Małgorzata Olejniczak

A simple scheme for magnetic balance in four-component relativistic Kohn–Sham calculations of nuclear magnetic resonance shielding constants in a Gaussian basis

We report the implementation of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) shielding tensors within the four-component relativistic Kohn-Sham density functional theory including non-collinear spin magnetization and employing London atomic orbitals to ensure gauge origin independent results, together with a new and efficient scheme for assuring correct balance between the large and small components of a molecular four-component spinor in the presence of an external magnetic field (simple magnetic balance). To test our formalism we have carried out calculations of NMR shielding tensors for the HX series (X = F, Cl, Br, I, At), the Xe atom, and the Xe dimer. The advantage of simple magnetic balance scheme combined with the use of London atomic orbitals is the fast convergence of results (when compared with restricted kinetic balance) and elimination of linear dependencies in the basis set (when compared to unrestricted kinetic balance). The effect of including spin magnetization in the description of NMR shielding tensor has been found important for hydrogen atoms in heavy HX molecules, causing an increase of isotropic values of 10%, but negligible for heavy atoms.

NMR shielding constants in PH3, absolute shielding scale, and the nuclear magnetic moment of 31P.

Ab initio values of the absolute shielding constants of phosphorus and hydrogen in PH(3) were determined, and their accuracy is discussed. In particular, we analyzed the relativistic corrections to nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) shielding constants, comparing the constants computed using the four-component Dirac-Hartree-Fock approach, the four-component density functional theory (DFT), and the Breit-Pauli perturbation theory (BPPT) with nonrelativistic Hartree-Fock or DFT reference functions. For the equilibrium geometry, we obtained σ(P) = 624.309 ppm and σ(H) = 29.761 ppm. Resonance frequencies of both nuclei were measured in gas-phase NMR experiments, and the results were extrapolated to zero density to provide the frequency ratio for an isolated PH(3) molecule. This ratio, together with the computed shielding constants, was used to determine a new value of the nuclear magnetic dipole moment of (31)P: μ(P) = 1.1309246(50) μ(N).

NMR shielding constants in SeH2 and TeH2

Ab initio values of nuclear magnetic resonance shielding constants in SeH2 and TeH2 are calculated. We analyse the role of electron correlation, the magnitude of relativistic effects, the dependence of these results on the basis set and, in addition, the rovibrational effects. The relativistic effects on the isotropic shielding constants calculated with the Dirac–Coulomb Hamiltonian at the Hartree–Fock and Spin-Density Functional Theory levels are very similar, and the electron correlation effects are much smaller. For both molecules, however, the electron correlation contribution to the anisotropy of the heavy atom shielding is much more significant than for the isotropic constant. The total shielding constants derived by adding to the non-relativistic coupled-cluster values the Dirac–Hartree–Fock values of the relativistic effects, σ300 K iso(Se) = 2447 ppm and σ300 K iso(Te) = 4809 ppm, may be applied to define the absolute shielding scales for these heavy nuclei.

Strong enhancement of parity violation effects in chiral uranium compounds

The effects of parity violation (PV) on the vibrational transitions of chiral uranium compounds of the type N≡UXYZ and N≡UHXY (X, Y, Z = F, Cl, Br, I) are analysed by means of exact two-component relativistic (X2C) Hartree-Fock and density functional calculations using NUFClI and NUHFI as representative examples. The PV contributions to the vibrational transitions were found to be in the Hz range, larger than for any of the earlier proposed chiral molecules. Thus, these systems are very promising candidates for future experimental PV measurements. A detailed comparison of the N≡UHFI and the N≡WHFI homologues reveals that subtle electronic structure effects, rather than exclusively a simple Z(5) scaling law, are the cause of the strong enhancement in PV contributions of the chiral uranium molecules.

Correction: Strong enhancement of parity violation effects in chiral uranium compounds

Correction for ‘Strong enhancement of parity violation effects in chiral uranium compounds’ by Michael Wormit et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2014, 16, 17043–17051.