Calculation of Electrochemical Reorganization Energies for Redox Molecules at Self-Assembled Monolayer Modified Electrodes

Gradual Change between Coherent and Incoherent Tunneling Regimes Induced by Polarizable Halide Substituents in Molecular Tunnel Junctions

This paper describes a gradual transition of charge transport across molecular junctions from coherent to incoherent tunneling by increasing the number and polarizability of halide substituents of phenyl-terminated aliphatic monolayers of the form S(CH2)10OPhXn, X = F, Cl, Br, or I; n = 0, 1, 2, 3, or 5. In contrast to earlier work where incoherent tunneling was induced by introducing redox-active groups or increasing the molecular length, we show that increasing the polarizability, while keeping the organization of the monolayer structure unaltered, results in a gradual change in the mechanism of tunneling of charge carriers where the activation energy increased from 23 meV for n = 0 (associated with coherent tunneling) to 257 meV for n = 5 with X = Br (associated with incoherent tunneling). Interestingly, this increase in incoherent tunneling rate with polarizability resulted in an improved molecular diode performance. Our findings suggest an avenue to improve the electronic function of molecular devices by introducing polarizable atoms.

The hydrogen-bonding dynamics of water to a nitrile-functionalized electrode is modulated by voltage according to ultrafast 2D IR spectroscopy

We report the hydrogen-bonding dynamics of water to a nitrile-functionalized and plasmonic electrode surface as a function of applied voltage. The surface-enhanced two-dimensional infrared spectra exhibit hydrogen-bonded and non-hydrogen-bonded nitrile features in similar proportions, plus cross peaks between the two. Isotopic dilution experiments show that the cross peaks arise predominantly from chemical exchange between hydrogen-bonded and non-hydrogen-bonded nitriles. The chemical exchange rate depends upon voltage, with the hydrogen bond of the water to the nitriles breaking 2 to 3 times slower (>63 vs. 25 ps) under a positive as compared to a negative potential. Spectral diffusion created by hydrogen-bond fluctuations occurs on a ~1 ps timescale and is moderately potential-dependent. Timescales from molecular dynamics simulations agree qualitatively with the experiment and show that a negative voltage causes a small net displacement of water away from the surface. These results show that the voltage applied to an electrode can alter the timescales of solvent motion at its interface, which has implications for electrochemically driven reactions.

Redox: Organic Robust Radicals and Their Polymers for Energy Conversion/Storage Devices

Persistent radicals can hold their unpaired electrons even under conditions where they accumulate, leading to the unique characteristics of radical ensembles with open-shell structures and their molecular properties, such as magneticity, radical trapping, catalysis, charge storage, and electrical conductivity. The molecules also display fast, reversible redox reactions, which have attracted particular attention for energy conversion and storage devices. This paper reviews the electrochemical aspects of persistent radicals and the corresponding macromolecules, radical polymers. Radical structures and their redox reactions are introduced, focusing on redox potentials, bistability, and kinetic constants for electrode reactions and electron self-exchange reactions. Unique charge transport and storage properties are also observed with the accumulated form of redox sites in radical polymers. The radical molecules have potential electrochemical applications, including in rechargeable batteries, redox flow cells, photovoltaics, diodes, and transistors, and in catalysts, which are reviewed in the last part of this paper.

Photophysics of Solvated Molecules: Computational Protocol Combining Nuclear Ensemble and Nonequilibrium State-Specific Solvation Methods

Efficient calculations of the photophysical properties of molecules are essential for both understanding experimental results and accelerating materials discovery through computational simulations. However, to achieve accurate results, the effects of the surrounding medium must be taken into account. Here, we present a computational protocol that combines the nuclear ensemble method with a nonequilibrium state-specific polarizable continuum model to simulate absorption, fluorescence, phosphorescence, and intersystem crossing processes. Additionally, we introduced an extrapolation strategy that enables predictions for multiple solvents without incurring additional computational costs. We demonstrate the method's effectiveness by modeling the photophysical properties of a molecule that exhibits thermally activated delayed fluorescence, showcasing how these properties vary with solvent polarity. We also provide insight into the relationship between the solvent and photophysics by using ensemble analysis to rationalize simulation results. Furthermore, we introduce a metric for the intensity of the charge transfer character of electronic states and demonstrate how vibrations can significantly mix the electronic character of excited states. Overall, this work presents a computational approach that offers new insights into the photophysics of molecules and has the potential to advance materials discovery.

Voltage-Dependent FTIR and 2D Infrared Spectroscopies within the Electric Double Layer Using a Plasmonic and Conductive Electrode

Strong electric fields exist between the electric double layer and charged surfaces. These fields impact molecular structures and chemistry at interfaces. We have developed a transparent electrode with infrared plasmonic enhancement sufficient to measure FTIR and two-dimensional infrared spectra at submonolayer coverages on the surface to which a voltage can be applied. Our device consists of an infrared transparent substrate, a 10-20 nm layer of conductive indium tin oxide (ITO), an electrically resistive layer of 3-5 nm Al₂O₃, and a 3 nm layer of nonconductive plasmonic gold. The materials and thicknesses are set to maximize the surface number density of the monolayer molecules, electrical conductivity, and plasmonic enhancement while minimizing background signals and avoiding Fano line shape distortions. The design was optimized by iteratively characterizing the material roughness and thickness with atomic force microscopy and electron microscopy and by monitoring the plasmon resonance enhancement with spectroscopy. The design is robust to repeated fabrication. This new electrode is tested on nitrile functional groups using a monolayer of 4-mercaptobenzonitrile as well as on CO and CC stretching modes using 4-mercaptobenzoic acid methyl ester. A voltage-dependent Stark shift is observed on both monolayers. We also observe that the transition dipole strength of the CN mode scales linearly with the applied voltage, providing a second way of measuring the surface electric field strength. We anticipate that this cell will enable many new voltage-dependent infrared experiments under applied voltages.

Theoretical Modeling of Electrochemical Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer

Proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) plays an essential role in a wide range of electrocatalytic processes. A vast array of theoretical and computational methods have been developed to study electrochemical PCET. These methods can be used to calculate redox potentials and pK_a values for molecular electrocatalysts, proton-coupled redox potentials and bond dissociation free energies for PCET at metal and semiconductor interfaces, and reorganization energies associated with electrochemical PCET. Periodic density functional theory can also be used to compute PCET activation energies and perform molecular dynamics simulations of electrochemical interfaces. Various approaches for maintaining a constant electrode potential in electronic structure calculations and modeling complex interactions in the electric double layer (EDL) have been developed. Theoretical formulations for both homogeneous and heterogeneous electrochemical PCET spanning the adiabatic, nonadiabatic, and solvent-controlled regimes have been developed and provide analytical expressions for the rate constants and current densities as functions of applied potential. The quantum mechanical treatment of the proton and inclusion of excited vibronic states have been shown to be critical for describing experimental data, such as Tafel slopes and potential-dependent kinetic isotope effects. The calculated rate constants can be used as input to microkinetic models and voltammogram simulations to elucidate complex electrocatalytic processes.

Anion-exchange membrane water electrolyzers and fuel cells

The key components, working management, and operating techniques of anion-exchange membrane water electrolyzers and fuel cells are reviewed for the first time.

Proton-Coupled Defects Impact O-H Bond Dissociation Free Energies on Metal Oxide Surfaces

Proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) reactions on metal oxides require coupling between proton transfer at the solid-liquid interface and electron transfer involving defects at or near the band edge. Herein, hybrid functional periodic density functional theory is used to elucidate the impact of proton-coupled defects on the bond dissociation free energies (BDFEs) of O-H bonds on anatase TiO₂ surfaces. These O-H BDFEs are directly related to interfacial PCET thermochemistry. Comparison between geometrically similar O-H bonds associated with different defect types, namely conduction d-band electrons or valence p-band holes, reveals that the BDFEs differ by ∼81 kcal/mol (3.50 eV), comparable to the wide TiO₂ band gap. These differences are shown to be determined primarily by differences in electron transfer driving forces, which are analyzed by using band energies and inner-sphere reorganization energies within a Marcus theory framework. These fundamental insights about the impact of proton-coupled defects on PCET thermochemistry at semiconductor surfaces have broad implications for electrocatalysis.

Multireference Perturbation Theory Combined with PCM and RISM Solvation Models: A Benchmark Study for Chemical Energetics

The polarizable continuum model (PCM) has been one of the most widely used approaches to take into account the solvation effect in quantum chemical calculations. In this paper, we performed a series of benchmark calculations to assess the accuracy of the PCM scheme combined with the second-order complete-active-space perturbation theory (CASPT2) for molecular systems in polar solvents. For solute molecules with extensive conjugated π orbitals, exemplified by elongated conjugated arylcarbenes, we have incorporated the ab initio density matrix renormalization group algorithm into the PCM-CASPT2 method. In the previous work, we presented a combination of the DMRG-CASPT2 method with the reference interaction site model (RISM) theory for describing the solvation effect using the radial distribution function and compared its performance to the widely used density-functional approaches (PCM-TD-DFT). The work here allows us to further show a more thorough assessment of the RISM model compared to the PCM with an equal level of the wave function treatment, the (DMRG-)CASPT2 theory, toward a high-accuracy electronic structure calculations for solvated chemical systems. With the exception that the PCM models are not capable of properly describing the hydrogen bondings, accuracy of the PCM-CASPT2 model is in most cases quite comparable to the RISM counterpart.

Conformational Shifts of Stacked Heteroaromatics: Vacuum vs. Water Studied by Machine Learning

Stacking interactions play a crucial role in drug design, as we can find aromatic cores or scaffolds in almost any available small molecule drug. To predict optimal binding geometries and enhance stacking interactions, usually high-level quantum mechanical calculations are performed. These calculations have two major drawbacks: they are very time consuming, and solvation can only be considered using implicit solvation. Therefore, most calculations are performed in vacuum. However, recent studies have revealed a direct correlation between the desolvation penalty, vacuum stacking interactions and binding affinity, making predictions even more difficult. To overcome the drawbacks of quantum mechanical calculations, in this study we use neural networks to perform fast geometry optimizations and molecular dynamics simulations of heteroaromatics stacked with toluene in vacuum and in explicit solvation. We show that the resulting energies in vacuum are in good agreement with high-level quantum mechanical calculations. Furthermore, we show that using explicit solvation substantially influences the favored orientations of heteroaromatic rings thereby emphasizing the necessity to include solvation properties starting from the earliest phases of drug design.

Electrochemical Electron Transfer and Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer: Effects of Double Layer and Ionic Environment on Solvent Reorganization Energies

Electron transfer and proton coupled electron transfer (PCET) reactions at electrochemical interfaces play an essential role in a broad range of energy conversion processes. The reorganization energy, which is a measure of the free-energy change associated with solute and solvent rearrangements, is a key quantity for calculating rate constants for these reactions. We present a computational method for including the effects of the double layer and ionic environment of the diffuse layer in calculations of electrochemical solvent reorganization energies. This approach incorporates an accurate electronic charge distribution of the solute within a molecular-shaped cavity in conjunction with a dielectric continuum treatment of the solvent, ions, and electrode using the integral equations formalism polarizable continuum model. The molecule-solvent boundary is treated explicitly, but the effects of the electrode-double layer and double layer-diffuse layer boundaries, as well as the effects of the ionic strength of the solvent, are included through an external Green's function. The calculated total reorganization energies agree well with experimentally measured values for a series of electrochemical systems, and the effects of including both the double layer and ionic environment are found to be very small. This general approach was also extended to electrochemical PCET and produced total reorganization energies in close agreement with experimental values for two experimentally studied PCET systems.