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Lai-Sheng Wang

Publications and source records attributed to Lai-Sheng Wang.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Direct experimental probe of the on-site Coulomb repulsion in the doubly charged fullerene anion C70 2-.

Vibrationally resolved photoelectron spectra were obtained for cold C(70)- and C(70)2-. Accurate values for the first and second electron affinities (EA's) of C(70) were measured as 2.765 +/- 0.010 and 0.002 (+0.01/-0.03)eV, respectively, establishing that C(70)-2 is an electronically stable dianion in the gas phase. The difference between the first and second EA (2.75 eV) provides a direct experimental measure for the on-site Coulomb and exchange interactions between the two excess electrons in C(70)-2. Strong electron correlation effects were also observed between the two excess electrons in C(70)-2.

Journal Article↗

Probing the intrinsic electronic structure of the bis(dithiolene) anions [M(mnt)2]2- and [M(mnt)2]1- (M = Ni, Pd, Pt; mnt = 1,2-S2C2(CN)2) in the gas phase by photoelectron spectroscopy.

A detailed understanding of the electronic structure of transition metal bis(dithiolene) complexes is important because of their interesting redox, magnetic, optical, and conducting properties and their relevance to enzymes containing molybdenum and tungsten bis(dithiolene) centers. The electronic structures of the bis(dithiolene) anions [M(mnt)(2)](n-) (M = Ni, Pd, Pt; mnt = 1,2-S(2)C(2)(CN)(2); n = 0-2) were examined by a combination of photodetachment photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) and density functional theory calculations. The combined experimental and theoretical data provide insight into the molecular orbital energy levels of [M(mnt)(2)](2-) and the ground and excited states of [M(mnt)(2)](1-) and [M(mnt)(2)]. Detachment features from ligand-based orbitals of [M(mnt)(2)](2-) occur at similar energies for each species, independent of the metal center, while those arising from metal-based orbitals occur at higher energies for the heavier congeners. Electronic excitation energies inferred for [M(mnt)(2)](1-) from the PES experiments agree well with those obtained in optical absorption experiments in solution, with the PES experiments providing additional insight into the changes in energy of these transitions as a function of metal. The singly charged anions [M(mnt)(2)](1-) were also prepared and studied independently. Electron detachment from the ground states of these doublet anions accessed the lowest singlet and triplet states of neutral [M(mnt)(2)], thereby providing a direct experimental measure of their singlet-triplet splitting.

Journal Article↗

Experimental and computational studies of alkali-metal coinage-metal clusters.

Coinage and alkali metal mixed clusters, M4Na- (M = Cu, Au) have been investigated experimentally using photoelectron spectroscopy and computationally at correlated ab initio levels. The related Cu4Li-, Ag4Li-, Ag4Na-, and Au4Li- clusters as well as the neutral Cu4Li2 and Cu4Na2 clusters have also been studied computationally. The calculations show that the two lowest isomers of the negatively charged clusters include a pyramidal C4v structure and a planar C2v species. For Cu4Li- and Cu4Na-, the C4v structure is calculated at correlated ab initio level to be 30.9 and 16.9 kJ/mol below the planar C2v isomer, whereas the planar isomers of Au4Li- and Au4Na- are found to be 29.7 and 49.4 kJ/mol below the pyramidal ones. For Ag4Li- and Ag4Na-, the pyramidal isomers are the lowest ones. Comparison of the calculated and measured photoelectron spectra of Cu4Na- and Au4Na- shows that the pyramidal Cu4Na- cluster of C4v symmetry and the planar Au4Na- of C2v symmetry are detected experimentally. Calculations of the magnetically induced current density in Cu4Li- and Cu4Li2 using the Gauge-Including Magnetically Induced Current (GIMIC) method show that strong ring currents are sustained mainly by the highest-occupied molecular orbital primarily derived from the Cu 4s. The GIMIC calculations thus show that the Cu4(2-) ring is -aromatic and that the d orbitals do not play any significant role for the electron delocalization effects. The present study does not support the notion that the square-planar Cu4(2-) is the first example of d-orbital aromatic molecules.

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On the structure and chemical bonding of Si6(2-) and Si6(2-) in NaSi6(-) upon Na+ coordination.

Photoelectron spectroscopy was combined with ab initio calculations to elucidate the structure and bonding in Si6 2- and NaSi6 -. Well-resolved electronic transitions were observed in the photoelectron spectra of Si6 - and NaSi6 - at three photon energies (355, 266, and 193 nm). The spectra of NaSi6 - were observed to be similar to those of Si6 - except that the electron binding energies of the former are lower, suggesting that the Si6 motif in NaSi6 - is structurally and electronically similar to that in Si6 -. The electron affinities of Si6 and NaSi6 were measured fairly accurately to be 2.23+/-0.03 eV and 1.80+/-0.05 eV, respectively. Global minimum structure searches for Si6 2- and NaSi6 - were performed using gradient embedded genetic algorithm followed by B3LYP, MP2, and CCSDT calculations. Vertical electron detachment energies were calculated for the lowest Si6 - and NaSi6 - structures at the CCSD(T)/6-311+G(2df), ROVGF/6-311+G(2df), UOVGF/6-311+G(2d), and time-dependent B3LYP/6-311+G(2df) levels of theory. Experimental vertical detachment energies were used to verify the global minimum structure for NaSi6 -. Though the octahedral Si6 2-, analogous to the closo form of borane B6H6 2-, is the most stable form for the bare hexasilicon dianion, it is not the kernel for the NaSi6 - global minimum. The most stable isomer of NaSi6 - is based on a Si6 2- motif, which is distorted into C2v symmetry similar to the ground state structure of Si6 -. The octahedral Si6 2- coordinated by a Na+ is a low-lying isomer and was also observed experimentally. The chemical bonding in Si6 2- and NaSi6 - was understood using natural bond orbital, molecular orbital, and electron localization function analyses.

Journal Article↗

Gold apes hydrogen. The structure and bonding in the planar B7Au2- and B7Au2 clusters.

We produced the B7Au2- mixed cluster and studied its electronic structure and chemical bonding using photoelectron spectroscopy and ab initio calculations. The photoelectron spectra of B7Au2- were observed to be relatively simple with vibrational resolution, in contrast to the complicated spectra observed for pure B7-, which had contributions from three isomers (Alexandrova et al. J. Phys. Chem. A 2004, 108, 3509). Theoretical calculations show that B7Au2- possesses an extremely stable planar structure, identical to that of B7H2-, demonstrating that Au mimics H in its bonding to boron, analogous to the Au-Si bonding. The ground-state structure of B7Au2- (B7H2-) can be viewed as adding two Au (H) atoms to the terminal B atoms of a higher-lying planar isomer of B7-. The bonding and stability in the planar B7Au2- (B7H2-) clusters are elucidated on the basis of the strong covalent B-Au (H) bonding and the concepts of aromaticity/antiaromaticity in these systems.

Letter↗

Photoelectron spectroscopy of AlnD2- (n=3-15): observation of chemisorption and physisorption of dideuterium on aluminum cluster anions.

Photoelectron spectroscopy is used to investigate aluminum dideuteride cluster anions, AlnD2- (n=3,6-15), produced by laser vaporization of a pure Al target with a D2-seeded helium carrier gas. Comparison between the well-resolved photoelectron spectra of AlnD2- and Aln- reveals the nature of interactions between D2 and Aln-. Depending on the size of the Aln- clusters and their electronic structure, three types of AlnD2- species are observed, dideuteride (dissociative chemisorption), molecular chemisorption, and physisorption. Striking spectral similarities are observed between photoelectron spectra of AlnD2- and Aln- for n=9, 11, 13, and 15, suggesting that D2 is physisorbed on these closed-shell Aln- clusters. For AlnD2- with n=3, 6, 7, and 10, completely different spectra are observed in comparison with the corresponding Aln- clusters, suggesting that the AlnD2- species may be characterized as dideuterides. For AlnD2- with n=8, 12, and 14, in which the Aln- clusters are open shell, the D2 is characterized as chemisorption on the basis of spectral shifts and similarities relative to those of the corresponding Aln- clusters.

Journal Article↗

Structural evolution of anionic silicon clusters SiN (20 <or= N <or= 45).

Results of a combined photoelectron spectroscopy and first-principles density-functional study of SiN- clusters in the size range 20 or= 20. For 28 <or= N <or= 45, almost all low-lying near-spherical clusters SiN- adopt "stuffed-cage"-like structures where the cages are homologous to carbon fullerenes in the sense that they are composed of only five- and six-membered rings. However the arrangement of the "stuffing" atoms is not yet diamondlike.

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On the structure and chemical bonding of tri-tungsten oxide clusters W3On- and W3On (n=7-10): W3O8 as a potential molecular model for O-deficient defect sites in tungsten oxides.

Electronic and structural properties of a series of tri-tungsten oxide clusters, W3On- and W3On (n=7-10), are investigated using photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Both W 5d and O 2p detachment features are observed for n=7-9, whereas only detachment features from O 2p-type orbitals are observed for W3O10- at high electron binding energies (>7 eV). A large energy gap (approximately 3.4 eV) is observed for the stoichiometric W3O9 cluster, which already reaches the bulk value, suggesting that W3O9 can be viewed as the smallest molecular model for bulk WO3. DFT calculations are carried out to locate the most stable structures for both the anion and neutral clusters; time-dependent DFT method is used to predict the vertical detachment energies and to compare with the experimental data. It is shown that W3O9 possesses a D3h structure, in which each W atom is tetrahedrally coordinated with two bridging O atoms and two terminal O atoms. W3O8 and W3O7 can be viewed as removing one and two terminal O atoms from W3O9, respectively, whereas W3O1) can be viewed as replacing a terminal O in W3O9 by a peroxo O2 unit. We show that W3O8 contains a localized W4+ site, which can readily react with O2 to form the W3O10 clusters with a calculated O2 adsorption energy of -78 kcal/mol. It is suggested that the W3O8 cluster can be viewed as a molecular model for O-deficient site in tungsten oxides.

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Electronic structure of the hydroxo and methoxo oxometalate anions MO3(OH)- and MO3(OCH3)- (M = Cr, Mo, and W).

The electronic structure of the mononuclear hydroxo MO3(OH)- and methoxo MO3(OCH3)- Group 6 oxometalate anions (M = Cr, Mo, and W) were examined by photodetachment photoelectron spectroscopy and electronic structure calculations at the density functional and CCSD(T) levels of theory. All of the anions exhibited high electron binding energies (>4.9 eV), with the lowest-energy detachment features arising from oxygen 2p-based orbitals. The combined experimental and theoretical results allowed the change in molecular orbital energy levels to be investigated as a function of metal (Cr, Mo, or W) and ligand (-OH, -OCH3). A number of fundamental thermodynamic properties of the anions and corresponding neutrals were predicted on the basis of the theoretical calculations. The calculations indicate high O-H bond dissociation energies for MO2(OR)(O-H) (R = H, CH3) and MO3(O-H), consistent with their high Brønsted acidities (just below that of H2SO4 in the gas phase) and the high ionization energies of their conjugate base anions. This suggests that the corresponding radicals should readily abstract H atoms from organic molecules.

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Chemical bonding in Si5(2-) and NaSi5(-) via photoelectron spectroscopy and ab initio calculations.

Photoelectron spectroscopy and ab initio calculations are used to investigate the electronic structure and chemical bonding of Si5(-) and Si5(2-) in NaSi5(-). Photoelectron spectra of Si5(-) and NaSi5(-) are obtained at several photon energies and are compared with theoretical calculations at four different levels of theory, TD-B3LYP, R(U)OVGF, UCCSD(T), and EOM-CCSD(T), all with 6-311+G(2df) basis sets. Excellent agreement is observed between experiment and theory, confirming the obtained ground-state structures for Si5(-) and Si5(2-), which are both found to be trigonal bipyramid with D3h symmetry at several levels of theory. Chemical bonding in Si5, Si5(-), and Si5(2-) is analyzed using NPA, molecular orbitals, ELF, and NICS indices. The bonding in Si5(2-) is compared with that in the isoelectronic and isostructural B5H5(2-) species, but they are found to differ due to the involvement of electron densities, which are supposed to be lone pairs in the skeletal bonding in Si5(2-).

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Temperature-dependent photoelectron spectroscopy of methyl benzoate anions: observation of steric effect in o-methyl benzoate.

Temperature-dependent photoelectron spectra of benzoate anion (C6H5CO2(-)) and its three methyl-substituted isomers (o-, m-, p-CH3C6H4CO2(-)) have been obtained using a newly developed low-temperature photoelectron spectroscopy apparatus that features an electrospray source and a cryogenically controlled ion trap. Detachment channels due to removing electrons from the carboxylate group and benzene ring pi electrons were distinctly observed. Well-resolved vibrational structures were obtained in the lower binding energy region due to the OCO bending modes, except for o-CH3C6H4CO2(-), which yielded broad spectra even at the lowest ion trap temperature (18 K). Theoretical calculations revealed a large geometry change in the OCO angles between the anion and neutral ground states, consistent with the broad ground-state bands observed for all species. A strong steric effect was observed between the carboxylate and the methyl group in o-CH3C6H4CO2(-), such that the -CO2(-) group is pushed out of the plane of the benzene ring by approximately 25 degrees and its internal rotational barrier is significantly reduced. The low rotational barrier in o-CH3C6H4CO2(-), which makes it very difficult to be cooled vibrationally, and the strong coupling between the OCO bending and CO2 torsional modes yielded the broad PES spectra for this isomer. It is shown that there is no C-H...O hydrogen bond in o-CH3C6H4CO2(-), and the interaction between the carboxylate and methyl groups in this anion is found to be repulsive in nature.

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MX3(-) superhalogens (M = Be, Mg, Ca; X = Cl, Br): a photoelectron spectroscopic and ab initio theoretical study.

Gas-phase alkaline earth halide anions, MgX3(-) and CaX3(-) (X = Cl, Br), were produced using electrospray and investigated using photoelectron spectroscopy at 157 nm. Extremely high electron binding energies were observed for all species and their first vertical detachment energies were measured as 6.60 +/- 0.04 eV for MgCl3(-), 6.00 +/- 0.04 eV for MgBr3(-), 6.62 +/- 0.04 eV for CaCl3(-), and 6.10 +/- 0.04 eV for CaBr3(-). The high electron binding energies indicate these are very stable anions and they belong to a class of anions, called superhalogens. Theoretical calculations at several levels of theory were carried out on these species, as well as the analogous BeX3(-). Vertical detachment energy spectra were predicted to compare with the experimental observations, and good agreement was obtained for all species. The first adiabatic detachment energies were found to be substantially lower (by about 1 eV) than the corresponding vertical detachment energies for all the MX3(-) species, indicating extremely large geometry changes between MX3(-) and MX3. We found that all the MX3(-) anions possess D3h ((1)A1') structures and are extremely stable against dissociation into MX2 and X-. The corresponding neutral species MX3, however, were found to be only weakly bound with respect to dissociation toward MX2 + X. The global minimum structures of all the MX3 neutrals were found to be C2v ((2)B2), which can be described as (X2(-))(MX+) charge-transfer complexes, whereas the MX2...X (C2v, (2)B1) van der Waals complexes were shown to be low-lying isomers.

Journal Article↗

Magnetic properties in transition-metal-doped gold clusters: M@Au6 (M = Ti, V, Cr).

The electronic structure and magnetic properties in a series of transition-metal-doped Au clusters, MAu6- (M = Ti, V, Cr), are investigated experimentally using photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) and density functional calculations. PES features due to the impurity atoms and the host are clearly observed. It is found that all the MAu6- and MAu6 clusters possess a planar structure, in which the transition metal atom is located in the center of an Au6 ring and carries large magnetic moments (2, 3, and 4 muB for MAu6, M = Ti, V, and Cr, respectively).

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Photoelectron spectroscopy and electronic structures of fullerene oxides: C60Ox- (x = 1-3).

We report a photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) study on a series of fullerene oxides, C60Ox- (x = 1-3). The PES spectra reveal one isomer for C60O-, two isomers for C60O2, and multiple isomers for C60O3-. Compared to C60, the electronic structures of C60Ox are only slightly perturbed, resulting in similar anion photoelectron spectra. The electron affinity of C60Ox was observed to increase only marginally with the number of oxygen atoms, x, from 2.683 eV for C60, to 2.745 eV for C60O, and 2.785 eV/2.820 eV for C60O2 (two isomers). We also carried out theoretical calculations, which confirmed the observed isomers and showed that all the fullerene oxides are in the form of epoxide. The PES and theoretical calculations, as well as molecular orbital analysis, indicate that addition of oxygen atoms to the C60 cage only modifies the local carbon network and leave the rest of the fullerene cage largely intact geometrically and electronically.

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Probing the low-barrier hydrogen bond in hydrogen maleate in the gas phase: a photoelectron spectroscopy and ab initio study.

The strength of the low-barrier hydrogen bond in hydrogen maleate in the gas phase was investigated by low-temperature photoelectron spectroscopy and ab initio calculations. Photoelectron spectra of maleic and fumaric acid monoanions (cis-/trans-HO(2)CCH=CHCO(2)(-)) were obtained at low temperatures and at 193 nm photon energy. Vibrational structure was observed for trans-HO(2)CCH=CHCO(2)(-) due to the OCO bending modes; however, cis-HO(2)CCH=CHCO(2)(-) yielded a broad and featureless spectrum. The electron binding energy of cis-HO(2)CCH=CHCO(2)(-) is about 1 eV blue-shifted relative to trans-HO(2)CCH=CHCO(2)(-) due to the formation of intramolecular hydrogen bond in the cis-isomer. Theoretical calculations (CCSD(T)/ aug-cc-pVTZ and B3LYP/aug-cc-pVTZ) were carried out to estimate the strength of the intramolecular hydrogen bond in cis-HO(2)CCH=CHCO(2)(-). Combining experimental and theoretical calculations yields an estimate of 21.5 +/- 2.0 kcal/mol for the intramolecular hydrogen bond strength in hydrogen maleate.

Chemical Phenomena↗

Photoelectron spectroscopy of doubly and singly charged group VIB dimetalate anions: M2O72-, MM'O72-, and M2O7- (M, M' = Cr, Mo, W).

We produced both doubly and singly charged Group VIB dimetalate species-M(2)O(7)(2-), MM'O(7)(2-), and M(2)O(7)(-) (M, M' = Cr, Mo, W)-using two different experimental techniques (electrospray ionization for the doubly charged anions and laser vaporization for the singly charged anions) and investigated their electronic and geometric structures using photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional calculations. Distinct changes in the electronic and geometric structures were observed as a function of the metal and charge state. The electron binding energies of the heteronuclear dianions MM'O(7)(2-) were observed to be roughly the average of those of their homonuclear counterparts (M(2)O(7)(2-) and M'(2)O(7)(2-)). Density functional calculations indicated that W(2)O(7)(2-), W(2)O(7)(-), and W(2)O(7) possess different ground-state structures: the dianion is highly symmetric (D(3d),(1)A(1g)) with a single bridging oxo ligand, the monoanion is a doublet (C(1), (2)A) with two bridging oxo ligands and a radical terminal oxo ligand, whereas the neutral is a singlet (C(1), (1)A) with two bridging oxo ligands and a terminal peroxo ligand. The combined experimental and theoretical study provides insights into the evolution of geometric and electronic structures as a function of charge state. The clusters identified might provide insights into the possible structures of reactive species present in early transition-metal oxide catalysts that are relevant to their reactivity and catalytic function.

Anions↗