Balázs Hajgató

A benchmark theoretical study of the electronic ground state and of the singlet-triplet split of benzene and linear acenes.

A benchmark theoretical study of the electronic ground state and of the vertical and adiabatic singlet-triplet (ST) excitation energies of benzene (n=1) and n-acenes (C(4n+2)H(2n+4)) ranging from naphthalene (n=2) to heptacene (n=7) is presented, on the ground of single- and multireference calculations based on restricted or unrestricted zero-order wave functions. High-level and large scale treatments of electronic correlation in the ground state are found to be necessary for compensating giant but unphysical symmetry-breaking effects in unrestricted single-reference treatments. The composition of multiconfigurational wave functions, the topologies of natural orbitals in symmetry-unrestricted CASSCF calculations, the T1 diagnostics of coupled cluster theory, and further energy-based criteria demonstrate that all investigated systems exhibit a (1)A(g) singlet closed-shell electronic ground state. Singlet-triplet (S(0)-T(1)) energy gaps can therefore be very accurately determined by applying the principles of a focal point analysis onto the results of a series of single-point and symmetry-restricted calculations employing correlation consistent cc-pVXZ basis sets (X=D, T, Q, 5) and single-reference methods [HF, MP2, MP3, MP4SDQ, CCSD, CCSD(T)] of improving quality. According to our best estimates, which amount to a dual extrapolation of energy differences to the level of coupled cluster theory including single, double, and perturbative estimates of connected triple excitations [CCSD(T)] in the limit of an asymptotically complete basis set (cc-pVinfinityZ), the S(0)-T(1) vertical excitation energies of benzene (n=1) and n-acenes (n=2-7) amount to 100.79, 76.28, 56.97, 40.69, 31.51, 22.96, and 18.16 kcal/mol, respectively. Values of 87.02, 62.87, 46.22, 32.23, 24.19, 16.79, and 12.56 kcal/mol are correspondingly obtained at the CCSD(T)/cc-pVinfinityZ level for the S(0)-T(1) adiabatic excitation energies, upon including B3LYP/cc-PVTZ corrections for zero-point vibrational energies. In line with the absence of Peierls distortions, extrapolations of results indicate a vanishingly small S(0)-T(1) energy gap of 0 to approximately 4 kcal/mol (approximately 0.17 eV) in the limit of an infinitely large polyacene.

Focal Point Analysis of the Singlet–Triplet Energy Gap of Octacene and Larger Acenes

A benchmark theoretical study of the electronic ground state and of the vertical and adiabatic singlet-triplet (ST) excitation energies of n-acenes (C(4n+2)H(2n+4)) ranging from octacene (n = 8) to undecacene (n = 11) is presented. The T1 diagnostics of coupled cluster theory and further energy-based criteria demonstrate that all investigated systems exhibit predominantly a (1)A(g) singlet closed-shell electronic ground state. Singlet-triplet (S(0)-T(1)) energy gaps can therefore be very accurately determined by applying the principle of a focal point analysis (FPA) onto the results of a series of single-point and symmetry-restricted calculations employing correlation consistent cc-pVXZ basis sets (X = D, T, Q, 5) and single-reference methods [HF, MP2, MP3, MP4SDQ, CCSD, and CCSD(T)] of improving quality. According to our best estimates, which amount to a dual extrapolation of energy differences to the level of coupled cluster theory including single, double, and perturbative estimates of connected triple excitations [CCSD(T)] in the limit of an asymptotically complete basis set (cc-pV∞Z), the S(0)-T(1) vertical (adiabatic) excitation energies of these compounds amount to 13.40 (8.21), 10.72 (6.05), 8.05 (3.67), and 7.10 (2.58) kcal/mol, respectively. In line with the absence of Peierls distortions (bond length alternations), extrapolations of results obtained at this level for benzene (n = 1) and all studied n-acenes so far (n = 2-11) indicate a vanishing S(0)-T(1) energy gap, in the limit of an infinitely large polyacene, within an uncertainty of 1.5 kcal/mol (0.06 eV). Lacking experimental values for the S(0)-T(1) energy gaps of n-acenes larger than hexacene, comparison is made with recent optical and electrochemical determinations of the HOMO-LUMO band gap. Further issues such as scalar relativistic, core correlation, and diagonal Born-Oppenheimer corrections (DBOCs) are tentatively examined.

A benchmark theoretical study of the electron affinities of benzene and linear acenes.

A benchmark theoretical determination of the electron affinities of benzene and linear oligoacenes ranging from naphthalene to hexacene is presented, using the principles of a focal point analysis. These energy differences have been obtained from a series of single-point calculations at the Hartree-Fock, second-, third-, and partial fourth-order Moller-Plesset (MP2, MP3, and MP4SDQ) levels and from coupled cluster calculations including single and double excitations (CCSD) as well as perturbative estimates of connected triple excitations [CCSD(T)], using basis sets of improving quality, containing up to 1386, 1350, 1824, 1992, 1630, and 1910 basis functions in the computations, respectively. Studies of the convergence properties of these energy differences as a function of the size of the basis set and order attained in electronic correlation enable a determination of the vertical electron affinities of the four larger terms of the oligoacene (C(2+4n)H(2+2n)) series within chemical accuracy (0.04 eV). According to our best estimates, these amount to +0.28, +0.82, +1.21, and +1.47 eV when n=3, 4, 5, and 6. Adiabatic electron affinities have been further calculated by incorporating corrections for zero-point vibrational energies and for geometrical relaxations. The same procedure was applied to determine the vertical electron affinities of benzene and naphthalene, which are found to be markedly negative ( approximately -1.53 and approximately -0.48 eV, respectively). Highly quantitative insights into experiments employing electron transmission spectroscopy on these compounds were also amenable from such an approach, provided diffuse atomic functions are deliberately removed from the basis set, in order to enforce confinement in the molecular region and enable a determination of pseudoadiabatic electron affinities (with respect to the timescale of nuclear motions). Comparison was made with calculations employing density functional theory and especially designed models that exploit the integer discontinuity in the potential or incorporate a potential wall in the unrestricted Kohn-Sham orbital equation for the anion.

Half-metallicity and spin-contamination of the electronic ground state of graphene nanoribbons and related systems: An impossible compromise?

An analysis using the formalism of crystalline orbitals for extended systems with periodicity in one dimension demonstrates that any antiferromagnetic and half-metallic spin-polarization of the edge states in n-acenes, and more generally in zigzag graphene nanoislands and nanoribbons of finite width, would imply a spin contamination S(2) that increases proportionally to system size, in sharp and clear contradiction with the implications of Liebs theorem for compensated bipartite lattices and the expected value for a singlet (S = 0) electronic ground state. Verifications on naphthalene, larger n-acenes (n = 3-10) and rectangular nanographene islands of increasing size, as well as a comparison using unrestricted Hartree-Fock theory along with basis sets of improving quality against various many-body treatments demonstrate altogether that antiferromagnetism and half-metallicity in extended graphene nanoribbons will be quenched by an exact treatment of electron correlation, at the confines of non-relativistic many-body quantum mechanics. Indeed, for singlet states, symmetry-breakings in spin-densities are necessarily the outcome of a too approximate treatment of static and dynamic electron correlation in single-determinantal approaches, such as unrestricted Hartree-Fock or Density Functional Theory. In this context, such as the size-extensive spin-contamination to which it relates, half-metallicity is thus nothing else than a methodological artefact.

Quantum Chemical Study of Conformational Fingerprints in the Photoelectron Spectra and (e, 2e) Electron Momentum Distributions of n-Hexane

The main purpose of the present work is to simulate from many-body quantum mechanical calculations the results of experimental studies of the valence electronic structure of n-hexane employing photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) and electron momentum spectroscopy (EMS). This study is based on calculations of the valence ionization spectra and spherically averaged (e, 2e) electron momentum distributions for each known conformer by means of one-particle Greens function [1p-GF] theory along with the third-order algebraic diagrammatic construction [ADC(3)] scheme and using Kohn-Sham orbitals derived from DFT calculations employing the Becke 3-parameters Lee-Yang-Parr (B3LYP) functional as approximations to Dyson orbitals. A first thermostatistical analysis of these spectra and momentum distributions employs recent estimations at the W1h level of conformational energy differences, by Gruzman et al. [J. Phys. Chem. A 2009, 113, 11974], and of correspondingly obtained conformer weights using MP2 geometrical, vibrational, and rotational data in thermostatistical calculations of partition functions beyond the level of the rigid rotor-harmonic oscillator approximation. Comparison is made with the results of a focal point analysis of these energy differences using this time B3LYP geometries and the corresponding vibrational and rotational partition functions in the thermostatistical analysis. Large differences are observed between these two thermochemical models, especially because of strong variations in the contributions of hindered rotations to relative entropies. In contrast, the individual ionization spectra or momentum profiles are almost insensitive to the employed geometry. This study confirms the great sensitivity of valence ionization bands and (e, 2e) momentum distributions on the molecular conformation and sheds further light on spectral fingerprints of through-space methylenic hyperconjugation, in both PES and EMS experiments.

Benchmark Dyson Orbital Study of the Ionization Spectrum and Electron Momentum Distributions of Ethanol in Conformational Equilibrium

An extensive study, throughout the valence region, of the electronic structure, ionization spectrum, and electron momentum distributions of ethanol is presented, on the ground of a model that focuses on a mixture of the gauche and anti conformers in their energy minimum form, using weight coefficients obtained from thermostatistical calculations that account for the influence of hindered rotations. The analysis is based on accurate calculations of valence one-electron and shakeup ionization energies and of the related Dyson orbitals, using one-particle Greens Function (1p-GF) theory in conjunction with the so-called third-order Algebraic Diagrammatic Construction scheme [ADC(3)]. The confrontation against available UPS (HeI) measurements indicates the presence in the spectral bands of significant conformational fingerprints at outer-valence ionization energies ranging from approximately 14 to approximately 18 eV. The shakeup onset is located at approximately 24 eV, and a shoulder at approximately 14.5 eV in the He I spectrum can be specifically ascribed to the minor anti (C(s)) conformer fraction. Thermally and spherically averaged Dyson orbital momentum distributions are computed for seven resolvable bands in model (e, 2e) ionization spectra at an electron impact energy of 1.2 keV. A comparison is made with results obtained from standard (B3LYP) Kohn-Sham orbitals and EMS measurements employing a high-resolution spectrometer of the third generation. The analysis is qualitatively in line with experiment and reveals a tremendously strong influence of the molecular conformation on the outermost electron momentum distributions. Quantitatively significant discrepancies with experiment can nonetheless be tentatively ascribed to strong dynamical disorder in the gas phase molecular structure.

Probing Nuclear Dynamics in Momentum Space: A New Interpretation of (e, 2e) Electron Impact Ionization Experiments on Ethanol

Calculations of electron momentum distributions for equilibrium geometries, employing advanced Dyson orbital theories and statistical thermodynamics beyond the RRHO approximation, fail to quantitatively reproduce the outermost momentum distribution profile inferred from (e, 2e) electron impact ionization experiments on ethanol employing high-resolution electron momentum spectroscopy. A very detailed study of the influence on this momentum distribution of nuclear dynamics in the initial ground state and in the final ionized state is presented according to a thermal averaging over exceedingly large sets of model structures as well as Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamical simulations on the potential energy surface of the radical cation. Our results give very convincing albeit qualitative indications that the strong turn-up of the (e, 2e) ionization intensities characterizing the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) of ethanol at low electron momenta is the combined result of (1) the extraordinarily flat nature of the conformational energy map of ethanol, which enables significant departures from energy minima in the ground electronic state, (2) strong anomeric interactions between an oxygen lone pair and the central C-C bond for the minor but significant fraction of conformers exhibiting a hydroxyl torsion angle (alpha) at around 90 degrees, and, last but not least, (3) the possibility to observe with this minor conformer fraction ultrafast and highly significant extensions of the central C-C bond, resulting, in turn, in an enhanced delocalization of the HOMO from the oxygen lone pair region onto the methyl group, immediately after the sudden removal of an electron. This charge transfer appears to occur at the very first stages, that is, within an effective time scale on the order of approximately 10 fs, of an ultrafast dissociation of the ethanol radical cation into a methyl radical and a protonated form of formaldehyde.

Probing molecular conformations in momentum space: The case of n-pentane

A comprehensive study, throughout the valence region, of the electronic structure and electron momentum density distributions of the four conformational isomers of n-pentane is presented. Theoretical (e,2e) valence ionization spectra at high electron impact energies (1200 eV+electron binding energy) and at azimuthal angles ranging from 0 degrees to 10 degrees in a noncoplanar symmetric kinematical setup are generated according to the results of large scale one-particle Greens function calculations of Dyson orbitals and related electron binding energies, using the third-order algebraic-diagrammatic construction [ADC(3)] scheme. The results of a focal point analysis (FPA) of relative conformer energies [A. Salam and M. S. Deleuze, J. Chem. Phys. 116, 1296 (2002)] and improved thermodynamical calculations accounting for hindered rotations are also employed in order to quantitatively evaluate the abundance of each conformer in the gas phase at room temperature and reliably predict the outcome of experiments on n-pentane employing high resolution electron momentum spectroscopy. Comparison with available photoelectron measurements confirms the suggestion that, due to entropy effects, the trans-gauche (tg) conformer strongly dominates the conformational mixture characterizing n-pentane at room temperature. Our simulations demonstrate therefore that experimental measurements of (e,2e) valence ionization spectra and electron momentum distributions would very consistently and straightforwardly image the topological changes and energy variations that molecular orbitals undergo due to torsion of the carbon backbone. The strongest fingerprints for the most stable conformer (tt) are found for the electron momentum distributions associated with ionization channels at the top of the inner-valence region, which sensitively image the development of methylenic hyperconjugation in all-staggered n-alkane chains.

Structure, Stability, and Generation of CH3CNS

The unstable acetonitrile N-sulfide molecule CH3CNS has been photolytically generated in inert solid argon matrix from 3,4-dimethyl-1,2,5-thiadiazole by 254-nm UV irradiation, and studied by ultraviolet spectroscopy and mid-infrared spectroscopy. The molecule is stable in the matrix to 254-nm UV irradiation, but decomposes to CH3CN and a sulfur atom when broad-band UV irradiation is used. Chemiluminescence due to S2 formation from triplet sulfur atoms was detected on warming the matrix to ∼20–25 K. The ground-state structure and potential uni- and bimolecular reactions of CH3CNS are investigated using B3LYP, CCSD(T), and MR-AQCC quantum-chemical methods. CH3CNS is demonstrated to be stable under isolated conditions at room temperature, i.e. in the dilute gas phase or in an inert solid matrix, but unstable owing to bimolecular reactions, i.e. in the condensed phase.

Dimerisation of nitrile oxides: a quantum-chemical study

The [3 + 2] and [3 + 3] cyclodimerisation processes of small nitrile oxides, XCNO (X = F, Cl, Br, CN, CH(3)) are investigated by ab initio coupled cluster theory at the CCSD, CCSD(T) and MR-AQCC levels for the first time. The favoured dimerisation process is a multi-step reaction to furoxans (1,2,5-oxadiazole-2-oxides) involving dinitrosoalkene-like intermediates with diradical character. The rate determining step for all but the F-species is the first, corresponding to the C-C bond formation. The kinetic energy barrier depends on the nature of the substituent X, generally increasing with decreasing electronegativity and increasing pi-donor ability of the substituent: F (DeltaG(298) = 0 kJ mol(-1)) < Cl (72) < Br (90) < CH(3) (104) < CN (114) (MR-AQCC(2,2)//UB3LYP/cc-pVTZ). Following initial C-C bond formation, three possible dinitrosoethylene diradical pathways are explored. Two of them are new, and one of them is a low-energy three-step path with implications for cycloreversion, tautomerism and detection of dinitrosoethylene intermediates. Alternative one-step, concerted [3 + 2] and [3 + 3] cyclodimerisation processes leading to 1,2,4-oxadiazole-4-oxides and 1,4,2,5-dioxadiazines have kinetic energy barriers around 100-240 kJ mol(-1) (CCSD//B3LYP), some 1.6 to 2.5 times higher than those leading to furoxans, supporting the experimental observations of furoxan formation as nitrile oxide loss channels during storage, trapping/re-vaporisation and reactions of nitrile oxides. Potential polymerisation initiation processes for NCCNO, involving the 1,2-dipolar NC substituent are also explored.