Ultraviolet laser ionization studies of 1-fluoronaphthalene clusters and density functional theory calculations

This paper studies supersonic jet-cooled 1-fluoronaphthalene （1FN） clusters by ultraviolet （UV） laser ionization at 281 nm in a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The （1FN）＋ （n=1-3） series cluster ions are observed where the signal intensity decreases with increasing cluster size. The effects of sample inlet pressures and ionization laser fluxes to mass spectral distribution are measured. Using density functional theory calculations, it obtains a planar geometric structure of 1FN dimer which is combined through two hydrogen bonds. The mass spectra indicate that the intensity of 1FN trimer is much weaker than that of 1FN dimer and this feature is attributed to the fact that the dimer may form the first ＂shell＂ in geometric structure while the larger clusters are generated based on this fundamental unit.

A density functional theory structures, stabilities, and study on size-dependent electronic properties of bimetallic MnAgm （M=Na, Li; n ＋ m ≤ 7） clusters

The equilibrium geometries, relative stabilities, and electronic properties of MnAgm（M=Na, Li; n ＋ m ≤ 7） as well as pure Agn, Nan, Lin （n ≤ 7） clusters are systematically investigated by means of the density functional theory. The optimized geometries reveal that for 2 ≤ n ≤ 7, there are significant similarities in geometry among pure Agn, Nan, and Lin clusters, and the transitions from planar to three-dimensional configurations occur at n = 7, 7, and 6, respectively. In contrast, the first three-dimensional （3D） structures are observed at n ＋ m = 5 for both NanAgm and LinAgm clusters. When n ＋ m ≥5, a striking feature is that the trigonal bipyramid becomes the main subunit of LinAgm. Furthermore, dramatic odd-even alternative behaviours are obtained in the fragmentation energies, secondorder difference energies, highest occupied and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy gaps, and chemical hardness for both pure and doped clusters. The analytic results exhibit that clusters with an even electronic configuration （2, 4, 6） possess the weakest chemical reactivity and more enhanced stability.

A density functional theory study on size-dependent structures,stabilities,and electronic properties of bimetallic M_nAg_m(M=Na,Li;n + m≤7) clusters

The equilibrium geometries,relative stabilities,and electronic properties of Mn Agm(M=Na,Li;n + m ≤ 7) as well as pure Ag n,Na n,Li n(n ≤ 7) clusters are systematically investigated by means of the density functional theory.The optimized geometries reveal that for 2 ≤ n ≤ 7,there are significant similarities in geometry among pure Ag n,Na n,and Li n clusters,and the transitions from planar to three-dimensional configurations occur at n = 7,7,and 6,respectively.In contrast,the first three-dimensional(3D) structures are observed at n + m = 5 for both Na n Ag m and Li n Ag m clusters.When n + m ≥ 5,a striking feature is that the trigonal bipyramid becomes the main subunit of Li n Ag m.Furthermore,dramatic odd-even alternative behaviours are obtained in the fragmentation energies,secondorder difference energies,highest occupied and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy gaps,and chemical hardness for both pure and doped clusters.The analytic results exhibit that clusters with an even electronic configuration(2,4,6) possess the weakest chemical reactivity and more enhanced stability.

Sensitivity impacts owing to the variations in the type of zero-range pairing forces on the fission properties using the density functional theory

Using the Skyrme density functional theory,potential energy surfaces of^(240)Pu with constraints on the axial quadrupole and octupole deformations(q_(20)and q_(30))were calculated.The volume-like and surface-like pairing forces,as well as a combination of these two forces,were used for the Hartree–Fock–Bogoliubov approximation.Variations in the least-energy fission path,fission barrier,pairing energy,total kinetic energy,scission line,and mass distribution of the fission fragments based on the different forms of the pairing forces were analyzed and discussed.The fission dynamics were studied based on the timedependent generator coordinate method plus the Gaussian overlap approximation.The results demonstrated a sensitivity of the mass and charge distributions of the fission fragments on the form of the pairing force.Based on the investigation of the neutron-induced fission of^(239)Pu,among the volume,mixed,and surface pairing forces,the mixed pairing force presented a good reproduction of the experimental data.

Structures and electronic properties of Si_m N_(8-m)(0

The geometries, electronic structures and related properties of SimN8-m（0 〈 m 〈 8） clusters are studied using density functional theory （DFT） with hybrid functional B3LYP. The calculated results reveal several trends. For any stoichiometric clusters, the lowest energy isomers with an alteration of N and Si atoms are favourable in energy if the numbers of Si and N atoms are large enough to form ... Si N-Si-N... alternative chains. The bond lengths of single Si-N bonds are very close to the corresponding values of the bulk and other SiN clusters. The geometries for N-rich and Si4N4 clusters are planar structures, but three-dimensional structures are favourable in energy for Si-rich clusters. With the increase of m, the isotropic polarizability and average polarizability increase, the total binding energies generally decrease, the HOMO-LUMO gap and vertical ionization potential oscillate with increasing number of valence electrons, and their values with even valence electrons are larger than those with odd valence electrons. The atomic charges, IR and Raman properties are also reported.

Three-dimensional potential energy surface for fission of^(236)U within covariant density functional theory

We calculate the three-dimensional potential energy surface(PES)for the fission of the compound nucleus^(236)U using covariant density functional theory with constraints on the axial quadrupole and octupole deformations(β_(2),β_(3))coexistence of the elongated and compact fission modes is predicted for comes shallow across a large range of quadrupole and octupole deformations for small scission line in the(β_(2),β_(3))plane extends to a shallow band,leading to fluctuations of several to ten MeV in the estimated total kinetic energies and of several to approximately ten nucleons in the fragment masses.

Density functional theory study of Mg_nNi_2(n=1-6) clusters

The geometries of MgnNi2（n = 1 6） clusters are studied by using the hybrid density functional theory （B3LYP） with LANL2DZ basis sets. For the ground-state structures of MgnNi2 clusters, the stabilities and the electronic properties are investigated. The results show that the groundstate structures and symmetries of Mg clusters change greatly due to the Ni atoms. The average binding energies have a growing tendency while the energy gaps have a declining tendency. In addition, the ionization energies exhibit an odd-even oscillation feature. We also conclude that n = 3, 5 are the magic numbers of the MgnNi2 clusters. The Mg3Ni2 and Mg5Ni2 clusters are more stable than neighbouring clusters, and the MgaNi2 cluster exhibits a higher chemical activity.

Computational Investigation of Neutral and Anionic Al_nCo_m Clusters by Density-functional Theory

Structural and electronic properties of bimetallic clusters AlnCom with n=1～7 and m=1～2 have been investigated using the B3LYP-DFT method.Structural optimization and frequency analysis were performed at the CEP-121G level.The charge-induced structural changes in these anions were discussed.In addition,the corresponding total energies,binding energies,adiabatic electron affinities and vertical electron affinity were also presented and discussed.Our predicted vertical ionization potentials are in reasonable agreement with the experimental ionization potentials.Among different AlnCom and AlnCom-anions （n=1～7,m=1～2）,Al4Co,Al6Co,Al4Co-,Al6Co-and Al4Co2-are predicted to be species with high stabilities.

Density functional theory study of neutral AlS_n(n=2-9) clusters

This paper investigates the geometrical structures and relative stabilities of neutral A1Sn （n=2-9） using the density functional theory. Structural optimisation and frequency analysis are performed at the B3LYP/6-311C（d） level. The ground state structures of the A1Sn show that the sulfur atoms prefer not only to evenly distribute on both sides of the aluminum atom but also to form stable structures in AlSn clusters. The structures of pure Sn are fundamentally changed due to the doping of the Al atom. The fragmentation energies and the second-order energy differences are calculated and discussed. Among neutral AlSn （n = 2-9） clusters, AlS4 and AlS6 are the most stable.

Density Functional Theory Study of HCN Adsorption on Small Gold Clusters

A theoretical study was carried out on the adsorption of hydrocyanic acid on small Aun （n ≤ 7） clusters using density functional methods. For HCN adsorption on gold clusters, no dependence was found with respect to the even-odd alternation in relation to the number of gold atoms in the cluster. The HCN molecule is adsorbed at simple adsorption sites （1-fold coordination）, perpendicular to the adsorption site. The largest adsorption energy is only about 74.61 kJ·mol^-1, which indicates that the HCN molecule does not decompose and the C-N bond retains triple bond, and that the C-H and C-N stretching frequencies are only weakly perturbed. The adsorbed C-N and C-H stretching frequencies are blue- and red-shifted compared with the values of free HCN, respectively.

Density functional theory study on Ni-doped Mg_n Ni(n=17) clusters

The possible geometrical and the electronic structures of small MgnNi （n = 1 - 7） clusters are optimised by the density functional theory with a LANL2DZ basis set. The binding energy, the energy gap, the electron affinity, the dissociation energy and the second difference in energy are calculated and discussed. The properties of MgnNi clusters are also discussed when the number of Mg atom increases.

Tuning precise numbers of supported nickel clusters on graphdiyne for efficient CO_(2)electroreduction toward various multi-carbon products

Compared to single-atom catalysts,supported metal clusters can exhibit enhanced activity and designated selectivity in heterogeneous catalysis due to their unique geometric and electronic features.Herein,by means of comprehensive density functional theory (DFT) computations,we systematically investigated the potential of several Ni clusters supported on graphdiyne (Ni_(x)/GDY,x=1–6) for CO_(2) reduction reaction (CO_(2)RR).Our results revealed that,due to the strong interaction between Ni atoms and sp-hybridized C atoms,these supported Ni clusters on GDY exhibit high stabilities and excellent electronic properties.In particular,according to the computed free energy profiles for CO_(2)RR on these Ni_(x)/GDY systems,the anchored Ni_(4) cluster was revealed to exhibit high CO_(2)RR catalytic activity with a small limiting potential and moderate kinetic barrier for C–C coupling,and CH_(4),C_(2)H_(5)OH,and C_(3)H_(7)OH were identified as the main products,which can be attributed to its strong capacity for CO_(2) activation due to its unique configuration and excellent electronic properties.Thus,by carefully controlling the precise numbers of atoms in sub-nano clusters,the spatially confined Ni clusters can perform as promising CO_(2)RR catalysts with high-efficiency and high-selectivity,which may provide a useful guidance to further develop novel and low-cost metal clusters-based catalysts for sustain CO_(2)conversion to valuable chemicals and fuels.

A density-functional theory for (BAs) n clusters (n=1-14):structures,stabilities and electronic properties

This paper investigates the lowest-energy structures, stabilities and electronic properties of （BAs）n clusters （n=1- 14） by means of the density-functional theory. The results show that the lowest-energy structures undergo a structural change from two-dimensional to three-dimensional when n ： 4. With the increase of the cluster size （n=6）, the （BAs）n clusters tend to adopt cage-like structures, which can be considered as being built from B2As2 and six-membered rings with B-As bond alternative arrangement. The binding energy per atom, second-order energy differences, vertical electron affinity and vertical ionization potential are calculated and discussed. The caculated HOMO-LUMO gaps reveal that the clusters have typical semiconductor characteristics. The analysis of partial density of states suggests that there are strong covalence and molecular characteristics in the clusters.

Density Functional Theory Study on the Adsorption of Dioxygen on Small Pt-Pd Clusters

The electronic and physical properties of PtmPdn （m＋n≤5） metal clusters and their interactions with dioxygen have been studied by using hybrid density functional B3LYP method. The total energies, atomization energies, vibration frequencies, and charge distributions were reported. The Pt-Pt bridge site modified by Pd atoms was found to be the most active site for the dissociation of dioxygen, which was mainly due to the change of electronic structures of the Pt atoms in bimetallic Pt-Pd clusters.

Revealing the correlation between adsorption energy and activation energy to predict the catalytic activity of metal oxides for HMX using DFT

Traditional selection of combustion catalysis is time-consuming and labor-intensive.Theoretical calculation is expected to resolve this problem.The adsorption energy of HMX and O atoms on 13 metal oxides was calculated using DMol3,since HMX and O are key substances in decomposition process.And the relationship between the adsorption energy of HMX,O on metal oxides(TiO_(2),Al_(2)O_(3),PbO,CuO,Fe_(2)O_(3),Co_(3)O_(4),Bi_(2)O_(3),NiO)and experimental T30 values(time required for the decomposition depth of HMX to reach 30%)was depicted as volcano plot.Thus,the T30 values of other metal oxides was predicted based on their adsorption energy on volcano plot and validated by previous experimental data.Further,the adsorption energy of HMX on ZrO_(2)and MnO_(2)was predicted based on the linear relationship between surface energy and adsorption energy,and T30 values were estimated based on volcano plot.The apparent activation energy data of HMX/MgO,HMX/SnO_(2),HMX/ZrO_(2),and HMX/MnO_(2)obtained from DSC experiments are basically consistent with our predicted T30 values,indicating that it is feasible to predict the catalytic activity based on the adsorption calculation,and it is expected that these simple structural properties can predict adsorption energy to reduce the large quantities of computation and experiment cost.

Oxygen vacancy formation and migration in Sr- and Mg-doped LaGaO_3:a density functional theory study

Oxygen vacancy formation and migration in La0.9Sr0.1Ga0.8Mg0.2O3-5 （LSGM） with various crystal symmetries （cubic, rhombohedral, orthorhombic, and monoclinic） are studied by employing first-principles calculations based on density functional theory （DFT）. It is shown that the cubic LSGM has the smallest band gap, oxygen vacancy formation energy, and migration barrier, while the other three structures give rise to much larger values for these quantities, implying the best oxygen ion conductivity of the cubic LSGM among the four crystal structures. In out calculations, one oxygen vacancy migration pathway is considered in the cubic and rhombohedral structures due to all the oxygen sites being equivalent in them, while two vacancy migration pathways with different migration barriers are found in the orthorhombic and monoclinic symmetries owing to the existence of nonequivalent O1 and 02 oxygen sites. The migration energies along the migration pathway linking the two 02 sites are obviously lower than those along the pathway linking the O1 and 02 sites. Considering the phase transitions at high temperatures, the results obtained in this paper can not only explain the experimentally observed different behaviours of the oxygen ionic conductivity of LSGM with different symmetries, but also predict the rational crystal structures of LSGM for solid oxide fuel cell applications.

Structures, stabilities, and electronic properties of F-doped Sin （n=1～12） clusters：Density functional theory investigation

The geometries, stabilities, and electronic properties of FSin （n=1～12） clusters are systematically investigated by using first-principles calculations based on the hybrid density-functional theory at the B3LYP/6-311G level. The geometries are found to undergo a structural change from two-dimensional to three-dimensional structure when the cluster size n equals 3. On the basis of the obtained lowest-energy geometries, the size dependencies of cluster properties, such as averaged binding energy, fragmentation energy, second-order energy difference, HOMO–LUMO （highest occupied molecular orbital–lowest unoccupied molecular orbital） gap and chemical hardness, are discussed. In addition, natural population analysis indicates that the F atom in the most stable FSin cluster is recorded as being negative and the charges always transfer from Si atoms to the F atom in the FSin clusters.

Structural and bonding properties of ScSi_n^-(n=2～6) clusters:photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional calculations

Anion ion photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory （DFT） are used to investigate the electronic and structural properties of ScSin （n = 2 - 6） clusters and their neutrals. We find that the structures of ScSin^- are similar to those of Sin＋1^-. The most stable isomers of ScSin^- cluster anions and their neutrals are similar for n=-2, 3 and 5 but different for n=4 and 6, indicating that the charge effect on geometry is size dependent for small scandiumsilicon clusters. The low electron binding energy （EBE） tails observed in the spectra of ScSi4,6^- can be explained by the existence of less stable isomers. A comparison between ScSin and VSin clusters shows the effects of metal size and electron configuration on cluster geometries.

Density Functional Theoretical Study on Antioxidant Activity of Four Anthocyanins from Purple Sweet Potato

This study aimed to analyze the antioxidant mechanism of four different anthocyanins in purple sweet potato. The DPPH test and the lipid peroxidation inhibition ability test were used to analyze the in vitro antioxidant activity of four anthocyanins, and then the optimal structure, bond dissociation energy(BDE) and ionization potential(IP) of the anthocyanins and their simplified molecular models were analyzed by density functional theoretical study, and the antioxidant mechanisms were explored. The results showed that OH-4′ phenolic hydroxyl group of the four anthocyanins has the highest activity, and its bond dissociation energy is less than that of resveratrol. The theoretical calculation results of antioxidant activity are consistent with the results of in vitro antioxidant tests. The results showed that anthocyanins of purple sweet potato have good antioxidant activity, and the DFT method provides a powerful theoretical basis for the development of anthocyanin antioxidant activity.