The Many "Facets" of Halide Ions in the Chemistry of Colloidal Inorganic Nanocrystals

Over the years, scientists have identified various synthetic "handles" while developing wet chemical protocols for achieving a high level of shape and compositional complexity in colloidal nanomaterials. Halide ions have emerged as one such handle which serve as important surface active species that regulate nanocrystal (NC) growth and concomitant physicochemical properties. Halide ions affect the NC growth kinetics through several means, including selective binding on crystal facets, complexation with the precursors, and oxidative etching. On the other hand, their presence on the surfaces of semiconducting NCs stimulates interesting changes in the intrinsic electronic structure and interparticle communication in the NC solids eventually assembled from them. Then again, halide ions also induce optoelectronic tunability in NCs where they form part of the core, through sheer composition variation. In this review, we describe these roles of halide ions in the growth of nanostructures and the physical changes introduced by them and thereafter demonstrate the commonality of these effects across different classes of nanomaterials.

The enthalpies of formation of AsX(n) molecules, where X=H, F or Cl, and n=1, 2 or 3, by RCCSD(T) and UCCSD(T)-F12x calculations

RCCSD(T) and UCCSD(T)-F12x calculations were performed on AsX(n) molecules, where X = H, F or Cl, and n = 1, 2 or 3, and related species, in order to evaluate their enthalpies of formation (ΔH(f)(Ø)). The recommended ΔH(f)(Ø) values obtained from the present investigation are AsH, 57.7(2); AsF, -7.9(3); AsCl, 27.2(4); AsH(2), 39.8(4); AsF(2), -96.6(9); AsCl(2), -17.8(10); AsH(3), 17.1(4); AsF(3)-196.0(5) and AsCl(3), -59.1(27) kcal mole(-1). These values are anchored only on one thermodynamic quantity, namely, ΔH(f)(Ø)(As) (= 70.3 kcal mole(-1)). In the calculations, the fully-relativistic small-core effective core potential (ECP10MDF) was used for As. Contributions from outer core correlation of As 3d(10) electrons were computed explicitly in both RCCSD(T) and UCCSD(T)-F12 calculations with additional tight basis functions designed for As 3d(10) electrons. Basis sets of up to augmented correlation-consistent polarized valence quintuple-zeta (aug-cc-pV5Z) quality were used in RCCSD(T) calculations and computed relative electronic energies were extrapolated to the complete basis set (CBS) limit. For the simplified, explicitly correlated UCCSD(T)-F12x calculations, basis sets of up to quadruple-zeta (QZ) quality were employed. Based on the RCCSD(T)/CBS benchmark values, the reliability of available theoretical and experimental values have been assessed.

Franck-Condon simulation of the photoelectron spectrum of AsCl₂ and the photodetachment spectrum of AsCl ₂⁻ employing UCCSD(T)-F12a potential energy functions: IE and EA of AsCl₂

The currently most reliable theoretical estimates of the adiabatic ionization energies (AIE(0)) from the X̃(2)B(1) state of AsCl(2) to the X̃(1)A(1) and ã(3)B(1) states of AsCl 2+, and the electron affinity (EA(0)) of AsCl(2) , including ΔZPE corrections, are calculated as 8.687(11), 11.320(23), and 1.845(12) eV, respectively (estimated uncertainties based on basis-set effects at the RCCSD(T) level). State-of-the-art ab initio calculations, which include RCCSD(T), CASSCF/MRCI, and explicitly correlated RHF/UCCSD(T)-F12x (x = a or b) calculations with basis sets of up to quintuple-zeta quality, have been carried out on the X̃(2)B(1) state of AsCl(2) , the X̃(1)A(1) , ã(3)B(1) , and Ã(1)B(1) states of AsCl 2+, and the X̃(1)A(1) state of AsCl 2-. Relativistic, core correlation and complete basis-set (CBS) effects have been considered. In addition, computed UCCSD(T)-F12a potential energy functions of relevant electronic states of AsCl(2) , AsCl (2)(+), and AsCl( 2)(-) were used to calculate Franck-Condon factors, which were then used to simulate the valence photoelectron spectrum of AsCl(2) and the photodetachment spectrum of AsCl (2)(-), both yet to be recorded. Lastly, we have also computed the AIE and EA values for NCl(2) , PCl(2) , and AsCl(2) at the G4 level and for SbCl(2) at the RCCSD(T)/CBS level. The trends in the AIE and EA values of the group V pnictogen dichlorides, PnCl(2) , where Pn = N, P, As, and Sb, were examined. The AIE and EA of PCl(2) were found to be smaller than those of AsCl(2) , contrary to the order expected from the IE values of P and As.

Coupling versus surface-etching reactions of alkyl halides on GaAs(100): I. CF3CH2I reactions

We report the rich surface chemistry exhibited by the reactions of 1,1,1-trifluoroethyl iodide (CF3CH2I) adsorbed onto gallium-rich GaAs(100)-(4 x 1), studied by temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) studies and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). CF3CH2I adsorbs molecularly at 150 K but dissociates, below room temperature, to form a chemisorbed monolayer of CF3CH2 and I species. Recombinative desorption of molecular CF3CH2I competes with the further reactions of the CF3CH2 and I chemisorbed species. The CF3CH2 species can either undergo beta-fluoride elimination to yield gaseous CF2=CH2 or it can undergo self-coupling to form the corresponding higher alkane, CF3CH2CH2CF3. A second coupling product, CF3CH2CH=CF2, is also evolved, and it is postulated that migratory insertion of the liberated CF2=CH2 into the surface-carbon bond of the chemisorbed CF3CH2 is responsible for its formation. The iodines, formed by C-I scission in the chemisorbed CF3CH2I, and the fluorines, derived from beta-fluoride elimination in CF3CH2, react with the surface gallium dimers, and Ga-As back-bonds to generate five etch products (GaF, AsF, GaI, AsI, and As2) that desorb in the temperature range of 420 to >600 K. XPS data reveal that the surface stoichiometry remains constant throughout the entire annealing temperature range because of the desorption of both gallium- and arsenic-containing etch products, which occur sequentially. In this article, plausible mechanisms by which all products form and the binding sites of these reactions in the (4 x 1) reconstruction are discussed. Factors that control the rate constants of etch product versus hydrocarbon product formation and in particular how they impact on the respective desorption temperatures will be discussed.