Quantum-chemical insights into mixed-valence systems: within and beyond the Robin-Day scheme

In mixed-valence (MV) systems essentially identical, more or less electronically coupled, redox centres are brought into formally different oxidation states by removal or addition of an electron. Depending on the strength of electronic coupling, an electron or a hole is either concentrated on one of the redox centres, or it is symmetrically delocalised onto several sites, or the situation is somewhere in between, which leads to the classification system for MV systems introduced by Melvin Robin and Peter Day. These different characteristics are of fundamental importance for the understanding of electron transfer processes. Applications of quantum-chemical methods to aid the classification and to unravel the nature of the electronic structure and spectroscopic data of both organic and transition-metal MV systems, have gained tremendous importance over the last two decades. In this review, we emphasise the prerequisites the quantum-chemical methods need to fulfill to successfully describe MV systems close to the borderline between Robin–Day classes II and III. These are, in particular, a balanced treatment of exchange, dynamical and non-dynamical correlation effects, as well as consideration of the crucial influence of the (solvent or solid-state) environment on the partial localisation of charge. A large variety of applications of quantum-chemical methods to both organic and inorganic MV systems are critically appraised here in view of these prerequisites. Practical protocols based on a combination of suitable density functional methods with continuum or non-continuum solvent models provided good agreement with experimental data for the ground states and the electronic excitations of a large range of MV systems close to the borderline. Recent applications of such methods have highlighted the crucial importance of conformational effects on electronic coupling, all the way to systems where conformational motion may cause a thermal mixing of class II and class III situations in one system.DFG, EXC 314, Unifying Concepts in CatalysisDFG, GRK 1221, Steuerung elektronischer Eigenschaften von Aggregaten pi-konjugierter Molekül

Deterministically entangling distant nitrogen-vacancy centers by a nanomechanical cantilever

We present a practical scheme by global addressing to deterministically entangle negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy (N-V) centers in distant diamonds using a nano-mechanical cantilever with the magnetic tips strongly coupled to the N-V electron spins. Symmetric Dicke states are generated as an example, and the experimental feasibility and challenge of our scheme are discussed.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Evaluation of SIR-A space radar for geologic interpretation: United States, Panama, Colombia, and New Guinea

Comparisons between LANDSAT MSS imagery, and aircraft and space radar imagery from different geologic environments in the United States, Panama, Colombia, and New Guinea demonstrate the interdependence of radar system geometry and terrain configuration for optimum retrieval of geologic information. Illustrations suggest that in the case of space radars (SIR-A in particular), the ability to acquire multiple look-angle/look-direction radar images of a given area is more valuable for landform mapping than further improvements in spatial resolution. Radar look-angle is concluded to be one of the most important system parameters of a space radar designed to be used for geologic reconnaissance mapping. The optimum set of system parameters must be determined for imaging different classes of landform features and tailoring the look-angle to local topography

Effects of Substituents on the Length of Central C(sp^3)-C(sp^3) Bond in Anthracene Photodimers and Related Molecules

Effects of substituents on the lengths of the central C–C single bond in the butterfly-shaped anthracene photodimers (1)–(7) and lepidopterenes (8) are studied. X-Ray analysis of the photodimer (10) of 9,10-difluoroanthracene gave a C(9)–C(10′) bond length of 1.631 (3)Å. An attempt to re-determine molecular structure of the photoisomer (5) of [2.2](9,10) anthracenophane (12) by neutron diffraction analysis is also reported [C(9)–C(10′): obs. 1.64(1), calc. 1.63(1)Å]. The D_2 structure that had been proposed for the minimum-energy conformation of (5) is questioned and the D_(2h) symmetric conformation is suggested on the basis of the diffraction results and MNDO calculations. The experimentally determined distances of the long central C–C bonds in these butterfly compounds including dianthronyl (9) are well reproduced by MNDO calculations with a standard deviation of 0.013 Å. Small but significant further elongation of the central C–C bond by up to 0.07 Å resulting from annulation of cyclobutane or cyclopentane ring in anthracene photodimers and from remote chlorine substitution in lepidopterene are interpreted in terms of the increased π→σ^* orbital interaction

Characterisation of the tetrahalophosphonium cations PBrnI4 − n+ (0 ≤ n ≤ 4) by 31P MAS NMR, IR and Raman spectroscopy and the crystal structures of PI4+AlCl4−, PI4+AlBr4− and PI4+GaI4−

The novel tetrahalophosphonium salts PBr4+AsF6−, PI4+AlCl4− and PI4+EBr4− (E = Al, Ga) have been synthesised. A variety of solid complexes containing PBr4+ (e.g. PBr4+AsF6−, PBr4+AlBr4− PBr4+GaBr4−), PI4+ (e.g. PI4+AlCl4−, PI4+AlBr4−, PI4+GaBr4−) or the mixed species PBrnI4 − n+ (0 ≤ n ≤ 4, containing AlBr4−, GaBr4−, AsF6− or SbF6−) have been studied by solid-state 31P MAS NMR and vibrational spectroscopy. The influence of the counter-ion on the chemical shift and the vibrational frequencies are discussed. The crystal structures of PI4+AlCl4−, PI4+AlBr4− and PI4+GaI4− are reported. Evidence for the existence of the hitherto unknown mixed bromoiodophosphonium cations PBr3I+, PBr2I2+ and PBrI3+ has been confirmed by spin–orbit corrected density functional calculations of isotropic 31P chemical shifts for PBrnI4 − n+

New approaches for the calibration of exchange-energy densities in local hybrid functionals

Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.This publication is with permission of the rights owner freely accessible due to an Alliance licence and a national licence (funded by the DFG, German Research Foundation) respectively.The ambiguity of exchange-energy densities is a fundamental challenge for the development of local hybrid functionals, or of other functionals based on a local mixing of exchange-energy densities. In this work, a systematic construction of semi-local calibration functions (CFs) for adjusting the exchange-energy densities in local hybrid functionals is provided, which directly links a given CF to an underlying semi-local exchange functional, as well as to the second-order gradient expansion of the exchange hole. Using successive steps of integration by parts allows the derivation of correction terms of increasing order, resulting in more and more complicated but also more flexible CFs. We derive explicit first-and second-order CFs (pig1 and pig2) based on B88 generalized-gradient approximation (GGA) exchange, and a first-order CF (tpig1) based on t-dependent B98 meta-GGA exchange. We combine these CFs with different long-range damping functions and evaluate them for calibration of LDA, B88 GGA, and TPSS meta-GGA exchange-energy densities. Based on a minimization of unphysical nondynamical correlation contributions in three noble-gas dimer potential-energy curves, free parameters in the CFs are optimized, and performance of various approaches in the calibration of different exchange-energy densities is compared. Most notably, the second-order pig2 CF provides the largest flexibility with respect to the diffuseness of the damping function. This suggests that higher-order CFs based on the present integration-by-parts scheme may be particularly suitable for the flexible construction of local hybrid functionals

Transglutaminase-catalyzed matrix cross-linking in differentiating cartilage: identification of osteonectin as a major glutaminyl substrate.

The expression of tissue transglutaminase in skeletal tissues is strictly regulated and correlates with chondrocyte differentiation and cartilage calcification in endochondral bone formation and in maturation of tracheal cartilage (Aeschlimann, D., A. Wetterwald, H. Fleisch, and M. Paulsson. 1993. J. Cell Biol. 120:1461-1470). We now demonstrate the transglutaminase reaction product, the gamma-glutamyl-epsilon-lysine cross-link, in the matrix of hypertrophic cartilage using a novel cross-link specific antibody. Incorporation of the synthetic transglutaminase substrate monodansylcadaverine (amine donor) in cultured tracheal explants reveals enzyme activity in the pericellular matrix of hypertrophic chondrocytes in the central, calcifying areas of the horseshoe-shaped cartilages. One predominant glutaminyl substrate (amine acceptor) in the chondrocyte matrix is osteonectin as revealed by incorporation of the dansyl label in culture. Indeed, nonreducible osteonectin-containing complexes of approximately 65, 90, and 175 kD can be extracted from mature tracheal cartilage. In vitro cross-linking of osteonectin by tissue transglutaminase gives similar products of approximately 90 and 175 kD, indicating that the complexes in cartilage represent osteonectin oligomers. The demonstration of extracellular transglutaminase activity in differentiating cartilage, i.e., cross-linking of osteonectin in situ, shows that tissue transglutaminase-catalyzed cross-linking is a physiological mechanism for cartilage matrix stabilization

Persilylation of ferrocene: the ultimate discipline in sterically overcrowded metal complexes

We report the preparation and structural characterization of the first persilylated metallocene via the metalation of decabromoferrocene. Although Grignard conditions turned out to be insufficient due to the steric and electronic effects of silyl groups causing a decreased nucleophilicity of the metalated intermediates, stepwise lithium–halogen exchange yields complex mixtures of polysilylated compounds FeC10DMSnH10−n (n = 10, 9, 8) including the targeted decasilylated ferrocene. These mixtures were successfully separated allowing a systematic study of silylation effects on ferrocene by XRD, CV, NMR and UV/vis spectroscopy supported by DFT calculations. The findings were used to develop a high-yielding and simple preparation method to generate a tenfold substituted overcrowded ferrocene, FeC10DMS8Me2

Ab-initio theory of NMR chemical shifts in solids and liquids

We present a theory for the ab-initio computation of NMR chemical shifts (sigma) in condensed matter systems, using periodic boundary conditions. Our approach can be applied to periodic systems such as crystals, surfaces, or polymers and, with a super-cell technique, to non-periodic systems such as amorphous materials, liquids, or solids with defects. We have computed the hydrogen sigma for a set of free molecules, for an ionic crystal, LiH, and for a H-bonded crystal, HF, using density functional theory in the local density approximation. The results are in excellent agreement with experimental data.Comment: to appear in Physical Review Letter