@article{EhlertKlamroth2017,
  author    = {Ehlert, Christopher and Klamroth, Tillmann},
  title     = {The quest for best suited references for configuration interaction singles calculations of core excited states},
  series = {Journal of computational chemistry : organic, inorganic, physical, biological},
  volume    = {38},
  journal   = {Journal of computational chemistry : organic, inorganic, physical, biological},
  publisher = {Wiley-Blackwell},
  address   = {Hoboken},
  issn      = {0192-8651},
  doi       = {10.1002/jcc.24531},
  pages     = {116 -- 126},
  year      = {2017},
  abstract  = {Near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) simulations based on the conventional configuration interaction singles (CIS) lead to excitation energies, which are systematically blue shifted. Using a (restricted) open shell core hole reference instead of the Hartree Fock (HF) ground state orbitals improves (Decleva et al., Chem. Phys., 1992, 168, 51) excitation energies and the shape of the spectra significantly. In this work, we systematically vary the underlying SCF approaches, that is, based on HF or density functional theory, to identify best suited reference orbitals using a series of small test molecules. We compare the energies of the K edges and NEXAFS spectra to experimental data. The main improvement compared to conventional CIS, that is, using HF ground state orbitals, is due to the electrostatic influence of the core hole. Different SCF approaches, density functionals, or the use of fractional occupations lead only to comparably small changes. Furthermore, to account for bigger systems, we adapt the core-valence separation for our approach. We demonstrate that the good quality of the spectrum is not influenced by this approximation when used together with the non-separated ground state wave function. Simultaneously, the computational demands are reduced remarkably. (C) 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{DietrichStreeckGlamschetal.2015,
  author    = {Dietrich, Paul M. and Streeck, Cornelia and Glamsch, Stephan and Ehlert, Christopher and Lippitz, Andreas and Nutsch, Andreas and Kulak, Nora and Beckhoff, Burkhard and Unger, W. E. S.},
  title     = {Quantification of Silane Molecules on Oxidized Silicon: Are there Options for a Traceable and Absolute Determination?},
  series = {Analytical chemistry},
  volume    = {87},
  journal   = {Analytical chemistry},
  number    = {19},
  publisher = {American Chemical Society},
  address   = {Washington},
  issn      = {0003-2700},
  doi       = {10.1021/acs.analchem.5b02846},
  pages     = {10117 -- 10124},
  year      = {2015},
  abstract  = {Organosilanes are used routinely to functionalize various support materials for further modifications. Nevertheless, reliable quantitative information about surface functional group densities after layer formation is rarely available. Here, we present the analysis of thin organic nanolayers made from nitrogen containing silane molecules on naturally oxidized silicon wafers with reference-free total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXR.F) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). An areic density of 2-4 silane molecules per nm(2) was calculated from the layer's nitrogen mass deposition per area unit obtained by reference-free TXRF. Complementary energy and angle-resolved XPS (ER/AR-XPS) in the Si 2p core-level region was used to analyze the outermost surface region of the organic (silane layer)-inorganic (silicon wafer) interface. Different coexisting silicon species as silicon, native silicon oxide, and silane were identified and quantified. As a result of the presented proof-of-concept, absolute and traceable values for the areic density of silanes containing nitrogen as intrinsic marker are obtained by calibration of the XPS methods with reference-free TXRF. Furthermore, ER/AR-XPS is shown to facilitate the determination of areic densities in (mono)layers made from silanes having no heteroatomic marker other than silicon. After calibration with reference-free TXRF, these areic densities of silane molecules can be determined when using the XPS component intensity of the silane's silicon atom.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{DietrichGlamschEhlertetal.2016,
  author    = {Dietrich, Paul M. and Glamsch, Stephan and Ehlert, Christopher and Lippitz, Andreas and Kulak, Nora and Unger, Wolfgang E. S.},
  title     = {Synchrotron-radiation XPS analysis of ultra-thin silane films: Specifying the organic silicon},
  series = {Applied surface science : a journal devoted to applied physics and chemistry of surfaces and interfaces},
  volume    = {363},
  journal   = {Applied surface science : a journal devoted to applied physics and chemistry of surfaces and interfaces},
  publisher = {Elsevier},
  address   = {Amsterdam},
  issn      = {0169-4332},
  doi       = {10.1016/j.apsusc.2015.12.052},
  pages     = {406 -- 411},
  year      = {2016},
  abstract  = {The analysis of chemical and elemental in-depth variations in ultra-thin organic layers with thicknesses below 5 nm is very challenging. Energy- and angle-resolved XPS (ER/AR-XPS) opens up the possibility for non-destructive chemical ultra-shallow depth profiling of the outermost surface layer of ultra-thin organic films due to its exceptional surface sensitivity. For common organic materials a reliable chemical in-depth analysis with a lower limit of the XPS information depth z(95) of about 1 nm can be performed. As a proof-of-principle example with relevance for industrial applications the ER/AR-XPS analysis of different organic monolayers made of amino- or benzamidosilane molecules on silicon oxide surfaces is presented. It is demonstrated how to use the Si 2p core-level region to non-destructively depth-profile the organic (silane monolayer) - inorganic (SiO2/Si) interface and how to quantify Si species, ranging from elemental silicon over native silicon oxide to the silane itself. The main advantage of the applied ER/AR-XPS method is the improved specification of organic from inorganic silicon components in Si 2p core-level spectra with exceptional low uncertainties compared to conventional laboratory XPS. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{SchmidtWolfEhlert2016,
  author    = {Schmidt, Bernd and Wolf, Felix and Ehlert, Christopher},
  title     = {Systematic Investigation into the Matsuda-Heck Reaction of alpha-Methylene Lactones: How Conformational Constraints Direct the beta-H-Elimination Step},
  series = {The journal of organic chemistry},
  volume    = {81},
  journal   = {The journal of organic chemistry},
  publisher = {American Chemical Society},
  address   = {Washington},
  issn      = {0022-3263},
  doi       = {10.1021/acs.joc.6b02207},
  pages     = {11235 -- 11249},
  year      = {2016},
  abstract  = {alpha-Methylene-gamma-butyrolactone and alpha-methylene-gamma-valerolactone undergo Pd-catalyzed Matsuda-Heck couplings with arene diazonium salts to alpha-benzyl butenolides or pentenolides, respectively, or to alpha-benzylidene lactones. The observed regioselectivity is strongly ring size dependent, with six-membered rings giving exclusively alpha-benzyl pentenolides, whereas the five-membered alpha-methylene lactone reacts to mixtures of regioisomers with a high proportion of (E)-alpha-benzylidene-gamma-butyrolactones. DFT calculations suggest that the reasons for these differences are not thermodynamic but kinetic in nature. The relative energies of the conformers of the Pd sigma-complexes resulting from insertion into the Pd-aryl bond were correlated with the dihedral angles between Pd and endo-beta-H. This correlation revealed that in the case of the six-membered lactone an energetically favorable conformer adopts a nearly synperiplanar Pd/endo-beta-H arrangement, whereas for the analogous Pd sigma-complex of the five-membered lactone the smallest Pd/endo-beta-H dihedral angle is observed for a conformer with a comparatively high potential energy. The optimized conditions for Matsuda-Heck arylations of exo-methylene lactones were eventually applied to the synthesis of the natural product anemarcoumarin A.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{EhlertKlamroth2020,
  author    = {Ehlert, Christopher and Klamroth, Tillmann},
  title     = {PSIXAS: A Psi4 plugin for efficient simulations of X-ray absorption spectra based on the transition-potential and Delta-Kohn-Sham method},
  series = {Journal of computational chemistry : organic, inorganic, physical, biological},
  volume    = {41},
  journal   = {Journal of computational chemistry : organic, inorganic, physical, biological},
  number    = {19},
  publisher = {Wiley},
  address   = {Hoboken},
  issn      = {0192-8651},
  doi       = {10.1002/jcc.26219},
  pages     = {1781 -- 1789},
  year      = {2020},
  abstract  = {Near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectra and their pump-probe extension (PP-NEXAFS) offer insights into valence- and core-excited states. We present PSIXAS, a recent implementation for simulating NEXAFS and PP-NEXAFS spectra by means of the transition-potential and the Delta-Kohn-Sham method. The approach is implemented in form of a software plugin for the Psi4 code, which provides access to a wide selection of basis sets as well as density functionals. We briefly outline the theoretical foundation and the key aspects of the plugin. Then, we use the plugin to simulate PP-NEXAFS spectra of thymine, a system already investigated by others and us. It is found that larger, extended basis sets are needed to obtain more accurate absolute resonance positions. We further demonstrate that, in contrast to ordinary NEXAFS simulations, where the choice of the density functional plays a minor role for the shape of the spectrum, for PP-NEXAFS simulations the choice of the density functional is important. Especially hybrid functionals (which could not be used straightforwardly before to simulate PP-NEXAFS spectra) and their amount of "Hartree-Fock like" exact exchange affects relative resonance positions in the spectrum.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{EhlertGuehrSaalfrank2018,
  author    = {Ehlert, Christopher and G{\"u}hr, Markus and Saalfrank, Peter},
  title     = {An efficient first principles method for molecular pump-probe NEXAFS spectra},
  series = {The journal of chemical physics : bridges a gap between journals of physics and journals of chemistr},
  volume    = {149},
  journal   = {The journal of chemical physics : bridges a gap between journals of physics and journals of chemistr},
  number    = {14},
  publisher = {American Institute of Physics},
  address   = {Melville},
  issn      = {0021-9606},
  doi       = {10.1063/1.5050488},
  pages     = {13},
  year      = {2018},
  abstract  = {Pump-probe near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (PP-NEXAFS) spectra of molecules offer insight into valence-excited states, even if optically dark. In PP-NEXAFS spectroscopy, the molecule is "pumped" by UV or visible light enforcing a valence excitation, followed by an X-ray "probe" exciting core electrons into (now) partially empty valence orbitals. Calculations of PP-NEXAFS have so far been done by costly, correlated wavefunction methods which are not easily applicable to medium-sized or large molecules. Here we propose an efficient, first principles method based on density functional theory in combination with the transition potential and Delta SCF methodology (TP-DFT/Delta SCF) to compute molecular ground state and PP-NEXAFS spectra. We apply the method to n ->pi* pump/O-K-edge NEXAFS probe spectroscopy of thymine (for which both experimental and other theoretical data exist) and to n -> pi* or pi -> pi* pump/N-K-edge NEXAFS probe spectroscopies of trans-and cis-azobenzene. Published by AIP Publishing.},
  language  = {en}
}
@misc{MayerLeverPicconietal.2022,
  author    = {Mayer, Dennis and Lever, Fabiano and Picconi, David and Metje, Jan and Ališauskas, Skirmantas and Calegari, Francesca and D{\"u}sterer, Stefan and Ehlert, Christopher and Feifel, Raimund and Niebuhr, Mario and Manschwetus, Bastian and Kuhlmann, Marion and Mazza, Tommaso and Robinson, Matthew Scott and Squibb, Richard James and Trabattoni, Andrea and Wallner, M{\aa}ns and Saalfrank, Peter and Wolf, Thomas J. A. and G{\"u}hr, Markus},
  title     = {Following excited-state chemical shifts in molecular ultrafast x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy},
  series = {Zweitver{\"o}ffentlichungen der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe},
  journal   = {Zweitver{\"o}ffentlichungen der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe},
  number    = {1301},
  issn      = {1866-8372},
  doi       = {10.25932/publishup-57744},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-577442},
  pages     = {9},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {The conversion of photon energy into other energetic forms in molecules is accompanied by charge moving on ultrafast timescales. We directly observe the charge motion at a specific site in an electronically excited molecule using time-resolved x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (TR-XPS). We extend the concept of static chemical shift from conventional XPS by the excited-state chemical shift (ESCS), which is connected to the charge in the framework of a potential model. This allows us to invert TR-XPS spectra to the dynamic charge at a specific atom. We demonstrate the power of TR-XPS by using sulphur 2p-core-electron-emission probing to study the UV-excited dynamics of 2-thiouracil. The method allows us to discover that a major part of the population relaxes to the molecular ground state within 220-250 fs. In addition, a 250-fs oscillation, visible in the kinetic energy of the TR-XPS, reveals a coherent exchange of population among electronic states.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{EhlertHolzweberLippitzetal.2016,
  author    = {Ehlert, Christopher and Holzweber, Markus and Lippitz, Andreas and Unger, Wolfgang E. S. and Saalfrank, Peter},
  title     = {A detailed assignment of NEXAFS resonances of imidazolium based ionic liquids},
  series = {Physical chemistry, chemical physics : a journal of European Chemical Societies},
  volume    = {18},
  journal   = {Physical chemistry, chemical physics : a journal of European Chemical Societies},
  publisher = {Royal Society of Chemistry},
  address   = {Cambridge},
  issn      = {1463-9076},
  doi       = {10.1039/c5cp07434g},
  pages     = {8654 -- 8661},
  year      = {2016},
  abstract  = {In Near Edge X-Ray Absorption Fine Structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy X-Ray photons are used to excite tightly bound core electrons to low-lying unoccupied orbitals of the system. This technique offers insight into the electronic structure of the system as well as useful structural information. In this work, we apply NEXAFS to two kinds of imidazolium based ionic liquids ([C(n)C(1)im](+)[NTf2](-) and [C(4)C(1)im](+)[I](-)). A combination of measurements and quantum chemical calculations of C K and N K NEXAFS resonances is presented. The simulations, based on the transition potential density functional theory method (TP-DFT), reproduce all characteristic features observed by the experiment. Furthermore, a detailed assignment of resonance features to excitation centers (carbon or nitrogen atoms) leads to a consistent interpretation of the spectra.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{KroenerEhlertSaalfranketal.2011,
  author    = {Kr{\"o}ner, Dominik and Ehlert, Christopher and Saalfrank, Peter and Holl{\"a}nder, Andreas},
  title     = {Ab initio calculations for XPS chemical shifts of poly(vinyl-trifluoroacetate) using trimer models},
  series = {Surface science},
  volume    = {605},
  journal   = {Surface science},
  number    = {15-16},
  publisher = {Elsevier},
  address   = {Amsterdam},
  issn      = {0039-6028},
  doi       = {10.1016/j.susc.2011.05.021},
  pages     = {1516 -- 1524},
  year      = {2011},
  abstract  = {X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) of the polymer poly(vinyl-trifluoroacetate) show C(1s) binding energy shifts which are unusual because they are influenced by atoms which are several bonds away from the probed atom. In this work, the influence of the trifluoroacetate substituent on the 1s ionization potential of the carbon atoms of the polyethylene chain is investigated theoretically using mono-substituted, diad and triad models of trimers representing the polymer. Carbon 1s ionization energies are calculated by the Hartree-Fock theory employing Koopmans' theorem. The influence of the configuration and conformation of the functional groups as well as the degree of substitution are found to be important determinants of XPS spectra. It is further found that the 1s binding energy correlates in a linear fashion, with the total electrostatic potential at the position of the probe atom, and depends not only on nearest neighbor effects. This may have implications for the interpretation of high-resolution XP spectra.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{EhlertKroenerSaalfrank2015,
  author    = {Ehlert, Christopher and Kr{\"o}ner, Dominik and Saalfrank, Peter},
  title     = {A combined quantum chemical/molecular dynamics study of X-ray photoelectron spectra of polyvinyl alcohol using oligomer models},
  series = {Journal of electron spectroscopy and related phenomena : the international journal on theoretical and experimental aspects of electron spectroscopy},
  volume    = {199},
  journal   = {Journal of electron spectroscopy and related phenomena : the international journal on theoretical and experimental aspects of electron spectroscopy},
  publisher = {Elsevier},
  address   = {Amsterdam},
  issn      = {0368-2048},
  doi       = {10.1016/j.elspec.2014.12.007},
  pages     = {38 -- 45},
  year      = {2015},
  abstract  = {X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is a powerful tool for probing the local chemical environment of atoms near surfaces. When applied to soft matter, such as polymers, XPS spectra are frequently shifted and broadened due to thermal atom motion and by interchain interactions. We present a combined quantum mechanical QM/molecular dynamics (MD) simulation of X-ray photoelectron spectra of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) using oligomer models in order to account for and quantify these effects on the XPS (C1s) signal. In our study, molecular dynamics at finite temperature were performed with a classical forcefield and by ab initio MD (AIMD) using the Car-Parrinello method. Snapshots along, the trajectories represent possible conformers and/or neighbouring environments, with different C1s ionization potentials for individual C atoms leading to broadened XPS peaks. The latter are determined by Delta-Kohn Sham calculations. We also examine the experimental practice of gauging XPS (C1s) signals of alkylic C-atoms in C-containing polymers to the C1s signal of polyethylene. We find that (i) the experimental XPS (C1s) spectra of PVA (position and width) can be roughly represented by single-strand models, (ii) interchain interactions lead to red-shifts of the XPS peaks by about 0.6 eV, and (iii) AIMD simulations match the findings from classical MD semi-quantitatively. Further, (iv) the gauging procedure of XPS (C1s) signals to the values of PE, introduces errors of about 0.5 eV. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.},
  language  = {en}
}