Pair Natural Orbital Equation-of-Motion Coupled-Cluster Method for Core Binding Energies: Theory, Implementation, and Benchmark.

We present the theory and implementation of a lower scaling core-valence separated equation-of-motion coupled-cluster approach based on domain-based local pair natural orbitals for core binding energies. The accuracy of the new method has been compared with that of the standard equation-of-motion coupled-cluster method and experimentally measured results. The use of pair natural orbitals significantly reduces the computation cost and can be applied to large molecules.

Ultrafast Proton-Transfer Reaction in Phenol-(Ammonia)n Clusters: An Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics Investigation.

The ability of phenol to transfer a proton to surrounding ammonia molecules in a phenol-(ammonia)n cluster depends on the relative orientation of ammonia molecules, and a critical field of about 285 MV cm-1 is essential along the O-H bond for the proton-transfer process. Ab initio MD simulations reveal that the proton-transfer process from phenol to ammonia cluster is spontaneous when the cluster has at least eight ammonia molecules, and the proton-transfer event is almost instantaneous (about 20-120 fs). These simulations also reveal that the rate-determining step for the proton-transfer process is the reorganization of the solvent around the OH group. During the solvent reorganization process, the fluctuations in the solvent occur until a particular set of configurations projects the field in excess of the critical electric field along the O-H bond which drives the proton-transfer process. Further, the proton-transfer process follows a curvilinear path which includes the O-H bond elongation and out-of-plane movement of the proton and can be referred to as a "bend-to-break" process.

Synthesis, Characterization, and Luminescence Studies of Gold(I) Complexes with PNP- and PNB-Based Ligand Systems.

The synthesis, X-ray crystal structures, and spectroscopic studies of a series of PPh2N(2,6-iPr2C6H3)PPh2 (PNP) and PPh2N(2,6-iPr2C6H3)BCy2 (PNB; Cy = cyclohexyl) based gold(I) complexes are presented herein. The gold(I) chloride complexes 2 and 6 were treated with AgSbF6 to yield the corresponding dimeric dinuclear Au(I) cation (3) and dimeric mononuclear Au(I) cation (7) with PNP and PNB systems, respectively. The molecular structure of 3 revealed the presence of a strong intramolecular aurophilic interaction with a Au···Au bond distance of 2.7944(19) Å, one of the shortest aurophilic interactions known in the literature. However, complex 7 displays no aurophilic interaction. The reaction of 3 with diphenyl disulfide was performed, which led to a multinuclear tetragold(I) complex (4), keeping the aurophilic interaction intact. The effect of an aurophilic interaction is also illustrated through the study of the luminescent properties of these gold(I) complexes. Complexes 3 and 4 exhibit luminescence in solution as well as in the solid state, whereas the other gold(I) complexes remain nonluminescent.

Thermochromic and mechanochromic luminescence umpolung in isostructural metal-organic frameworks based on Cu6I6 clusters.

Two isostructural metal-organic framework (MOF) materials, namely, {[MeSi((3)Py)3]6(Cu6I6)}n (1) and {[ MeSi((3)Qy)3]6(Cu6I6)}n (2), featuring Cu6I6 clusters were synthesized from tridentate arylsilane ligands of the type MeSi((3)Py)3 ((3)Py = 3-pyridyl) and MeSi((3)Qy)3 ((3)Qy = 3-quinolyl), respectively. While the MOF 1 displays the usual thermochromism associated with traditional Cu4I4Py4 clusters, the MOF 2 shows (3)XLCT/(3)MLCT emission due to the Cu6I6 cluster core at both 298 and 77 K, albeit with some marginal variations in its emission wavelengths. Interestingly, an unusual reversal in the mechanochromic luminescent behavior was observed for these isostructural MOFs at 298 K wherein a pronounced blue-shifted high energy emission for 1 (from orange to yellowish-orange) and a red-shifted low-energy emission for 2 (from green to orange) were obtained upon grinding these samples. This is primarily due to the variations in their cuprophilic interactions as 1 displays shorter Cu···Cu distances (2.745(1) Å) in comparison with those present in 2 (3.148(0) Å). As a result, the ground sample of 2 exhibits a prominent red shift in luminescence owing to the reduction of its Cu···Cu distances to an unknown value closer to the sum of van der Waals radii between two Cu(I) atoms (2.80 Å). However, the blue-shifted emission in 1 is presumably attributed to the rise in its lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy levels caused by changes in the secondary packing forces. Furthermore, the absorption and emission characteristics of 1 and 2 were substantiated by time-dependent density functional theory calculations on their discrete-model compounds. In addition, the syntheses, reactivity studies, and photophysical properties of two one-dimensional MOFs, namely, {[MeSi((3)Qy)3]2(Cu2I2)}n (3) and {[MeSi((3)Qy)3](CuI)}n (4), having dimeric Cu2I2 and monomeric CuI moieties, respectively, were examined.