Accurate binding energies of the benzene dimer at the T and parallel displaced (PD) configurations were determined using the single- and double-coupled cluster method with perturbative triple correction (CCSD(T)) with correlation-consistent basis sets and an effective basis set extrapolation scheme recently devised. The difference between the estimated CCSD(T) basis set limit electronic binding energies for the T and PD shapes appears to amount to more than 0.3 kcal/mol, indicating the PD shape is a more stable configuration than the T shape for this dimer in the gas phase. This conclusion is further strengthened when a vibrational zero-point correction to the electronic binding energies of this dimer is made, which increases the difference between the two configurations to 0.4-0.5 kcal/mol. The binding energies of 2.4 and 2.8 kcal/mol for the T and PD configurations are in good accord with the previous experimental result from ionization potential measurement.

Carbon dioxides (CO(2)) emitted from large-scale coal-fired power stations or industrial manufacturing plants have to be properly captured to minimize environmental side effects. From results of ab initio calculations using plane waves [PAW-PBE] and localized atomic orbitals [ONIOM(wB97X-D/6-31G*:AM1)], we report strong CO(2) adsorption on boron antisite (B(N)) in boron-rich boron nitride nanotube (BNNT). We have identified two adsorption states: (1) A linear CO(2) molecule is physically adsorbed on the B(N), showing electron donation from the CO(2) lone-pair states to the B(N) double-acceptor state, and (2) the physisorbed CO(2) undergoes a carboxylate-like structural distortion and C═O π-bond breaking due to electron back-donation from B(N) to CO(2). The CO(2) chemisorption energy on B(N) is almost independent of tube diameter and, more importantly, higher than the standard free energy of gaseous CO(2) at room temperature. This implies that boron-rich BNNT could capture CO(2) effectively at ambient conditions.

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Organic nonlinear optical salt crystals are widely used as efficient broadband THz generators. Although solid state molecular motions of organic crystals can greatly influence THz generation characteristics, their origin and effects on THz photonics are not clearly identified. In this work, the origin of solid‐state molecular motions of the state‐of‐the‐art nonlinear optical organic salt crystals and their effects on THz generation characteristics are theoretically investigated. A model crystal, HMQ‐TMS (2‐(4‐hydroxy‐3‐methoxystyryl)‐1‐methylquinolinium 2,4,6‐trimethylbenzenesulfonate) with large macroscopic optical nonlinearity, which is very attractive for intense broadband and narrowband THz wave generation, is chosen. The solid‐state molecular vibrations of HMQ‐TMS crystals can be classified in three frequency regions: phonon mode region, intramolecular motion region, and their mixing region. For the first time for ionic organic crystalline THz generators, the contributions of cationic chromophores and anionic matchmakers on each of vibrational modes are quantitatively separated. In addition, the influence of solid‐state molecular vibrations of HMQ‐TMS crystals on the generated THz spectra is investigated. These results provide an essential information for design of new organic nonlinear optical salt crystals for THz generators as well as detectors and for optimization of THz generation performance.