Back-donation Interactions Research Articles

Molecular insights into the role of O2 in reversed C2H6/C2H4 separation on metal–organic frameworks

Previous experimental studies have shown that C2H4-selective metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) can be reversed to C2H6-selective MOFs by introducing an oxygen molecule (O2) into the MOF. The O2 functionalization strategy provides a new insight into one-step C2H4 purification; however, the molecular-level understanding of the reversed separation mechanism remains theoretically and experimentally unclear, which limits further material refinement. In this study, we explored the influence of O2 on the C2H6/C2H4 selectivity of a Cr-BTC MOF via density functional theory (DFT) calculations and grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations within the newly DFT-derived force fields. Results suggest that O2 was antiferromagnetically coupled to the open Cr site, with an end-on pattern forming the superoxo site. The presence of superoxide adducts decreased the dipole moment of the open-metal site by 5.95 debye. Furthermore, the altered gas selectivity could be attributed to the superoxo site blocking the donation and back-donation interactions between Cr and C2H4. This removes the highly polarized C2H4-selective site, while enhancing the pore channel environmental inertness for preferential C2H6 adsorption. To assess the performance of the reversed separation strategy under humid air conditions, ab initio molecular dynamics with metadynamics were used to determine the water stabilities of Cr-BTC and oxidized conjugates. We revealed that O2 introduction weakened the metal-linker bond and reduced the free-energy barrier for the initial framework decomposition process, which may hinder the application of gas separation in further practical environments. These findings provide theoretical support for oxidized MOFs with reversed separation performance and facilitate intentional post-synthetic MOF modifications for paraffin-selective adsorbent design, a critical need for energy applications and the petroleum industry.

Study of Pd-catalyzed Selective Mono- and Di-C(sp3)-H Bond Activation: A Bi-ligand Model.

Controlling the number of C-H bond activation is a long-standing challenge in organic synthesis. Recently, Yu's group demonstrated that in Pd-catalyzed alanine's arylation, pyridine-type ligands favor a mono-C-H bond activation, while quinoline-type ligands favor a di-C-H bond activation. To disclose the underlying principles, a theoretical study (density functional theory (DFT)) has been carried out. Our study indicates that a mono-ligand model, which is generally adopted in the community, does not reproduce the experimentally observed mono-/di-selectivity, while a bi-ligand model can rationalize the experimental observations well, including the observed diastereoselectivity in diarylation. The electron-rich pyridine-type ligands with less steric congestion can promote the C-H bond activation reaction of alanine derivatives. The quinoline-type ligands have a better π back-donation interaction with the metal, which makes a more active C-H bond activation than the pyridine-type ligands for this reaction. This bi-ligand model, which is a necessity, allows the understanding and future design of a dual ligand effect in C-H bond activation.

Synergetic electron donation and back-donation interactions in (Au − CO2)− complex: A joint anionic photoelectron velocity-map imaging spectroscopy and theoretical investigation

The reaction of Au− with CO2 has been investigated by photoelectron velocity-map imaging. The chemisorbed (Au − CO2)− complex is predominant in the experiment. The further reduction of CO2 into CO is theoretically proved to be thermodynamically endothermic and kinetically infeasible. Nevertheless, the bent CO2 moiety and elongated C − O bonds provide the clearest sign for anionic activation of CO2. Chemical bonding analyses indicate that there are electron back-donations from the 5d/6s atomic orbitals of Au− to the anti-bonding π orbitals of CO2, in synergy with unprecedented donation from the delocalized bonding orbitals of CO2 to the metal 6p atomic orbital.

Rational design of iron catalysts for C-X bond activation.

We have quantum chemically studied the iron-mediated CX bond activation (X=H, Cl, CH3 ) by d8 -FeL4 complexes using relativistic density functional theory at ZORA-OPBE/TZ2P. We find that by either modulating the electronic effects of a generic iron-catalyst by a set of ligands, that is, CO, BF, PH3 , BN(CH3 )2 , or by manipulating structural effects through the introduction of bidentate ligands, that is, PH2 (CH2 )n PH2 with n=6-1, one can significantly decrease the reaction barrier for the CX bond activation. The combination of both tuning handles causes a decrease of the CH activation barrier from 10.4 to 4.6kcal mol-1 . Our activation strain and Kohn-Sham molecular orbital analyses reveal that the electronic tuning works via optimizing the catalyst-substrate interaction by introducing a strong second backdonation interaction (i.e., "ligand-assisted" interaction), while the mechanism for structural tuning is mainly caused by the reduction of the required activation strain because of the pre-distortion of the catalyst. In all, we present design principles for iron-based catalysts that mimic the favorable behavior of their well-known palladium analogs in the bond-activation step of cross-coupling reactions.

Prediction of heptagonal bipyramidal nonacoordination in highly viable [OB-M\xa9B7O7-BO]\u2212 (M\u2009=\u2009Fe, Ru, Os) complexes

Non-spherical distributions of ligand atoms in coordination complexes are generally unfavorable due to higher repulsion than for spherical distributions. To the best of our knowledge, non-spherical heptagonal bipyramidal nonacoordination is hitherto unreported, because of extremely high repulsion among seven equatorial ligand atoms. Herein, we report the computational prediction of such nonacoordination, which is constructed by the synergetic coordination of an equatorial hepta-dentate centripetal ligand (B7O7) and two axial mono-dentate ligands (-BO) in the gear-like mono-anionic complexes [OB-M©B7O7-BO]– (M = Fe, Ru, Os). The high repulsion among seven equatorial ligand B atoms has been compensated by the strong B–O bonding. These complexes are the dynamically stable (up to 1500 K) global energy minima with the HOMO-LUMO gaps of 7.15 to 7.42 eV and first vertical detachment energies of 6.14 to 6.66 eV (being very high for anions), suggesting their high probability for experimental realization in both gas-phase and condensed phases. The high stability stems geometrically from the surrounded outer-shell oxygen atoms and electronically from meeting the 18e rule as well as possessing the σ + π + δ triple aromaticity. Remarkably, the ligand-metal interactions are governed not by the familiar donation and backdonation interactions, but by the electrostatic interactions and electron-sharing bonding.

Bowknot-like Zr/La bimetallic organic frameworks for enhanced arsenate and phosphate removal: Combined experimental and DFT studies

Hazardous oxyanions in water bodies are potentially toxic to aquatic life, and the coexistence of multiple anions aggravates the toxicity. Herein, bowknot-like Zr/La bimetallic organic frameworks (Zr/La-BTC) were developed with superior hazardous oxyanion adsorption capacities, i.e., approximately 102 mg/g for arsenate and 159 mg/g for phosphate, respectively. The molar ratio of Zr to La in Zr/La-BTC plays a significant role in the structure and the adsorption efficiencies. Notably, the experiment-derived adsorption capacities of various Zr/La-BTC samples were consistent with their adsorption energies calculated by density-function theory (DFT). Further mechanism analysis revealed that coordination of Zr/La atoms with the target anion groups occurred during adsorption. The positive shift of binding energies in La 3d and Zr 3d XPS spectra and Bader charge analysis unveiled that back-donation interactions dominated the adsorption process. The reliable adsorption selectivity and reusability of 0.1Zr/La-BTC were verified with anion competition experiments and four adsorption-desorption cycles. Overall, this study provides significant insight into the design of high-performance bimetallic organic frameworks for the enhanced removal of hazardous oxyanions from water.

Theoretical screening of highly efficient single-atom catalysts for nitrogen reduction based on a defective C3N monolayer

Conversion of N2 to NH3 through electrochemical technology is one of the most attractive and promising alternatives to the traditional Haber-Bosch method. However, exploring the promising electrocatalysts with high stability, activity and selectivity for nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) is still an important and long-standing challenge to accelerate the green production of NH3. Herein, through the first-principles high-throughput screening, we systematically investigated the potentiality of single transition metal (TM) anchored on defective C3N monolayer as TM-VCC candidates for N2 fixation. We carried out a comprehensive screening and systematical evaluation for stability, catalytic activity and selectivity toward NRR on TM-VCC candidates. Our results reveal that, among 26 candidates, Mn-VCC can significantly suppress HER and exhibit the outstanding NRR activity, with the most favorable limiting potential of −0.75 V through the distal pathway, which is better than the currently stepped catalyst Ru (0001). More impressively, such a satisfactory NH3 conversion is primarily ascribed to the strong back-donation interactions between d-electrons of Mn atom and the anti-orbitals of N2 molecule, as well as efficient charge transfer of electrochemical process. Our findings not only broaden the development prospect of SACs for N2 reduction but also pave a way for rational design and rapid screening of highly active C3N-based catalysts for NRR.

Dual Iron Sites in Activation of N2 by Iron-Sulfur Cluster Anions Fe5S2- and Fe5S3.

Inspired by the fact that the active centers of natural nitrogenases are polynuclear iron-sulfur clusters, the reactivity of isolated iron-sulfur clusters toward N2 has received considerable attention to gain fundamental insights into the activation of the N≡N triple bond. Herein, a series of gas-phase iron-sulfur cluster anions FexSy- (x = 1-8, y = 0-x) were prepared and their reactivities toward N2 were investigated systematically by mass spectrometry. Among the 44 investigated clusters, only Fe5S2- and Fe5S3- showed superior reactivity toward N2. Theoretical results revealed that N2 binds molecularly to the iron sites of Fe5S2,3- in a common end-on coordination mode with an unprecedented back-donation interaction from the localized d-d bonding orbitals of Fe-Fe sites to the π* antibonding orbitals of N2. This is the first example to disclose the significant contribution of the dual metal sites rather than the single metal atom to N2 adsorption in the prevalent end-on binding mode.

\u03b4 and \u03c6 back-donation in AnIV metallacycles

In all known examples of metal–ligand (M–L) δ and φ bonds, the metal orbitals are aligned to the ligand orbitals in a “head-to-head” or “side-to-head” fashion. Here, we report two fundamentally new types of M–L δ and φ interactions; “head-to-side” δ and “side-to-side” φ back-bonding, found in complexes of metallacyclopropenes and metallacyclocumulenes of actinides (Pa–Pu) that makes them distinct from their corresponding Group 4 analogues. In addition to the known Th and U complexes, our calculations include complexes of Pa, Np, and Pu. In contrast with conventional An–C bond decreasing, due to the actinide contraction, the An–C distance increases from Pa to Pu. We demonstrate that the direct L–An σ and π donations combined with the An–L δ or φ back-donations are crucial in explaining this non-classical trend of the An–L bond lengths in both series, underscoring the significance of these δ/φ back-donation interactions, and their importance for complexes of Pa and U in particular.

Side-on-End-on Coordination of Dinitrogen on a Polynuclear Vanadium Nitride Cluster Anion [V5 N5

The side-on-end-on coordination of N2 can be very important to activate and functionalize this very stable molecule. However, such coordination has rarely been reported. This study reports a gas-phase species (a polynuclear vanadium nitride cluster anion [V5 N5 ]- ) that can capture N2 efficiently (12 %), and the quantum chemistry modelling suggests an unusual side-on-end-on coordination. The cluster anions were generated by laser ablation and the reaction with N2 has been characterized by mass spectrometry, photoelectron imaging spectroscopy, and density functional theory calculations. The back-donation interactions between the localized d-d bonding orbitals on the low-coordinated dual metal (V) sites and the antibonding π* orbitals of N2 are the driving forces to adsorb N2 with a high binding energy (about 2.0 eV).

Octacarbonyl Ion Complexes of Actinides [An(CO)8 ]+/- (An=Th, U) and the Role of f Orbitals in Metal-Ligand Bonding.

The octacarbonyl cation and anion complexes of actinide metals [An(CO)8]+/− (An=Th, U) are prepared in the gas phase and are studied by mass‐selected infrared photodissociation spectroscopy. Both the octacarbonyl cations and anions have been characterized to be saturated coordinated complexes. Quantum chemical calculations by using density functional theory show that the [Th(CO)8]+ and [Th(CO)8]− complexes have a distorted octahedral (D 4h) equilibrium geometry and a doublet electronic ground state. Both the [U(CO)8]+ cation and the [U(CO)8]− anion exhibit cubic structures (Oh) with a 6A1g ground state for the cation and a 4A1g ground state for the anion. The neutral species [Th(CO)8] (Oh; 1A1g) and [U(CO)8] (D 4h; 5B1u) have also been calculated. Analysis of their electronic structures with the help on an energy decomposition method reveals that, along with the dominating 6d valence orbitals, there are significant 5f orbital participation in both the [An]←CO σ donation and [An]→CO π back donation interactions in the cations and anions, for which the electronic reference state of An has both occupied and vacant 5f AOs. The trend of the valence orbital contribution to the metal–CO bonds has the order of 6d≫5f>7s≈7p, with the 5f orbitals of uranium being more important than the 5f orbitals of thorium.

Tracking Internal Electron Shuttle Using X-ray Spectroscopies in La/Zr Hydroxide for Reconciliation of Charge-Transfer Interaction and Coordination toward Phosphate.

Metallic hydroxides have been applied as the adsorbents of oxyanion contaminants, with the oxygen-bonded metal (M-O) considered as the core site for adsorption. For enhanced adsorption toward oxyanions, multimetallic modification of M-O is a promising approach for high removal performance. Here, bimetallic La/Zr hydroxides were prepared via a solvothermal route with varying La/Zr dosages. Bimetallic La/Zr hydroxides exhibited higher oxyanion adsorption capacity than La or Zr hydroxide. A maximum phosphate adsorption capacity of ∼160 mg g-1 was achieved under the La/Zr atomic ratio of 1:1, representing a new record among comparable adsorbents. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy showed that the incorporation of [LaO6] and [ZrO6] can induce an internal charge shuttle owing to the electronegativity difference of La and Zr. The charge transfers from La to Zr through the surrounding O 2p ligand, where the electrons in the highest occupied molecular orbitals of the [LaO6] octahedron filled unoccupied π orbitals of [ZrO6]. The as-induced internal electron shuttle in the bimetallic hydroxides primarily strengthened the formation of [MO6]···PO4 species (backdonation interaction). Further, the σP-O donation interaction between [LaO6] and [PO4] was clearly increased via intensification of the covalent coordination with O, as confirmed by the P K-edge XANES spectra for the as-used samples.

Room temperature adsorption of propene and propane on copper ions distributed in titanate nanotubes

Titanate nanotubes containing copper ions are interesting materials that exhibit efficient activity in the selective reduction of nitrogen monoxide and/or in the degradation of dyes. However, research seems to be less concerned about the interaction of these materials with various gas molecules. We investigated the room temperature adsorption of propene and propane onto the copper ion distributed on the titanate nanotubes (Cu2+-T-TiO2). From the adsorption experiments utilizing carbon monoxide, it was apparent that monovalent copper ions are formed in the titanate nanotubes by evacuation at around 473 K. Cu2+-T-TiO2 exhibited more efficient adsorption for propene, in comparison with propane. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy clearly indicated the interaction of the monovalent copper ions in the titanate nanotubes with propene due to the π back donation interaction between the active centers in the nanotubes and propene.

S-Block metallabenzene: aromaticity and hydrogen adsorption.

Second group metal dimers can replace the carbon atom in benzene to form metallabenzene (C5H6M2) compounds. These complexes possess some aromatic character and promising hydrogen adsorption properties. In this study, we investigated the aromatic character of these compounds using aromaticity indices and molecular orbital analysis. To determine the nature of interactions between hydrogen and the metallic center, variation-perturbational decomposition of interaction energy was applied together with ETS-NOCV analysis. The results obtained suggest that the aromatic character comes from three π orbitals located mainly on the C5H5 − fragment. The high hydrogen adsorption energy (up to 6.5 kcal mol−1) results from two types of interaction. In C5H6Be2, adsorption is controlled by interactions between the empty metal orbital and the σ orbital of the hydrogen molecule (Kubas interaction) together with corresponding back-donation interactions. Other C5H6M2 compounds adsorb H2 due to Kubas interactions enhanced by H2–π interactions. Graphical First π orbital in C5H6Be2 Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00894-014-2552-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

A Theoretical Study of an Unusual Y-Shaped Three-Coordinate Pt Complex: Pt(0) σ-Disilane Complex or Pt(II) Disilyl Complex?

The unusual Y-shaped structure of the recently reported three-coordinate Pt complex Pt[NHC(Dip)(2)](SiMe(2)Ph)(2) (NHC = N-heterocyclic carbene; Dip = 2,6-diisopropylphenyl) was considered a snapshot of the reductive elimination of disilane. A density functional theory study indicates that this structure arises from the strong trans influence of the extremely σ-donating carbene and silyl ligands. Though this complex can be understood to be a Pt(II) disilyl complex bearing a distorted geometry due to the Jahn-Teller effect, its (195)Pt NMR chemical shift is considerably different from those of Pt(II) complexes but close to those of typical Pt(0) complexes. Its Si···Si bonding interaction is ~50% of the usual energy of a Si-Si single bond. The interaction between the Pt center and the (SiMe(2)Ph)(2) moiety can be understood in terms of donation and back-donation interactions of the Si-Si σ-bonding and σ*-antibonding molecular orbitals with the Pt center. Thus, we conclude that this is likely a Pt(0) σ-disilane complex and thus a snapshot after a considerable amount of the charge transfer from disilane to the Pt center has occurred. Phenyl anion (Ph(-)) and [R-Ar](-) [R-Ar = 2,6-(2,6-iPr(2)C(6)H(3))(2)C(6)H(3)] as well as the divalent carbon(0) ligand C(NHC)(2) also provide similar unusual Y-shaped structures. Three-coordinate digermyl, diboryl, and silyl-boryl complexes of Pt and a disilyl complex of Pd are theoretically predicted to have similar unusual Y-shaped structures when a strongly donating ligand coordinates to the metal center. In a trigonal-bipyramidal Ir disilyl complex [Ir{NHC(Dip)(2)}(PH(3))(2)(SiMe(3))(2)](+), the equatorial plane has a similar unusual Y-shaped structure. These results suggest that various snapshots can be shown for the reductive eliminations of the Ge-Ge, B-B, and B-Si σ-bonds.

On the catalytic mechanism of Pt 4 +/− in the oxygen transport activation of N2O by CO

The two-state reaction mechanism of the Pt 4 +/− with N2O (CO) on the quartet and doublet potential energy surfaces has been investigated at the B3LYP level. The effect of Pt4 − anion assistance is analyzed using the activation strain model in which the activation energy (ΔE ≠) is decomposed into the distortion energies $$ (\Updelta E^{ \ne }_{\text{dist}} ) $$ and the stabilizing transition state (TS) interaction energies $$ (\Updelta E^{ \ne }_{\text{int}} ) $$ , namely $$ \Updelta E^{ \ne } = \Updelta E^{ \ne }_{\text{dist}} + \Updelta E^{ \ne }_{\text{int}} $$ . The lowering of activation barriers through Pt4 − anion assistance is caused by the TS interaction $$ \Updelta E^{ \ne }_{\text{int}} $$ (−90.7 to −95.6 kcal/mol) becoming more stabilizing. This is attributed to the N2O π*-LUMO and Pt d HOMO back-donation interactions. However, the strength of the back-donation interactions has significantly impact on the reaction mechanism. For the Pt4 − anion system, it has very significant back-bonding interaction (N2O negative charge of 0.79e), HOMO has 81.5% π* LUMO(N2O) character, with 3d orbital contributions of 10.7% from Pt(3) and 7.7% from Pt(7) near the 4TS4 transition state. This facilitates the bending of the N2O molecule, the N–O bond weakening, and an O−(2P) dissociation without surface crossing. For the Pt4 + cation system, the strength of the charge transfer is weaker, which leads to the diabatic (spin conserving) dissociation of N2O: N2O(1∑+) → N2(1∑ g + ) + O(1D). The quartet to doublet state transition should occur efficiently near the 4TS1 due to the larger SOC value calculated of 677.9 cm−1. Not only will the reaction overcome spin-change-induced barrier (ca. 7 kcal/mol) but also overcome adiabatic barrier (ca. 40.1 kcal/mol).Therefore, the lack of a thermodynamic driving force is an important factor contributing to the low efficiency of the reaction system.

Pd(ii)-promoted direct cross-coupling reaction of arenes via highly regioselective aromatic C–H activation: a theoretical study

The direct cross-coupling reaction of arenes promoted by Pd(OAc)(2) is synthetically very useful because the preparation of a haloarene as a substrate is not necessary. This reaction interestingly only occurs in the presence of benzoquinone (BQ). DFT, MP2 to MP4(SDQ), and CCSD(T) computations elucidated the whole mechanism of this cross-coupling reaction and the key roles of BQ. The first step is the heterolytic C-H activation of benzo[h]quinoline (HBzq) by Pd(OAc)(2) to afford Pd(Bzq)(OAc). The Pd center is more electron-rich in Pd(Bzq)(OAc) than in Pd(OAc)(2). Hence, BQ easily coordinates to Pd(Bzq)(OAc) with a low activation barrier to afford a distorted square planar complex Pd(Bzq)(OAc)(BQ) which is as stable as Pd(Bzq)(OAc). Then, the second C-H activation of benzene occurs with a moderate activation barrier and small endothermicity. The final step is the reductive elimination which occurs with little barrier. The rate-determining step of the overall reaction is the second C-H activation whose activation barrier is considerably higher than that of the first C-H activation. BQ plays a key role in accelerating this reaction; (i) the phenyl group must change its position a lot to reach the transition state in the reductive elimination from the square planar intermediate Pd(Ph)(Bzq)(OAc) but only moderately in the reaction from the trigonal bipyramidal intermediate Pd(Ph)(Bzq)(OAc)(BQ). This is because BQ suppresses the phenyl group to take a position at a distance from the Bzq. (ii) BQ stabilizes the transition state and the product complex by the back-donation interaction. In the absence of BQ, the reductive elimination step has a much higher activation barrier. Though it was expected that the BQ coordination accelerates the second C-H activation of benzene by decreasing the electron density of Pd in Pd(Bzq)(OAc), the activation barrier of this second C-H activation is little influenced by BQ.

THEORETICAL STUDY OF NITROGEN MONOXIDE ADSORPTION ON RHODIUM CLUSTERS AT DIFFERENT SITES

The adsorption of nitrogen monoxide NO with charged and neutral [Formula: see text] clusters at atop, bridge, and threefold hollow sites had been investigated by density functional theory calculations. The results showed that rhodium clusters had strong orbital interactions with NO and formed the complex [ Rh n NO ]-/0/+. The stretching vibrational frequencies of the N–O bonds changed with the different adsorption sites and clusters sizes. The interactions between rhodium clusters and NO molecular could be described through the donation and back-donation of their frontier orbitals. The more back donation from Rh to NO , the weaker the N–O bonds, exhibiting that the lengthening of the N–O bond length and the lowering of its vibrational frequency. In general, the donation and back-donation interactions followed the tendencies: anionic > neutral > cationic, big size > small size, threefold hollow site > bridge site > atop site.

Valence Bond Approach of Metal−Ligand Bonding in the Dewar−Chatt−Duncanson Model

Metal-ligand bonding, as considered in the Dewar-Chatt-Duncanson model, is described via an ab initio Valence Bond (VB) approach and applied to typical Pd-L complexes (L = NH3, PH3, CH2, SiH2). A progressive construction of the VB wave function is followed and leads to a very compact, though accurate, description of metal-ligand bonds. A description with the donation interaction only (ligand-metal) is first constructed and enriched so the back-donation interactions (metal-ligand) are also introduced. This latter VB wave function, although being extremely compact, provides bonding energies in agreement with standard (correlated) methods. A comparison between the two VB levels allows a quantification of adiabatic back-bonding energies and reveals very different trends between the ligands considered. A very faint back-donation in Pd-NH3 is found, which contrasts with a significant effect in Pd-PH3. Back-donation is, however, more important in Pd-XH2 complexes. In Pd-CH2, it is such that it even represents the major source of bonding. For Pd-SiH2, back-donation is slightly weaker than donation. The nature of the interaction in these metal-ligand complexes is revealed by the VB wave function analysis. Results are as well rationalized using the simple molecular orbital picture and compared to previous studies.

Theoretical DFT Study on the Interaction of NO and Br2 with the Pt(111) Surface.

Density functional calculations were performed at the B3LYP level using combined basis sets for the NO and bromine interactions with the Pt(111) surface mimicked by the two-layer Pt10 cluster model. It explains well an attractive bonding interaction not only for bromine and Pt(111) but also for all three adsorption modes of NO on the Pt(111) surface. In accordance with the experimental observations, the calculations predict that the first peak in the IR spectra appears at around 1515 cm(-)(1) at the initial stage of low NO coverage, while it would shift to 1707 cm(-)(1) at high NO coverage. The bonding of NO on the 3-fold hollow fcc and hcp sites of Pt(111) proceeds via predominant back-donation interactions, while for the on-top adsorption, both the donation and back-donation interactions become equally important. Energetic criteria show also that the STM tip (made from Pt and Ir alloys) immersed into a bromine solution may contain only dissociated bromine atoms that bind strongly with the surface Pt atoms. As a result, the νBrBr stretching vibration mode for the bromine molecule may not be seen in the IR spectra because of its dissociation into adsorbed atoms. This leads to an appearance of a blue shifted band centered at ca. 202 cm(-)(1).