In this study, we present a combined density functional theory and many-body perturbation theory study on the electronic and optical properties of TiO(2) brookite as well as the tetragonal phases rutile and anatase. The electronic structure and linear optical response have been calculated from the Kohn-Sham band structure applying (semi)local as well as nonlocal screened hybrid exchange-correlation density functionals. Single-particle excitations are treated within the GW approximation for independent quasiparticles. For optical response calculations, two-particle excitations have been included by solving the Bethe-Salpeter equation for Coulomb correlated electron-hole pairs. On this methodological basis, gap data and optical spectra for the three major phases of TiO(2) are provided. The common characteristics of brookite with the rutile and anatase phases, which have been discussed more comprehensively in the literature, are highlighted. Furthermore, the comparison of the present calculations with measured optical response data of rutile indicate that discrepancies discussed in numerous earlier studies are due to the measurements rather than related to an insufficient theoretical description.

We present scanning tunneling microscopy results which reveal the existence of two distinct hydrogen dimer states on graphite basal planes. Density functional theory calculations allow us to identify the atomic structure of these states and to determine their recombination and desorption pathways. Direct recombination is only possible from one of the two dimer states. This results in increased stability of one dimer species and explains the puzzling double peak structure observed in temperature programmed desorption spectra for hydrogen on graphite.

We present scanning tunneling microscopy experiments and density functional theory calculations which reveal a unique mechanism for the formation of hydrogen adsorbate clusters on graphite surfaces. Our results show that diffusion of hydrogen atoms is largely inactive and that clustering is a consequence of preferential sticking into specific adsorbate structures. These surprising findings are caused by reduced or even vanishing adsorption barriers for hydrogen in the vicinity of already adsorbed H atoms on the surface and point to a possible novel route to interstellar H2 formation.

Self-assembly of adsorbed organic molecules is a promising route towards functional surface nano-architectures, and our understanding of associated dynamic processes has been significantly advanced by several scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) investigations. Intramolecular degrees of freedom are widely accepted to influence ordering of complex adsorbates, but although molecular conformation has been identified and even manipulated by STM, the detailed dynamics of spontaneous conformational change in adsorbed molecules has hitherto not been addressed. Molecular surface structures often show important stereochemical effects as, aside from truly chiral molecules, a large class of so-called prochiral molecules become chiral once confined on a surface with an associated loss of symmetry. Here, we investigate a model system in which adsorbed molecules surprisingly switch between enantiomeric forms as they undergo thermally induced conformational changes. The associated kinetic parameters are quantified from time-resolved STM data whereas mechanistic insight is obtained from theoretical modelling. The chiral switching is demonstrated to enable an efficient channel towards formation of extended homochiral surface domains. Our results imply that appropriate prochiral molecules may be induced (for example, by seeding) to assume only one enantiomeric form in surface assemblies, which is of relevance for chiral amplification and asymmetric heterogenous catalysis.

We present first-principle calculations which reveal the existence of low-barrier routes to molecular hydrogen formation on the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon ( PAH ) molecule coronene via Eley-Rideal abstraction reactions and show that such processes could indeed be active under interstellar conditions. The calculations indicate that in regions of low UV flux, coronene, and larger PAHs might be found in superhydrogenated states. Furthermore, the calculations imply that not only edge carbon atoms but also carbon atoms on the inner rings of the coronene molecule can be hydrogenated. Such superhydrogenated PAHs are expected to exhibit significantly changed absorption and emission spectra.