A series of functionalized alkanes and/or alkyl alcohols have been prepared and imaged by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) methods on graphite surfaces. The stability of these ordered overlayers has facilitated reproducible collection of STM images at room temperature with submolecular resolution, in most cases allowing identification of individual hydrogen atoms in the alkane chains, but in all cases allowing identification of molecular length features and other aspects of the image that can be unequivocally related to the presence of functional groups in the various molecules of concern. Functional groups imaged in this study include halides (X ) F, Cl, Br, I), amines, alcohols, nitriles, alkenes, alkynes, ethers, thioethers, and disulfides. Except for -Cl and -OH, all of the other functional groups could be distinguished from each other and from -Cl or -OH through an analysis of their STM metrics and image contrast behavior. The dominance of molecular topography in producing the STM images of alkanes and alkanols was established experimentally and also was consistent with quantum chemistry calculations. Unlike the contrast of the methylene regions of the alkyl chains, the STM contrast produced by the various functional groups was not dominated by topographic effects, indicating that variations in local electronic coupling were important in producing the observed STM images of these regions of the molecules. For molecules in which electronic effects overwhelmed topographic effects in determining the image contrast, a simple model is presented to explain the variation in the electronic coupling component that produces the contrast between the various functional groups observed in the STM images. Additionally, the bias dependence of these STM images has been investigated and the contrast vs bias behavior is related to factors involving electron transfer and hole transfer that have been identified as potentially being important in dominating the electronic coupling in molecular electron transfer processes.

Finding suitable solvents remains one of the most elusive challenges in rechargeable, nonaqueous Li-air battery technology. Although ether and amides are identified as stable classes of aprotic solvents against nucleophilic attack by superoxide, many of them are prone to autoxidation under oxygen atmosphere. In this work, we use density functional theory calculations coupled with an implicit solvent model to investigate the autoxidative stability of ether- and N,N-dialkylamide-based solvents. The change in the activation free energy for the C-H bond cleavage by O(2) is consistent with the extent of peroxide production for each class of solvent. Conversely, the thermodynamic stability alone is not sufficient to account for the observed variation in solvent reactivity toward O(2). A detailed understanding of the factors influencing the autoxidative stability provides several strategies for designing molecules with enhanced air/O(2) stability, comparable or superior to that of structurally related hydrocarbons. The mechanism of superoxide-mediated oxidation of hydroperoxides derived from ethers and amides is presented. The degradation mechanism accounts for the primary decomposition products (esters and carboxylates) observed in the Li-air battery with ether-based electrolytes. The identification of solvents having resistance to autoxidation is critical for the development of rechargeable Li-air batteries with long cycle life.

To provide insight and understanding of the thermochemistry underlying hydrocarbon rearrangements on transition metal surfaces, we report systematic studies of hydrocarbon radicals chemisorbed on metal clusters representing the closest packed surfaces of the six second and third row group VIII transition metals. Using first principles quantum mechanics [nonlocal density functional theory with exact HF exchange (B3LYP)], we find that (i) CH 3-m (CH 3 ) m forms one bond to the surface, preferring the on-top site (η 1 ), (ii) CH 2-m (CH 3 ) m forms two bonds to the surface, preferring the bridge site (η 2 ), and (iii) CH 1-m (CH 3 ) m forms three bonds to the surface, preferring the 3-fold site (η 3 ). For all six metals, the adiabatic bond energy is nearly proportional to the number of bonds to the surface, but there are dramatic decreases in the bond energy with successive methyl substitution. Thus from CH 3 to CH 2 CH 3 , CH(CH 3 ) 2 , and C(CH 3 ) 3 , the binding energy decreases by 6, 14, and 23 kcal/mol, respectively (out of ∼50). From CH 2 to CHCH 3 and C(CH 3 ) 2 , the binding energy decreases by 8 and 22 kcal/mol, respectively (out of ∼100). These decreases due to methyl substitution can be understood in terms of steric repulsion with the electrons of the metal surface. For CH to C(CH 3 ), the bond energy decreases by 13 kcal/mol (out of ∼160), which is due to electronic promotion energies. These results are cast in terms of a thermochemical group additivity framework for hydrocarbons on metal surfaces similar to the Benson scheme so useful for gas-phase hydrocarbons. This is used to predict the chemisorption energies of more complex adsorbates.

Recent experiments on the dehydrogenation−aromatization of methane (DHAM) to form benzene using a MoO3/HZSM-5 catalyst stimulated us to examine methane activation by the transition-metal oxide molecules, MO x (M = Cr, Mo, W; x = 1, 2, 3). The present studies use hybrid density functional theory (B3LYP). The reactivity trend is rationalized in terms of changes in the electrophilicity of MO x , the strength of the M−O π bond, and the bonding properties of MO x to methyl or hydrogen as M and x are varied. It is found that σ-bond metathesis to the metal hydride product (H−MO x - 1−OCH3) occurs preferentially over the high oxidation state form (MO3) of the heavier metals, as well as all chromium oxides (CrO x ). Instead, oxidative addition of MO x leading to methyl metal hydride (H−M(O x )−CH3) is more favorable over the low oxidation state of MO x (M = Mo, W, x = 2, 1). In particular, it is found that WO2 can undergo oxidative addition with negligible activation barrier and is predicted to be the most reactive compound of this class toward methane activation. Our finding that MO2 (M = W, Mo) is the best oxidation state for this class of metal oxides toward methane activation suggests that the MO3/HZSM-5 catalysts active in the DHAM reaction may be W and Mo oxycarbides (MO2C2). The formation of such intermediates may be the reason that the experiments find an induction period before the catalyst is active for the desired reaction.