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We report a computational study and analysis of the optical absorption and photodecay processes in two subnanometer metal complexes deposited on an oxide support, the regular MgO(100) surface: (i) Ag3(HCO3)(C2H4)2(O) and (ii) Ag3(CO2F)(C2H4)2(O). These aggregates are chosen as derivatives of a Ag3(CO3)(C2H4)2(O) ligand/metal-cluster/support complex, previously singled out as a key intermediate in the path of ethylene partial oxidation to ethylene epoxide catalyzed by Ag3/MgO(100), and serve as model systems to investigate photochemical phenomena in ligand/metal-cluster/support complexes by subnanometer metal catalysts, an appealing field for future research. After generating optimized initial configurations and building cluster models that take properly into account the effect of the charge-separated oxide support, we use time-dependent density-functional theory (TDDFT) to determine first the photoabsorption spectra of the two aggregates and then to follow the evolution of their excited states in the optical region. We show that complexes containing such bicarbonate and fluorocarbonate groups are sensitive to optical adsorption, often leading to ligand detachment and/or cluster disaggregation, thus pointing to an "optical frailty"of these subnanometer cluster species, possibly rationalizing previous experimental observations. Additionally, we correlate the nature of the given excitations and of the corresponding photoinduced reaction products via an analysis of overlap population-density of states (OP-DOS), geometric parameters, and spatial distribution of the molecular orbitals involved in the excitation, thus providing the set of methodological tools needed to explore this novel field.

New methods for the introduction of fluoro substituents are in great demand, owing to the present importance of fluorinated bioactive compounds. Here we report a simple strategy for the synthesis of a new class of β-fluorinated paraconic acid derivatives. Methyl and ethyl hexanoyl succinates were fluorinated by Selectfluor®, then reduced by a mild reducing agent in acidic medium, thus partially suppressing the HF elimination reaction. The diastereomeric β-fluoro-γ-lactones afforded by lactonization of the fluorinated hydroxydiesters were separated by column chromatography. Their stereochemistry was assessed by means of 19F{1H}-HOESY NMR measurements. The relationship between the remarkable 19F chemical shift difference (20 ppm) and configuration difference was elucidated by two-component relativistic DFT calculations. Both the quick survey of conformers stability based on molecular mechanics in the RDKit environment and the DFT geometry optimizations at the scalar ZORA TZ2P/BLYP level, revealed that for the (2R,3R) diastereomer the γ-lactone ring adopts one prevalent envelope conformation, whereas for the (2R,3S) one both envelope conformations must be taken into consideration.

The near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS and X-ray photoelectron (XP) spectra of gas-phase 2,8-bis-(diphenylphosphoryl)dibenzo[b,d]thiophene (PPT) and triphenylphosphine oxide (TPPO) have been measured at the S and P L-II,L-III-edge regions. The time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) based on the relativistic two-component zeroth-order regular approximation approach has been used to provide an assignment of the experimental spectra, giving the contribution of the spin-orbit splitting and of the molecular-field splitting to the sulfur and phosphor binding energies. Computed XP and NEXAFS spectra agree well with the experimental measurements. In going from dibenzothiophene and TPPO to PPT, the nature of the most intense S 2p and P 2p NEXAFS features are preserved; this trend suggests that the electronic and geometric behaviors of the S and P atoms in the two building block moieties are conserved in the more complex system of PPT. This work enables us to shed some light onto the structure of the P-O bond, a still highly debated topic in the chemical literature. Since the S 2p and P 2p NEXAFS intensities provide specific information on the higher-lying localized sigma*(C-S) and sigma*(P-O) virtual MOs, we have concluded that P 3d AOs are not involved in the formation of the P-O bond. Moreover, the results support the mechanism of negative hyperconjugation, by showing that transitions toward sigma*(P-O) states occur at lower energies with respect to those toward it pi*(P-O) states.

The photoionization dynamics of OsO4 and RuO4, chosen as model systems of small-size mononuclear heavy-metal complexes, has been theoretically studied by the time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT). Accurate experimental measurements of photoionization dynamics as a benchmarking test for the theory are reported for the photoelectron asymmetry parameters of outer valence ionizations of OsO4, measured in the 17-90 eV photon energy range. The theoretical results are in good agreement with the available experimental data. The observed dynamical behavior of partial cross sections and asymmetry parameters has been related to both the coupling to the continuum of discrete excited states, giving strong modulations in the photon energy dependency, and the atomic composition of the initial ionized states, which determines the rate of decay of ionization probability for increasing excitation energies. Overall, an extensive analysis of the photoionization dynamics for valence and core orbitals is presented, showing good agreement with all the available experimental data. This provides confidence for the validity of the TDDFT approach in describing photoionization of heavy transition element compounds, with the perspective of being used for larger systems. Further experimental work is suggested for RuO4 to gather evidence of the sensitivity of the theoretical method to the nature of the metal atom.

The valence and core-level photoelectron spectra of gaseous indole, 2,3-dihydro-7-azaindole, and 3-formylindole have been investigated using VUV and soft X-ray radiation supported by both an ab initio electron propagator and density functional theory calculations. Three methods were used to calculate the outer valence band photoemission spectra: outer valence Green function, partial third order, and renormalized partial third order. While all gave an acceptable description of the valence spectra, the last method yielded very accurate agreement, especially for indole and 3-formylindole. The carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen is core-level spectra of these heterocycles were measured and assigned. The double ionization appearance potential for indole has been determined to be 21.8 +/- 0.2 eV by C is and N is Auger photoelectron spectroscopy. Theoretical analysis identifies the doubly ionized states as a band consisting of two overlapping singlet states and one triplet state with dominant configurations corresponding to holes in the two uppermost molecular orbitals. One of the singlet states and the triplet state can be described as consisting largely of a single configuration, but other doubly ionized states are heavily mixed by configuration interactions. This work provides full assignment of the relative binding energies of the core level features and an analysis of the electronic structure of substituted indoles in comparison with the parent indole.

The near-edge x-ray-absorption fine-structure (NEXAFS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra of benzo[b]thiophene (BBT) and dibenzothiophene (DBT) in the gas phase have been measured at the carbon Kedge and sulfur L-II,L-III-edge regions. The assignment of the spectral features has been provided by theoretical calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) and its time-dependent generalization (TDDFT) in the linear response regime. Observed trends in computed C 1s and S 2p ionization potentials (IPs) have been rationalized in terms of both the inductive effects due to the presence of S and the increased pi-electrons delocalization arising from the benzoannulation process. The analysis of the NEXAFS carbon K-edge and sulfur L-II,L-III-edge regions regions provided information on both low-lying delocalized virtual pi orbitals, and higher-lying localized sigma*(C-S) states. The evolution of the NEXAFS carbon K-edge spectral features along the series thiophene (T) and derivatives, BBT and DBT, is informative of a stabilizing effect due to increased aromaticity. This effect is however more pronounced in going from T to BBT compared to the introduction of a second annulated phenyl ring in DBT. The nature of the most intense sulfur L-II,L-III-edge NEXAFS spectral features is instead conserved along the series reflecting thus the localized nature of the virtual states involved in the S 2p core-excitation process.

The electronic structures of nicotine, nicotinic acid and nicotinamide have been studied by valence photoemission spectroscopy (PES), core X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and near-edge X-ray absorp- tion fine structure (NEXAFS) and interpreted with the aid of quantum chemical calculations. Nicotinamide and nicotinic acid are closely related and show correspondingly similar spectral features, while nicotine is both struc- turally and spectroscopically diverse

A general implementation of the lowest nonvanishing order perturbation theory for the calculation of molecular multiphoton ionization cross sections is proposed in the framework of density functional theory. Bound and scattering wave functions are expanded in a multicentric basis set and advantage is taken of the full molecular point group symmetry, thus enabling the application of the formalism to medium-size molecules. Multiphoton ionization cross sections and angular asymmetry parameters have been calculated for the two- and four-photon ionization of the H-2(+) molecule, for linear and circular light polarizations. Both fixed and random orientations of the target molecule have been considered. To demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed methodology, the two-photon cross section and angular asymmetry parameters for the HOMO and HOMO-1 orbital ionization of benzene are also presented. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4754820]

Photoionization cross sections and angular distributions of silicon tetrafluoride have been calculated in the framework of the time-dependent density-functional theory approach. Both valence and inner shell ionizations have been considered in an extended photon energy range. Calculations have been carried out by using two different exchange-correlation (xc) potentials characterized by the correct asymptotic behavior. Theoretical results obtained with both the van Leeuwen--Baerends and statistical average of orbital potentials (SAOP) xc potentials are compared with photoabsorption, photoionization, and electron-scattering experiments as well as with previous theoretical calculations. It is suggested that even if both xc potentials provide a reasonably good description of the photoionization dynamics, correlation effects are phenomenologically better accounted for by the SAOP xc potential. Overall, the good accuracy attained with the linear combination of atomic orbitals-time dependent density-functional theory method in reproducing the experimental findings for ${\mathrm{SiF}}_{4}$ makes it a promising and powerful method for the characterization of the photoionization dynamics from medium and large-size molecules.

The valence electrons of fullerenes may be regarded as spherical distributions with a finite width of a jellium-like potential giving rise to collective motions of this orange peel electron cloud. They cause strong enhancement of the photoionization cross section, a resonant behavior phenomenon know as plasmon excitations. The number and characteristic features of these excitations will be discussed.