Performance of van der Waals DFT approaches for helium diffraction on metal surfaces

Marcos del Cueto, Reinhard Maurer, Amjad Al Taleb, Daniel Farias, Fernando Martin and Cristina Diaz, J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 31, 135901 (2019).

"The ability of the different approaches proposed to date to include the effects of van der Waals (vdW) dispersion forces in density functional theory (DFT) is currently under debate. Here, we used the diffraction of He on a Ru(0001) surface as a challenging benchmark system to analyze the suitability of several representative approaches, from the ones correcting the exchange-correlation generalized gradient approximation (GGA) functional, to the ones correcting the DFT energies through pairwise-based methods. To perform our analysis, we have built seven continuous potential energy surfaces (PESs) and carried out quantum dynamics simulations using a multi-configuration time-dependent Hartree (MCTDH) method. Our analysis reveals that standard DFT within the PBE-GGA framework, although it overestimates diffraction probabilities, yields the best results in comparison with available experimental measurements."

Adhesion, forces and the stability of interfaces

Robin Guttmann, Johannes Hoja, Christoph Lechner, Reinhard J. Maurer, and Alexander F. Sax, Beilstein J. Org. Chem., 15, 106–129. (2019)

"Weak molecular interactions (WMI) are responsible for processes such as physisorption; they are essential for the structure and stability of interfaces, and for bulk properties of liquids and molecular crystals. For a long time, dispersion was largely ignored in chemistry, attractive intermolecular interactions were nearly exclusively attributed to electrostatic interactions. We discuss the importance of dispersion interactions for the stabilization in systems that are traditionally explained in terms of the “special interactions” mentioned above."

https://www.beilstein-journals.org/s/eDT9bbVnb5

Hot-electron effects during reactive scattering of H2 from Ag(111): assessing the sensitivity to initial conditions, coupling magnitude, and electronic temperature

Yaolong Zhang, Reinhard J. Maurer, Hua Guo and Bin Jiang, Faraday Discuss. 214, 105-121 (2019)

"Using molecular dynamics simulations with electronic friction, we systematically study the effect of hot electrons on measurable state-to-state scattering probabilities of molecular hydrogen from a (111) surface of silver. We find that dynamic scattering results and the ensuing energy loss are highly sensitive to the magnitude of electronic friction."

Hot-electron effects during reactive scattering of H2 from Ag(111): the interplay between mode-specific electronic friction and the potential energy landscape

Y.Zhang, R.J.Maurer, H.Guo, B.Jiang, Chem. Sci. 10, 1089-1097 (2019)

"The breakdown of the Born-Oppenheimer approximation gives rise to nonadiabatic effects in gas-surface reactions at metal surfaces. However, for a given reaction, it remains unclear which factors quantitatively determine whether these effects measurably contribute to surface reactivity in catalysis and photo/electrochemistry. Here, we systematically investigate hot electron effects during H2 scattering from Ag(111) using electronic friction theory."

The Structure of VOPc on Cu(111): Does V═O Point Up, or Down, or Both?

P.J.Blowey. R.J.Maurer, L.A.Rochford, D.A.Duncan, J.-H.Kang, D.A.Warr, A.J.Ramadan, T.-L.Lee, P.K.Thakur, G.Constantini, K.Reuter and D.P.Woodruff The Journal of Physical Chemistry C 123, 8101-8111, (2019)

"The local structure of the nonplanar phthalocyanine, vanadyl phthalocyanine (VOPc), adsorbed on Cu(111) at a coverage of approximately one-half of a saturated molecular layer, has been investigated by a combination of normal-incidence X-ray standing waves (NIXSW), scanned-energy mode photoelectron diffraction (PhD), and density-functional theory (DFT), complemented by scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM)."

Computational design of metal-supported molecular switches: Transient ion formation during light- and electron-induced isomerisation of azobenzene

R. J. Maurer and K. Reuter, J. Phys. Condens Matter, DOI:10.1088/1361-648X/aaf0e1 (2018), Invited Article

"Using DFT and linear expansion Delta-Self-Consistent DFT excited-state calculations, we systematically analyse important design parameters that define successful light-induced molecular switching of azobenzene."

Tracking Metal Electrodeposition Dynamics from Nucleation and Growth of a Single Atom to Crystalline Nanoparticle

H. E. M. Hussein, R. J. Maurer, H. Amari, J. J. P. Peters, L. Meng, R. Beanland, M. E. Newton, J. V. Macpherson, ACS Nano 12, pp. 7388-7396 (2018)

"Identical Location Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy and Density Functional Theory calculations give the first account of electrochemically-driven gold deposition with single-atom resolution."

Structure and Stability of Molecular Crystals with Many Body Dispersion Inclusive Density Functional Tight Binding

Majid Mortazavi, Jan Gerit Brandenburg, Reinhard J. Maurer, Alexandre Tkatchenko, J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 9, 399-405 (2018)

"We show the ability of many-body-dispersion-inclusive tight-binding methodology to accurately predict the structure of polymorphic organic molecular crystals."

Electron-Hole-Pair-Induced Vibrational Energy Relaxation of Rhenium Catalysts on Gold Surfaces

Aimin Ge, Benjamin Rudshteyn, Jingyi Zhu, Reinhard J. Maurer, VIctor S. Batista, and Tianquan Lian, J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 9, 406-412 (2018)

"Using a combination of time-resolved vibrational spectroscopy and Density Functional Theory, we study the vibrational relaxation mechanisms of a metal-adsorbed reduction catalyst."

Mode specific electronic friction in dissociative chemisorption on metal surfaces: H2 on Ag(111)

Reinhard J. Maurer, Bin Jiang, Hua Guo, John C. Tully, Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 256001 (2017)

"Using nonadiabatic ab-initio molecular dynamics, we study how electronic friction affects mode-dependent energy loss and reaction outcomes during dissociative chemisorption of molecular Hydrogen."

Interpretation of X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy in the Presence of Surface Hybridisation

Katharina Diller, Reinhard J. Maurer, Moritz Müller, Karsten Reuter, J. Chem. Phys. 146, 214701 (2017)

Accurate ab-initio core-level spectroscopy simulations of surface-adsorbed molecules reveal the details of surface hybridization.

Ab-initio tensorial electronic friction for molecules on metal surfaces: nonadiabatic vibrational relaxation

Reinhard J. Maurer, Mikhail Askerka, Victor S. Batista, John C. Tully, Phys. Rev. B. 94, 115432 (2016)

We present our efficient and robust ab-initio implementation of tensorial electronic friction and apply it to calculate vibrational lifetimes.

Global structure search for molecules on surfaces: Efficient sampling with curvilinear coordinates

Konstantin Krautgasser, Chiara Panosetti, Dennis Palagin, Karsten Reuter, Reinhard J. Maurer, J. Chem. Phys. 145, 084117 (2016)

We extend our curvilinear coordinate global optimization method to efficiently sample adsorbate structures on surfaces.

Switching of an Azobenzene-Tripod Molecule on Ag(111)

Katharina Scheil, Thiruvancheril G. Gopakumar, Julia Bahrenburg, Friedrich Temps, Reinhard J. Maurer, Karsten Reuter, Richard Berndt, J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 7, 2080-2084 (2016)

We observe and interpret the mechanism of multistate switching of an Azobenzene Tripod on Ag(111) using STM, STS and Density Functional Theory.

Adsorption structures and energetics of molecules on metal surfaces: Bridging experiment and theory

Reinhard J. Maurer, Victor G. Ruiz, Javier Camarillo-Cisneros, Wei Liu, Nicola Ferri, Karsten Reuter, Alexandre Tkatchenko, Prog. Surf. Sci. 91, 72-100 (2016)

By reviewing experiment and calculation data for structures and energies, we compose a benchmark database for molecules on metal surfaces.

Role of Tensorial Electronic Friction in Energy Transfer at Metal Surfaces

Mikhail Askerka, Reinhard J. Maurer, Victor S. Batista, John C. Tully, Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 217601 (2016)
Editor’s Suggestion

We use time-dependent perturbation theory to calculate the full electronic friction tensor and study its relevance in the simulation of dynamics at surfaces.

Charge-Population Based Dispersion Interactions for Molecules and Materials

Martin Stöhr, Georg S. Michelitsch, John C. Tully, Karsten Reuter, Reinhard J. Maurer, J. Chem. Phys., 144, 151101 (2016)

A simple correlation between atomic polarizability and hybridization enables us to couple semi-empirical electronic structure methods with electron density-derived dispersion correction methods.

Thermal and electronic fluctuations of flexible adsorbed molecules: Azobenzene on Ag(111)

Reinhard J. Maurer, Wei Liu, Igor Poltavsky, Thomas Stecher, Harald Oberhofer, Karsten Reuter, Alexandre Tkatchenko, Phys. Rev. Lett., 116, 146101 (2016)

Ab Initio molecular dynamics simulation of the free energy of desorption reveals collective electronic and thermal fluctuations that define the finite-temperature energetics of complex adsorbates.

Dynamics of Spatially Confined Bisphenol A Trimers in a Unimolecular Network on Ag(111)

Julian A. Lloyd, Anthoula C. Papageorgiou, Sybille Fischer, Seung Cheol Oh, Özge Saglam, Katharina Diller, David A. Duncan, Francesco Allegretti, Florian Klappenberger, Martin Stöhr, Reinhard J. Maurer, Karsten Reuter, Joachim Reichert, Johannes V. Barth, Nano Lett., 16, 1884-1889 (2016)

A combination of STM, XPS, NEXAFS experiments, Density Functional Theory and Density Functional Tight-Binding simulations reveals interesting thermally-induced confined dynamics of adsorbates.

Spin manipulation by creation of single-molecule radical cations

S. Karan, N. Li, Y. Zhang, Y. He, I-P. Hong, H. Song, J.-T. Lü, Y. Wang, L. Peng, K. Wu, G. S. Michelitsch, R. J. Maurer, K. Diller, K. Reuter, A. Weissmann, and R. Berndt, Phys. Rev. Lett., 116, 027201 (2016)

We investigate magnetic switching of all-trans-retinoic acid adsorbed on a Au(111) surface using Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Density Functional Theory.

Global materials structure search with chemically-motivated coordinates

C. Panosetti, K. Krautgasser, D. Palagin, K. Reuter, R. J. Maurer, Nano Lett., 15, 8044-8048 (2015)

We define general purpose coordinates which facilitate computational structure search in cluster and material science.

Interfacial charge rearrangement and intermolecular interactions: Density-functional theory study of free-base porphine adsorbed on Ag(111) and Cu(111)

M. Müller, K. Diller, R. J. Maurer, K. Reuter, J. Chem. Phys., 144, 024701 (2016)

We study the interactions and the self-assembly behaviour of Porphine on Ag(111) and Cu(111). We find significant substrate-mediated, and negligible direct lateral interactions.

Coverage-Driven Dissociation of Azobenzene on Cu(111): A Route Towards Defined Surface Functionalization

M. Willenbockel, R. J. Maurer, C. Bronner, M. Schulze, B. Stadtmüller, S. Soubatch, P. Tegeder, K. Reuter, F. S. Tautz, Chem. Commun., 51, 15324-15327 (2015)

Using X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, X-ray Standing Waves and Density Functional Theory we discover a novel route towards surface functionalization by coverage-driven dissociation of Azobenzene on Cu(111)

Thiolate-Bonded Self-Assembled Monolayers on Ni(111): Bonding Strength, Structure and Stability

F. Blobner, P. N. Abufager, R. Han, J. Bauer, D. A. Duncan, R. J. Maurer, K. Reuter, P. Feulner, F. Allegretti, J. Phys. Chem. C., 119, 15455-15468 (2015)

Using X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, NEXAFS and Density Functional Theory we identify the insufficient stability of halogenated self-assembled monolayers on a Ni(111) surface

Many Body Dispersion Effects in the Binding of Adsorbates on Metal Surfaces

R. J. Maurer, V. Ruiz, A. Tkatchenko, J. Chem. Phys., 143, 102808 (2015)

We study the effect of many body dispersion on the geometry and energetics of atoms, molecules and nanostructures adsorbed to a metal surface and find a ubiquitous importance of many body effects to correctly describe adsorbates.

Photoswitching in nanoporous, crystalline solids: an experimental and theoretical study for azobenzene linkers incorporated in MOFs

Z. Wang, L. Heinke, J. Jelic, M. Cakici, M. Dommaschk, R. J. Maurer, H. Oberhofer, S. Grosjean, R. Herges, S. Bräse, K. Reuter, C. Wöll, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 17, 14582-14587 (2015)

Using Density-Functional Theory we identify the reasons for switching or non-switching of azobenzene linkers in metal-organic frameworks

Temperature-dependent templated growth of porphine thin films on the (111) facets of copper and silver

K. Diller, F. Klappenberger, F. Allegretti, A. C. Papagergiou, S. Fischer, D. A. Duncan, R. J. Maurer, J. A. Lloyd, S. Cheol Oh, K. Reuter, J. V. Barth, J. Chem. Phys. 141, 144703 (2014)

Using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, NEXAFS and Density Functional Theory we show the coverage dependent adlayer structure of porphine films

Adsorption of Glucose, Cellobiose, and Cellotetraose onto Cellulose Model Surfaces

J. Hoja, R. J. Maurer, A. F. Sax, J. Phys. Chem. B 118, 9017-9027(2014)

We analyse the interplay of dispersion and hydrogen bonding interactions of small carbohydrates on cellulose surfaces

X-ray standing wave simulations based on Fourier vector analysis as a method to retrieve complex molecular adsorption geometries

G. Mercurio, R. J. Maurer, S. Hagen, F. Leyssner, J. Meyer, P. Tegeder, S. Soubatch, K. Reuter, F. S. Tautz, Front. Phys 2, 2 (2014)

An analysis method of x-ray standing wave data that enables the detailed adsorption geometry of large, complex adsorbates to be retrieved

Broken Symmetry of an Adsorbed Molecular Switch Determined by Scanning Tunneling Spectroscopy

T. G. Gopakumar, T. Davran-Candan, J. Bahrenburg, R. J. Maurer, F. Temps, K. Reuter, R. Berndt, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 52, 11007-11010 (2013)

Using STM and DFT we investigate the reasons for electronic state splitting for an adsorbed molecular switch