| 1. |
- Ablyasova, Olesya S., et al.
(författare)
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Electronic Structure of the Complete Series of Gas-Phase Manganese Acetylacetonates by X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy
- 2023
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Ingår i: Journal of Physical Chemistry A. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1089-5639 .- 1520-5215. ; 127:34, s. 7121-7131
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Metal centers in transition metal–ligand complexes occur in a variety of oxidation states causing their redox activity and therefore making them relevant for applications in physics and chemistry. The electronic state of these complexes can be studied by X-ray absorption spectroscopy, which is, however, due to the complex spectral signature not always straightforward. Here, we study the electronic structure of gas-phase cationic manganese acetylacetonate complexes Mn(acac)1–3+ using X-ray absorption spectroscopy at the metal center and ligand constituents. The spectra are well reproduced by multiconfigurational wave function theory, time-dependent density functional theory as well as parameterized crystal field and charge transfer multiplet simulations. This enables us to get detailed insights into the electronic structure of ground-state Mn(acac)1–3+ and extract empirical parameters such as crystal field strength and exchange coupling from X-ray excitation at both the metal and ligand sites. By comparison to X-ray absorption spectra of neutral, solvated Mn(acac)2,3 complexes, we also show that the effect of coordination on the L3 excitation energy, routinely used to identify oxidation states, can contribute about 40–50% to the observed shift, which for the current study is 1.9 eV per oxidation state.
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| 2. |
- Couto, Rafael Carvalho, et al.
(författare)
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The carbon and oxygen K-edge NEXAFS spectra of CO
- 2020
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Ingår i: Physical Chemistry, Chemical Physics - PCCP. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 1463-9076 .- 1463-9084. ; 22:28, s. 16215-16223
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present and analyze high resolution near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectra of CO+ at the carbon and oxygen K-edges. The spectra show a wealth of features that appear very differently at the two K-edges. The analysis of these features can be divided into three parts; (i) repopulation transition to the open shell orbital – here the C(1s) or O(1s) to 5σ transition, where the normal core hole state is reached from a different initial state and different interaction than in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy; (ii) spin coupled split valence bands corresponding to C(1s) or O(1s) to π* transitions; (iii) remainder weak and long progressions towards the double ionization potentials containing a manifold of peaks. These parts, none of which has correspondence in NEXAFS spectra of neutral molecules, are dictated by the localization of the singly occupied 5σ orbital, adding a dimension of chemistry to the ionic NEXAFS technique.
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| 3. |
- Ekimova, Maria, et al.
(författare)
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Soft X-ray Spectroscopy of the Amine Group : Hydrogen Bond Motifs in Alkylamine/Alkylammonium Acid-Base Pairs
- 2018
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Ingår i: Journal of Physical Chemistry B. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1520-6106 .- 1520-5207. ; 122:31, s. 7737-7746
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We use N K-edge absorption spectroscopy to explore the electronic structure of the amine group, one of the most prototypical chemical functionalities playing a key role in acid base chemistry, electron donor-acceptor interactions, and nucleophilic substitution reactions. In this study, we focus on aliphatic amines and make use of the nitrogen is core electron excitations to elucidate the roles of N-H sigma* and N-C sigma* contributions in the unoccupied orbitals. We have measured N K-edge absorption spectra of the ethylamine bases EtxNH3-x (x = 0...3; Et- = C2H5-) and the conjugate positively charged ethylammonium cation acids EtyNH4-y+ (y = 0...4; Et- = C2H5-) dissolved in the protic solvents ethanol and water. Upon consecutive exchange of N-H for ethyl-groups, we observe a spectral shift, a systematic decrease of the N K-edge pre-edge peak, and a major contribution in the post edge region for the ethylamine series. Instead, for the ethylammonium ions, the consecutive exchange of N-H for ethyl groups leads to an apparent reduction of pre-edge and post-edge intensities relative to the main-edge band, without significant frequency shifts. Building on findings from our previously reported study on aqueous ammonia and ammonium ions, we can rationalize these observations by comparing calculated N K-edge absorption spectra of free and hydrogen-bonded clusters. Hydrogen bonding interactions lead only to minor spectral effects in the ethylamine series, but have a large impact in the ethylammonium ion series. Visualization of the unoccupied molecular orbitals shows the consecutive change in molecular orbital character from N-H sigma* to N-C sigma* in these alkylamine/alkylammonium ion series. This can act as a benchmark for future studies on chemically more involved amine compounds.
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| 4. |
- Fuller, Franklin D, et al.
(författare)
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Drop-on-demand sample delivery for studying biocatalysts in action at X-ray free-electron lasers
- 2017
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Ingår i: Nature Methods. - : Macmillan Publishers Ltd.. - 1548-7091 .- 1548-7105. ; 14, s. 443-449
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- X-ray crystallography at X-ray free-electron laser sources is a powerful method for studying macromolecules at biologically relevant temperatures. Moreover, when combined with complementary techniques like X-ray emission spectroscopy, both global structures and chemical properties of metalloenzymes can be obtained concurrently, providing insights into the interplay between the protein structure and dynamics and the chemistry at an active site. The implementation of such a multimodal approach can be compromised by conflicting requirements to optimize each individual method. In particular, the method used for sample delivery greatly affects the data quality. We present here a robust way of delivering controlled sample amounts on demand using acoustic droplet ejection coupled with a conveyor belt drive that is optimized for crystallography and spectroscopy measurements of photochemical and chemical reactions over a wide range of time scales. Studies with photosystem II, the phytochrome photoreceptor, and ribonucleotide reductase R2 illustrate the power and versatility of this method.
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| 5. |
- Gopakumar, Geethanjali, 1992-, et al.
(författare)
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X-ray Induced Fragmentation of Protonated Cystine
- 2022
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Ingår i: Journal of Physical Chemistry A. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1089-5639 .- 1520-5215. ; 126:9, s. 1496-1503
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We demonstrate site-specific X-ray induced fragmentation across the sulfur L-edge of protonated cystine, the dimer of the amino acid cysteine. Ion yield NEXAFS were performed in the gas phase using electrospray ionization (ESI) in combination with an ion trap. The interpretation of the sulfur L-edge NEXAFS spectrum is supported by Restricted Open-Shell Configuration Interaction (ROCIS) calculations. The fragmentation pathway of triply charged cystine ions was modeled by Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations. We have deduced a possible pathway of fragmentation upon excitation and ionization of S 2p electrons. The disulfide bridge breaks for resonant excitation at lower photon energies but remains intact upon higher energy resonant excitation and upon ionization of S 2p. The larger fragments initially formed subsequently break into smaller fragments.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Kubin, Markus, et al.
(författare)
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Cr L-Edge X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy of CrIII(acac)3 in Solution with Measured and Calculated Absolute Absorption Cross Sections
- 2018
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Ingår i: Journal of Physical Chemistry B. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1520-6106 .- 1520-5207. ; 122:29, s. 7375-7384
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- X-ray absorption spectroscopy at the L-edge of 3d transition metals is widely used for probing the valence electronic structure at the metal site via 2p–3d transitions. Assessing the information contained in L-edge absorption spectra requires systematic comparison of experiment and theory. We here investigate the Cr L-edge absorption spectrum of high-spin chromium acetylacetonate CrIII(acac)3 in solution. Using a transmission flatjet enables determining absolute absorption cross sections and spectra free from X-ray-induced sample damage. We address the challenges of measuring Cr L absorption edges spectrally close to the O K absorption edge of the solvent. We critically assess how experimental absorption cross sections can be used to extract information on the electronic structure of the studied system by comparing our results of this CrIII (3d3) complex to our previous work on L-edge absorption cross sections of MnIII(acac)3 (3d4) and MnII(acac)2 (3d5). Considering our experimental uncertainties, the most insightful experimental observable for this d3(CrIII)–d4(MnIII)–d5(MnII) series is the L-edge branching ratio, and we discuss it in comparison to semiempirical multiplet theory and ab initio restricted active space calculations. We further discuss and analyze trends in integrated absorption cross sections and correlate the spectral shapes with the local electronic structure at the metal sites.
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| 8. |
- Kubin, Markus, et al.
(författare)
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Direct Determination of Absolute Absorption Cross Sections at the L-Edge of Dilute Mn Complexes in Solution Using a Transmission Flatjet
- 2018
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Ingår i: Inorganic Chemistry. - : AMER CHEMICAL SOC. - 0020-1669 .- 1520-510X. ; 57:9, s. 5449-5462
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The 3d transition metals play a pivotal role in many charge transfer processes in catalysis and biology. X-ray absorption spectroscopy at the L-edge of metal sites probes metal 2p–3d excitations, providing key access to their valence electronic structure, which is crucial for understanding these processes. We report L-edge absorption spectra of MnII(acac)2 and MnIII(acac)3 complexes in solution, utilizing a liquid flatjet for X-ray absorption spectroscopy in transmission mode. With this, we derive absolute absorption cross-sections for the L-edge transitions with peak magnitudes as large as 12 and 9 Mb for MnII(acac)2 and MnIII(acac)3, respectively. We provide insight into the electronic structure with ab initio restricted active space calculations of these L-edge transitions, reproducing the experimental spectra with excellent agreement in terms of shapes, relative energies, and relative intensities for the two complexes. Crystal field multiplet theory is used to assign spectral features in terms of the electronic structure. Comparison to charge transfer multiplet calculations reveals the importance of charge transfer in the core-excited final states. On the basis of our experimental observations, we extrapolate the feasibility of 3d transition metal L-edge absorption spectroscopy using the liquid flatjet approach in probing highly dilute biological solution samples and possible extensions to table-top soft X-ray sources.
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| 9. |
- Kubin, Markus, et al.
(författare)
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Probing the oxidation state of transition metal complexes : a case study on how charge and spin densities determine Mn L-edge X-ray absorption energies
- 2018
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Ingår i: Chem. Sci.. - : The Royal Society of Chemistry. ; 9:33, s. 6813-6829
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Transition metals in inorganic systems and metalloproteins can occur in different oxidation states, which makes them ideal redox-active catalysts. To gain a mechanistic understanding of the catalytic reactions, knowledge of the oxidation state of the active metals, ideally in operando, is therefore critical. L-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) is a powerful technique that is frequently used to infer the oxidation state via a distinct blue shift of L-edge absorption energies with increasing oxidation state. A unified description accounting for quantum-chemical notions whereupon oxidation does not occur locally on the metal but on the whole molecule and the basic understanding that L-edge XAS probes the electronic structure locally at the metal has been missing to date. Here we quantify how charge and spin densities change at the metal and throughout the molecule for both redox and core-excitation processes. We explain the origin of the L-edge XAS shift between the high-spin complexes MnII(acac)2 and MnIII(acac)3 as representative model systems and use ab initio theory to uncouple effects of oxidation-state changes from geometric effects. The shift reflects an increased electron affinity of MnIII in the core-excited states compared to the ground state due to a contraction of the Mn 3d shell upon core-excitation with accompanied changes in the classical Coulomb interactions. This new picture quantifies how the metal-centered core hole probes changes in formal oxidation state and encloses and substantiates earlier explanations. The approach is broadly applicable to mechanistic studies of redox-catalytic reactions in molecular systems where charge and spin localization/delocalization determine reaction pathways.
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| 10. |
- Kubin, Markus, et al.
(författare)
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Soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy of metalloproteins and high-valent metal-complexes at room temperature using free-electron lasers
- 2017
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Ingår i: Structural Dynamics. - : AMER INST PHYSICS. - 2329-7778. ; 4:5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- X-ray absorption spectroscopy at the L-edge of 3d transition metals provides unique information on the local metal charge and spin states by directly probing 3d-derived molecular orbitals through 2p-3d transitions. However, this soft x-ray technique has been rarely used at synchrotron facilities for mechanistic studies of metalloenzymes due to the difficulties of x-ray-induced sample damage and strong background signals from light elements that can dominate the low metal signal. Here, we combine femtosecond soft x-ray pulses from a free-electron laser with a novel x-ray fluorescence-yield spectrometer to overcome these difficulties. We present L-edge absorption spectra of inorganic high-valent Mn complexes (Mn similar to 6-15 mmol/l) with no visible effects of radiation damage. We also present the first L-edge absorption spectra of the oxygen evolving complex (Mn4CaO5) in Photosystem II (Mn < 1 mmol/l) at room temperature, measured under similar conditions. Our approach opens new ways to study metalloenzymes under functional conditions. (C) 2017 Author(s).
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| 11. |
- Kubin, Markus, et al.
(författare)
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X-ray-induced sample damage at the Mn L-edge : a case study for soft X-ray spectroscopy of transition metal complexes in solution
- 2018
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Ingår i: Physical Chemistry, Chemical Physics - PCCP. - : RSC Publishing. - 1463-9076 .- 1463-9084. ; 20:24, s. 16817-16827
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- X-ray induced sample damage can impede electronic and structural investigations of radiation-sensitive samples studied with X-rays. Here we quantify dose-dependent sample damage to the prototypical Mn-III(acac)(3) complex in solution and at room temperature for the soft X-ray range, using X-ray absorption spectroscopy at the Mn L-edge. We observe the appearance of a reduced Mn-II species as the X-ray dose is increased. We find a half-damage dose of 1.6 MGy and quantify a spectroscopically tolerable dose on the order of 0.3 MGy (1 Gy = 1 J kg(-1)), where 90% of Mn-III(acac)(3) are intact. Our dose-limit is around one order of magnitude lower than the Henderson limit (half-damage dose of 20 MGy) which is commonly employed for protein crystallography with hard X-rays. It is comparable, however, to the dose-limits obtained for collecting un-damaged Mn K-edge spectra of the photosystem II protein, using hard X-rays. The dose-dependent reduction of Mn-III observed here for solution samples occurs at a dose limit that is two to four orders of magnitude smaller than the dose limits previously reported for soft X-ray spectroscopy of iron samples in the solid phase. We compare our measured to calculated spectra from ab initio restricted active space (RAS) theory and discuss possible mechanisms for the observed dose-dependent damage of Mn-III(acac)(3) in solution. On the basis of our results, we assess the influence of sample damage in other experimental studies with soft X-rays from storage-ring synchrotron radiation sources and X-ray free-electron lasers.
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| 12. |
- Young, Iris D., et al.
(författare)
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Structure of photosystem II and substrate binding at room temperature
- 2016
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Ingår i: Nature. - : Macmillan Publishers Ltd.. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 540:7633, s. 453-457
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Light-induced oxidation of water by photosystem II (PS II) in plants, algae and cyanobacteria has generated most of the dioxygen in the atmosphere. PS II, a membrane-bound multi-subunit pigment protein complex, couples the one-electron photochemistry at the reaction centre with the four-electron redox chemistry of water oxidation at the Mn4CaO5 cluster in the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC). Under illumination, the OEC cycles through five intermediate S-states (S0 to S4)1, in which S1 is the dark-stable state and S3 is the last semi-stable state before O–O bond formation and O2 evolution2,3. A detailed understanding of the O–O bond formation mechanism remains a challenge, and will require elucidation of both the structures of the OEC in the different S-states and the binding of the two substrate waters to the catalytic site4–6. Here we report the use of femtosecond pulses from an X-ray free electron laser (XFEL) to obtain damage-free, room temperature structures of dark-adapted (S1), two-flash illuminated (2F; S3-enriched), and ammonia-bound two-flash illuminated (2F-NH3; S3-enriched) PS II. Although the recent 1.95 Å resolution structure of PS II at cryogenic temperature using an XFEL7 provided a damage-free view of the S1 state, measurements at room temperature are required to study the structural landscape of proteins under functional conditions8,9, and also for in situ advancement of the S-states. To investigate the water-binding site(s), ammonia, a water analogue, has been used as a marker, as it binds to the Mn4CaO5 cluster in the S2 and S3 states10. Since the ammonia-bound OEC is active, the ammonia-binding Mn site is not a substrate water site10–13. This approach, together with a comparison of the native dark and 2F states, is used to discriminate between proposed O–O bond formation mechanisms.
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