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Heterogeneous reactions catalyzed by transition-metal-containing nanoparticles represent a crucial type of reaction in chemical industry. Because of the existing gap in understanding heterogeneous catalysis between a cluster of a few atoms and a bulk model of periodic slabs, reactions catalyzed by transition-metal-containing nanoparticles are still not well understood. Herein, we provide a multiscale modeling approach to study the benzene hydrogenation reactions on molybdenum carbide nanoparticles (MCNPs) in the process of in situ heavy oil upgrading. By coupling the quantum mechanical (QM) density functional tight-binding (DFTB) method with a molecular mechanical (MM) force field, a QM/MM model was built to describe the reactants, the nanoparticles and the surroundings. Umbrella sampling (US) was used to calculate the free energy profiles of the benzene hydrogenation reactions in a model aromatic solvent in the in situ heavy oil upgrading conditions. By comparing with the traditional method in computational heterogeneous catalysis, the results reveal new features of the metallic MCNPs. Rather than being rigid, they are very flexible under working condition due to the entropic contributions of the MCNPs and the solvent, which greatly affect the free energy profiles of these nanoscale heterogeneous reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyzes the structure, bonding and vibrations of Fe(N2)n transition metal with molecular species. Use of the LCGTO-KS-DF method; Estimation of dissociation energies; Vibrational analysis of ground states; Effect of 15N isotopic substitution on vibrational frequencies; Comparisons of the isoelectronic species Fe(CO)n; Fe-N2 bonding.

Explores density functional theory (DFT) for charge-transfer complexes. Generalized gradient approximation; Hybrid functionals with Hartree-Fock exchange; Consideration of two hybrid approaches; Underestimation of intermolecular distances for hydrogen bonds.

Transition-state theory (TST) is a widely accepted paradigm for rationalizing the kinetics of chemical reactions involving one potential energy surface (PES). Multiple PES reaction rate constants can also be estimated within semiclassical approaches provided the hopping probability between the quantum states is taken into account when determining the transmission coefficient. In the Marcus theory of electron transfer, this hopping probability was historically calculated with models such as Landau-Zener theory. Although the hopping probability is intimately related to the question of the transition from the fully quantum to the semiclassical description, this issue is not adequately handled in physicochemical models commonly in use. In particular, quantum nuclear effects such as decoherence or dephasing are not present in the rate constant expressions. Retaining the convenient semiclassical picture, we include these effects through the introduction of a phenomenological quantum decoherence function. A simple modification to the usual TST rate constant expression is proposed: in addition to the electronic coupling, a characteristic decoherence time τdec now also appears as a key parameter of the rate constant. This new parameter captures the idea that molecular systems, although intrinsically obeying quantum mechanical laws, behave semiclassically after a finite but nonzero amount of time (τdec). This new degree of freedom allows a fresh look at the underlying physics of chemical reactions involving more than one quantum state. The ability of the proposed formula to describe the main physical lines of the phenomenon is confirmed by comparison with results obtained from density functional theory molecular dynamics simulations for a triplet to singlet transition within a copper dioxygen adduct relevant to the question of dioxygen activation by copper monooxygenases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]