Full-dimensional diabatic potential energy surfaces including dissociation: the ²E″ state of NO3.

A scheme to produce accurate full-dimensional coupled diabatic potential energy surfaces including dissociative regions and suitable for dynamical calculations is proposed. The scheme is successfully applied to model the two-sheeted surface of the (2)E″ state of the NO3 radical. An accurate potential energy surface for the NO3⁻ anion ground state is developed as well. Both surfaces are based on high-level ab initio calculations. The model consists of a diabatic potential matrix, which is expanded to higher order in terms of symmetry polynomials of symmetry coordinates. The choice of coordinates is key for the accuracy of the obtained potential energy surfaces and is discussed in detail. A second central aspect is the generation of reference data to fit the expansion coefficients of the model for which a stochastic approach is proposed. A third ingredient is a new and simple scheme to handle problematic regions of the potential energy surfaces, resulting from the massive undersampling by the reference data unavoidable for high-dimensional problems. The final analytical diabatic surfaces are used to compute the lowest vibrational levels of NO3⁻ and the photo-electron detachment spectrum of NO3⁻ leading to the neutral radical in the (2)E″ state by full dimensional multi-surface wave-packet propagation for NO3 performed using the Multi-Configuration Time Dependent Hartree method. The achieved agreement of the simulations with available experimental data demonstrates the power of the proposed scheme and the high quality of the obtained potential energy surfaces.

Theoretical investigation of phosphinidene oxide polypyridine ruthenium(II) complexes: toward the design of a new class of photochromic compounds.

A DFT-based computational study performed in the gas phase and in acetonitrile on polypyridine ruthenium isomer complexes [Ru(tpy)(bpy)(POPh)](2+) and [Ru(tpy)(bpy)(OPPh)](2+) (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine, tpy = 2,2':6',2″-terpyridine, Ph = phenyl) predicts that they constitute a prototype for a new family of inorganic photochromic systems. The two isomers are found to absorb in different spectral regions to excited states that are connected adiabatically through a thermodynamically and kinetically favorable triplet potential energy profile. Nonadiabatic routes were identified and shown to be preferable over the adiabatic mechanism. The reverse isomerization reaction is found to be achievable only thermally. The current predictive work will be of prime importance to experimentalists for the design of new inorganic phosphorus-based compounds with attractive photochromic properties.

Ab initio characterization of the conical intersections involved in the photochemistry of phenol.

The nature of the vibronic interactions between the (1)pi pi(*) (A(')), the (1)pisigma(*) (A(")), and the S(0) (A(')) states at the CI(pi pi(*)/pi sigma(*)) and CI(pi sigma(*)/pi pi) conical intersections has been investigated by accurate ab initio calculations. Potential energy surfaces have been constructed at the complete-active-space self-consistent-field and multireference configuration-interaction (MRCI) levels of theory along each of the ten normal coordinates of A(") symmetry that potentially can be coupling modes at these conical intersections. The OH torsion was found to be by far the strongest coupling mode in each case. As for benzene, a "channel three" radiationless decay mechanism associated with a prefulvenic conical intersection, CI(pref), was found to exist in phenol. The reaction path connecting the prefulvenic form of phenol with the minimum-energy structure of the S(1) state was computed at different levels of theory. The barrier to be overcome for the opening of the prefulvenic decay channel is estimated as 6370 cm(-1) at the MRCI level, that is, about 2300 cm(-1) above the energy of CI(pi pi(*)/pi sigma(*)). With sufficient excess energy in the S(1) state, the prefulvenic decay mechanism can be in competition with the hydrogen detachment process.

Multiphoton dissociation dynamics of BrCl and the BrCl+ cation.

Ion imaging methods have enabled identification of three mechanisms by which (79)Br(+) and (35)Cl(+) fragment ions are formed following one-color multiphoton excitation of BrCl molecules in the wavelength range 324.6 > lambda > 311.7 nm. Two-photon excitation within this range populates selected vibrational levels (v'= 0-5) of the [X (2)Pi(1/2)]5ssigma Rydberg state. Absorption of a third photon results in branching between (i) photoionization (i.e. removal of the Rydberg electron-a traditional 2 + 1 REMPI process) and (ii)pi*<--pi excitation within the core, resulting in formation of one or more super-excited states with Omega= 1 and configuration [A (2)Pi(1/2)]5ssigma. The fate of the latter states involves a further branching. They can autoionize (yielding BrCl(+)(X (2)Pi) ions in a wider range of v(+) states than formed by direct 2 + 1 REMPI). Further, one-photon absorption by the parent ions resulting from direct ionization or autoionization leads to formation of Br(+) and (energy permitting) Cl(+) fragment ions. Alternatively, the super-excited molecules can fragment to neutral atoms, one of which is in a Rydberg state. Complementary ab initio calculations lead to the conclusion that the observed [Cl**[(3)P(J)]4s + Br/Br*] products result from direct dissociation of the photo-prepared super-excited states, whereas [Br**[(3)P(J)]5p + Cl/Cl*] product formation involves interaction between the [A (2)Pi(1/2)]5ssigma and [X (2)Pi(1/2)]5psigma Rydberg potentials at extended Br-Cl bond lengths. Absorption of one further photon by the resulting Br** and Cl** Rydberg atoms leads to their ionization, and thus their appearance in the Br(+) and Cl(+) fragment ion images.

Velocity map imaging study of BrCl photodissociation at 467 nm: determination of all odd-rank (K = 1 and 3) anisotropy parameters for the Cl(2P(3/2)0) photofragments.

Resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization and velocity map imaging of the Cl(2P(3/2)0) fragments of BrCl photolysis at 467.16 nm have been used to obtain a complete set of orientation parameters (with ranks K = 1 and 3) describing the polarization of the electronic angular momentum. The experiments employ two geometries distinguished only by the circular or linear polarization of the photolysis laser beam. Normalized difference images constructed from the data accumulated using a right or left circularly polarized probe-laser beam, counterpropagating with the photolysis laser, were fitted to basis images corresponding to contributions from various odd-rank anisotropy parameters. Expressions are given for the difference images in terms of the K = 1 and 3 anisotropy parameters, which describe coherent and incoherent parallel and perpendicular excitation and dissociation mechanisms. The nonzero values of the anisotropy parameters are indicative of nonadiabatic dissociation dynamics, with likely contributions from flux on the A 3Pi1,B 3Pi(0+),C 1Pi1, and X 1sigma+(0+) states as well as one further omega = 1 state, all of which correlate adiabatically to Cl(2P(3/2)0) + Br(2P(3/2)0) photofragments. The magnitudes of the parameters depend both on the amplitudes of dissociative flux in these states, and also on the phases accumulated by the nuclear wave functions for different dissociation pathways.

Imaging the dynamics of gas phase reactions.

Ion imaging methods are making ever greater impact on studies of gas phase molecular reaction dynamics. This article traces the evolution of the technique, highlights some of the more important breakthroughs with regards to improving image resolution and in image processing and analysis methods, and then proceeds to illustrate some of the many applications to which the technique is now being applied--most notably in studies of molecular photodissociation and of bimolecular reaction dynamics.