Capture of Gaseous Iodine in Isoreticular Zirconium-Based UiO-n Metal-Organic Frameworks: Influence of Amino Functionalization, DFT Calculations, Raman and EPR Spectroscopic Investigation.

A series of Zr-based UiO-n MOF materials (n=66, 67, 68) have been studied for iodine capture. Gaseous iodine adsorption was collected kinetically from a home-made set-up allowing the continuous measurement of iodine content trapped within UiO-n compounds, with organic functionalities (-H, -CH3 , -Cl, -Br, -(OH)2 , -NO2 , -NH2 , (-NH2 )2 , -CH2 NH2 ) by in-situ UV-Vis spectroscopy. This study emphasizes the role of the amino groups attached to the aromatic rings of the ligands connecting the {Zr6 O4 (OH)4 } brick. In particular, the preferential interaction of iodine with lone-pair groups, such as amino functions, has been experimentally observed and is also based on DFT calculations. Indeed, higher iodine contents were systematically measured for amino-functionalized UiO-66 or UiO-67, compared to the pristine material (up to 1211 mg/g for UiO-67-(NH2 )2 ). However, DFT calculations revealed the highest computed interaction energies for alkylamine groups (-CH2 NH2 ) in UiO-67 (-128.5 kJ/mol for the octahedral cavity), and pointed out the influence of this specific functionality compared with that of an aromatic amine. The encapsulation of iodine within the pore system of UiO-n materials and their amino-derivatives has been analyzed by UV-Vis and Raman spectroscopy. We showed that a systematic conversion of molecular iodine (I2 ) species into anionic I- ones, stabilized as I- ⋅⋅⋅I2 or I3 - complexes within the MOF cavities, occurs when I2 @UiO-n samples are left in ambient light.

Systematic exploration of the mechanical properties of 13 621 inorganic compounds.

In order to better understand the mechanical properties of crystalline materials, we performed a large-scale exploration of the elastic properties of 13 621 crystals from the Materials Project database, including both experimentally synthesized and hypothetical structures. We studied both their average (isotropic) behavior, as well as the anisotropy of the elastic properties: bulk modulus, shear modulus, Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, and linear compressibility. We show that general mechanical trends, which hold for isotropic (noncrystalline) materials at the macroscopic scale, also apply "on average" for crystals. Further, we highlight the importance of elastic anisotropy and the role of mechanical stability as playing key roles in the experimental feasibility of hypothetical compounds. We also quantify the frequency of occurrence of rare anomalous mechanical properties: 3% of the crystals feature negative linear compressibility, and only 0.3% have complete auxeticity.

Rich Polymorphism of a Metal-Organic Framework in Pressure-Temperature Space.

We present an in situ powder X-ray diffraction study on the phase stability and polymorphism of the metal-organic framework ZIF-4, Zn(imidazolate)2, at simultaneous high pressure and high temperature, up to 8 GPa and 600 °C. The resulting pressure-temperature phase diagram reveals four, previously unknown, high-pressure-high-temperature ZIF phases. The crystal structures of two new phases-ZIF-4-cp-II and ZIF-hPT-II-were solved by powder diffraction methods. The total energy of ZIF-4-cp-II was evaluated using density functional theory calculations and was found to lie in between that of ZIF-4 and the most thermodynamically stable polymorph, ZIF- zni. ZIF-hPT-II was found to possess a doubly interpenetrated diamondoid topology and is isostructural with previously reported Cd(Imidazolate)2 and Hg(Imidazolate)2 phases. This phase exhibited extreme resistance to both temperature and pressure. The other two new phases could be assigned with a unit cell and space group, although their structures remain unknown. The pressure-temperature phase diagram of ZIF-4 is strikingly complicated when compared with that of the previously investigated, closely related ZIF-62 and demonstrates the ability to traverse complex energy landscapes of metal-organic systems using the combined application of pressure and temperature.

Modelling of framework materials at multiple scales: current practices and open questions.

The last decade has seen an explosion of the family of framework materials and their study, from both the experimental and computational points of view. We propose here a short highlight of the current state of methodologies for modelling framework materials at multiple scales, putting together a brief review of new methods and recent endeavours in this area, as well as outlining some of the open challenges in this field. We will detail advances in atomistic simulation methods, the development of material databases and the growing use of machine learning for the prediction of properties. This article is part of the theme issue 'Mineralomimesis: natural and synthetic frameworks in science and technology'.

A DFT study of RuO4 interactions with porous materials: metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and zeolites.

Radioactive gaseous ruthenium tetroxide (RuO4) can be released into the environment in the case of a severe nuclear accident. Using periodic dispersion corrected density functional theory calculations, we have investigated for the first time the adsorption behavior of RuO4 into prototypical porous materials, Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) and zeolites, with the aim of mitigating ruthenium releases to the outside. For the MOFs, we have screened a set of six structures (MIL-53(Al), MIL-120(Al), HKUST-1(Cu), UiO-66(Zr), UiO-67(Zr) and UiO-68(Zr)), while for the zeolites two structures have been selected: mordenite (MOR) with Si/Al ratios of 11 and 5, and faujasite (FAU) with a Si/Al ratio of 2.4. The DFT calculations show that the nature of the porous materials does not have a significant effect on the adsorption energy of RuO4 compounds and that the main interaction is due to the formation of hydrogen bonds. For the tested materials, computational results show that the interaction energies of RuO4 reach their maximum with the hydrated form of HKUST-1(Cu) (-114 kJ mol-1) due to the presence of strong hydrogen bonds between the water molecules and the oxygen atoms of RuO4.

Dissociative iodomethane adsorption on Ag-MOR and the formation of AgI clusters: an ab initio molecular dynamics study.

Radioactive iodine species belong to the most dangerous components of nuclear effluents and waste produced by nuclear facilities. In this work, we use computer simulations at the periodic DFT level to investigate dissociative adsorption of iodomethane on silver-exchanged mordenite, which is among the most effective sorbents of iodine species available today. The structure, energetics, and mobility of complexes Ag-(CH3I) and Ag-(CH3I)2 formed upon adsorption of iodomethane on Ag+ sites are investigated using the ab initio MD approach. The free-energy profiles for the reaction CH3I + Ag-MOR → AgI + CH3-MOR are determined using the blue moon ensemble technique. The AgI species formed as a product of dissociative adsorption are shown to combine spontaneously into small clusters (AgI)n with the dimensions restricted by the size and geometry of confining voids. The structure and energetics of the (AgI)n species are analysed in detail and compared with the available experimental and theoretical data. The internal energy of formation of clusters in mordenite is shown to contribute significantly to the shift of equilibrium from the undissociated to dissociated form of adsorbed CH3I.

Performance of CuII -, PbII -, and HgII -Exchanged Mordenite in the Adsorption of I2 , ICH3 , H2 O, CO, ClCH3 , and Cl2 : A Density Functional Study.

Periodic dispersion-corrected DFT is used to investigate the adsorption of I2 and ICH3 , which may be released during a severe nuclear accident, for three divalent cation (Cu2+ , Pb2+ and Hg2+ )-exchanged mordenites with an Si/Al ratio of 23. Gases such as H2 O, CO, ClCH3 , and Cl2 present in the containment atmosphere can inhibit the selective adsorption of iodine species. To identify the most promising adsorbents, a systematic study is performed in which all the possible cationic sites in the main channel of the mordenite structure are considered. For the energetically most stable sites, the divalent cation is located in the small rings (five- or six-membered) containing two Al atoms, while in the energetically less stable configurations, the two Al atoms are far apart (>7 Å) and the cation is close to only one Al atom. Upon adsorption of the various molecules, the coordination number of the cation decreases with increasing interaction energy, as the molecules can attract the divalent cations from the framework. Finally, the computed interaction energies show that Hg-mordenite (MOR) could be a suitable material for selective adsorption of volatile iodine species, contrary to Cu-MOR and Pb-MOR.

Impact of the Si/Al ratio on the selective capture of iodine compounds in silver-mordenite: a periodic DFT study.

Silver modified zeolites with a mordenite structure can capture volatile iodine compounds (I2 and ICH3) which can be released during a severe nuclear accident. However under these particular conditions, molecules such as CO and H2O present in the containment atmosphere are expected to inhibit the adsorption of iodine compounds. In the present work, periodic density functional theory calculations have been carried out to investigate the interaction of I2, ICH3, H2O and CO molecules in silver-exchanged mordenite with various Si/Al ratios with the aim of finding values that favor a selective adsorption of I2 and ICH3. Computational results show that the interaction energies of CO and H2O remain of the same order of magnitude (from -120 to -140 kJ mol-1 for CO and from -90 to -120 kJ mol-1 for H2O) for all the investigated Si/Al ratios. In contrast, ICH3 is increasingly strongly adsorbed as the Si/Al ratio decreases, from around -145 kJ mol-1 when Si/Al = 47 to -190 kJ mol-1 for Si/Al = 5. The same trend is observed for I2 with a larger amplitude: from -135 kJ mol-1 for Si/Al = 47 to -300 kJ mol-1 for Si/Al = 5. Therefore, the use of silver-exchanged mordenite with Si/Al ratios of 5 or 11 would drastically limit the inhibiting effect of contaminants on the adsorption of volatile iodine species. Also for the same ratios, a spontaneous dissociation of I2 during its adsorption is observed, leading to the formation of AgI complexes which are prerequisite for the immobilization of iodine in the long term.

A DFT investigation of the adsorption of iodine compounds and water in H-, Na-, Ag-, and Cu- mordenite.

The potential use of some cation-exchanged mordenite (H(+), Na(+), Cu(+), and Ag(+)) as a selective adsorbent for volatile iodine species (ICH3 and I2), which can be released during a nuclear accident together with a steam carrier gas, is investigated using density functional theory. It is found that in the case of Cu-MOR and Ag-MOR, the absolute values of interaction energies of ICH3 and I2 are higher than that of water which indicates that these forms of zeolite could be suitable for selective adsorption of iodine species. In contrast, the H-MOR and Na-MOR are found to be unsuitable for this purpose. A systematic investigation of all adsorption sites allowed us to analyze the structural effects affecting the adsorption behavior. For the Ag-MOR and Cu-MOR zeolites, the iodine compounds are adsorbed preferentially in the large channel of mordenite (main channel) while water prefers the small channel or the side pocket where it forms stronger hydrogen bonds. The factors governing the interaction energies between the cationic sites and the different molecules are analyzed and the important role of van der Waals interactions in these systems is highlighted.

TD-DFT assessment of the excited state intramolecular proton transfer in hydroxyphenylbenzimidazole (HBI) dyes.

Dyes undergoing excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) received increasing attention during the last decades. If their unusual large Stokes shifts and sometimes dual-fluorescence signatures have paved the way toward new applications, the rapidity of ESIPT often prevents its investigation with sole experimental approaches, and theoretical simulations are often welcome, if necessary, to obtain a full rationalization of the observations. In the present paper, we evaluate both the absorption and the fluorescence spectra of, respectively, the enol and keto forms of a series of hydroxyphenylbenzimidazole (HBI) using a robust protocol based on Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory (TD-DFT). Optical spectra were obtained accounting for both vibronic and environmental effects. The aim of this work is therefore not to evaluate the radiationless pathway going through the twisted ESIPT structures, though excited-state reaction paths between enol and keto forms have been rationalized. First we have compared three dyes differing by the strength of the donor groups, and we have quantified the impact of the flexible butyl chain substituting the imidazole side. In accordance with experiments, we show that the presence of a dialkylamino auxochrome allows to tune the excited-state potential energy surface leading to a weaker tendency to ESIPT. This trend is rationalized in terms of both structural and electronic effects. Next, larger hydroxyphenyl-phenanthroimidazole (HPI) were considered to assess the impact of a stronger π-delocalization. 0-0 energies and vibrationally resolved spectra of the corresponding fluoroborate derivatives were studied as well. The dialkylamino auxochrome significantly decreases the 0-0 energies due to the presence of an important charge transfer character, while the addition of a BODIPY moiety induces a change of the emission signature now localized on the BODIPY side rather than on the NBO core.

Excited states of ladder-type π-conjugated dyes with a joint SOS-CIS(D) and PCM-TD-DFT approach.

First-principle simulations aimed at accurately reproducing the excited state properties of a large series of ladder-type π-conjugated organic molecules containing heteroatoms (Si, S, B, O, and N) have been performed. In particular, time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations relying on several global and range-separated hybrid functionals have been carried out in conjunction with three variations of the polarizable continuum model (PCM), namely, the linear-response (LR), corrected linear-response (cLR), and state-specific (SS) approaches. For this series of molecules, similar to many borate derivatives, the cLR-PCM-TD-M06-2X approach can be used to reproduce the auxochromic effects that tune the 0-0 energies. However, TD-DFT yields rather large absolute deviations with respect to the experimental 0-0 energies. These systematic errors can be reduced by more than 0.1 eV when scaled opposite spin-configuration interaction singles with a double correction [SOS-CIS(D)] vertical calculations are combined to the PCM-TD-DFT results. This study demonstrates that such a "hybrid" scheme, where the geometrical and vibrational parameters, as well as the solvation effects, are determined with PCM-TD-DFT, whereas the transition energies are obtained with a wavefunction-based method, offers a useful compromise between accuracy and computational cost.

Full cLR-PCM calculations of the solvatochromic effects on emission energies.

We compare the solvatochromic shifts measured experimentally and obtained theoretically for the emission of several substitued fluorophores (indole, benzofurazan, naphthalimide…). Our theoretical protocol relies on time-dependent density functional theory and uses several variations of the polarisable continuum model. In particular, we compare the merits of the linear-response and the corrected linear response approaches, the latter being used for both energetic and structural calculations. It turns out that performing fully-consistent corrected linear response calculations yields the smallest mean signed and absolute errors for the solvatochromic shifts, although optimizing the excited-state structures at the linear-response level only induces limited increase of the average deviations. In contrast, for auxochromic effects, the average errors provided by the two solvation models are very similar.

Solvent effects on cyanine derivatives: a PCM investigation.

In this work, we present time-dependent density functional theory calculations of the excited-state geometries and electronic properties of both model cyanines and BODIPY derivatives, which are particularly challenging dyes for theoretical chemistry. In particular, we focus on environmental effects, using a panel of approaches derived from the polarizable continuum model, including full corrected linear response (cLR) values determined through a very recently developed approach. It turns out that in idealized quasi-linear cyanines, all approaches provide very similar excited-state geometries though linear response (LR), and cLR models yield very different transition energies. For the fluoroborate derivatives, LR apparently overestimates the planarity of the excited-state geometries, and cLR optimizations yield slightly smaller fluorescence energies than LR, making these values closer to experimental references. The computed corrections are however too small to explain (taken alone) the significant theory/experiment discrepancies.

Optical Signatures of OBO Fluorophores: A Theoretical Analysis.

Dioxaborines dyes, based on the OBO atomic sequence, constitute one promising series of molecules for both organic electronics and bioimaging applications. Using Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory, we have simulated the optical signatures of these fluoroborates. In particular, we have computed the 0-0 energies and shapes of both the absorption and the emission bands. To assess the importance of solvent effects three polarization schemes have been applied within the Polarizable Continuum Model: the linear-response (LR), the corrected linear-response (cLR), and the state-specific (SS). We show that the SS approach is unable to yield consistent chemical trends for these challenging compounds that combine charge-transfer and cyanine characters. On the contrary, LR and cLR are more effective in reproducing chemical trends in OBO dyes. We have applied our computational protocol not only to analyze the signatures of existing dyes but also to design structures with red-shifted absorption and emission bands.

Excited-State Geometries of Solvated Molecules: Going Beyond the Linear-Response Polarizable Continuum Model.

The theoretical determination of excited-state structures remains an active field of research, as these data are hardly accessible by experimental approaches. In this contribution, we investigate excited-state geometries obtained with Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory, using both linear-response and, for the first time, corrected linear-response approaches of the Polarizable Continuum Model. Several chromophores representative of key dye families are used. In most cases, the corrected linear-response approach provides bond distances in between the gas and linear-response data, the latter model providing larger medium-induced structural changes than the corrected linear-response model. However, in a few cases, the solvation effects predicted by the two continuum approaches present opposite directions compared to the gas phase reference.

Combining the Bethe-Salpeter Formalism with Time-Dependent DFT Excited-State Forces to Describe Optical Signatures: NBO Fluoroborates as Working Examples.

We propose to use a blend of methodologies to tackle a challenging case for quantum approaches: the simulation of the optical properties of asymmetric fluoroborate derivatives. Indeed, these dyes, which present a low-lying excited-state exhibiting a cyanine-like nature, are treated not only with the Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory (TD-DFT) method to determine both the structures and vibrational patterns but also with the Bethe-Salpeter approach to compute both the vertical absorption and emission energies. This combination allows us to obtain 0-0 energies with a significantly improved accuracy compared to the "raw" TD-DFT estimates. We also discuss the impact of various declinations of the Polarizable Continuum Model (linear-response, corrected linear-response, and state-specific models) on the obtained accuracy.

Improving the Accuracy of Excited-State Simulations of BODIPY and Aza-BODIPY Dyes with a Joint SOS-CIS(D) and TD-DFT Approach.

BODIPY and aza-BODIPY dyes constitute two key families of organic dyes with applications in both materials science and biology. Previous attempts aiming to obtain accurate theoretical estimates of their optical properties, and in particular of their 0-0 energies, have failed. Here, using time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT), configuration interaction singles with a double correction [CIS(D)], and its scaled-opposite-spin variant [SOS-CIS(D)], we have determined the 0-0 energies as well as the vibronic shapes of both the absorption and emission bands of a large set of fluoroborates. Indeed, we have selected 47 BODIPY and 4 aza-BODIPY dyes presenting diverse chemical structures. TD-DFT yields a rather large mean signed error between the experimental and theoretical 0-0 energies with a systematic overshooting of the transition energies (by ca. 0.4 eV). This error is reduced to ca. 0.2 [0.1] eV when the TD-DFT 0-0 energies are corrected with vertical CIS(D) [SOS-CIS(D)] energies. For BODIPY and aza-BODIPY dyes, both CIS(D) and SOS-CIS(D) clearly outperform TD-DFT. The present computational protocol allows accurate data to be obtained for the most relevant properties, that is, 0-0 energies and optical band shapes.

The NBO pattern in luminescent chromophores: unravelling excited-state features using TD-DFT.

The optical properties of a series of recently synthesized [Chem. Eur. J., 2013, DOI: 10.1002/chem.201203625] fluorescent borate complexes based on the 2-(2'-hydroxyphenyl)benzoxazole (HBO) core have been modeled using Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory. The computations use a range-separated hybrid functional (ωB97X-D) and include vertical, adiabatic and vibronic simulations, as well as analysis of the charge-transfer characteristics of each state. This work allows us to interpret the major experimental features, including unexpected evolution of the λmax, band shapes and protonation effects. Two dyads, one including a BODIPY core, have also been tackled.

Boranil and Related NBO Dyes: Insights From Theory.

The simulations of excited-state properties, that is, the 0-0 energies and vibronic shapes, of a large panel of fluorophores presenting a NBO atomic sequence have been achieved with a Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory (TD-DFT) approach. We have combined eight hybrid exchange-correlation functionals (B3LYP, PBE0, M06, BMK, M06-2X, CAM-B3LYP, ωB97X-D, and ωB97) to the linear-response (LR) and the state specific (SS) Polarizable Continuum Model (PCM) methods in both their equilibrium (eq) and nonequilibrium (neq) limits. We show that the combination of the SS-PCM scheme to a functional incorporating a low amount of exact exchange can yield unphysical values for molecules presenting large increase of their dipole moments upon excitation. We therefore apply a functional possessing a large exact exchange ratio to simulate the properties of NBO dyes, including large dyads.

On the Computation of Adiabatic Energies in Aza-Boron-Dipyrromethene Dyes.

We have simulated the optical properties of Aza-Boron-dipyrromethene (Aza-BODIPY) dyes and, more precisely, the 0-0 energies as well as the shape of both absorption and fluorescence bands, thanks to the computation of vibronic couplings. To this end, time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations have been carried out with a systematic account of both vibrational and solvent effects. In a first step, we assessed different atomic basis sets, a panel of global and range-separated hybrid functionals as well as different solvent models (linear-response, corrected linear-response, and state-specific). In this way, we have defined an accurate yet efficient protocol for these dyes. In a second stage, several simulations have been carried out to investigate acidochromic and complexation effects, as well as the impact of side groups on the topology of the optical bands. In each case, theory is able to accurately reproduce experimental results and the proposed protocol is consequently useful to design new dyes featuring improved properties.