Magnetic and binding properties of metal-divacancy complexes at MgO(001) surface: DFT calculations

We have analyzed the magnetic and binding properties of Ni, Cr, Mo, and Pt metals deposited on the defect free and defect containing surfaces of MgO by means of density functional theory calculations and embedded cluster model. Clusters of moderate sizes with no border anions, to avoid artificial polarization effects, were embedded in the simulated Coulomb fields that closely approximate the Madelung fields of the host surfaces. Spin quenching occurs for Cr and Mo complexes at the defect free (terrace) surface, and Cr, Mo, and Pt complexes at the defect containing ``pit{''} divacancy surface. The binding energies of the metals are significantly enhanced on the cationic vacancy end of the divacancy. The adsorption energies of the low spin states of spin quenched complexes are always greater than those of the high spin states. The metal-support interactions stabilize the low spin states of the adsorbed metals with respect to the isolated metals, but the effect is not always enough to quench the spin. The encountered variations in magnetic properties of free metals and of metal complexes are correlated with the energy gaps of the frontier orbitals. Spin contamination affect the adsorbate-substrate distances, Mulliken charges, Mulliken spin densities, natural charge, natural orbital population, and provide rationalization for the reported magnetic and binding properties. The electrostatic potential energy curves provide clearer understanding of the nature of magnetic and binding interactions. The magnetic and binding properties of a single metal atom adsorbed on a particular surface result from a competition between Hund's rule for the adsorbed metal, and the formation of a chemical bond at the interface. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.