First Principle Calculations for Silver Halides AgBr, AgCl, and AgF

Density functional theory (DFT) coupled with ) method are carried out to calculate the electronic structures of AgX (X; Br, Cl, and F). The effect of hybridizing between 4d orbital of Ag element and the p orbitals of the X in the valence band plays a very important role in the total density of states configuration. The electronic structure has been studied and all results were compared with the experimental and theoretical values. The importance of this work is that there is insufficient studies of silver halides corresponding the great importance of these compounds. Almost all the results were consistent with the previous studies mentioned here. We found the band gap of AgX to be 2.343 eV, 2.553 eV, and 1.677 eV for AgBr, AgCl, and AgF respectively which are in good agreement with the experimental results.

Theoretical Prediction of CHn Crystal Structures under High Pressures

CHn is the precursor unit for graphene synthesis. We have theoretically predicated a series of CHn structures with n = 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 at elevated pressures (ambient pressure, 50, 100, 200, 300, 350, and 400 GPa) using evolutionary algorithms. The predicted CH and CH2 structures are graphane-type and polyethylene over the whole considered pressure range, respectively. The molecular crystalline methane is predicted for the stoichiometry of CH4. The combination of methane and H2 for CH6, CH8, CH10, and CH12 up to 300 GPa are obtained. At 400 GPa, the mixture of polymer and H2 for CH6, CH10, and CH12 comes into play. From the computed enthalpy, higher pressure and more hydrogen concentration contributed to the decomposition (to carbon and H2) of CHn systems. The total density of states for these CHn structures show that only the CH12 phase is metallic above 300 GPa. The rotational properties are traced in H2 and the CHn structures. The CH4 rotation is more sensitive to the pressure. The H2 units are nearly freely rotational. Other structures of CHn, including fcc-type and experimentally known structures, are not competitive with the structures predicted by evolutionary algorithms under high pressure region. Our results suggest that the CHn (n > 4) system is a potential candidate for hydrogen storage where H2 could be released by controlling the pressure.

First-Principles Investigation of Structural, Electronic, and Room Temperature Ferromagnetism in Si-Doped Monolayer BN

We performed spin-polarized density functional theory (DFT) to investigate the structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of silicon- (Si-) doped monolayer boron nitride (BN). The present study revealed that structural parameters like bond length, bond angle, and lattice parameters increase as Si-doped in the B site of monolayer BN. However, the bandgap of monolayer BN is reduced in the presence of the Si dopant. Moreover, the obtained magnetic moment and analysis of the total density of states (TDOS) show that Si-doped monolayer BN displays ferromagnetism. The calculated ferromagnetic transition temperature (Tc) value for Si concentration of 12.5% is 476 K which exceeds room temperature. The findings are avenues to enhance the application of monolayer BN for spintronics.

Pressure effect of the mechanical, electronics and thermodynamic properties of Mg–B compounds A first-principles investigations

First principle calculations were performed to investigate the structural, mechanical, electronic properties, and thermodynamic properties of three binary Mg–B compounds under pressure, by using the first principle method. The results implied that the structural parameters and the mechanical properties of the Mg–B compounds without pressure are well matched with the obtainable theoretically simulated values and experimental data. The obtained pressure–volume and energy–volume revealed that the three Mg–B compounds were mechanically stable, and the volume variation decreases with an increase in the boron content. The shear and volume deformation resistance indicated that the elastic constant Cij and bulk modulus B increased when the pressure increased up to 40 GPa, and that MgB7 had the strongest capacity to resist shear and volume deformation at zero pressure, which indicated the highest hardness. Meanwhile, MgB4 exhibited a ductility transformation behaviour at 30 GPa, and MgB2 and MgB7 displayed a brittle nature under all the considered pressure conditions. The anisotropy of the three Mg–B compounds under pressure were arranged as follows: MgB4 > MgB2 > MgB7. Moreover, the total density of states varied slightly and decreased with an increase in the pressure. The Debye temperature ΘD of the Mg–B compounds gradually increased with an increase in the pressure and the boron content. The temperature and pressure dependence of the heat capacity and the thermal expansion coefficient α were both obtained on the basis of Debye model under increased pressure from 0 to 40 GPa and increased temperatures. This paper brings a convenient understanding of the magnesium–boron alloys.

Pressure Effect of the Mechanical, Electronics and Thermodynamic Properties of Mg-B Compounds: A First-Principles Investigation

First principle calculations were performed to investigate the structural, mechanical, electronic properties, and thermodynamic properties of three binary Mg-B compounds under pressure, by using the first principle method. The results implied that the structural parameters and the mechanical properties of the Mg-B compounds without pressure are well matched with the obtainable theoretically simulated values and experimental data. The obtained pressure–volume and energy–volume revealed that the three Mg-B compounds were mechanically stable, and the volume variation decreases with an increase in the boron content. The shear and volume deformation resistance indicated that the elastic constant C ij and bulk modulus B increased when the pressure increased up to 40 GPa, and that MgB 7 had the strongest capacity to resist shear and volume deformation at zero pressure, which indicated the highest hardness. Meanwhile, MgB 4 exhibited a ductility transformation behaviour at 30 GPa, and MgB 2 and MgB 7 displayed a brittle nature under all the considered pressure conditions. The anisotropy of the three Mg-B compounds under pressure were arranged as follows: MgB 4 > MgB 2 > MgB 7. Moreover, the total density of states (TDOS) varied slightly and decreased with an increase in the pressure. The Debye temperature Θ D of the Mg-B compounds gradually increased with an increase in the pressure and the boron content. The temperature and pressure dependence of the heat capacity and the linear thermal expansion coefficient α were both obtained on the basis of Debye model under increased pressure from 0GPa to 40 GPa and increased temperatures. This paper brings a convenient understanding of the magnesium-boron alloys.

Experimental and computational study on roles of WOx promoting strong metal support promoter interaction in Pt catalysts during glycerol hydrogenolysis

Biodiesel is of high interest due to increased demand for energy with the concern regarding more sustainable production processes. However, an inevitable by-product is glycerol. Hence, the conversion of this by-product to higher-value chemicals, especially 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO) via glycerol hydrogenolysis reaction, is one of the most effective pathways towards a profitable process. In general, this process is catalyzed by a highly active Pt-based catalyst supported on γ-Al2O3. However, its low 1,3-PDO selectivity and stability due to surface deactivation of such catalysts remained. This led to the surface modification by WOx to improve both the selectivity by means of the increased Brønsted acidity and the stability in terms of Pt leaching-resistance. Hence, we applied experimental and density functional theory (DFT)-based techniques to study the fundamentals of how WOx modified the catalytic performance in the Pt/γ-Al2O3 catalyst and provided design guidelines. The effects of WOx promoter on improved activity were due to the shifting of the total density of states towards the antibonding region evident by the total density of states (TDOS) profile. On the improved 1,3-PDO selectivity, the main reason was the increasing number of Brønsted acid sites due to the added WOx promoter. Interestingly, the stability improvement was due to the strong metal-support interaction (SMSI) that occurred in the catalyst, like typical high leaching-resistant catalysts. Also, the observed strong metal-support-promoter interaction (SMSPI) is an additional effect preventing leaching. The SMSPI stemmed from additional bonding between the WOx species and the Pt active site, which significantly strengthened Pt adsorption to support and a high electron transfer from both Pt and Al2O3 to WOx promoter. This suggested that the promising promoter for our reaction performed in the liquid phase would improve the stability if SMSI occurred, where the special case of the WOx promoter would even highly improve the stability through SMSPI. Nevertheless, various promoters that can promote SMSPI need investigations.

Electronic Transitions, Inter- and Intra-Bond Interactions of an Azabicycle Single Crystal using DFT

2,4-Diphenyl-3-azabicyclo[3.3.1]nonan-9-one O-benzyloxime (ABN-OBn) was synthesized by modified Mannich condensation, purified by recrystallization and single crystals were grown by slow evaporation from ethanol. The empirical formula of the molecule is C27H28N2O as witnessed by HRMS, elemental analysis and the X-ray diffraction. The crystal belongs to triclinic system (α = 73.640, β = 78.505, γ = 87.078) with P-1 space group. The electronic excited states of ABN-OBn have been calculated using TD-DFT/B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level of theory, in order to investigate the electronic transitions within the molecule. Frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs) of ABN-OBn have been studied to understand the electronic charge distributions and its band gap (5.0514 eV/245.45 nm). Density of states (DOS), partial density of states (PDOS) and total density of states (TDOS) with respect to functional groups were computed to investigate the electron densities of functional groups in the molecule. Natural bond orbital (NBO) has been performed to explore the intramolecular π-π* interaction of the compound.

Electronic excitation spectra of cerium oxides: from ab initio dielectric response functions to Monte Carlo electron transport simulations

CeO2 partial/total density of states and electronic excitation spectrum from its valence levels.

C-2p Spin-Polarizations along with Two Mechanisms in Extended Carbon Multilayers: Insight from First Principles

From density functional theory investigations helped with crystal chemistry rationale, single-atom C, embedded in layered hexagonal CC’n (n = 6, 12 and 18) networks, is stable in a magnetic state with M(C) = 2 μB. The examined compositions, all inscribed within the P6/mmm space group are characterized as increasingly cohesive with n, figuring mono-, bi- and tri-layered honeycomb-like C’6 networks respectively. The spin projected total density of states shows a closely half-metallic behavior with a gap at minority spins (↓) and metallic majority spins (↑). Such results together with the large C-C intersite separation and the integer 2 μB magnetization, let us propose an intra-band mechanism of magnetic moment onset on carbon 2p states. Support is provided from complementary calculations assuming a C2C’12 structure with planar 2C with d(C-C) = 2.46 Å resulting into a lowering of the magnetization down to the 0.985 μB/C atom and a ferromagnetic order arising from interband spin polarization on C where one nonbonding spin polarizes whereas the other is involved with the bonding with the other carbon. Illustration of proofs is provided with the magnetic charge density projected onto the different atoms, showing its prevalence around C, contrary to the C’n (C’6 layers), as well as electron localization function ELF.

Mechanical Deformation and Electronic Structure of a Blue Copper Azurin in a Solid-State Junction

Protein-based electronics is an emerging field which has attracted considerable attention over the past decade. Here, we present a theoretical study of the formation and electronic structure of a metal-protein-metal junction based on the blue-copper azurin from pseudomonas aeruginosa. We focus on the case in which the protein is adsorbed on a gold surface and is contacted, at the opposite side, to an STM (Scanning Tunneling Microscopy) tip by spontaneous attachment. This has been simulated through a combination of molecular dynamics and density functional theory. We find that the attachment to the tip induces structural changes in the protein which, however, do not affect the overall electronic properties of the protein. Indeed, only changes in certain residues are observed, whereas the electronic structure of the Cu-centered complex remains unaltered, as does the total density of states of the whole protein.