Nitrogen K-edge X-ray Absorption Research Articles

Using Iron L-Edge and Nitrogen K-Edge X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy to Improve the Understanding of the Electronic Structure of Iron Carbene Complexes.

Iron-centered N-heterocyclic carbene compounds have attracted much attention in recent years due to their long-lived excited states with charge transfer (CT) character. Understanding the orbital interactions between the metal and ligand orbitals is of great importance for the rational tuning of the transition metal compound properties, e.g., for future photovoltaic and photocatalytic applications. Here, we investigate a series of iron-centered N-heterocyclic carbene complexes with +2, + 3, and +4 oxidation states of the central iron ion using iron L-edge and nitrogen K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). The experimental Fe L-edge XAS data were simulated and interpreted through restricted-active space (RAS) and multiplet calculations. The experimental N K-edge XAS is simulated and compared with time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculations. Through the combination of the complementary Fe L-edge and N K-edge XAS, direct probing of the complex interplay of the metal and ligand character orbitals was possible. The σ-donating and π-accepting capabilities of different ligands are compared, evaluated, and discussed. The results show how X-ray spectroscopy, together with advanced modeling, can be a powerful tool for understanding the complex interplay of metal and ligand.

Subspace Methods for the Simulation of Molecular Response Properties on a Quantum Computer.

We explore Davidson methods for obtaining excitation energies and other linear response properties within the recently developed quantum self-consistent linear response (q-sc-LR) method. Davidson-type methods allow for obtaining only a few selected excitation energies without explicitly constructing the electronic Hessian since they only require the ability to perform Hessian-vector multiplications. We apply the Davidson method to calculate the excitation energies of hydrogen chains (up to H10) and analyze aspects of statistical noise for computing excitation energies on quantum simulators. Additionally, we apply Davidson methods for computing linear response properties such as static polarizabilities for H2, LiH, H2O, OH-, and NH3, and show that unitary coupled cluster outperforms classical projected coupled cluster for molecular systems with strong correlation. Finally, we formulate the Davidson method for damped (complex) linear response, with application to the nitrogen K-edge X-ray absorption of ammonia, and the C6 coefficients of H2, LiH, H2O, OH-, and NH3.

Site-specific electronic structure of covalently linked bimetallic dyads from nitrogen K-edge x-ray absorption spectroscopy.

A nitrogen K-edge x-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) survey is presented for tetrapyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c:3″,2″-h:2‴,3‴-j]phenazine (tpphz)-bridged bimetallic assemblies that couple chromophore and catalyst transition metal complexes for light driven catalysis, as well as their individual molecular constituents. We demonstrate the high N site sensitivity of the N pre-edge XANES features, which are energetically well-separated for the phenazine bridge N atoms and for the individual metal-bound N atoms of the inner coordination sphere ligands. By comparison with the time-dependent density functional theory calculated spectra, we determine the origins of these distinguishable spectral features. We find that metal coordination generates large shifts toward higher energy for the metal-bound N atoms, with increasing shift for 3d < 4d < 5d metal bonding. This is attributed to increasing ligand-to-metal σ donation that increases the effective charge of the bound N atoms and stabilizes the N 1s core electrons. In contrast, the phenazine bridge N pre-edge peak is found at a lower energy due to stabilization of the low energy electron accepting orbital localized on the phenazine motif. While no sensitivity to ground state electronic coupling between the individual molecular subunits was observed, the spectra are sensitive to structural distortions of the tpphz bridge. These results demonstrate N K-edge XANES as a local probe of electronic structure in large bridging ligand motifs, able to distinctly investigate the ligand-centered orbitals involved in metal-to-ligand and ligand-to-ligand electron transfer following light absorption.

Operando time-resolved soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy for photoexcitation processes of metal complexes in solutions.

Operando time-resolved soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy (TR-SXAS) is an effective method to reveal the photochemical processes of metal complexes in solutions. In this study, we have developed the TR-SXAS measurement system for observing various photochemical reactions in solutions by the combination of laser pump pulses with soft x-ray probe pulses from the synchrotron radiation. For the evaluation of the developed TR-SXAS system, we have measured nitrogen K-edge x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) spectra of aqueous iron phenanthroline solutions during a photoinduced spin transition process. The decay process of the high spin state to the low spin state in the iron complex has been obtained from the ligand side by N K-edge XAS, and the time constant is close to that obtained from the central metal side by time-resolved Fe K-edge XAS in the previous studies.

Electronic Structure and Chemical Bonding in Methylammonium Lead Triiodide and Its Precursor Methylammonium Iodide.

A detailed examination of the electronic structures of methylammonium lead triiodide (MAPI) and methylammonium iodide (MAI) is performed with ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations based on density functional theory, and the theoretical results are compared to experimental probes. The occupied valence bands of a MAPI single crystal and MAI powder are probed with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and the conduction bands are probed from the perspective of nitrogen K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Combined, the theoretical simulations and the two experimental techniques allow for a dissection of the electronic structure unveiling the nature of chemical bonding in MAPI and MAI. Here, we show that the difference in band gap between MAPI and MAI is caused chiefly by interactions between iodine and lead but also weaker interactions with the MA+ counterions. Spatial decomposition of the iodine p levels allows for analysis of Pb-I σ bonds and π interactions, which contribute to this effect with the involvement of the Pb 6p levels. Differences in hydrogen bonding between the two materials, seen in the AIMD simulations, are reflected in nitrogen valence orbital composition and in nitrogen K-edge X-ray absorption spectra.

Nitrogen K-Edge X-ray Absorption Spectra of Ammonium and Ammonia in Water Solution: Assessing the Performance of Polarizable Embedding Coupled Cluster Methods.

The recent development of liquid jet and liquid leaf sample delivery systems allows for accurate measurements of soft X-ray absorption spectra in transmission mode of solutes in a liquid environment. As this type of measurement becomes increasingly accessible, there is a strong need for reliable theoretical methods for assisting in the interpretation of the experimental data. Coupled cluster methods have been extensively developed over the past decade to simulate X-ray absorption in the gas phase. Their performance for solvated species, on the contrary, remains largely unexplored. Here, we investigate the current state of the art of coupled cluster modeling of nitrogen K-edge X-ray absorption of aqueous ammonia and ammonium based on quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics, where both the level of coupled cluster calculations and polarizable embedding are scrutinized. The results are compared to existing experimental data as well as simulations based on transition potential density functional theory.

Solvent Effects in the Ultraviolet and X-ray Absorption Spectra of Pyridazine in Aqueous Solution.

Electrostatic interaction of the solvent with the solute and fluctuations of the solvent configurations may make excitation energies of the solute different from those in the gas phase. These effects may dominate photoinduced or chemical reaction dynamics in solution systems and can be observed as shifts or broadening of peaks in absorption spectra. In this work, the nitrogen K-edge X-ray absorption spectra were measured for pyridazine in the gas phase and in aqueous solution. The ultraviolet and X-ray absorption spectra of pyridazine in aqueous solution, as well as those in the gas phase, were then calculated with models based on the algebraic-diagrammatic construction through second order [ADC(2)] with the resolution-of-identity (RI) approximation and compared with the spectra obtained in experiments. For aqueous solution, explicit local solvation structures were extracted from an ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) trajectory of pyridazine in bulk water, and RI-ADC(2) was combined with the conductor-like screening model (COSMO). The experimental absorption spectra of pyridazine in aqueous solution were reproduced with good accuracy by theoretical treatment of an ensemble containing the explicit local solvation structures of pyridazine with relevant water molecules combined with the COSMO solvation model of water for long-range solvation.

Sensitivity of Nitrogen K-Edge X-ray Absorption to Halide Substitution and Thermal Fluctuations in Methylammonium Lead-Halide Perovskites.

The performance of hybrid perovskite materials in solar cells crucially depends on their electronic properties, and it is important to investigate contributions to the total electronic structure from specific components in the material. In a combined theoretical and experimental study of CH3NH3PbI3—methylammonium lead triiodide (MAPI)—and its bromide cousin CH3NH3PbBr3 (MAPB), we analyze nitrogen K-edge (N 1s-to-2p*) X-ray absorption (XA) spectra measured in MAPI and MAPB single crystals. This permits comparison of spectral features to the local character of unoccupied molecular orbitals on the CH3NH3+ (MA+) counterions and allows us to investigate how thermal fluctuations, hydrogen bonding, and halide-ion substitution influence the XA spectra as a measure of the local electronic structure. In agreement with the experiment, the simulated spectra for MAPI and MAPB show close similarity, except that the MAPB spectral features are blue-shifted by +0.31 eV. The shift is shown to arise from the intrinsic difference in the electronic structure of the two halide atoms rather than from structural differences between the materials. In addition, from the spectral sampling analysis of molecular dynamics simulations, clear correlations between geometric descriptors (N–C, N–H, and H···I/Br distances) and spectral features are identified and used to explain the spectral shapes.

Nitrogen K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectra of purine-containing nucleotides in aqueous solution.

The N K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectra of the purine-containing nucleotide, guanosine 5'-monophosphate (GMP), in aqueous solution are measured under various pH conditions. The spectra show characteristic peaks, which originate from resonant excitations of N 1s electrons to π* orbitals inside the guanine moiety of GMP. The relative intensities of these peaks depend on the pH values of the solution. The pH dependence is explained by the core-level shift of N atoms at specific sites caused by protonation and deprotonation. The experimental spectra are compared with theoretical spectra calculated by using density functional theory for GMP and the other purine-containing nucleotides, adenosine 5'-monophosphate, and adenosine 5'-triphosphate. The N K-edge XANES spectra for all of these nucleotides are classified by the numbers of N atoms with particular chemical bonding characteristics in the purine moiety.

Nitrogen speciation in fine and coarse clay fractions of a Cryoboroll - new evidence from pyrolysis-mass spectrometry and nitrogen K-edge XANES

Soil clay fractions are usually enriched in nitrogen (N), but the chemical identity of this N is largely unknown. Therefore, we investigated organic N in fine and coarse clay of a clay-rich Cryoboroll by Curie-point pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Cp Py-GC/MS), Pyrolysis-field ionization mass spectroscopy (Py-FIMS) and synchrotron-based nitrogen K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (N-XANES) spectroscopy. The Cp Py-GC-MS revealed 30 structurally different N-containing compounds, such as substituted pyridines, pyrroles; pyrazines, pyrazoles, imidazoles, quinolines, side-chain N-containing benzenes, and single compounds of substituted benzotriazole, purine and indole. These accounted for about 10% of peak area in the Py-GC chromatograms. The Py-FIMS and N-XANES spectra indicated interlayer-NH4+ and revealed pyridinic and nitrilic N compounds, but disagreed in the proportions of pyrroles. All three complementary methods confirmed to different extents previous wet-chemical data on N-fractions in these samples, and provided new evidence for about 30 to 40% non-proteinaceous N as major constituent of the so-called “unknown organic N” in soil. Key words: Soil clay, organic matter, pyrolysis-mass spectrometry, synchrotron, X-ray absorption, NEXAFS

Analysis of the nitrogen K-edge x-ray absorption spectra of Zn-porphyrin/C70-fulleren complex for solar cells

The atomic structure models of Zn-porphyrin/C70 multilayer for solar cells were examined. The local atomic structure of the Zn-porphyrin/C70 complex was refined with the use of previously published results [1]. Since near-edge spectral region (XANES) is sensitive to the three-dimensional atomic geometry, the theoretical analysis of the experimental XANES was performed on the basis of finite difference method (FDMnes 2008 program code). Some electronic properties of the complex were obtained from the DFT calculations performed by means of Amsterdam Density Functional program package.

Effect of substrate surface on the structure and electronic properties of cubic boron nitride films

Cubic boron nitride (c-BN) films were prepared by mass-selected ion beam deposition (MSIBD) technique. The effects of substrate surface roughness were investigated by boron and nitrogen k-edge x-ray absorption near-edge structure, x-ray diffraction, and atomic force microscopy. All the films are a mixture of nanocrystalline sp3-bonded c-BN and sp2-bonded BN phases. The substrate with a rough surface causes a decrease of the c-BN phase content of the film on it. A significant large lattice contraction of the c-BN crystallites in the films, relative to the bulk, is observed. It is also found that the electronic structure of the nanocrystalline c-BN films by MSIBD technique is somewhat different from that of microcrystalline c-BN∕h-BN references. We attribute the effect of the nature of the substrate on the morphology and structure of the c-BN films to the orientation of sp2-bonded graphitic BN basal plane on the top surface of the films during their growth, and the lattice contraction and energy band structure modification of c-BN films to the large compressive stress, respectively.

Nitrogen K-edge X-ray absorption measurements on N- and O-implanted GaN

Nitrogen K-edge X-ray absorption measurements are used to study the effect of N+ and O+ implantation in the microstructure of GaN. In the as-grown sample, the central N atom is four-fold coordinated with 3.35 Ga atoms at the expected distance of 1.93 Å, and 0.65 displaced to a distance longer by about 0.33 Å. This distortion in the nearest neighbor distances is attributed to thermal strain and/or to the presence of N vacancies. Implantation with either N or O ions enhances the distortion in the microstructure and the number of the displaced Ga atoms increases from 0.65 to 1. In addition to that, implantation causes a reduction in the nearest neighbor distances by about 2% and an increase in the Debye–Waller factors. Finally, implantation induces states in the gap that are detectable in the near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectra, where they introduce a characteristic transition at about 1.4 eV below the absorption edge.

Determination of the nitrogen chemical structures in petroleum asphaltenes using XANES spectroscopy

Extensive nitrogen K-edge X-ray absorption studies have been performed for the first time on seven petroleum asphaltenes and nitrogen standard compounds for the purpose of determining chemical forms of nitrogen present in the asphaltenes; such an objective is difficult to achieve by any other method. Sulfur XANES studies on fossil fuel samples have provided a rich source of information for the last ten years; similar XANES studies of nitrogen in fossil fuels have only recently been successfully performed using new, advanced fluorescence detection. Generally, the spectra of different chemical forms of nitrogen produce readily distinguishable features, thereby facilitating asphaltene analysis. Approximate contributions from different nitrogen structures present in the asphaltenes are calculated by comparing normalized areas under corresponding resonances in the spectra of the asphaltenes and the model compounds. The standard model compounds of nitrogen studied are pyrroles, pyridines, saturated amines, and metalloporphyrins. Most of the nitrogen in asphaltenes is found to be present in aromatic forms, with a very small amount as saturated amine. The pyrrole form of nitrogen is more abundant than the pyridine form in asphaltenes, and the pyridine fraction in different asphaltenes is somewhat variable. Pyridine, which is more basic than pyrrole, shows [pi][sup *] resonancesmore » shifted to significantly lower energies than those observed for pyrroles. The relative positions of nitrogen [pi][sup *] resonances are determined according to whether the nitrogen lone pair of electrons is shared in the [pi] aromatic system. These spectral shifts are largely produced by resonance effects rather than inductive effects, which are observed in the sulfur case. Spectra of more complicated molecules such as porphyrins and imidazoles are explained along similar lines. The saturated amine shows only a [sigma][sup *] resonance. 6 figs., 1 tab.« less