Tight-binding study of the ionization of iron clusters

Activation of Methane by the Iron Dimer Cation. A Theoretical Study

A detailed investigation of the reaction mechanisms underlying the observed reactivity of the iron dimer cation with respect to methane has been performed by density functional hybrid (B3LYP) and nonhybrid (BPW91) calculations. Minima and transition states have been fully optimized and characterized along the potential energy surfaces leading to three different exit channels for both the ground and the first excited states of the dimer. A comparison with our previous work covering the reactivity of the Fe(+) monomer was made to underline similarities and differences of the reaction mechanisms. Results show that geometric arrangements corresponding to bridged positions of the ligands with respect to iron atoms are always favored and stabilize intermediates, transition states and products, facilitating their formation. Binding energies of reaction products have been computed and compared with experimental measurements, and ELF analysis of the bond has been performed to rationalize trends as a function of the structure.

Reactions of cationic iron clusters with ammonia, models of nitrogen hydrogenation and dehydrogenation

The gas phase reactivities of small cationic iron clusters, Fen+ (n = 1-20), towards ammonia were investigated using Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometry. Sequential addition of ammonia molecules to the clusters was observed to be the dominating process for n > 4. In the case of n = 4 we observed addition of ammonia accompanied by dehydrogenation. This reaction was modelled using hybrid density functional theory. Clusters with n < 4 do not react with ammonia. Clusters Fen+ (n = 1-20) react with neither N2 nor H2 at around 10(-8) mbar. When dinitrogen was seeded into the expanding helium, mixed clusters of the type FenNm+ were observed. These ions react with H2, either by addition, or by substitution of N2. The clusters with m = 1 were isolated in separate experiments and reacted with H2, which showed that mixed clusters with n = 5-13 add up to 5 molecules of dihydrogen in successive slow reactions.