coordination but in the largest clusters the four-coordinated oxygen was observed. Water reacted dissociatively with hydrogen poor clusters. The COSMO calculations showed that the optimal structures of cationic aluminium(chloro) hydroxides tend to be more open in the liquid than in the gas phase.