HOW TO CALCULATE THE RESULTS OF Fe2+ Ti4+ CHARGE TRANSFER COMPLEX IN SAPPHIRE

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on calculating the Ti4+ Fe2+ charge transfer complex responsible for the blue color of sapphire. It highlights that while the absorption of yellow light (~2 eV) leads to this color, performing quantitative calculations requires advanced methods in computational chemistry, such as many-body physics and time-dependent DFT, which are not feasible for non-experts. The conversation emphasizes the complexity of color perception, linking it to human visual systems rather than just the properties of light or materials.

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  • Understanding of charge transfer complexes in materials science
  • Basic principles of quantum mechanics and electromagnetism
  • Familiarity with computational chemistry techniques
  • Knowledge of excitation spectra and their calculation methods
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  • Research time-dependent DFT and its limitations for charge transfer excitations
  • Explore many-body physics in computational chemistry
  • Study the principles of color perception in human vision
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Material science students, computational chemists, and anyone interested in the intersection of physics, chemistry, and color theory.

Panthera Leo
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hi,

I am trying to figure out how does the Ti4+ Fe2+ charge transfer complex produces the blue color of sapphire quantitavily... as it is given here:

http://www.webexhibits.org/causesofcolor/8.html"

How is it possible to calculate that this particular charge transfer requires absorption of "yellow light (~2eV)" giving rise to the complementary blue color, using very simple quantum physics because I am no expert ?

Is it possible to use bohr model and simple electromagnetism?

I will highly appreciate your contributions.
 
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Panthera Leo said:
I am trying to figure out how does the Ti4+ Fe2+ charge transfer complex produces the blue color of sapphire quantitavily... as it is given here:

http://www.webexhibits.org/causesofcolor/8.html"

How is it possible to calculate that this particular charge transfer requires absorption of "yellow light (~2eV)" giving rise to the complementary blue color, using very simple quantum physics because I am no expert ?

That is not possible. Experts at computational chemistry for solids may be able to do this calculation, using lots of hardcore many-body physics and big computers, but even they would need to pull tricks[1]. And I still wouldn't bet on them being able to get quantitative agreement, let alone predictions. Using simple methods and not being an expert, I'm afraid you have no chance.

[1] The most commonly applied method for calculating excitation spectra, (linear-response) time dependent DFT, is not applicable to charge transfer excitations.
 
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Holy capslock Feynman.
 
Panthera Leo said:
hi,

I am trying to figure out how does the Ti4+ Fe2+ charge transfer complex produces the blue color of sapphire quantitavily... as it is given here:

http://www.webexhibits.org/causesofcolor/8.html"

How is it possible to calculate that this particular charge transfer requires absorption of "yellow light (~2eV)" giving rise to the complementary blue color, using very simple quantum physics because I am no expert ?

Is it possible to use Bohr model and simple electromagnetism?

Thank you for the reference to this paper. It is very clear and I long needed it.
The principle is easy to understand, the detailed calculations are beyond reach.
The principle is the same as in organic dyes : an electron can delocalize with oscillation between two distant and preferred zones of the molecule or the crystal. So the frequency of the oscillation is in the range of human-seeable band, and this electron can absorb several quanta at this frequency and thermalize them by mechanical means towards the lattice and its phonons, before reemitting a photon by optical way.

Colour is a property of the human system of sight (human retina, human wiring of the retina, human visual cortex), not of the light or the objects under light.
 
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cgk said:
That is not possible. Experts at computational chemistry for solids may be able to do this calculation, using lots of hardcore many-body physics and big computers, but even they would need to pull tricks[1]. And I still wouldn't bet on them being able to get quantitative agreement, let alone predictions. Using simple methods and not being an expert, I'm afraid you have no chance.

[1] The most commonly applied method for calculating excitation spectra, (linear-response) time dependent DFT, is not applicable to charge transfer excitations.

I am trully stunned!

Actually I am a student of material science & I have been encountering such phenamena recently...

I am intrigued to know; what are the commonly applied methods for calculating excitation spectra?
 
Drakkith said:
Holy capslock Feynman.

You reminded me of QED :)

Is it possible to use QED in this case?
 
Jacques_L said:
Thank you for the reference to this paper. It is very clear and I long needed it.
The principle is easy to understand, the detailed calculations are beyond reach.
The principle is the same as in organic dyes : an electron can delocalize with oscillation between two distant and preferred zones of the molecule or the crystal. So the frequency of the oscillation is in the range of human-seeable band, and this electron can absorb several quanta at this frequency and thermalize them by mechanical means towards the lattice and its phonons, before reemitting a photon by optical way.

Colour is a property of the human system of sight (human retina, human wiring of the retina, human visual cortex), not of the light or the objects under light.

Color is undoubtedly a magnificant phenamena to study from the scientific perspective... A combination of physics, chemistry, biology & so on ...

The hope diamond has a band gap of 0.4 eV due to Boron doped in its structure... How can the 0.4eV can give rise to blue diamond! just can't get this?!
 

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