AUTHOR=de Lara-Castells María Pilar , Mitrushchenkov Alexander O. TITLE=Mini Review: Quantum Confinement of Atomic and Molecular Clusters in Carbon Nanotubes JOURNAL=Frontiers in Chemistry VOLUME=9 YEAR=2021 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/chemistry/articles/10.3389/fchem.2021.796890 DOI=10.3389/fchem.2021.796890 ISSN=2296-2646 ABSTRACT=

We overview our recent developments on a computational approach addressing quantum confinement of light atomic and molecular clusters (made of atomic helium and molecular hydrogen) in carbon nanotubes. We outline a multi-scale first-principles approach, based on density functional theory (DFT)-based symmetry-adapted perturbation theory, allowing an accurate characterization of the dispersion-dominated particle–nanotube interaction. Next, we describe a wave-function-based method, allowing rigorous fully coupled quantum calculations of the pseudo-nuclear bound states. The approach is illustrated by showing the transition from molecular aggregation to quasi-one-dimensional condensed matter systems of molecular deuterium and hydrogen as well as atomic 4He, as case studies. Finally, we present a perspective on future-oriented mixed approaches combining, e.g., orbital-free helium density functional theory (He-DFT), machine-learning parameterizations, with wave-function-based descriptions.