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ten Brinck S, Nieuwland C, van der Werf A, Veenboer RMP, Linnartz H, Bickelhaupt FM, Fonseca Guerra C. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Interstellar Ices: A Computational Study into How the Ice Matrix Influences the Ionic State of PAH Photoproducts. ACS EARTH & SPACE CHEMISTRY 2022; 6:766-774. [PMID: 35330632 PMCID: PMC8935472 DOI: 10.1021/acsearthspacechem.1c00433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
It has been experimentally observed that water-ice-embedded polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) form radical cations when exposed to vacuum UV irradiation, whereas ammonia-embedded PAHs lead to the formation of radical anions. In this study, we explain this phenomenon by investigating the fundamental electronic differences between water and ammonia, the implications of these differences on the PAH-water and PAH-ammonia interaction, and the possible ionization pathways in these complexes using density functional theory (DFT) computations. In the framework of the Kohn-Sham molecular orbital (MO) theory, we show that the ionic state of the PAH photoproducts results from the degree of occupied-occupied MO mixing between the PAHs and the matrix molecules. When interacting with the PAH, the lone pair-type highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) of water has poor orbital overlap and is too low in energy to mix with the filled π-orbitals of the PAH. As the lone-pair HOMO of ammonia is significantly higher in energy and has better overlap with filled π-orbitals of the PAH, the subsequent Pauli repulsion leads to mixed MOs with both PAH and ammonia character. By time-dependent DFT calculations, we demonstrate that the formation of mixed PAH-ammonia MOs opens alternative charge-transfer excitation pathways as now electronic density from ammonia can be transferred to unoccupied PAH levels, yielding anionic PAHs. As this pathway is much less available for water-embedded PAHs, charge transfer mainly occurs from localized PAH MOs to mixed PAH-water virtual levels, leading to cationic PAHs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie ten Brinck
- Department
of Theoretical Chemistry, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life
Sciences (AIMMS), Amsterdam Center for Multiscale Modeling (ACMM), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1083, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Celine Nieuwland
- Department
of Theoretical Chemistry, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life
Sciences (AIMMS), Amsterdam Center for Multiscale Modeling (ACMM), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1083, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Angela van der Werf
- Department
of Theoretical Chemistry, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life
Sciences (AIMMS), Amsterdam Center for Multiscale Modeling (ACMM), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1083, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Richard M. P. Veenboer
- Department
of Theoretical Chemistry, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life
Sciences (AIMMS), Amsterdam Center for Multiscale Modeling (ACMM), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1083, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Harold Linnartz
- Laboratory
for Astrophysics, Leiden Observatory, Leiden
University, P.O. Box 9513, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - F. Matthias Bickelhaupt
- Department
of Theoretical Chemistry, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life
Sciences (AIMMS), Amsterdam Center for Multiscale Modeling (ACMM), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1083, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Institute
for Molecules and Materials (IMM), Radboud
University, Heyendaalseweg
135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Célia Fonseca Guerra
- Department
of Theoretical Chemistry, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life
Sciences (AIMMS), Amsterdam Center for Multiscale Modeling (ACMM), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1083, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Leiden
Institute of Chemistry, Gorlaeus Laboratories, Leiden University, Einsteinweg
55, 2333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands
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Abstract
AbstractGraphene as a two-dimensional material is prone to hydrocarbon contaminations, which can significantly alter its intrinsic electrical properties. Herein, we implement a facile hydrogenation-dehydrogenation strategy to remove hydrocarbon contaminations and preserve the excellent transport properties of monolayer graphene. Using electron microscopy we quantitatively characterized the improved cleanness of hydrogenated graphene compared to untreated samples. In situ spectroscopic investigations revealed that the hydrogenation treatment promoted the adsorption ofytyt water at the graphene surface, resulting in a protective layer against the re-deposition of hydrocarbon molecules. Additionally, the further dehydrogenation of hydrogenated graphene rendered a more pristine-like basal plane with improved carrier mobility compared to untreated pristine graphene. Our findings provide a practical post-growth cleaning protocol for graphene with maintained surface cleanness and lattice integrity to systematically carry a range of surface chemistry in the form of a well-performing and reproducible transistor.
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Stubbing JW, McCoustra MRS, Brown WA. A new technique for determining the refractive index of ices at cryogenic temperatures. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2020; 22:25353-25365. [PMID: 33140768 DOI: 10.1039/d0cp02373f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
A reflection-absorption optical (RAO) spectrometer, operating across the ultra-violet/visible (UV/visible) wavelength region, has been developed that allows simultaneous measurements of optical properties and thickness of thin solid films at cryogenic temperatures in ultrahigh vacuum. The RAO spectrometer enables such measurements to be made after ice deposition, as opposed to most current approaches which make measurements during deposition. This allows changes in the optical properties and in the thickness of the film to be determined subsequent to thermal, photon or charged particle processing. This is not possible with current techniques. A data analysis method is presented that allows the wavelength dependent n and k values for ices to be extracted from the reflection-absorption spectra. The validity of this analysis method is shown using model data from the literature. New data are presented for the reflection UV/visible spectra of amorphous and crystalline single component ices of benzene, methyl formate and water adsorbed on a graphite surface. These data show that, for benzene and methyl formate, the crystalline ice has a larger refractive index than amorphous ice, reflecting changes in the electronic environment occurring in the ice during crystallisation. For water, the refractive index does not vary with ice phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- James W Stubbing
- Department of Chemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9QJ, UK.
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