C. Z. Hadad

Stochastic Search of the Quantum Conformational Space of Small Lithium and Bimetallic Lithium-Sodium Clusters

In this paper we report the results obtained by an implementation and application of the simulated annealing optimization procedure to the exploration of the conformational space of small neutral and charged lithium clusters (Li(n)(q), n = 5, 6, 7; q = 0, +/-1) and of the bimetallic lithium/sodium clusters (Li5Na) in their lowest spin states. Our methodology eliminates the structure guessing procedure in the process of generating cluster configurations. We evaluate the quantum energy, typically with the Hartree-Fock Hamiltonian, of randomly generated points in the conformational space and use a modified Metropolis test in the annealing algorithm to generate candidate structures for atomic clusters. The structures are further optimized by analytical methods (gradient following) at the Møller-Plesset second order perturbation theory level (MP2), in conjunction with basis sets including polarization functions with and without diffuse functions. High accuracy ab initio energies at the coupled clusters level, with single, double, and triple substitutions from the Hartree-Fock determinant (CCSD(T)), on the MP2 geometries were calculated and used to establish the relative stability of the isomers within each potential energy surface. Various cluster properties were computed and compared to existing values in order to validate our methods. Our results show excellent agreement with previous experimental and theoretical reports. Even at these small sizes, evidence for 10 new structures never reported before for the lithium clusters and four new structures for the bimetallic clusters is presented.

Microsolvation of dimethylphosphate: a molecular model for the interaction of cell membranes with water

We present an exhaustive stochastic search of the quantum conformational spaces of the (CH(3)O)(2)PO(2)(-) + nH(2)O (n = 1,2,3) systems. We uncover structural, conformational and energetic features of the problem. As in the isolated species, clusters containing the gauche-gauche (gg) conformation of dimethylphosphate (DMP(-)) are energetically preferred, however, contributions from hydrated gauche-anti (ga) and anti-anti (aa) monomers cannot be neglected because such structures are quite common and because they are close in energy to those containing the gg monomer. At least seven distinct types of O∙∙∙H-O-H contacts lead to DMP(-) ↔ water interactions that are always stabilizing, but not strong enough to induce significant changes in the geometries of either DMP(-) or water units. Our results lead us to postulate DMP(-) to be a suitable model to study explicit and detailed aspects of microsolvation of cell membranes.

Structure and Reactivity of the 1Au6Pt Clusters

In this paper we report the geometries, properties, and reactivity descriptors of 12 structural isomers located on the MP2/SDDALL potential energy surface of the (1)Au(6)Pt binary clusters. A nonplanar, D(3d) symmetry, cyclohexane chairlike structure is predicted to be the global minimum. Binding energies per atom in the range ≈44-51 kcal/mol account for very stable clusters. The relative stability of the clusters is directly related to all global and local reactivity descriptors. All structures are predicted to have large electron affinities. The chemical environment of the Pt atom on the structures plays a central role in the resulting relative stabilities and global and local reactivities. Our results show that more peripheral Pt atoms are more likely to be involved in electron-accepting processes.

Hydrophobic meddling in small water clusters

What would be the effects on the nature of hydrogen bonds, on the energies, and on the overall structural possibilities of replacing some hydrogen atoms by small hydrophobic groups in small water networks? Aiming at investigating this question, we performed an exhaustive search of the conformational space of the (Methanol)2(Water)3 representative model system, characterized the results, and made key comparative analysis with pentameric pure water clusters. The potential energy surface yielded a global minimum structural motif consisting of several puckered ring-like cyclic isomers very close in energy to each other. They are followed by other structural motifs, which, contrary to conventional belief, would also contribute to the properties of a macroscopic sample of this composition. We found that the C–H···O interactions play a subordinate structural role and preferably accommodate to the established O–H···O based structures. In comparison with the pure (H2O)5 case, we showed that (1) the same basic structural motifs and in a similar hierarchy energy order are obtained, but with a richer structural isomerism; (2) in general, the bonding is reinforced by the increase in the electrostatic and in the “degree of covalency” of the hydrogen-bonding components. Therefore, at least for this small cluster size, methyl groups slightly affect the structural isomerism and reinforce the hydrogen bonding. Additionally, we identified general factors of instability of the more unstable structures.

Very weak interactions: structures, energies and bonding in the tetramers and pentamers of hydrogen sulfide

Potential energy surfaces (PESs) for the hydrogen sulfide tetramers and pentamers are shown to be very complex. 11 and 15 different isomers were located on the MP2/6-311++G(d,p) PES of (H2S)4 and (H2S)5 respectively. CCSD(T) energy calculations on the MP2 optimized geometries suggest that all tetramers are within 2.0 kcal mol−1 of the lowest energy structure, while for the pentamers, all structures are found in a 3.5 kcal mol−1 range. To the best of our knowledge, we report and analyze here for the first time in the scientific literature, a newly found type of very weakly stabilizing intermolecular H2S⋯SH2 interaction. In conjunction with traditional H2S⋯H–S–H hydrogen bonds, these previously unreported H2S⋯SH2 intermolecular contacts dictate cluster structures and energies. Our results reveal a very complicated scenario, where a number of different tetramers and pentamers are very close in energy, rendering impossible the unequivocal identification of the global minimum in each case, and as a consequence, suggesting that the properties of these systems would have contributions from many different structures.

Potential Energy Surfaces of WC6 Clusters in Different Spin States

Stochastic explorations of the structural possibilities of neutral WC6 clusters in several spin states lead to very rich and complex potential energy surfaces, with geometries quite different from those of pure carbon clusters at the PBE0/def2-TZVP level. The global minimum is predicted to be a triplet-state semicyclic C6 conformation having every carbon in direct coordination to the W atom. Interaction energies are comparable to those of C7 clusters, revealing very strong W-C bonding. Our results suggest that C-C interactions in the clusters should be considered as intermediate between single and double bonds.

Statistical approach to the transient up-converted population in monodoped amorphous solids

Based on microscopic considerations, an analytic statistical model is presented for the study of the temporal variation of up-conversion luminescence produced by the interaction of excited state Ln3+ optical centers in monodoped amorphous materials. The resulting expressions are presented in terms of known mathematical functions, and they account for the detailed dependence on the systems experimental variables. The model allows a correct prediction of the shape of the up-conversion transient curves, and also accounts not only for the dependence of the up-conversion intensity on the square of the optical center concentration and of the external excitation intensity at relatively low pump power, but also allows the prediction of “saturation” effects with increasing values of these factors, a situation comparable to what happens with steady state luminescence. Finally, interpretations of the reproduced observables from a microscopic viewpoint are given.

Spin–Orbit Coupling Effects in AumPtn Clusters (m + n = 4)

A study of AumPtn(m + n = 4) clusters with and without spin-orbit (SO) coupling using scalar relativistic (SR) and two component methods with the ZORA Hamiltonian was carried out. We employed the PW91 functional in conjunction with the all-electron TZ2P basis set. This paper offers a detailed analysis of the SO effects on the cluster geometries, on the LUMO-HOMO gap, on the charge distribution, and on the relative energies for each relativistic method. In general, SO coupling led to an energetic rearrangement of the species, to changes in geometries and structural preferences, to changes in the structural identity of the global minimum for the Au3Pt, AuPt3 and Pt4 cases, and to a reduction of relative energies among the clusters, an effect that appears stronger as the amount of Pt increases.

Unusual solvation through both p-orbital lobes of a carbene carbon

As a result of a configurational space search done to explain the experimental evidence of transient specific solvation of singlet fluorocarbene amide with tetrahydrofuran, we found that the most stable structures consist in a group in which each oxygen of two tetrahydrofuran molecules act as electron donor to its respective empty p-orbital lobe of the carbene carbon atom, located at each side of the carbene molecular plane. This kind of species, which to our knowledge has not been reported before, explains very well the particular experimental characteristics observed for the transient solvation of this system. We postulate that the simultaneous interaction to both p-orbital lobes seems to confer a special stability to the solvation complexes, because this situation moves away the systems from the proximity of the corresponding transition states for the ylide products. Additionally, we present an analysis of other solvation complexes and a study of the nature of the involved interactions.

Microsolvation of F

A staggering structural diversity for the microsolvation of F- with up to six water molecules is uncovered in this work. Given the structural variety and the proximity in energy among several local minima, we show here that in order to match available experimental data, statistical averages over contributing structures are needed, rather than assigning experimental values to isolated structures. Our results suggest that the formal charge in F- is strong enough as to induce partial and total dissociation of water molecules and to alter the nature of the surrounding network of water to water hydrogen bonds. We provide an extensive analysis of bonding interactions under the NBO and QTAIM formalisms, our main results suggest a complex interplay between ionic and covalent characters for the FH interactions as a function of the separation between the atoms.