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Title: Restricted active space calculations of L-edge X-ray absorption spectra: From molecular orbitals to multiplet states

Journal Article · · Journal of Chemical Physics
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4896373· OSTI ID:22308224
; ; ;  [1];  [2]
  1. Department of Chemistry - Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University, SE-751 20 Uppsala (Sweden)
  2. Department of Physics, Stockholm University, AlbaNova University Center, SE-106 91 Stockholm (Sweden)

The metal L-edge (2p → 3d) X-ray absorption spectra are affected by a number of different interactions: electron-electron repulsion, spin-orbit coupling, and charge transfer between metal and ligands, which makes the simulation of spectra challenging. The core restricted active space (RAS) method is an accurate and flexible approach that can be used to calculate X-ray spectra of a wide range of medium-sized systems without any symmetry constraints. Here, the applicability of the method is tested in detail by simulating three ferric (3d{sup 5}) model systems with well-known electronic structure, viz., atomic Fe{sup 3+}, high-spin [FeCl{sub 6}]{sup 3−} with ligand donor bonding, and low-spin [Fe(CN){sub 6}]{sup 3−} that also has metal backbonding. For these systems, the performance of the core RAS method, which does not require any system-dependent parameters, is comparable to that of the commonly used semi-empirical charge-transfer multiplet model. It handles orbitally degenerate ground states, accurately describes metal-ligand interactions, and includes both single and multiple excitations. The results are sensitive to the choice of orbitals in the active space and this sensitivity can be used to assign spectral features. A method has also been developed to analyze the calculated X-ray spectra using a chemically intuitive molecular orbital picture.

OSTI ID:
22308224
Journal Information:
Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol. 141, Issue 12; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-9606
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English