An electron spin resonance investigation of vanadium dioxide (51V16O2 and 51V17O2) and 51V17O in neon matrices with preliminary assignments for VO3 and V+2: Comparison with ab initio theoretical calculations

Photoelectron spectra of early 3d-transition metal dioxide molecular anions from GW calculations

Photoelectron spectra of early 3d-transition metal dioxide anions, ScO₂ ^-, TiO₂ ^-, VO₂ ^-, CrO₂ ^-, and MnO₂ ^-, are calculated using semilocal and hybrid density functional theory (DFT) and many-body perturbation theory within the GW approximation using one-shot perturbative and eigenvalue self-consistent formalisms. Different levels of theory are compared with each other and with available photoelectron spectra. We show that one-shot GW with a PBE0 starting point (G₀W₀@PBE0) consistently provides very good agreement for all experimentally measured binding energies (within 0.1 eV-0.2 eV or less). We attribute this to the success of PBE0 in mitigating self-interaction error and providing good quasiparticle wave functions, which renders a first-order perturbative GW correction effective. One-shot GW calculations with a Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE) starting point do poorly in predicting electron removal energies by underbinding orbitals with typical errors near 1.5 eV. A higher exact exchange amount of 50% in the DFT starting point of one-shot GW does not provide very good agreement with experiment by overbinding orbitals with typical errors near 0.5 eV. While not as accurate as G₀W₀@PBE0, the G-only eigenvalue self-consistent GW scheme with W fixed to the PBE level provides a reasonably predictive level of theory (typical errors near 0.3 eV) to describe photoelectron spectra of these 3d-transition metal dioxide anions. Adding eigenvalue self-consistency also in W, on the other hand, worsens the agreement with experiment overall. Our findings on the performance of various GW methods are discussed in the context of our previous studies on other transition metal oxide molecular systems.

The bond dissociation energy of VO measured by resonant three-photon ionization spectroscopy

The predissociation threshold of VO has been measured using resonant three-photon ionization (R3PI) spectroscopy. Given the high density of electronic states in the molecule, it is argued that the molecule dissociates rapidly as soon as the thermochemical bond dissociation energy (BDE) is exceeded, allowing the measured predissociation threshold to be assigned as the BDE. This is the first time a BDE has been measured using the R3PI method. The first photon is provided by an optical parametric oscillator (OPO) laser that promotes VO into a high-energy, discrete vibronic state. A tunable dye laser then excites the molecule further to a resonant state close to the dissociation limit where there is a quasi-continuum of states. A second photon from the same dye laser pulse ionizes the molecule, generating VO⁺ ions. The dye laser is then scanned to higher energies, and when the energy of one OPO photon plus one dye photon exceeds the BDE, the molecule dissociates before another dye photon can be absorbed to induce ionization. The combined photon energy at the sharp drop in the ion signal is assigned as the BDE. The experiment has been repeated using four different intermediate states, all yielding the same BDE, D₀(VO) = 6.545(2) eV. Using thermochemical cycles, a revised value for the BDE of cationic VO is obtained, D₀(V⁺-O) = 6.053(2) eV. The 0 K enthalpy of formation for VO(g) is also derived as Δ_fH_0K ⁰VO(g) = 128.6(1.0) kJ mol^-1. Previous spectroscopic and thermochemical studies of VO are reviewed.

Paramagnetic dioxovanadium(IV) molecules inside the channels of zeolite BEA--EPR screening of VO2 reactivity toward small gas-phase molecules

Interaction of small gas-phase molecules (NO, N2O, O2, CO) with VO2 radicals inside the channels of a dealuminated SiBEA zeolite was investigated by means of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), infrared (IR), and mass (QMS) spectroscopies to provide direct insights into the chemistry of a unique paramagnetic state of vanadium - VO2 molecules. A facile way of forming VO2 inside the channels of SiBEA via thermal reduction of VO2(+) precursor cations was shown. Dioxovanadium(IV) was identified based on its unusual EPR signal which, as compared with the typical monooxovanadium(IV) (VO(2+) cation), is featured by rhombic symmetry and a positive Aiso value leading to a hyperfine splitting as large as 32 mT. VO2 molecules exhibit reducing properties transforming N2O and O2 into vanadium intrachannel cage adducts comprising of reactive oxygen species (O(-) and O2(-), respectively). Interaction with CO led to its oxidation to CO2, while paramagnetic NO acted as a scavenger for VO2 radicals producing diamagnetic adducts. The observed reactivity was rationalized in terms of spin-pairing, electron transfer, and oxygen transfer processes. As a result new chemical pathways of vanadium reactivity were demonstrated which were not observed so far either in the homogeneous molecular systems or supported vanadium materials.

On the electronic structure of the low lying electronic states of vanadium trioxide

The electronic structure of transition metal oxides is frequently studied using density functional theory. Nonetheless, the electronic structure of VO3 has been found to be sensitive to the choice of functional. As a consequence, the basic question of whether or not the ground electronic state exhibits a Jahn-Teller distortion has yet to be resolved. Using basis sets of triple zeta quality and multireference configuration interaction wave functions as large as 700 million configuration state functions, we determine that the ground electronic state of VO3 is a (2)A2 state in C3v symmetry. The first two excited electronic states are also characterized and found to be the components of a degenerate (2)E state, in C3v symmetry, which exhibits a small Jahn-Teller distortion. The Jahn-Teller stabilization energy is only 40 cm(-1) and the barrier to pseudo-rotation is 9 cm(-1). This (2)E state exhibits some unexpected properties. In the vicinity of the minimum energy conical intersection, the local topography appears almost quadratic, rather than linear, in the Jahn-Teller active coordinates. This gives rise to three symmetry-related seams of conical intersections in addition to the symmetry-required seam and results in the suppression of the geometric phase effect. These features, attributable to small linear Jahn-Teller parameters, are usually found in states characterized by e(2) (or e(3)e(')) electron configurations rather than the e(3) configuration found here. In addition to its Jahn-Teller minimum, the first excited state exhibits a second minimum with a structure significantly distorted from C3v. A conical intersection with Cs symmetry connects the two minima and puts an upper limit of 190 cm(-1) on the barrier connecting these minima.

Optimized Basis Sets for Calculation of Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Hyperfine Coupling Constants: aug-cc-pVTZ-J for the 3d Atoms Sc-Zn

The hyperfine coupling tensor of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), describing the interaction between an electron and a given nuclei, depends strongly on the electron density at the nucleus. With standard Gaussian-type orbital basis sets (GTOs), employed in most calculations, it is difficult to obtain converged results of the hyperfine coupling tensor, and basis sets with more flexible core regions have therefore been devised. To this class of core property basis sets belong the aug-cc-pVTZ-J basis sets developed for the s- and p-block atoms. Here, we extend the aug-cc-pVTZ-J basis sets to include the 3d elements Sc-Zn. The converged optimal basis sets are throughout the series described by a (25s17p10d3f2g)/[17s10p7d3f2g] contraction scheme, where four tight s-, one tight p-, and one tight d-type function have been added to the original aug-cc-pVTZ basis sets. The basis sets are generally contracted, and molecular orbital coefficients are used as contraction coefficients. By validation studies with different functionals and compounds, it is shown that the values of the contraction coefficient are effectively independent of the compound used in their generation and the exchange-correlation functional employed in the calculation.

Formation and Characterization of the Oxygen-Rich Hafnium Dioxygen Complexes: OHf(η2-O2)(η2-O3), Hf(η2-O2)3, and Hf(η2-O2)4

Hafnium atom oxidation by dioxygen molecules has been investigated using matrix isolation infrared absorption spectroscopy. The ground-state hafnium atom inserts into dioxygen to form primarily the previously characterized HfO(2) molecule in solid argon. Annealing allows the dioxygen molecules to diffuse and react with HfO(2) to form OHf(eta(2)-O(2))(eta(2)-O(3)), which is characterized as a side-on bonded oxo-superoxo hafnium ozonide complex. Under visible light (532 nm) irradiation, the OHf(eta(2)-O(2))(eta(2)-O(3)) complex either photochemically rearranges to a more stable Hf(eta(2)-O(2))(3) isomer, a side-on bonded di-superoxo hafnium peroxide complex, or reacts with dioxygen to form an unprecedented homoleptic tetra-superoxo hafnium complex: Hf(eta(2)-O(2))(4). The Hf(eta(2)-O(2))(4) complex is determined to possess a D(2d) geometry with a tetrahedral arrangement of four side-on bonded O(2) ligands around the hafnium atom, which thus presents an 8-fold coordination. These oxygen-rich complexes are photoreversible; that is, formation of Hf(eta(2)-O(2))(3) and Hf(eta(2)-O(2))(4) is accompanied by demise of OHf(eta(2)-O(2))(eta(2)-O(3)) under visible (532 nm) light irradiation and vice versa with UV (266 nm) light irradiation.

Mass-selective vibrational spectroscopy of vanadium oxide cluster ions

A corner stone in the study of the size-dependent properties of cluster ions in the gas phase is their structural characterization. Over the last 10 years, significant progress has been in this research field because of significant advances in the gas phase vibrational spectroscopy of mass-selected ions. Using a combination of modern experimental and quantum chemical approaches, it is now in most cases possible to uniquely identify the geometric structure of cluster ions, based on the comparison of the experimental and simulated infrared spectra. In this article, we highlight the progress made in this research area by reviewing recent infrared photodissociation (IR-PD) experiments on small and medium sized (up to 30 atoms) vanadium oxide ions.

Density functional theory and multireference configuration interaction studies on low-lying excited states of TiO2

Using density functional theory at the BPW916-311+G(3df) level, optimized geometries and energies of the lowest singlet, triplet, and quintet A(1), A(2), B(1), B(2)(C(2v)) states of the TiO(2) molecule were obtained. TiO(2) has a (1)A(1) ground state in C(2v) symmetry. Adiabatic excitation energies of the low-lying singlet and triplet states range from 2.1 to 3.0 eV. The (1,3)A(2) states optimize at bond angles of about 140 degrees , lying only 0.06 eV below linear (1,3)Delta(u), whereas (1,3)B(1) and (1,3)B(2), with bond angles of 120 degrees and 96 degrees , respectively, lie 0.3-0.4 eV below the respective (1,3)Pi(u) or (1,3)Delta(u) states. Minima with short O-O distances of approximately 1.46 A, at energies of 4.2 and 4.7 eV, were found for (1)A(1) and (3)A(1). The C(2v) minima of the lowest (1)B(1) and (3)B(1) states are saddle points, suggesting lower-energy structures in C(s) symmetry. The C(2v) quintet states start at energies of 5.7 eV. Multireference configuration interaction (MRCI) methods, employing a polarized valence triple-zeta basis set, lead to similar geometries and energies. MRCI vertical excitation energies up to 4.6 eV and oscillator strengths are given. The calculated excitation energy of 2.2 eV for (1)B(2) agrees well with 2.3 eV from a fluorescence spectrum. The vertical electron detachment energy of TiO(2) (-) is 1.5 eV, in good agreement with 1.6 eV from anion photoelectron spectroscopy. An observed second photoelectron band corresponds to (1)B(2) and/or (3)B(2), but the assignment of a third band could not be verified. Vibrational frequencies, ionization energies, electron affinities, and dissociation energies are given.

Time-dependent density functional theory with the generalized restricted-unrestricted approach

This work presents the derivation, implementation, and first applications of the generalized restricted-unrestricted method based on the density functional Kohn-Sham formalism. By using a spin-restricted Kohn-Sham representation for the reference state the well-known spin contamination problem is avoided, while the unrestricted representation of the perturbation response retains a proper description of spin polarization. The formulation is a generalization of our previous implementation of the restricted-unrestricted method [Z. Rinkevicius et al., J. Chem. Phys. 121, 7614 (2004)], as it accounts for the full unrestricted response instead of describing the spin polarization in terms of triplet operators only. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of the generalization employed and demonstrate its numerical performance. For this purpose we focus on isotropic hyperfine coupling constants of a set of organic radicals and transition metal compounds. For both classes of molecules we observe that the effect of neglecting singlet excitation operators in the response part of restricted-unrestricted formalism changes the calculated hyperfine coupling parameters by a few MHz. The obtained results confirm the validity of the approximation used in the simplified restricted-unrestricted approach, i.e. spin polarization can, in most cases, be adequately described by an account of only triplet operators in the response term.

Noble Gas−Transition-Metal Complexes: Coordination of VO2 and VO4 by Ar and Xe Atoms in Solid Noble Gas Matrixes

The matrix isolation infrared spectroscopic and quantum chemical calculation results indicate that vanadium oxides, VO2 and VO4, coordinate noble gas atoms in forming noble gas complexes. The results showed that VO2 coordinates two Ar or Xe atoms and that VO4 coordinates one Ar or Xe atom in solid noble gas matrixes. Hence, the VO2 and VO4 molecules trapped in solid noble gas matrixes should be regarded as the VO2(Ng)2 and VO4(Ng) (Ng = Ar or Xe) complexes. The total V-Ng binding energies were predicted to be 12.8, 18.2, 5.0, and 7.3 kcal/mol, respectively, for the VO2(Ar)2, VO2(Xe)2, VO4(Ar), and VO4(Xe) complexes at the CCSD(T)//B3LYP level of theory.

Identification, Structure, and Spectroscopy of Neutral Vanadium Oxide Clusters

Neutral vanadium oxide clusters are studied by photoionization time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectroscopy, electronic spectroscopy, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Mass spectra of vanadium oxide clusters are observed by photoionization with lasers of three different wavelengths: 118, 193, and 355 nm. Mechanisms of 118 nm single photon ionization and 193 and 355 nm multiphoton ionization/fragmentation of vanadium oxide clusters are discussed on the basis of observed mass spectral patterns and line widths of the mass spectral features. Only the 118 nm laser light can ionize vanadium oxide neutral species by single photon ionization without fragmentation. The stable vanadium oxide neutral clusters under saturated oxygen growth conditions are found to be of the form (VO2)x(V2O5)y. Structures of the first few members of this series of clusters are determined through high level DFT calculations. Fragmentation of this series of clusters through 355 and 193 nm multiphoton ionization processes is discussed in light of these calculated structures. The B(2)B2 <-- X(2)A1 transition is observed for the VO2 neutral species, and nu1 and nu2 vibrations are assigned for both electronic states. From this spectrum, the VO2 rotational and vibrational temperatures are found to be approximately 50 and approximately 700 K, respectively.

On the Titanium Oxide Neutral Cluster Distribution in the Gas Phase: Detection through 118 nm Single-Photon and 193 nm Multiphoton Ionization

Titanium oxide clusters are generated in a supersonic expansion by laser ablation of the metal and reaction with oxygen (0.1-6%) in He expansion gas. Mass spectra of the titanium oxide clusters are observed by photoionization with lasers of three different wavelengths: 118, 193, and 355 nm. Only the 118 nm (10.5 eV) light can ionize Ti(m)O(n) neutral clusters without fragmentation. Both the 193 nm (6.4 eV) and 355 nm (3.5 eV) multiphoton ionization cause fragmentation of the neutral clusters during the ionization process and, thus, can complicate the determination of the stable neutral Ti(m)O(n) gas-phase species. Employing 118 nm single-photon ionization and line-width data, the Ti(m)O(2m) and Ti(m)O(2m+1) series are found to be the most stable neutral cluster species for high oxygen content in the expansion gas. Fragmentation during the multiphoton ionization process for 193 nm light yields the cluster ions Ti(m)O(2m-1,-2)+. These ions are formed by the loss of one or two oxygen atoms from Ti(m)O(2m,2m+1) neutral species. The dominant cluster growth process is suggested to be through the addition of TiO2 species. For low oxygen content (<2%) in the expansion gas, oxygen-deficient clusters of the form Ti(m)O(2m-1,-2) are also observed. These latter series are not fragmented by the 193 nm ionization process.