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International audience; A periodic ab initio Hartme-Fock method has been used to evaluate a number of electronic and structural properties of MgHs. The calculated quantities are the equilibrium lattice parameters, the cohesive energy, the elastic constants, the energy-band struo ture, the density of' states, the electronic charge distribution and the Compton profiles. For the two former properties correlation effects are taken into account and improve the agreement with the experimental data.The strongly but not fitlly ionic character of MgHs is confirmed by the present study.

Imines obtained by condensation of 4-hydroxybenzohydrazide with aliphatic ketones are a rare example of a class of compounds showing a remarkable tendency to crystallize in acentric polar space groups (Pna21 or Cc). In fact, all of the (seven) compounds studied up to now show at least one polar polymorph. In some cases, polymorphism was detected, and a nonpolar centrosymmetric phase was also identified (P21/c or P21/n space group). With the aim to disclose the conditions that can favor the formation of acentric structures in molecular crystals, we report, in this paper, a theoretical analysis (ab initio density functional theory with periodic boundary) of the lattice energy and density of all the packing modes observed in the whole set of imines. The computational analysis has been performed by optimizing each compound in its own experimental packings (actual crystal structures) and also in the packings of the other compounds of the class (virtual structures). The experimental crystallographic data and the theoretical analysis suggest that two conformers, basically differing for the orientation of the phenolic H atom in the plane of the phenyl ring, compete, in solution, for the formation of polar or centrosymmetric packings. The transitions between polar and centrosymmetric polymorphs are of diffusive type, and single crystals are not preserved, while the transitions between different polar polymorphs can be of single-crystal-to-single-crystal type.

In this work, the GLOB model, an effective and reliable computational approach well suited for ab initio and QM/MM molecular dynamics simulations of complex molecular systems in solution, has been applied to study two representative open-shell systems, the cobalt(II) ion and the glycine radical in aqueous solution, with special reference to their structural and magnetic properties. The main structural features of the solvent cage around the cobalt ion and the hydrogen bonding patterns around the neutral and zwitterionic forms of the glycine radical have been investigated in some detail. The general good agreement with experiments supports the use of the present model to investigate more challenging and biological/technological relevant open-shell systems.

The present study discusses the main features of the two programs CRYSTAL and EMBED developed for the ab initio study of the electronic properties of perfect periodic structures and of crystals with local defects, respectively. After a brief historical introduction, the structure of CRYSTAL is outlined and some specific aspects are discussed in detail: the use of local basis functions, the way of dealing with the Coulomb and the exchange series, the exploitation of point symmetry, the possibility to adopt either the Hartree–Fock approach or one among a variety of Kohn–Sham Hamiltonians. The present capabilities of the program are illustrated by a survey of selected applications from existing literature. Information is provided concerning work in progress aimed at removing some of the limitations of the code and improving its performance. The characteristics of EMBED are analyzed with emphasis given to the critical aspects of the method: limits of validity of the fundamental approximation on which the embedding technique relies, problems of convergence of the self-consistent procedure; and the delicate issue of the estimate of the defect formation energy. Again, a critical survey of applications clarifies the capabilities of the code. The envisaged improvements to be introduced in a forthcoming release of EMBED are presented. The present and prospective role of the two programs in the field of computational studies of condensed matter problems is outlined. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quant Chem 77: 1032–1048, 2000

By using the CRYSTAL95 program, ab initio periodic Hartree-Fock (PHF) calculations with the full potential and 6-21G* basis set are applied to interpretation of scanning tunneling microscope (STM) images on hexagonal graphite. Our results show asymmetry similar to the experimental and previous pseudopotential calculations. The dominant feature is the deep hollow in the middle of the carbon hexagon. The three carbon atoms that do not have a neighbor in the second layer appear as small hills, the other three with neighbors in the second layer simply appear as saddle points. Our calculation has been successfully used to reproduce experimental features such as the effect of increasing the magnitude of the bias voltage and the effect of increasing the tip-to-surface separation.

The capabilities of the CRYSTAL14 program are presented, and the improvements made with respect to the previous CRYSTAL09 version discussed. CRYSTAL14 is an ab initio code that uses a Gaussian-type basis set: both pseudopotential and all-electron strategies are permitted; the latter is not much more expensive than the former up to the first-second transition metal rows of the periodic table. A variety of density functionals is available, including as an extreme case Hartree-Fock; hybrids of various nature (global, range-separated, double) can be used. In particular, a very efficient implementation of global hybrids, such as popular B3LYP and PBE0 prescriptions, allows for such calculations to be performed at relatively low computational cost. The program can treat on the same grounds zero-dimensional (molecules), one-dimensional (polymers), two-dimensional (slabs), as well as three-dimensional (3D; crystals) systems. No spurious 3D periodicity is required for low-dimensional systems as happens when plane-waves are used as a basis set. Symmetry is fully exploited at all steps of the calculation; this permits, for example, to investigate nanotubes of increasing radius at a nearly constant cost (better than linear scaling!) or to perform self-consistent-field (SCF) calculations on fullerenes as large as (10,10), with 6000 atoms, 84,000 atomic orbitals, and 20 SCF cycles, on a single core in one day. Three versions of the code exist, serial, parallel, and massive-parallel. In the second one, the most relevant matrices are duplicated, whereas in the third one the matrices in reciprocal space are distributed for diagonalization. All the relevant vectors are now dynamically allocated and deallocated after use, making CRYSTAL14 much more agile than the previous version, in which they were statically allocated. The program now fits more easily in low-memory machines (as many supercomputers nowadays are). CRYSTAL14 can be used on parallel machines up to a high number of cores (benchmarks up to 10,240 cores are documented) with good scalability, the main limitation remaining the diagonalization step. Many tensorial properties can be evaluated in a fully automated way by using a single input keyword: elastic, piezoelectric, photoelastic, dielectric, as well as first and second hyperpolarizabilies, electric field gradients, Born tensors and so forth. Many tools permit a complete analysis of the vibrational properties of crystalline compounds. The infrared and Raman intensities are now computed analytically and related spectra can be generated. Isotopic shifts are easily evaluated, frequencies of only a fragment of a large system computed and nuclear contribution to the dielectric tensor determined. New algorithms have been devised for the investigation of solid solutions and disordered systems. The topological analysis of the electron charge density, according to the Quantum Theory of Atoms in Molecules, is now incorporated in the code via the integrated merge of the TOPOND package. Electron correlation can be evaluated at the Moller-Plesset second-order level (namely MP2) and a set of double-hybrids are presently available via the integrated merge with the CRYSCOR program. (C) 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Semicarbazides of p-substituted benzoic acids are a class of simple molecules endowed with H-bonding donor and acceptor groups capable of forming H-bonded rows along three linearly independent directions (orthogonal H-bonding synthons). When the acceptor group at the para position is strong (–NO2, –CN, –N=) the same crystal packing is observed, in which three linearly independent chains are formed, and the lattice parameters are easily predictable. In the case of halogen atoms at the para position (–F, –Cl) two different packings are observed in which only one or two H-bonded chains are present. Through ab initio periodic DFT-LCAO computations, we have calculated the lattice energy and density of each semicarbazide in each of the three packings, constructing the matrices Uij and ρij of the lattice energy and density. It is found that all of the different modes of packing observed experimentally for single members of the class correspond to minima of the lattice energy and to acceptable lattice densities for every member of the class.

The wave functions of boron, aluminium and gallium phosphides have been calculated at both the Hartree - Fock and local density approximation levels using the ab initio linear combination of atomic orbitals method implemented in the program CRYSTAL. The Mulliken populations, bandstructure, electron charge densities, and structure factors are evaluated and compared. The chemical bonds are mainly covalent, as revealed by the difference electron charge-density maps obtained by subtracting from the total densities the superposition of the spherical atomic densities. A charge-density accumulation between the nearest neighbours slightly shifted towards the phosphorus appears in the AlP and GaP compounds, whereas an opposite charge transfer from phosphorus to boron is observed in boron phosphide from the Mulliken population analysis.

The hydrate crystal lithium hydroxide monohydrate LiOH.H2O has been studied by ab initio periodic Hartree-Fock calculations. The influence of the crystalline environment on the local molecular properties (molecular geometry, atomic charges, electron density, molecular vibrations and deuterium quadrupole coupling constants) of the water molecule, the lithium and hydroxide ions has been calculated. A number of crystalline bulk properties are also presented, optimized crystalline structure, lattice energy and electronic band structure. The optimized cell parameters from calculations with a large basis set of triple-zeta quality differ by only 1-3% from the experimental neutron-determined cell, whereas the STO-3g basis set performs poorly (differences of 5-10%). With the triple-zeta basis also the atomic positions and intermolecular distances agree very well with the experiment. The lattice energy differs by approximately 8% from the experimental value, and by at most 3% when a density-functional electron correlation correction is applied. Large electron-density rearrangements occur in the water molecule and in the hydrogen bond and are in qualitative and quantitative agreement with experimental X-ray diffraction results. The quadrupole-coupling constants of the water and hydroxide deuterium atoms are found to be very sensitive to the O-H bond length and are in good agreement with experimental values when the calculation is based on the experimental structure. The anharmonic O-H stretching vibrations in the crystal are presented and found to be very close to results from calculations on molecular clusters. The electronic band and density-of-states spectra are discussed. Model calculations on a hydrogen fluoride chain were used to rationalize the results.

Calculations are reported of the enthalpies of mixing of MnO/MgO and NiO/MgO based on temperature-dependent lattice statics and dynamics and ab initio periodic Hartree-Fock methodology with a posteriori corrections for electron correlation derived from density-functional theory. For MnO/MgO both methodologies predict enthalpies of mixing that are close to those reported by Hahn and Muan (J. Phys. Chem. Solids, 1961, 19, 338). For NiO/MgO, on the other hand, classical simulations predict positive deviations from ideality in contrast to Hartree-Fock calculations which predict small negative deviations in agreement with the experimental data of Davies and Navrotsky (J. Solid State Chem., 1981, 38, 264).

The static structural properties and B1-B2 phase transition of SrO were calculated at an ab initio level within the Hartree-Fock (HF) approximation using the effective core potential. The HF data were corrected a posteriori by integrating the HF charge density according to the correlation---only gradient-density-functional formulas proposed by Colle and Salvetti [Theor. Chim. Acta 37, 329 (1975)] and by Perdew [J. P. Perdew, Electronic Structure of Solids, edited by P. Ziesche and H. Eschring (Akademie Verlag, Berlin, in press)]. The HF binding energy, structural parameters, lattice parameter, bulk modulus, and elastic constants are in reasonable agreement with experiment. The correlation correction brings the binding energy into better agreement with the experiment. The transition pressure between B1 and B2 phases is in good agreement with the experimental value at the HF level, whereas it is corrected poorly by the addition of an a posteriori correlation correction.

MgCl(2) is the preferred support for the industrial Ziegler-Natta catalysts, and is believed to act as a template for the epitactic chemisorption of the active Ti species. As the first step of a thorough computational modeling of these systems, we studied the bulk and surface structure of the ordered alpha and beta phases of MgCl(2) by means of periodic DFT (B3LYP) methods using localized basis sets. The layer structure of both phases was reproduced satisfactorily with the inclusion of a (small) empirical dispersion correction ("DFT-D") as a practical method to describe the attraction between the layers. Surface models were studied on slabs with adequate thickness. It appears that various surfaces exposing 5-coordinated Mg are very similar in energy and are the lowest non-trivial surfaces. Cuts exposing 4-coordinated Mg are significantly less stable; both kinetic and equilibrium models of crystal growth indicate that they should normally not be formed to a significant extent. "Nano-ribbons" of single, flat chains of MgCl(2), sometimes proposed as components of the disordered delta phase, were also evaluated, but are predicted to be unstable to rearrangement. Implications for the role of MgCl(2) as catalyst support are discussed.

The atomic and electronic structure of the Ag/MgO(100) interface are calculated by means of the ab initio Hartree-Fock approach combined with a supercell model. The electronic density distribution and the interface binding energy/distance are analyzed for different Ag adsorption positions, slabs of different thicknesses and varying Ag surface coverage. It is demonstrated that the adhesion energy arises mainly due to the electrostatic interaction of substrate atoms with a complicated charge redistribution in the metal layer(s), characterized by large quadrupole moments as well as electron density redistribution towards bridge and hollow positions between the nearest and next-nearest Ag atoms. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.

Density functional theory is taken into account to correct ‘a posteriori’ the total energy calculated with ab initio Hartree-Fock theory. Two models are adopted: the first one is the local density approximation parametrized by Ceperley and Alder while the second one is non-local and corresponds to the formulation proposed by Perdew. The changes in physical properties of ionic sulfide compounds (equilibrium geometry, formation energy, elastic constants, phase transition B1 → B3 in MgS and surface relaxation) associated with the electronic correlation are evaluated.

The layered mineral brucite Mg(OH${)}_{2}$ is investigated theoretically using an ab initio all-electron linear combination of atomic orbitals Hartree-Fock (HF) approximation. At the HF level, the interlayer interaction is weak and the interlayer distance is larger than the experimental one. Bonding is discussed on the basis of density of states and charge-density maps. No hydrogen bond is characterized. A posteriori correction of the energy for the correlation error is performed by use of the functional approach. The three semilocal functional formulas used yield similar results. This brings in extra interlayer bonding interaction, and yields a calculated geometry in agreement with experiments. The analysis of the interlayer bondings shows that it is mainly of dispersion type, and that the used functionals account for dispersion, in particular at short interatomic distances.

The structural properties and the phase transition between the B1 (rock salt) and B2 (CsCl) phases of NaCl have been investigated at an ab initio level. Total energy curves, obtained with periodic Hartree-Fock (HF) calculations, have been corrected a posteriori by integrating the HF charge density according to the correlation-only density-functional-like formulae proposed by Colle and Salvetti (CS75) in 1975 and by Perdew in 1986 (P86) and 1991 (P91). The three functionals are 'non-local', containing terms that depend on the gradient of the electronic density. The correlation correction brings the HF data for the lattice energy (LE), lattice parameter (a(o)) and bulk modulus (B) into good agreement with experiment, the best performance being obtained with the most recent functional, P91 (the percentage error is +0.3%, -0.5% and +5.6% respectively for LE, a(o) and B). The HF transition pressure (39.2GPa) is slightly modified by the CS75 correction (37.2); P86 and P91 functionals reduce the computed value to 30.1 GPa and 28.9 GPa respectively, in better agreement with experiment (30 GPa).

Corundum, or alpha-Al2O3, is investigated at the ab initio periodic Hartree-Fock LCAO level using the program CRYSTAL. A split valence 6-21G basis set is adopted, and the influence of d polarization functions is explored. The four geometrical parameters of the unit cell are optimized, the difference with respect to the experimental data always being less than 1%. The electric field gradient tensor at both nuclei (Al and O) is calculated; agreement with the experimental data is quite satisfactory. Band structure, density of stages and charge density maps are also given. The resulting electronic structure is highly ionic.

The electronic structure of crystalline urea (two molecules, 16 atoms per unit cell) is investigated at an ab initio level with CRYSTAL, a Hartree–Fock linear combination of atomic orbitals (LCAO) program for periodic systems. The influence of the basis set and of the computational parameters which control the treatment of the Coulomb and exchange series and the reciprocal space integration is documented; results include total and interaction energy, Mulliken analysis data and interaction (solid minus molecules) density maps, band structure, and density of states. The crystal field modifies the electronic structure of the isolated molecule, the main effect being an increase in the ionicity of bonds. The interaction energy obtained with a 6‐21** basis set is 28 kcal/mol, (16 kcal/mol after a correction of the basis set superposition error by using the counterpoise method) to be compared with 21±0.5 kcal/mol from experiment. This preliminary application shows that accurate ab initio calculations of hydrogen...

The regular adsorption of CO at various concentrations on an infinite three-layer slab of LiF has been studied by using the CRYSTAL ab initio program. The CO molecules are adsorbed vertically above the surface cations by purely electrostatic attraction counterbalanced by the Pauli repulsion. The induced polarization has been analysed through the changes occurring in the molecular orbitals of the adsorbed species. The adsorption via the oxygen atom appears to be preferred, which contradicts IR experimental data. Such contradiction arises from the correlation error in the Hartree-Fock SCF method which is applied in the CRYSTAL program. Consideration of simple correlated clusters enables a semi-quantitative evaluation which additively corrects the above contradictory results.

Three different crystal phases of magnesium oxide [B1 (NaCl), B2 (CsCl), and B${8}_{1}$ (inverse NiAs)] are investigated theoretically. An ab initio all-electron linear combination of atomic orbitals Hartree-Fock approximation is adopted; extended basis sets are used which have been variationally optimized in each case. In ordinary conditions, the B${8}_{1}$ and B2 structures result less stable with respect to the rocksalt structure by 0.44 and 1.77 eV, respectively. With increasing pressure, the transition B1\ensuremath{\rightarrow}B2 is estimated to occur around 2.2 Mbar, while it is not excluded that a pressure interval exists around 2 Mbar where the B${8}_{1}$ phase is the most stable of the three structures. Data on the electronic properties of the three phases are provided and discussed: Mulliken populations, charge-density distribution, electron momentum distribution and anisotropy, magnesium core deformation, and band structure.

The electronic structure of corundum (α-Al 2 O 3 ) is calculated at the ab initio Hartree-Fock level. Cohesive energy, total and projected densities of states, atomic multipoles, bond populations and electron charge density distribution maps are given. The oxygen-aluminium bond is found to be partially covalent in nature; the atomic charges are −0.73 e and +1.09 e for O and Al respectively.

The MgO(001) surface has been studied with an ab initio Hartree-Fock crystalline orbital LCAO program. An optimized basis set containing nine atomic orbitals (three s and six p) per atom has been used. The semi-infinite crystal has been simulated by a slab containing three planes (six atoms per cell). In agreement with the most recent LEED experiments, no relaxation is found and the “rumpling” is very small (1% of the nearest neighbour separation in the bulk). The analysis of the electron charge distribution and of the ion multipoles shows that the fully ionic character found for the bulk is maintained at the surface, and that the anion deformation is very small. A surface energy of 1.43 J/m 2 was obtained.

Ab initio Hartree-Fock calculations of the (0001) and (1010) crystal faces of α-alumina have been performed using a slab model and taking full account of two-dimensional periodicity. Surface relaxation, surface formation energy, Mulliken populations, charge density maps, and densities of states are obtained and discussed. The validity of the slab model is discussed by analyzing the dependence of results on slab thickness.