This book deals with the basic principles and techniques of nonequilibrium statistical mechanics. The importance of this subject is growing rapidly in view of the advances being made, both experimentally and theoretically, in statistical physics, chemical physics, biological physics, complex systems and several other areas. The presentation of topics is quite self-contained, and the choice of topics enables the student to form a coherent picture of the subject. The approach is unique in that classical mechanical formulation takes center stage. The book is of particular interest to advanced undergraduate and graduate students in engineering departments.

This book uses experimental and computational methods to rationalize and predict for the first time the relative impact sensitivities of a range of energetic materials. Using knowledge of crystal structures, vibrational properties, energy-transfer mechanisms, and experimentally measured sensitivities, it describes a model that leads to excellent correlation with experimental results in all cases. As such, the book paves the way for a new, fully ab initio approach for the design of safer energetic materials based solely on knowledge of their solid-state structures. Energetic materials (explosives, propellants, gas generators, and pyrotechnics) are defined as materials that release heat and/or gaseous products at a high rate upon stimulus by heat, impact, shock, sparks, etc. They have widespread military and civilian uses, including munitions, mining, quarrying, demolition, emergency signaling, automotive safety, and space exploration. One of their most important properties is sensitivity to accidental initiation during manufacture, transport, storage, and operation, which has important implications for their safe use.

This volume highlights the latest research in frustrated Lewis pair (FLP) chemistry and its applications. The contributions present the recent developments of the use of FLPs in asymmetric catalysis, polymer synthesis, homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis, as well as demonstrating their use as a pedagogical tool. The book will be of interest to researchers in academia and industry alike.

This book provides advanced undergraduate and graduate students with an overview of the fundamentals of cold and ultracold chemistry. Beginning with definitions of what cold and ultracold temperatures mean in chemistry, the book then takes the student through the essentials of scattering theory (classical and quantum mechanical), light-matter interaction, reaction dynamics and Rydberg physics. The author aims to show the reader the richness of the topic while motivating students to understand the fundamentals of these intriguing reactions and underlying connecting relationships. Including material which was previously only found in specialized review articles, this book provides students working in the fields of ultracold gases, chemical physics and physical chemistry with the tools they need to immerse themselves in the realm of cold and ultracold chemistry. This book opens up the exciting chemical laws which govern chemistry at low temperatures to the next generation of researchers.

This book focuses on the computational modeling of organometallic reactivity. In recent years, computational methods, particularly those based on Density Functional Theory (DFT) have been fully incorporated into the toolbox of organometallic chemists' methods. Nowadays, energy profiles of multistep processes are routinely calculated, and detailed mechanistic pictures of the reactions arise from these calculations. This type of analysis is increasingly performed even by experimentalists themselves. The volume aims to connect established computational organometallics with the more recent theoretical and methodological developments applied to this field. This would allow broadening of the simulation scope toward emergent organometallic areas (as ligand design or photoactivated processes), to narrow the gap between calculations and experiments (microkinetic models) and even to discover new reactions (automated methods). Given the broad interest and extensive application that computational methods have reached within the organometallic community, this new volume will attract the interest of both experimental and computational organometallic chemists.

This book focuses on theoretical and computational studies by the editor's group on the direct hydroxylation of methane, which is one of the most challenging subjects in catalyst chemistry. These studies of more than 20 years include gas-phase reactions by transition-metal oxide ions, enzymatic reactions by two types of methane monooxygenase (soluble and particulate MMO), catalytic reactions by metal-exchanged zeolites, and methane C-H activation by metal oxide surfaces. Catalyst chemistry has been mostly empirical and based on enormous experimental efforts. The subject of the title has been tackled using the orbital interaction and computations based on extended Huckel, DFT, and band structure calculations. The strength of the theoretical studies is in the synergy between theory and experiment. Therefore, the group has close contacts with experimentalists in physical chemistry, catalyst chemistry, bioinorganic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, and surface chemistry. This resulting book will be useful for the theoretical analysis and design of catalysts.

This book, a consecutive contribution to the series Challenges and Advances in Computational Chemistry and Physics, focuses on understanding the photoinduced processes in biological systems. Understanding and fine control of light fate in molecules is vital for the progress of society and environmental safety. Light induced changes of various physico-chemical and spectroscopic properties in nucleic acids and proteins is the basis of fundamental biological events such as vision, DNA photodamage or photosensing. The investigation of these processes is challenging to both theoretical and experimental studies. This volume encompasses the quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics theory in several subfields, including: advanced computational methods for nucleic acids and proteins systems; dynamics, spectroscopic and physico-chemical properties of biological photoreceptors; DNA photodamage. This book is of interest to readers in both fundamental and application-oriented research by overviewing recent achievements in computational modeling of excited states in nucleic acids and proteins.

This book covers the role of water in global atmospheric phenomena, focussing on the physical processes involving water molecules and water microparticles. It presents the reader with a detailed look at some of the most important types of global atmospheric phenomena involving water, such as water circulation, atmospheric electricity and the greenhouse effect. Beginning with the cycle of water evaporation and condensation, and the important roles played by the nucleation and growth processes of water microdroplets, the book discusses atmospheric electricity as a secondary phenomenon of water circulation in the atmosphere, comprising a chain of processes involving water molecules and water microdroplets. Finally, the book discusses aspects of the molecular spectroscopy of greenhouse atmospheric components, showing how water molecules and water microdroplets give the main contribution to atmospheric emission in the infrared spectrum range. Featuring numerous didactic schematics and appendices detailing all necessary unit conversion factors, this book is useful to both active researchers and doctoral students working in the fields of atmospheric physics, climate science and molecular spectroscopy.

This book fills a gap in knowledge between chemistry- and physics-trained researchers about the properties of macroscopic (bulk) material. Although many good textbooks are available on solid-state (or condensed matter) physics, they generally treat simple systems such as simple metals and crystals consisting of atoms. On the other hand, textbooks on solid-state chemistry often avoid descriptions of theoretical background even at the simplest level. This book gives coherent descriptions from intermolecular interaction up to properties of condensed matter ranging from isotropic liquids to molecular crystals. By omitting details of specific systems for which comprehensive monographs are available-on liquid crystals and molecular conductors, for instance-this book highlights the effects of molecular properties, i.e., the presence of the shape and its deformation on the structure and properties of molecular systems.

This book presents a number of studies on the molecular dynamics of cement-based materials. It introduces a practical molecular model of cement-hydrate, delineates the relationship between molecular structure and nanoscale properties, reveals the transport mechanism of cement-hydrate, and provides useful methods for material design. Based on the molecular model presented here, the book subsequently sheds light on nanotechnology applications in the design of construction and building materials. As such, it offers a valuable asset for researchers, scientists, and engineers in the field of construction and building materials.

The thesis provides the necessary experimental and analytical tools to unambiguously observe the atomically resolved chemical reactions. A great challenge of modern science has been to directly observe atomic motions during structural transitions, and while this was first achieved through a major advance in electron source brightness, the information content was still limited and new methods for image reconstruction using femtosecond electron diffraction methods were needed. One particular challenge lay in reconciling the innumerable possible nuclear configurations with the observation of chemical reaction mechanisms that reproducibly give the same kind of chemistry for large classes of molecules. The author shows that there is a simple solution that occurs during barrier crossing in which the highly anharmonic potential at that point in nuclear rearrangements couples high- and low-frequency vibrational modes to give highly localized nuclear motions, reducing hundreds of potential degrees of freedom to just a few key modes. Specific examples are given in this thesis, including two photoinduced phase transitions in an organic system, a ring closure reaction, and two direct observations of nuclear reorganization driven by spin transitions. The emerging field of structural dynamics promises to change the way we think about the physics of chemistry and this thesis provides tools to make it happen.

Numerical methods are the mathematical procedures that approximate the solution of complex mathematical problems into much simpler form and which find a wide variety of use while solving complex Physical Chemistry problems. This book aims to aide in understanding of such numerical methods including solving complex differential equations and numerical differentiation & integration. Moreover it also explains various statistical tests used in Analytical Chemistry for data analysis. The author has tried to include as many example from Chemistry problems for a better understanding of the methods.

This book presents an original investigation into alternative photovoltaic absorbers. Solar power is a highly promising renewable energy solution; however, its success is hampered by the limited cost-effectiveness of current devices. The book assesses the photovoltaic performance of over 20 materials using state-of-the-art, first-principles methods. Adopting a computational approach, it investigates atomic-scale properties at a level of accuracy that is difficult to achieve using laboratory-based experimental techniques. Unlike many theoretical studies, it provides specific advice to those involved in experimental investigations. Further, it proposes directions for future research. This book advances the field of photovoltaics in three crucial ways: firstly, it identifies why one class of proposed materials cannot achieve high efficiency, while at the same time gaining insights that can be used to design future absorbers. Secondly, it shows that poor performance in the bismuth chalcohalides is not due to fundamental limitations, and can be overcome by finely controlling synthesis conditions. Lastly, it describes a range of new stable materials that are expected to show excellent photovoltaic performance.

This thesis presents significant advances in the imaging and theory of the ultrafast dynamics of surface plasmon polariton fields. The author details construction of a sub-10 femtosecond and sub-10 nanometer spatiotemporal resolution ultrafast photoemission microscope which is subsequently used for the discovery of topological meron and skyrmion-like plasmonic quasiparticles. In particular, this enabled the creation of movies of the surface plasmon polariton fields evolving on sub-optical wavelength scales at around 0.1 femtosecond per image frame undergoing vortex phase evolution. The key insight that the transverse spin of surface plasmon polaritons undergoes a texturing into meron or skyrmion-like topological quasiparticles (defined by the geometric charge of the preparation) follows. In addition, this thesis develops an analytical theory of these new topological quasiparticles, opening new avenues of research, while the ultrafast microscopy techniques established within will also be broadly applicable to studies of nanoscale optical excitations in electronic materials.

This book presents active application aspects of theoretical chemistry, and is particularly intended for experimental chemists, ranging from graduate students to more professional researchers, who are developing new materials or searching for novel properties of the materials they work with. It not only addresses the fundamental aspects of theoretical chemistry but also provides abundant examples of applications based on the electronic structure analyses of actual systems. As the book demonstrates, these analyses can deepen our understanding of a variety of chemical phenomena, including the chemical reactivities and electronic properties of substances, in a bottom-up manner. By illustrating how electronic structure analyses can be effectively applied, the book introduces readers to the impressive potential of theoretical chemistry, which they can adapt for their own purposes, and without having to suffer through a parade of complex formulae.

A Thorough But Understandable Introduction To Molecular Symmetry And Group Theory As Applied To Chemical Problems! In a friendly, easy-to-understand style, this new book invites the reader to discover by example the power of symmetry arguments for understanding theoretical problems in chemistry. The author shows the evolution of ideas and demonstrates the centrality of symmetry and group theory to a complete understanding of the theory of structure and bonding. Plus, the book offers explicit demonstrations of the most effective techniques for applying group theory to chemical problems, including the tabular method of reducing representations and the use of group-subgroup relationships for dealing with infinite-order groups. Also Available From Wiley:
* Concepts and Models of Inorganic Chemistry, 3/E, by Bodie E. Douglas, Darl H. McDaniel, and John J. Alexander 0-471-62978-2
* Basic Inorganic Chemistry, 3/E, by F. Albert Cotton, Paul Gaus, and Geoffrey Wilkinson 0-471-50532-3

This book is dedicated to recent advancements in theoretical and computational studies on the interactions of hydrogen and hydrogenated molecules with metal surfaces. These studies are driven by the development of high-performance computers, new experimental findings, and the extensive work of technological applications towards the realization of a sustainable hydrogen economy. Understanding of the elementary processes of physical and chemical reactions on the atomic scale is important in the discovery of new materials with high chemical reactivity and catalytic activity, as well as high stability and durability. From this point of view, the book focuses on the behavior of hydrogen and hydrogenated molecules on flat, stepped, and reconstructed metal surfaces. It also tackles the quantum mechanical properties of hydrogen and related adsorbates; namely, molecular orbital angular momentum (spin) and diffusion along the minimum potential energy landscape on metal surfaces. All of these profoundly influence the outcomes of (1) catalytic reactions that involve hydrogen; (2) hydrogen storage in metals; and (3) hydrogen purification membranes. Lastly, it surveys the current status of the technology, outlook, and challenges for the long-desired sustainable hydrogen economy in relation to the topics covered in the book.

This book explores how structure impacts the dynamics of organic molecules in an extensive and impressive range of femtosecond time-resolved experiments that are combined with state-of-the-art theoretical approaches. It explores an area of molecular dynamics that remains largely uncharted and provides an extraordinary overview, along with novel insights into the concept of the dynamophore - the functional group of ultrafast science. Divided into four parts, this book outlines both experimental and computational studies on the VUV photoinduced dynamics of four cyclic ketones and one linear ketone, the ring-opening and dissociative dynamics of cyclopropane, and the potential ultrafast intersystem crossing in three methylated benzene derivatives. Model systems for the disulfide bond and the peptide bond, both of which are related to the structure of proteins, are also investigated. This highly informative and carefully presented book offers a wealth of scientific insights for all scholars with an interest in molecular dynamics.

This book summarizes the state of the art in the theoretical modeling of inorganic nanostructures. Extending the first edition, published in 2015, it presents applications to new nanostructured materials and theoretical explanations of recently discovered optical and thermodynamic properties of known nanomaterials. It discusses the developments in theoretical modeling of nanostructures, describing fundamental approaches such as symmetry analysis and applied calculation methods. The book also examines the theoretical aspects of many thermodynamic and the optical properties of nanostructures. The new edition includes additional descriptions of the theoretical modeling of nanostructures in novel materials such as the V2O5 binary oxide, ZnS, CdS, MoSSe and SnS2.

Designing molecules and materials with desired properties is an important prerequisite for advancing technology in our modern societies. This requires both the ability to calculate accurate microscopic properties, such as energies, forces and electrostatic multipoles of specific configurations, as well as efficient sampling of potential energy surfaces to obtain corresponding macroscopic properties. Tools that can provide this are accurate first-principles calculations rooted in quantum mechanics, and statistical mechanics, respectively. Unfortunately, they come at a high computational cost that prohibits calculations for large systems and long time-scales, thus presenting a severe bottleneck both for searching the vast chemical compound space and the stupendously many dynamical configurations that a molecule can assume. To overcome this challenge, recently there have been increased efforts to accelerate quantum simulations with machine learning (ML). This emerging interdisciplinary community encompasses chemists, material scientists, physicists, mathematicians and computer scientists, joining forces to contribute to the exciting hot topic of progressing machine learning and AI for molecules and materials. The book that has emerged from a series of workshops provides a snapshot of this rapidly developing field. It contains tutorial material explaining the relevant foundations needed in chemistry, physics as well as machine learning to give an easy starting point for interested readers. In addition, a number of research papers defining the current state-of-the-art are included. The book has five parts (Fundamentals, Incorporating Prior Knowledge, Deep Learning of Atomistic Representations, Atomistic Simulations and Discovery and Design), each prefaced by editorial commentary that puts the respective parts into a broader scientific context.

This book provides a unique and comprehensive overview of the latest advances, challenges and accomplishments in the rapidly growing field of theoretical and computational materials science. Today, an increasing number of industrial communities rely more and more on advanced atomic-scale methods to obtain reliable predictions of materials properties, complement qualitative experimental analyses and circumvent experimental difficulties. The book examines some of the latest and most advanced simulation techniques currently available, as well as up-to-date theoretical approaches adopted by a selected panel of twelve international research teams. It covers a wide range of novel and advanced materials, exploring their structural, elastic, optical, mass and electronic transport properties. The cutting-edge techniques presented appeal to physicists, applied mathematicians and engineers interested in advanced simulation methods in materials science. The book can also be used as additional literature for undergraduate and postgraduate students with majors in physics, chemistry, applied mathematics and engineering.

This concise book introduces and discusses the basic theory of conical intersections with applications in atomic, molecular and condensed matter physics. Conical intersections are linked to the energy of quantum systems. They can occur in any physical system characterized by both slow and fast degrees of freedom - such as e.g. the fast electrons and slow nuclei of a vibrating and rotating molecule - and are important when studying the evolution of quantum systems controlled by classical parameters. Furthermore, they play a relevant role for understanding the topological properties of condensed matter systems. Conical intersections are associated with many interesting features, such as a breakdown of the Born-Oppenheimer approximation and the appearance of nontrivial artificial gauge structures, similar to the Aharonov-Bohm effect. Some applications presented in this book include - Molecular Systems: some molecules in nonlinear nuclear configurations undergo Jahn-Teller distortions under which the molecule lower their symmetry if the electronic states belong to a degenerate irreducible representation of the molecular point group. - Solid State Physics: different types of Berry phases associated with conical intersections can be used to detect topologically nontrivial states of matter, such as topological insulators, Weyl semi-metals, as well as Majorana fermions in superconductors. - Cold Atoms: the motion of cold atoms in slowly varying inhomogeneous laser fields is governed by artificial gauge fields that arise when averaging over the fast internal degrees of freedom of the atoms. These gauge fields can be Abelian or non-Abelian, which opens up the possibility to create analogs to various relativistic effects at low speed.

This edited, multi-author book gathers selected, peer-reviewed contributions based on papers presented at the 23rd International Workshop on Quantum Systems in Chemistry, Physics, and Biology (QSCP-XXIII), held in Mopani Camp, The Kruger National Park, South Africa, in September 2018. The content is primarily intended for scholars, researchers, and graduate students working at universities and scientific institutes who are interested in the structure, properties, dynamics, and spectroscopy of atoms, molecules, biological systems, and condensed matter.

This textbook does away with the classic, unimaginative approach and comes straight to the point with a bare minimum of mathematics -- emphasizing the understanding of concepts rather than presenting endless strings of formulae. It nonetheless covers all important aspects of computational chemistry, such as
- vector space theory
- quantum mechanics
- approximation methods
- theoretical models
- and computational methods.
Throughout the chapters, mathematics are differentiated by necessity for understanding - fundamental formulae, and all the others. All formulae are explained step by step without omission, but the non-vital ones are marked and can be skipped by those who do not relish complex mathematics.
The reader will find the text a lucid and innovative introduction to theoretical and computational chemistry, with food for thought given at the end of each chapter in the shape of several questions that help develop understanding of the concepts.
What the reader will not find in this book are condescending sentences such as, 'From (formula A) and (formula M) it is obvious that (formula Z).'