The ADF modeling suite played an important role in this sample of highlights from the recent chemistry and physics literature. Information and illustrations were checked with or obtained from the authors.
A recent Nature Communication paper reports thorium complexes with Th-As multiple bonds, stabilized by bulky triamidoamine ligands. The bonding interactions in the novel thorium arsinidiides (ThAs(H)K and ThAs(H)Th) and arsenido (ThAsTh) are studied with relativistic...
The separation of highly radioactive minor actinides from lanthanides and other fission products within the nuclear fuel cycle is crucial in both the recycling of used nuclear fuel and as a prelude to waste storage....
The Cl K-edge XAS of Americium(III) Hexachloride were simulated and analyzed based on spin-orbit DFT transition dipole moment method. Direct evidence of 5f and 3p orbital mixing in Am–Cl bond was observed. Combining experimental Cl K-edge XAS and theoretical simulation, the comparison between AmCl63-...
The intriguing bonding interactions of fluoride inside a silicate double 4-ring (D4R) – a common zeolite unit- have been scrutinized with ADF in a recent paper by Goesten, Hoffmann, Bickelhaupt, and Hensen. As now theoretically shown, all halides prefer...
A new force field has been developed to study sodium interactions in carbonaceous materials, using the MCFF Optimizer on ADF energies and MDC-q charges. With this force field important processes in sodium ion batteries and aluminium electrolysis...
In a recent Science paper the Gaunt group reports facile access to β-lactams via palladium-catalyzed coupling of aliphatic amines and carbon monoxide. The scope of the reaction is remarkably broad; over 40 substrates are illustrated, bearing a...
A spin forbidden reaction occurs with a change of the total electronic spin from reactants to products. The mechanistic study is therefore not trivial, since the reaction does not occur on a single adiabatic potential...
The process of electrical doping, or charge transfer in general terms, was used in the early stages of developing organic electronics when conducting polymers were first discovered. Since then it has been largely unexplored in stark contrast...
The Fischer-Tropsch reaction aims at synthesizing lower olefins (C2-C4 alkenes) from synthesis gas (CO + H2). In this reaction, typically large amounts of methane are formed as an unwanted side product. In a combined experimental and theoretical study, computational...
A periodic extension of the energy decomposition analysis (pEDA) has been implemented in BAND. The natural orbitals for chemical valence (NOCV) is also available – at the gamma-point only. With pEDA researchers can analyze in...