The 3dNi8(3F)3dCu10σ2σ*1 manifold of excited electronic states of NiCu

Rovibrational investigation of a new high-lying 0u + state of Cu2 by using two-color resonant four-wave-mixing spectroscopy

A highly excited electronic state of dicopper is observed and characterized for the first time. The [39.6]0_u ⁺-X¹Σ_g ⁺(0_g ⁺) system is measured at rotational resolution by using degenerate and two-color resonant four-wave-mixing, as well as laser induced fluorescence spectroscopy. Double-resonance experiments are performed by labeling selected rotational levels of the ground state by tuning the probe laser wavelength to transitions in the well-known (1-0) band of the B0_u ⁺-X¹Σ_g ⁺(0_g ⁺) electronic system. Spectra obtained by scans of the pump laser in the UV wavelength range were then assigned unambiguously by the stringent double-resonance selection rules. The absence of a Q-band suggests a parallel transition (ΔΩ = 0) and determines the term symbol of the state as 0_u ⁺ in Hund's case (c) notation. The equilibrium constants for ⁶³Cu₂ are T_e = 39 559.921(92) cm^-1, ω_e = 277.70(14) cm^-1, B_e = 0.104 942(66) cm^-1, and r_e = 2.2595(11) Å. These findings are supported by high-level ab initio calculations at the MRCI+Q level, which clearly identifies this state as resulting from a 4p ← 3d transition. In addition, three dark perturber states are found in the v = 1 and v = 2 vibrational levels of the new state. A deperturbation analysis characterizes the interaction and rationalizes the anomalous dips in the excitation spectrum of the [39.6]0_u ⁺-X¹Σ_g ⁺(0_g ⁺) system.

Dressing of Cu Atom over Nickel Cluster Stimulating the Poisoning-Free CO Oxidation: An Ab Initio Study

In this work using first-principles calculations based on spin-polarized density functional theory (DFT), the role of the Cu atom in degrading the poisoning of carbon monoxide (CO) over Ni_nCu clusters is unveiled. The search has been initiated with the examination of structural, magnetic, and electronic properties of Ni_n+1 and Ni_nCu clusters (1 ≤ n ≤ 12). X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectra of Ni K-edge are computed to extract the information on the oxidation states and coordination environment of metal sites of the clusters. This study is operated with the two forms of dispersion corrections, i.e., D2 and D3, with standard DFT (with LDA and GGA functionals) for the consideration of van der Waals interactions during CO adsorption. The PBE and PBE-D3 approaches are found to be capable of yielding the experimentally observed preferential site for CO adsorption. The effect of spin-polarization on the reactivity of transition metals (TMs) toward CO adsorption is crucially assessed by the electronic reactivity descriptors such as d-band center, d-band width, and fractional filling of d-band using a spin-polarized d-band center model. The effective charge transfer from Cu to Ni atoms makes Ni atoms more efficient of charge and is attributed to the degrading adsorption of CO over Ni_nCu clusters. The Ni₁₂Cu cluster stands out with good CO oxidation activity for the Langmuir-Hinshelwood (L-H) reaction pathway.

Periodic table of 3d-metal dimers and their ions

The ground states of the mixed 3d-metal dimers TiV, TiCr, TiMn, TiFe, TiCo, TiNi, TiCu, TiZn, VCr, VMn, VFe, VCo, VNi, VCu, VZn, CrMn, CrFe, CrCo, CrNi, CrCu, CrZn, MnFe, MnCo, MnNi, MnCu, MnZn, FeCo, FeNi, FeCu, FeZn, CoNi, CoCu, CoZn, NiCu, NiZn, and CuZn along with their singly negatively and positively charged ions are assigned based on the results of computations using density functional theory with generalized gradient approximation for the exchange-correlation functional. Except for TiCo and CrMn, our assignment agrees with experiment. Computed spectroscopic constants (r(e),omega(e),D(o)) are in fair agreement with experiment. The ground-state spin multiplicities of all the ions are found to differ from the spin multiplicities of the corresponding neutral parents by +/-1. Except for TiV, MnFe, and MnCu, the number of unpaired electrons, N, in a neutral ground-state dimer is either N(1)+N(2) or mid R:N(1)-N(2)mid R:, where N(1) and N(2) are the numbers of unpaired 3d electrons in the 3d(n)4s(1) occupation of the constituent atoms. Combining the present and previous results obtained at the same level of theory for homonuclear 3d-metal and ScX (X=Ti-Zn) dimers allows one to construct "periodic" tables of all 3d-metal dimers along with their singly charged ions.

Monoligated Monovalent Ni: the 3dNi9 Manifold of States of NiCu and Comparison to the 3d9 States of AlNi, NiH, NiCl, and NiF

A dispersed fluorescence investigation of the low-lying electronic states of NiCu has allowed the observation of four out of the five states that derive from the 3d(Ni)9 3d(Cu)10 sigma2 manifold. Vibrational levels of the ground X2delta(5/2) state corresponding to v = 0-11 are observed and are fit to provide omega(e) = 275.93 +/- 1.06 cm(-1) and omega(e)x(e) = 1.44 +/- 0.11 cm(-1). The v = 0 levels of the higher lying states deriving from the 3d(Ni)9 3d(Cu)10 sigma2 manifold are located at 912, 1466, and 1734 cm(-1), and these states are assigned to omega values of 3/2, 1/2, and 3/2, respectively. The last of these assignments is based on selection rules and is unequivocal; the first two are based on a comparison to ab initio and ligand field calculations and could conceivably be in error. It is also possible that the v = 0 level of the state found at 912 cm(-1) is not observed, so that T0 for the lowest excited state actually lies near 658 cm(-1). These results are modeled using a matrix Hamiltonian based on the existence of a ground manifold of states deriving from the 3d9 configuration on nickel. This matrix Hamiltonian is also applied to the spectroscopically well-known molecules AlNi, NiH, NiCl, and NiF. The term energies of the 2sigma+, 2pi, and 2delta states of these molecules, which all derive from a 3d9 configuration on the nickel atom, display a clear and understandable trend as a function of the electronegativity of the ligands.