Manisha Ray

Ce(x)O(y)⁻ (x = 2-3) + D₂O reactions: stoichiometric cluster formation from deuteroxide decomposition and anti-Arrhenius behavior.

Reactions between small cerium oxide cluster anions and deuterated water were monitored as a function of both water concentration and temperature in order to determine the temperature dependence of the rate constants. Sequential oxidation reactions of the Ce(x)O(y)⁻ (x = 2, 3) suboxide cluster anions were found to exhibit anti-Arrhenius behavior, with activation energies ranging from 0 to -18 kJ mol⁻¹. Direct oxidation of species up to y = x was observed, after which, -OD abstraction and D₂O addition reactions were observed. However, the stoichiometric Ce₂O₄⁻ and Ce₃O₆⁻ cluster anions also emerge in reactions between D₂O and the respective precursors, Ce₂O₃D⁻ and Ce₃O₅D₂⁻. Ce₂O₄⁻ and Ce₃O₆⁻ product intensities diminish relative to deuteroxide complex intensities with increasing temperature. The kinetics of these reactions are compared to the kinetics of the previously studied Mo(x)O(y)⁻ and W(x)O(y)⁻ reactions with water, and the possible implications for the reaction mechanisms are discussed.

Comparative study of water reactivity with Mo2Oy− and W2Oy− clusters: A combined experimental and theoretical investigation

A computational investigation of the Mo2O(y)(-) + H2O (y = 4, 5) reactions as well as a photoelectron spectroscopic probe of the deuterated Mo2O6D2(-) product have been carried out to understand a puzzling question from a previous study: Why is the rate constant determined for the Mo2O5(-) + H2O/D2O reaction, the terminal reaction in the sequential oxidation of Mo2O(y)(-) by water, higher than the W2O5(-) + H2O/D2O reaction? This disparity was intriguing because W3O(y)(-) clusters were found to be more reactive toward water than their Mo3O(y)(-) analogs. A comparison of molecular structures reveals that the lowest energy structure of Mo2O5(-) provides a less hindered water addition site than the W2O5(-) ground state structure. Several modes of water addition to the most stable molecular and electronic structures of Mo2O4(-) and Mo2O5(-) were explored computationally. The various modes are discussed and compared with previous computational studies on W2O(y)(-) + H2O reactions. Calculated free energy reaction profiles show lower barriers for the initial Mo2O(y)(-) + H2O addition, consistent with the higher observed rate constant. The terminal Mo2O(y)(-) sequential oxidation product predicted computationally was verified by the anion photoelectron spectrum of Mo2O6D2(-). Based on the computational results, this anion is a trapped dihydroxide intermediate in the Mo2O5(-) + H2O/D2O → Mo2O6(-) + H2/D2 reaction.

Simple Relationship between Oxidation State and Electron Affinity in Gas-Phase Metal–Oxo Complexes

The photoelectron spectra of WO3H(-) and WO2F(-) are presented and analyzed in the context of a series of previous similar measurements on MO(y)(-) (M = Mo, W; y = 0-3), MO4H(-) and AlMOy(-) (y ≤ 4) complexes. The electronic structures of the WO3H and WO2F anion and neutral complexes were investigated using the B3LYP hybrid density functional method. The spectra of WO3H(-), WO2F(-), and previously measured AlWO3(-) photoelectron spectra show that the corresponding neutrals, in which the transition metal centers are all in a +5 oxidation state, have comparable electron affinities. In addition, the electron affinities fit the general trend of monotonically increasing electron affinity with oxidation state, in spite of the WO3H(-), WO2F(-), and AlWO3(-) having closed shell ground states, suggesting that the oxidation state of the metal atom has more influence than shell closing on the electron affinity of these transition metal-oxo complexes. Results of DFT calculations suggest that the neutrals are pyramidal and the anions are planar. However, the barriers for inversion on the neutral surface are low, and attempts to generate simple Franck-Condon simulations based on simple normal coordinate displacement, ignoring the effects of inversion, are inadequate.

Photoelectron spectrum of PrO

The photoelectron (PE) spectrum of PrO(-) exhibits a short 835 ± 20 cm(-1) vibrational progression of doublets (210 ± 30 cm(-1) splitting) assigned to transitions from the 4f(2) [(3)H4] σ6s (2) Ω = 4 anion ground state to the 4f(2) [(3)H4] σ6s Ω = 3.5 and 4.5 neutral states. This assignment is analogous to that of the recently reported PE spectrum of CeO(-), though the 82 cm(-1) splitting between the 4f [(2)F2.5] σ6s Ω = 2 and Ω = 3 CeO neutral states could not be resolved [Ray et al., J. Chem. Phys. 142, 064305 (2015)]. The origin of the transition to the Ω = 3.5 neutral ground state is 0.96 ± 0.01 eV, which is the adiabatic electron affinity of PrO. Density functional theory calculations on the anion and neutral molecules support the assignment. The appearance of multiple, irregularly spaced and low-intensity features observed ca. 1 eV above the ground state cannot be reconciled with low-lying electronic states of PrO that are accessible via one-electron detachment. However, neutral states correlated with the 4f(2) [(3)H4] 5d superconfiguration are predicted to be approximately 1 eV above the 4f(2) [(3)H4] σ6s Ω = 3.5 neutral ground state, leading to the assignment of these features to shake-up transitions to the excited neutral states. Based on tentative hot band transition assignments, the term energy of the previously unobserved 4f(2) [(3)H4] σ6s Ω = 2.5 neutral state is determined to be 1840 ± 110 cm(-1).

Low-lying electronic structure of EuH, EuOH, and EuO neutrals and anions determined by anion photoelectron spectroscopy and DFT calculations

The anion photoelectron (PE) spectra of EuH(-) and the PE spectrum of overlapping EuOH(-) and EuO(-) anions are presented and analyzed with supporting results from density functional theory calculations on the various anions and neutrals. Results point to ionically bound, high-spin species. EuH and EuOH anions and neutrals exhibit analogous electronic structures: Transitions from (8)Σ(-) anion ground states arising from the 4f(7)σ(6s)(2) superconfiguration to the close-lying neutral (9)Σ(-) and (7)Σ(-) states arising from the 4f(7)σ(6s) superconfiguration are observed spaced by an energy interval similar to the free Eu(+) [4f(7)6s] (9)S - (7)S splitting. The electron affinities (EAs) of EuH and EuOH are determined to be 0.771 ± 0.009 eV and 0.700 ± 0.011 eV, respectively. Analysis of spectroscopic features attributed to EuO(-) photodetachment is complicated by the likely presence of two energetically competitive electronic states of EuO(-) populating the ion beam. However, based on the calculated relative energies of the close-lying anion states arising from the 4f(7)σ(6s) and 4f(6)σ(6s)(2) configurations and the relative energies of the one-electron accessible 4f(7) and 4f(6)σ(6s) neutral states based on ligand-field theory [M. Dulick, E. Murad, and R. F. Barrow, J. Chem. Phys. 85, 385 (1986)], the remaining features are consistent with the 4f(6)σ(6s)(2) (7)Σ(-) and 4f(7)σ(6s) (7)Σ(-) anion states lying very close in energy (the former was calculated to be 0.15 eV lower in energy than the latter), though the true anion ground state and neutral EA could not be established unambiguously. Calculations on the various EuO anion and neutral states suggest 4f-orbital overlap with 2p orbitals in species with 4f(6) occupancy.

Effect of Alkyl Group on MxOy– + ROH (M = Mo, W; R = Me, Et) Reaction Rates

A systematic comparison of MxOy(-) + ROH (M = Mo vs W; R = Me vs Et) reaction rate coefficients and product distributions combined with results of calculations on weakly bound MxOy(-)·ROH complexes suggest that the overall reaction mechanism has three distinct steps, consistent with recently reported results on analogous MxOy(-) + H2O reactivity studies. MxOy(-) + ROH → MxOy+1(-) + RH oxidation reactions are observed for the least oxidized clusters, and MxOy(-) + ROH → MxOyROH(-) addition reactions are observed for clusters in intermediate oxidation states, as observed previously in MxOy(-) + H2O reactions. The first step is weakly bound complex formation, the rate of which is governed by the relative stability of the MxOy(-)·ROH charge-dipole complexes and the Lewis acid-base complexes. Calculations predict that MoxOy(-) clusters form more stable Lewis acid-base complexes than WxOy(-), and the stability of EtOH complexes is enhanced relative to MeOH. Consistent with this result, MoxOy(-) + ROH rate coefficients are higher than analogous WxOy(-) clusters. Rate coefficients range from 2.7 × 10(-13) cm(3) s(-1) for W3O8(-) + MeOH to 3.4 × 10(-11) cm(3) s(-1) for Mo2O4(-) + EtOH. Second, a covalently bound complex is formed, and anion photoelectron spectra of the several MxOyROH(-) addition products observed are consistent with hydroxyl-alkoxy structures that are formed readily from the Lewis acid-base complexes. Calculations indicate that addition products are trapped intermediates in the MxOy(-) + ROH → MxOy+1(-) + RH reaction, and the third step is rearrangement of the hydroxyl group to a metal hydride group to facilitate RH release. Trapped intermediates are more prevalent in MoxOy(-) reaction product distributions, indicating that the rate of this step is higher for WxOy+1RH(-) than for MoxOy+1RH(-). This result is consistent with previous computational studies on analogous MxOy(-) + H2O reactions predicting that barriers along the pathway in the rearrangement step are higher for MoxOy(-) reactions than for WxOy(-).

Molybdenum Oxide Cluster Anion Reactions with C2H4 and H2O: Cooperativity and Chemifragmentation

To probe the mechanism of sacrificial reagents in catalytic processes, product distributions from MoxOy- clusters reacting individually with C2H4 and H2O are compared with those from reactions with a C2H4 + H2O mixture, with the thermodynamics explored computationally. These molecules were chosen to model production of H2 from H2O via H2O + C2H4 → H2 + CH3CHO, mediated by MoxOy- clusters. H2O is known to sequentially oxidize MoxOy- suboxide clusters while producing H2, resulting in less reactive clusters. MoxOy- (y ∼ x) clusters undergo chemi-fragmentation reactions with C2H4, with MoxOyC2Hz- complexes forming as the cluster oxidation state increases. Unique species observed in reactions with the C2H4 + H2O mixture, Mo2O5C2H2- and MoO3C2H4-, suggest that the internal energy gained in new Mo-O bond formation from oxidation by H2O opens additional reaction channels. C2H3O- is observed uniquely in reactions with the C2H4 + H2O mixture, giving indirect evidence of CH3CHO formation via the cluster mediated H2O + C2H4 → H2 + CH3CHO reaction; C2H3O- can form via dissociative electron attachment to CH3CHO. Calculations support mechanisms that invoke participation of two ethylene molecules on thermodynamically favorable pathways leading to experimentally observed products.