Ab Initio Calculations of X-ray Spectra : Atomic Multiplet and Molecular Orbital Effects in a Multiconfigurational SCF Approach to the L-Edge Spectra of Transition Metal Complexes

• A new ab initio approach to the calculation of X-ray spectra is demonstrated. It combines a high-level quantum chemical description of the chemical interactions and local atomic multiplet effects. We show here calculated L-edge X-ray absorption (XA) and resonant inelastic X-ray scattering spectra for aqueous Ni2+ and XA spectra for a polypyridyl iron complex. Our quantum chemical calculations on a high level of accuracy in a post-Hartree–Fock framework give excellent agreement with experiment. This opens the door to reliable and detailed information on chemical interactions and the valence electronic structure in 3d transition-metal complexes also in transient excited electronic states. As we combine a molecular-orbital description with a proper treatment of local atomic electron correlation effects, our calculations uniquely allow, in particular, identifying the influence of interatomic chemical interactions versus intra-atomic correlations in the L-edge X-ray spectra.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi -- Teoretisk kemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences -- Theoretical Chemistry (hsv//eng)

Keyword

X-ray spectroscopy

spectrum simulations

resonant inelastic X-ray scattering

RASSCF calculations

transition metal ions

fysik

Physics

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)