Hybrid RPA:DFT Approach for Adsorption on Transition Metal Surfaces: Methane and Ethane on Platinum (111).

The hybrid QM:QM approach is extended to adsorption on transition metal surfaces. The random phase approximation (RPA) as the high-level method is applied to cluster models and, using the subtractive scheme, embedded in periodic models which are treated with density functional theory (DFT) that is the low-level method. The PBE functional, both without dispersion and augmented with the many-body dispersion (MBD), is employed.

Two Allogons of an O -activating Bis(disiloxido)ferrate(II) Accessible Selectively just by Variation of the Crystallization Temperature.

Deprotonation of O(iPr SiOH) ( LH ) with LiOtBu followed by reaction with FeCl in THF led to the complex [ L Fe][Li(THF) ] , 2, which represents a structural and spectroscopic model of the α-Fe sites of Fe/ZSM-5. Reaction with O in THF solution proceeds rather fast and is complete within 200 ms; an intermediate O adduct could not be identified by stopped-flow methods. Cooling blue solutions of 2 to -80 °C led to the growth of blue crystals of 2⋅THF, the analysis of which by XRD revealed a FeO core that is somewhat distorted from planarity towards a tetrahedral structure.

Shared metadata for data-centric materials science.

The expansive production of data in materials science, their widespread sharing and repurposing requires educated support and stewardship. In order to ensure that this need helps rather than hinders scientific work, the implementation of the FAIR-data principles () must not be too narrow. Besides, the wider materials-science community ought to agree on the strategies to tackle the challenges that are specific to its data, both from computations and experiments.

Plasma Functionalization of Silica Bilayer Polymorphs.

Ultrathin silica films are considered suitable two-dimensional model systems for the study of fundamental chemical and physical properties of all-silica zeolites and their derivatives, as well as novel supports for the stabilization of single atoms. In the present work, we report the creation of a new model catalytic support based on the surface functionalization of different silica bilayer (BL) polymorphs with well-defined atomic structures. The functionalization is carried out by means of in situ H-plasma treatments at room temperature.

Full configuration interaction quantum Monte Carlo treatment of fragments embedded in a periodic mean field.

We present an embedded fragment approach for high-level quantum chemical calculations on local features in periodic systems. The fragment is defined as a set of localized orbitals (occupied and virtual) corresponding to a converged periodic Hartree-Fock solution. These orbitals serve as the basis for the in-fragment post-Hartree-Fock treatment.

Reaction barriers on non-conducting surfaces beyond periodic local MP2: Diffusion of hydrogen on α-AlO(0001) as a test case.

The quest for "chemical accuracy" is becoming more and more demanded in the field of structure and kinetics of molecules at solid surfaces. In this paper, as an example, we focus on the barrier for hydrogen diffusion on a α-AlO(0001) surface, aiming for a couple cluster singles, doubles, and perturbative triples [CCSD(T)]-level benchmark. We employ the density functional theory (DFT) optimized minimum and transition state structures reported by Heiden, Usvyat, and Saalfrank [J.

Insights into Reaction Kinetics in Confined Space: Real Time Observation of Water Formation under a Silica Cover.

We offer a comprehensive approach to determine how physical confinement can affect the water formation reaction. By using free-standing crystalline SiO bilayer supported on Ru(0001) as a model system, we studied the water formation reaction under confinement in situ and in real time. Low-energy electron microscopy reveals that the reaction proceeds via the formation of reaction fronts propagating across the Ru(0001) surface.

The color center singlet state of oxygen vacancies in TiO.

Oxygen vacancies are ubiquitous in TiO and play key roles in catalysis and magnetism applications. Despite being extensively investigated, the electronic structure of oxygen vacancies in TiO remains controversial both experimentally and theoretically. Here, we report a study of a neutral oxygen vacancy in TiO using state-of-the-art quantum chemical electronic structure methods.

Growth and Atomic-Scale Characterization of Ultrathin Silica and Germania Films: The Crucial Role of the Metal Support.

The present review reports on the preparation and atomic-scale characterization of the thinnest possible films of the glass-forming materials silica and germania. To this end state-of-the-art surface science techniques, in particular scanning probe microscopy, and density functional theory calculations have been employed. The investigated films range from monolayer to bilayer coverage where both, the crystalline and the amorphous films, contain characteristic XO (X=Si,Ge) building blocks.

Fragment-Based Restricted Active Space Configuration Interaction with Second-Order Corrections Embedded in Periodic Hartree-Fock Wave Function.

We present a computational scheme for restricted-active-space configuration interaction (RASCI) calculations combined with second-order perturbation theory (RASCI-PT2) on a fragment of a periodic system embedded in the periodic Hartree-Fock (HF) wave function. This method allows one to calculate the electronic structure of localized strongly correlated features in crystals and surfaces. The scheme was implemented via an interface between the and codes.

Evolutionary Algorithm-Based Crystal Structure Prediction for Copper(I) Fluoride.

Despite numerous experimental studies since 1824, the binary copper(I) fluoride remains unknown. A crystal structure prediction has been carried out for CuF using the USPEX evolutionary algorithm and a dispersion-corrected hybrid density functional method. In total about 5000 hypothetical structures were investigated.

Chemically Accurate Adsorption Energies: CO and HO on the MgO(001) Surface.

Hybrid MP2:DFT-D structure optimizations are performed at BSSE-free CBS-extrapolated potential energy surfaces for molecule-oxide surface interactions (BSSE, basis set superposition error; CBS, complete basis set limit). Subsequently single point MP2 calculations are performed to estimate the effects of increasing the basis set size in the CBS extrapolation and increasing the cluster model size. The resulting estimates of the periodic MP2 limit agree within 1 kJ/mol with Local MP2 calculations using periodic boundary conditions.

On the exfoliation and anisotropic thermal expansion of black phosphorus.

Black phosphorus is a bulk solid allotrope of elemental phosphorus and can be seen as an infinite stack of phosphorene sheets. It is interesting from a technological point of view as well as from an electronic structure perspective due to the importance of electron correlation effects. In a recent paper [M.

A Two-Dimensional 'Zigzag' Silica Polymorph on a Metal Support.

We present a new polymorph of the two-dimensional (2D) silica film with a characteristic 'zigzag' line structure and a rectangular unit cell which forms on a Ru(0001) metal substrate. This new silica polymorph may allow for important insights into growth modes and transformations of 2D silica films as a model system for the study of glass transitions. Based on scanning tunneling microscopy, low energy electron diffraction, infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements on the one hand, and density functional theory calculations on the other, a structural model for the 'zigzag' polymorph is proposed.

Dispersion interactions in silicon allotropes.

van der Waals interactions are known to play a key role in the formation of weakly bound solids, such as molecular or layered crystals. Here we show that the correct quantum-chemical description of van der Waals dispersion is also essential for a correct description of the relative stability between purely covalently-bound solids like silicon allotropes. To this end, we apply periodic local MP2 and DFT with Grimme's empirical -D3 correction to 11 experimentally determined or yet hypothetical crystalline silicon structures, including the most recently discovered silicon allotropes.

Exfoliation Energy of Black Phosphorus Revisited: A Coupled Cluster Benchmark.

Black phosphorus (black-P) consists of phosphorene sheets, stacked by van der Waals dispersion. In a recent study based on periodic local second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory (LMP2) with higher-order corrections evaluated on finite clusters, we obtained a value of -151 meV/atom for the exfoliation energy. This is almost twice as large as another recent theoretical result (around -80 meV/atom) obtained with quantum Monte Carlo (QMC).

Fragment-Based Direct-Local-Ring-Coupled-Cluster Doubles Treatment Embedded in the Periodic Hartree-Fock Solution.

We present a periodic/finite-cluster interface for fragment-based direct local ring-coupled-cluster doubles (d-LrCCD) calculations embedded in the periodic mean field. The fragment is defined by a set of Wannier functions (WFs), obtained from a periodic Hartree-Fock calculation. The pair-specific virtual space is spanned by projected atomic orbitals (PAOs) truncated to pair domains.

A hierarchy of local coupled cluster singles and doubles response methods for ionization potentials.

We present a hierarchy of local coupled cluster (CC) linear response (LR) methods to calculate ionization potentials (IPs), i.e., excited states with one electron annihilated relative to a ground state reference.

Toward an Accurate Estimate of the Exfoliation Energy of Black Phosphorus: A Periodic Quantum Chemical Approach.

The black phosphorus (black-P) crystal is formed of covalently bound layers of phosphorene stacked together by weak van der Waals interactions. An experimental measurement of the exfoliation energy of black-P is not available presently, making theoretical studies the most important source of information for the optimization of phosphorene production. Here, we provide an accurate estimate of the exfoliation energy of black-P on the basis of multilevel quantum chemical calculations, which include the periodic local Møller-Plesset perturbation theory of second order, augmented by higher-order corrections, which are evaluated with finite clusters mimicking the crystal.

High precision quantum-chemical treatment of adsorption: Benchmarking physisorption of molecular hydrogen on graphane.

A multilevel hierarchical ab initio protocol for calculating adsorption on non-conducting surfaces is presented. It employs fully periodic treatment, which reaches local Møller-Plesset perturbation theory of second order (MP2) with correction for the basis set incompleteness via the local F12 technique. Post-MP2 corrections are calculated using finite clusters.

Range-separated double-hybrid density-functional theory applied to periodic systems.

Quantum chemistry methods exploiting density-functional approximations for short-range electron-electron interactions and second-order Møller-Plesset (MP2) perturbation theory for long-range electron-electron interactions have been implemented for periodic systems using Gaussian-type basis functions and the local correlation framework. The performance of these range-separated double hybrids has been benchmarked on a significant set of systems including rare-gas, molecular, ionic, and covalent crystals. The use of spin-component-scaled MP2 for the long-range part has been tested as well.

Periodic local MP2 method employing orbital specific virtuals.

We introduce orbital specific virtuals (OSVs) to represent the truncated pair-specific virtual space in periodic local Møller-Plesset perturbation theory of second order (LMP2). The OSVs are constructed by diagonalization of the LMP2 amplitude matrices which correspond to diagonal Wannier-function (WF) pairs. Only a subset of these OSVs is adopted for the subsequent OSV-LMP2 calculation, namely, those with largest contribution to the diagonal pair correlation energy and with the accumulated value of these contributions reaching a certain accuracy.

Communication: Improved pair approximations in local coupled-cluster methods.

In local coupled cluster treatments the electron pairs can be classified according to the magnitude of their energy contributions or distances into strong, close, weak, and distant pairs. Different approximations are introduced for the latter three classes. In this communication, an improved simplified treatment of close and weak pairs is proposed, which is based on long-range cancellations of individually slowly decaying contributions in the amplitude equations.