In the first section, the electrical conductivity of rhodium phenylene-diisocyanide polymer is reported to be 3.4E-11 S/cm. However, the conductivity also exhibits an inverse exponential decay in air with t = 8 days. This change is attributed to the oxidation of the isocyanide functional group to an isocyanate, leading to degradation in the long-range metal-metal bonding, the dominant conductivity mechanism. Using a more stable carboxylate ligand, the Cu terephthalate (TPA) system is studied and compared against the Mg, Co, Ni, and Zn terephthalates. A synthesis in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) is developed and large quantities of the Cu(TPA)DMF can be synthesized in air. The crystal structure of the Cu(TPA) DMF is shown to be in the C2/m spacegroup. Upon desolvation, the Cu(TPA) is shown to have a large surface area of 625 m2/g. The magnetic susceptibility of the Cu(TPA) indicates anti-ferromagnetic coupling between adjacent Cu centers in the same dimer. The thermal stability of the Zn, Ni, Co, and Mg terephthalates is shown to increase with decreasing symmetric carboxylate stretch in the IR. The magnetic susceptibilities of the Co and Ni terephthalates have paramagnetic behavior, with a Weiss temperature of T = -12.9 K and T = 8.8 for Co(TPA) DMF and Ni(TPA)DMF respectively. A heterometallic Zn-Cu terephthalate is synthesized with Cu concentrations ranging from 0 to 100%. Upon the addition of Cu, Zn-rich frameworks increase in surface area, change in thermal stability, and increase their solvent retention from 16% to 25%. Zn is shown to couple with Cu in the same dimer at a high rate, changing the behavior of the dimer from anti-ferromagnetic to paramagnetic. The Weiss temperature suggests weak ferromagnetic interaction.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Auburn University, 2007. / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2009. / Title from title screen (site viewed June 26, 2009). PDF text: xxvii, 209 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 17 Mb. UMI publication number: AAT 3350440. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in microfilm and microfiche formats.

This thesis focuses on the theoretical investigation of the electronic structure and magnetic interactions present in 3d and 4d/5d transition metal compounds. We use many-body quantum chemistry methods that provide a theoretical frame for the rigorous construction and systematic improvement of correlated N-electron wave-functions. In Chapter 3 we compute d-d transitions fully ab initio and assign excitation peaks of experimental spectra measured in spin-Peierls TiPO4 compound. In this material we find that the d1 ground state is composed of an admixture of dz2 and dxz orbital character, which is related to the large positive ionic charge at P sites in the xz plane (defining the shortest Ti-P links) and of Ti nearest-neighbors along the z axis. In addition, the magnitude of the nearest-neighbors Heisenberg magnetic coupling calculated by quantum chemistry methods compares well with resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) experimental data. We further demonstrate that the intersite exchange is very sensitive to the Ti-Ti interatomic distance, which is relevant in the context of spin-Peierls physics in TiPO4. In Chapter 4 we have studied the magnetic anisotropy of Fe ions within the Li3N lattice. The calculated magnetic anisotropy splitting of 26.3 meV for Fe2+ d6 ions in D6h symmetry compares favorably to values measured or computed by similar theoretical methods for Fe1+ d7 species with linear coordination. This substantial spin-reversal energy barrier of the Fe2+ ion is associated with a a^1_{1g}e^3_{2g}e^2_{1g} ground-state electron configuration. Our study therefore puts into the spotlight the linearly coordinated Fe2+ d6 ion as candidate for viable single molecule magnet behavior. In Chapter 5 we address the effect of electron-lattice interactions on the magnetic properties of 4d and 5d TM ions with a formally degenerate t^1_{2g} electron configuration in the double-perovskite materials Ba2YMoO6, Ba2LiOsO6 and Ba2NaOsO6. Our analysis indicates that the sizable magnetic moments and g-factors found experimentally are due to both strong TM d -- ligand p hybridization and dynamic Jahn-Teller effects. Our results also point out that cation charge imbalance in the double-perovskite structure allows a fine tuning of the gap between the t2g and eg levels. The mechanism has not been explored so far experimentally but seems to hold much potential in the context of orbital engineering in transition metal compounds. In Chapter 6 we report a study of magnetic exchange interactions in the S=3/2 orthorhombic perovskite NaOsO3. We mapped the ab initio quantum chemistry results onto model Hamiltonians including both isotropic Heisenberg interactions and anisotropic Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya exchange. We found antiferromagnetic nearest-neighbors Heisenberg exchange interactions of J_ac = 24.4 meV and J_b = 20.9 meV, twice larger than the J extracted from the magnon excitation spectra. The quantum chemistry results motivate further experimental measurements or theoretical analysis to clarify the magnitude of the nearest-neighbors Heisenberg couplings. In Chapter 7 we provide valuable insights on the effective magnetic interactions in 5d and 4d oxides with face-sharing oxygen octahedra, BaIrO3 and BaRhO3, for different bond-angles and bond-lengths. The large antiferromagnetic Heisenberg interactions computed here emphasize the subtle interplay among strong spin-orbit interactions, direct intersite orbital overlap and orbital bonding, and couplings to the lattice degrees of freedom in face-sharing compounds. In Chapter 8 we apply a computational scheme for computing intensities as measured in X-ray absorption and RIXS experiments. We take into account the readjustment of the charge distribution in the vicinity of an excited electron for the modeling of RIXS. For L3-edge spectra of Cu2+ 3d9 ions in KCuF3, we discuss the way to consider orbital ordering effects (alternately occupied d_x2-z2 and d_y2-z2 orbitals). For L3-edge spectra of Ni2+ 3d8 ions in La2NiO4, the computed spectra reproduce trends found experimentally for the incoming-photon incident-angle and polarization dependence.

[Truncated abstract] This thesis describes various synthetic approaches toward the synthesis of highly conjugated complexes incorporating multiple transition metal centres. Particular attention is given to the synthesis of mononuclear complexes that allow for the facile assembly of discrete oligo- and poly-nuclear complexes in a controlled, stepwise fashion. Conjugated multi-metallic materials are of interest on account of their unique photophysical and electronic properties, with a particular emphasis on elucidating the nature of intramolecular communication between multiple metal centres. Chapter 1 provides a survey of these topics and current research efforts in the field. Chapter 2 describes the synthesis of Group-VIII allenylidene complexes incorporating a terminal bipyridyl moiety that provides a site for further coordination. The new compound 9-hydroxy-9-ethynyl-4,5-diazafluorene was synthesised, and reaction of this proligand with a coordinatively unsaturated metal fragment yields the allenylidene complexes [MCl(PnP)2=C=C=(4,5-diazafluoren-9-yl)]PF6 (M = Ru, PnP = dppm, dppe, dmpe; M = Os, PnP = dppm) and [CpRu(dppe)=C=C=(4,5-diazafluoren- 9-yl)]PF6. The dmpe-ligated complex is particularly susceptible to decomposition, though it was possible to obtain partial spectroscopic characterisation in addition to a single-crystal X-ray structural determination. The remaining allenylidene complexes are stable compounds readily characterised by standard spectroscopic and electrochemical means, with the bis(diphosphine) complexes characterised by single crystal X-ray structural determinations. ... Reactions of the proligand with [RuCl(PnP)2]+ (PnP = dppm, dppe) led to the isolation of a product spectroscopically consistent with the formation of the target cationic allenylidene complexes, though the complexes were not readily purified and the identity of the accompanying anion was not elucidated. The new compound 4-hydroxy-4- ethynyl-cyclopentadithiophene was also prepared, though the compound was found to be highly unstable and susceptible to rapid decomposition. The derived allenylidene complexes [RuCl(PnP)2=C=C=(4-cyclopentadithiophene)]PF6 (PnP = dppm, dppe) were isolated in a pure form and the complexes stable toward spontaneous decomposition. The thienyl-derived allenylidene complexes were characterised by spectroscopic and electrochemical techniques, with a single-crystal X-ray structural determination undertaken for [RuCl(dppm)2=C=C=(4-cyclopentaditiophene)]PF6. Electrochemical properties are significantly different between the complexes, and also show significant variation between electrodes and solvents. The terminal thienyl substituents are electroactive and show one or two oxidation processes consistent with oligomerisation of the thienyl moiety in dichloromethane solvent, and in acetonitrile solvent cyclic voltammograms are consistent with the deposition of an electroactive film on the electrode surface. The electro-polymerisation of the thienylallenylidene complexes offers a promising new route toward multi-metallic allenylidene complexes.

Freie Leitungselektronen sind bisher in oxidischen Perowskiten mit Elektronenspinresonanz (ESR) selten beobachtet worden. Meist sind solche Elektronen, insbesondere bei tiefen Temperaturen, an Gitterstörungen gebunden. In akzeptorarmem BaTiO3 ist es gelungen, mit ESR Elektronen zu identifizieren, die auch bei tiefen Temperaturen nicht an Defekte gekoppelt sind. Sie entstehen beim Einbau von Nb5+Ti in das Gitter und lokalisieren sich auf Titan-Platz als Ti3+ Jahn-Teller-Polaronen selbst. Die beiden Gebiete Jahn-Teller-Effekt und Polaronen, die sich bisher weitgehend getrennt voneinander entwickelt haben, werden hier in einer experimentellen Untersuchung vereinigt. Beim Jahn-Teller-Effekt wird eine elektronische Bahn-Entartung durch eine spontane Erniedrigung der Punktsymmetrie aufgehoben. Die Polaronenbildung erfolgt unter Bruch der Translationssymmetrie. Dabei wird die Energie des Systems erniedrigt, indem ein Zustand unter die quasi-entarteten Bandzustande abgesenkt wird. Beim System Ti3+ treten beide Effekte gleichzeitig auf: Die nach Lokalisierung eines freien Elektrons an Titan aus dem Leitungsband auftretende Bahn-Entartung des resultierenden T2-Grundzustandes wird durch einen Jahn-Teller-Effekt aufgehoben. Es bildet sich ein sogenanntes Jahn-Teller-Polaron. Als Vorbereitung der experimentellen Untersuchungen an Jahn-Teller- Polaronen dienen ESR-Messungen an verschiedenen reinen Jahn-Teller-Systemen in BaTiO3 (Mo5+, Ni+, Rh2+). Im Gegensatz zu einem Polaron ist das durch eine Störstelle im Kristall hervorgerufene Potential schon vorhanden, bevor dort ein Ladungsträger eingefangen wird. Beim Polaron bewirkt die Anwesenheit des Ladungsträgers selbst die Bildung einer Potentialmulde. Man spricht daher von Selbsteingrabung. Die untersuchten Jahn-Teller-Zentren reagieren auf äußeren uniaxialen Druck mit einer Reorientierung: Die spontan erfolgten Jahn-Teller-Verzerrungen werden entlang der Druckachse ausgerichtet. Auch beim Jahn-Teller-Polaron ist diese Reorientierung zu beobachten. Die Jahn-Teller-Kopplung ist jedoch schwächer als die des isoelektronischen Zentrums Mo5+ (4d1 ). Aufgrund der Äquivalenz aller Titan-Plätze im Kristall ist das ungepaarte Elektron an Ti3+ stärker auf seine Nachbarn delokalisiert als im Fall des Mo5+. Es wird gezeigt, daß eine delokalisierte Wellenfunktion schwächer an das Gitter ankoppelt als eine lokalisierte und daher eine schwächere Jahn-Teller-Kopplung aufweist. Es treten kleine und intermediäre Jahn-Teller-Polaronen gleichzeitig auf. BaTiO3 besitzt die Tendenz, breite Polaronenbänder zu bilden. Polaronen in diesem Material zeigen daher die Tendenz zur Delokalisierung, d. h. sie sind über mehr als einen Gitterplatz ausgedehnt und werden als intermediär bezeichnet. Eine Lokalisierung auf einen Gitterplatz, also ein kleines Polaron, bildet sich nur bei Anwesenheit von lokalen Potentialfluktuationen aus (Anderson-Lokalisierung). Unter uniaxialem Druck erfolgt eine Verringerung dieser Fluktuationen durch die Reorientierung, und ein Übergang vom kleinen zum intermediären Polaron wird beobachtet.

In the context of the search and tuning for novel magnetic materials, transition metal compounds exhibit remarkable features where the spin-orbit interaction is crucial. The collective interactions between various effects, like spins and charges, create different classes of unique magnetic systems. For heavy transition-metal compounds, the strength of spin-orbital coupling is enhanced. The jeff. = 1/2 Mott insulating state emerges from the combination of the spin-orbit interaction and the electronic correlations. The quantum-chemistry methods are employed in this thesis to investigate single- and two-site magnetic interactions of the selected transition-metal compounds. We also provide different estimations for the single- and two-site magnetic interactions based on the level of calculation accuracy. In this thesis, we apply ab initio quantum-chemistry methods to explore the electronic and magnetic properties of several d/f compounds. The thesis structure is as follows: In Chapter 1, the introduction of the thesis provides a short discussion of the electronic correlations and magnetism in transition metal compounds. In Chapter 2, the fundamentals of the quantum chemistry wavefunction-based approach are covered. This chapter gives an overview of the applied methods in this thesis. In Chapter 3, we discuss the quantum chemistry approach to investigate the material candidates to host Kitaev physics. The technique to obtain the strength of two-site magnetic couplings, including the Kitaev coupling, is discussed in-depth. In Chapter 4, we apply the technique, which is described in Chapter 3, to investigate the two-site magnetic interactions in the H3LiIr2O6, and Cu2IrO2 compounds as Kitaev candidates. The two-site magnetic couplings are reported in these compounds. In Chapter 5, we use quantum chemistry methods to investigate the on-site electronic and magnetic properties in the KCeO2 compound where 4f1 Ce3+ ions form a triangular two-dimensional lattice with sites of effective spin-1/2. Similar ytterbiumbased delafossites had been investigated as candidates for quantum spin liquid ground states. The absence of ordinary magnetic order is characteristic of quantum spinliquid states where quantum entanglements and fractionalized excitations are enriched. In Chapter 6, the magnetic properties of Co 3d8 ions doped in the Li3N crystalline solid are discussed. The results of the quantum chemistry investigation are been set side by side along with the experiment’s results. The Co ion in such a rare environment gives rise to single-site magnetism of an easy-plane anisotropy.:Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv List of Figures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vi Abstract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .i Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .iii 1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 1.1 Electronic correlations and magnetism in transition metal compounds ...........1 1.2 Thesis outline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 2 Quantum chemistry methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 2.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 2.2 Many-electron Hartree-Fock approximation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 2.3 Multi-configurational self-consistent field and multi-reference configuration methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 2.4 Spin-orbit interaction and g-factors calculation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 2.5 Embedded cluster approach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 2.6 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 3 Quantum chemistry investigation of Kitaev material candidates . . . . . . . . . . .21 3.1 Introduction to the Kitaev model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 3.2 Kitaev materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 3.3 Two-site quantum chemistry calculations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 3.4 Effective Model of Two Spin-1/2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 3.5 Non-canonical correspondence between two-site QC results and the effective Hamiltonian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 3.6 Pseudospin coordinate system and canonical correspondence between two-site QC results and the effective Hamiltonian . . . . . . . . . . . 51 3.7 Signs of the g-tensor in the Kitaev limit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 3.8 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 4 Kitaev material candidates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 4.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 4.2 Details of QC calculations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 4.3 QC investigation of H3LiIr2O6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 4.4 QC investigation of Cu2IrO3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 4.5 Impact of local symmetries on the obtained sets of magnetic couplings ......... 82 4.6 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 5 Ce ions in two-dimensional triangular spin-1/2 lattices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 5.1 Spin-1/2 frustrated triangular lattice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 5.2 Correlated 4f -compounds as frustrated triangular lattices . . . . . . 94 5.3 Crystal structure of KCeO2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 5.4 QC results for the electronic structure of Ce3+ ions in KCeO2 . . . . 100 5.5 The competition of SOC and crystal field splittings in KCeO2 . . . . 102 5.6 Chapter summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 6 Co-ion substitutes with linear coordination in Li3N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 6.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 6.2 Crystal structure of Li2(Li(1−x)Cox)N and spectroscopic measurements .......112 6.3 QC computational details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 6.4 Ab initio QC investigation of the Co+ 3d8 electronic structure doped into Li3N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 6.5 Chapter summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135

A new approach to the discovery of high absorbing semiconductors for solar cells was taken by working under a set of design principles and taking a systemic methodology. Three transition metal chalcogenides at varying states of development were evaluated within this framework. Iron pyrite (FeS���) is well known to demonstrate excellent absorption, but the coexistence with metallic iron sulfides was found to disrupt its semiconducting properties. Manganese diselenide (MnSe���), a material heavily researched for its magnetic properties, is proposed as a high absorbing alternative to iron pyrite that lacks destructive impurity phases. For the first time, a MnSe��� thin film was synthesized and the optical properties were characterized. Finally, CuTaS���, a known but never characterized material, is also proposed as a high absorbing semiconductor based on the design principles and experimental results. / Graduation date: 2013

Metallohydrolases with dinuclear-zinc active sites perform many important biological hydrolytic reactions on a variety of substrates. In this regard, metallo-β-lactamases (mβ1, class B) represent a unique subset of zine hydrolases that hydrolyze the β-lactam ring in several antibiotics. The antibiotic resistance that results from this hydrolysis is becoming an increased threat for the clinical community. These metalloenzymes can hydrolyze a wide range of β-lactam substrates, such as cephamycins and imipenem that are generally resistant t the serine-containing β-lactamases. Therefore, the clinical application of the entire range of antibiotics is severely compromised in bacteria that produce mβls. Due to the lack of information on the mechanism of mβls, to-date, no clinically known inhibitors is there for mβls. In this present study, we synthesized several mono and dizinc complexes as models for the mβls and investigated the differences in their hydrolytic properties. This study supports the assumption that the second zinc in the dinuclear enzymes does not directly involve in the catalysis, but may orient the substrates for hydrolysis and the basic amino acid residues such as Asp and His may activate the zinc-bound water molecules, fulfilling the role of the second zinc in the mononuclear enzymes. The effect of various side chains on the hydrolysis of some commonly used cephalosporin antibiotics by mβl from B.cereus is described. It is shown that the cephalosporins having heterocyclic thiol side chains are more resistance to mβl-mediated hydrolysis than the antibiotics that do not have such side chains. This is partly due to the inhibition of enzyme activity by the thiol moieties eliminated during the hydrolysis. It is also observed that the heterocyclic side chains in pure form inhibit the lactamase activity of mβl as well as its synthetic mimics. The mode of binding of these heterocyclic side chains to the zinc has been analyzed from the crystal structure of the tetranuclear zinc complexes. The theoretical studies suggest that the eliminated heterocyclic thiols undergo a rapid tautomerism to produce the corresponding thiones. These thiones are found to irreversibly inhibit the LPO-catalyzed iodination reaction. The reaction of various thiones with I2 leads to the formation of thione-iodine complexes similar to that of the most commonly used antithyroid drug methimazole(MMI). These observations suggest that some of the latest generation of antibiotics may show negative effects on thyroid gland upon hydrolysis. Synthetic organophosphorus compounds have been used extensively as pesticides and petroleum additives. These compounds are very toxic to mammals and their widespread use in agriculture leads to serious environmental problems. Therfore, degradation of organophosphorus trimesters and remediation of associated contaminated sites are of worldwide concern. In this regards, the bacterial phsophotriesterase (PTE) enzyme plays an important role in degrading a wide range of organophosphorus esters and the active side of PTE has been shown to be very similar to that of mβl. This identification prompted us to check the hydrolysis of phosphotriesters by the mβl and its mimics. It has been observed that the dinuclear zine(II) complexes that do not allow a strong binding of phosphodiestes would be a better PTE mimics.

Early transition metal oxide clusters have been a focus of study for several years. The production of vanadium oxide cluster anions in a pulsed helium flow reactor provides a relatively precise way of introducing defect sites and controlling the oxidation state of the vanadium atoms. The composition of the clusters can be changed from the V2O5 stoichiometry, where the vanadium atom is in a +5 oxidation state, to more reduced stoichiometries yielding a mixture of oxidation states containing atoms in the +2 oxidation state. The subsequent addition of reactant gases such as H2O and SO2 yields very intense adsorption reactions as well as a demonstration of the robustness of particular defect free clusters. For example, the cluster has been identified as a defect free cluster where all vanadium atoms are in the +5 oxidation state and all oxygen atoms are predicted to be in the 2- state. The cluster has been shown to not adsorb SO2- while clusters in a reduced oxidation state, such as and readily adsorb one or more SO2 molecules. The adsorption process has been shown to be size dependent, with the smallest monovanadium oxide anions being the most reactive.