Electronic and optical properties of quaternary selenides for optoelectronic applications: Insights from DFT+U-computations

The optical properties, electronic charge density, electronic structure of the new layered selenides materials, BaGdCuSe₃, CsUCuSe₃, CsZrCuSe₃, and CsGdZnSe₃ compounds have been calculated by using the full potential and linear augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) methods as applied in the WIEN2k package, which is based on the density functional theory. The ALnMSe3 compound's structure of these was (A = Cs, Ba; Ln = Zr, Gd, U; M = Cu, Zn) is composed of (n = 1, 2) layers, which might be separated by A atoms. It is to be observed that there is strong hybridization between the s, p, and d states of Zr, Gd, and Cu atoms. Around the gadolinium atom, the charge density contours are completely circular, but the Gadolinium “Gd” atom shows an ionic nature. To calculate the refractive index, we used Kramer's Kronig correlations with the imaginary part dielectric function. The decrease in the refractive index is due to the lack of probability for direct excitation of the electrons, resulting in a loss of energy. The value of the static refractive index for all reference compounds is about 1.75–2.25, which is indication that the material used in optoelectronic devices.     

层状复合氢氧化物的有机改性方法及应用研究进展

层状复合氢氧化物(LDHs)因其化学组成可调、比表面积大、生物相容性好等特点,目前在环境、能源和生物医药等领域广受关注.然而, LDHs在合成过程中由于其分子内作用力易发生团聚而导致其在基体中的分散不均匀,极大地限制了LDHs在实际中的应用.有机改性是改善LDHs分散性的有效方法,从表面改性和插层改性两个方面综述了近年来LDHs的有机改性方法,并介绍了其在阻燃、吸附、催化、气体阻隔、发光、储能和生物医药材料等领域的应用.最后对改性后LDHs未来的研究方向和应用领域进行了展望.     

Computational Mechanism Investigation of C=C Bond Hydrogenation Catalyzed by Rhodium Hydride

The hydrogenation of unsaturated carbons is a commonly used synthetic tool in pharmaceutical and industrial production. Recently, the Norton group realized highly selective hydrogenation of C=C bonds catalyzed by a rhodium hydride. Despite the great efforts made by experimentalists, details regarding the mechanism remained unclear. In this work, detailed DFT calculations were carried out to elucidate the principal features of this transformation. For enones we find that two possible competing mechanisms proposed by the experimental groups are computationally excluded, our proposed alternative mechanism with a total barrier of 20.0 kcal mol⁻¹ is theoretically feasible, solvent methanol to also plays a crucial role in assisting β-hydrogenation in addition to being the hydrogen source for α-hydrogenation, and the cross-polarization of the substrate enone-conjugated system to result in an enhanced charge density of the α-carbon, which favors being hydrogenated first. For isolated alkenes, neither of the two possible competing mechanisms can be excluded computationally and which carbon atom is first hydrogenated depends on the electronic properties of the substrate itself. The combination of rhodium and C=C bonds changes the electronic properties of H on the rhodium hydride and enhances its hydrogenation activity.     

ZnCr双金属层状材料对废水中酸性红14的吸附性能

采用共沉淀法制备性能优异的层状材料锌铬水滑石(Zn_xCr-LDHs, x=2, 3, 4), 并探究各种因素对吸附酸性红14(AR14)的影响。XRD、ICP、FTIR及BET表征结果表明:合成的Zn_xCr-LDHs晶型良好且稳定, 具备介孔结构。实验结果表明:最佳吸附剂为Zn₃Cr-LDHs, 比表面积为101 m²·g^-1, 对AR14的最大吸附容量为484.63 mg·g^-1。同时, 降低溶液pH值和提高溶液温度均可促进AR14的吸附。该吸附过程分别符合准二级动力学模型和Freundlich等温吸附模型。结合Materials Studio 5.5软件模拟, 推测该吸附机理主要以表面吸附为主, -SO₃^-基团是反应点。     

Topochemical Transformations of CaX2 (X=C,Si, Ge) to Form Free‐Standing Two‐Dimensional Materials

Topochemical transformations of layered materials CaX₂ (X=Si, Ge) are the method of choice for the high‐yield synthesis of pristine, defect‐free two‐dimensional systems silicane and germanane, which have advanced electronic properties. Based on solid‐state dispersion‐corrected calculations, mechanisms for such transformations are elucidated that provide an in‐depth understanding of phase transition in these layered materials. While formation of such layered materials is highly favorable for silicane and germanane, a barrier of 1.2 eV in the case of graphane precludes its synthesis from CaC₂ topochemically. The energy penalty required for distorting linear acetylene into a trans‐bent geometry accounts for this barrier. In contrast it is highly favorable in the heavier analogues, resulting in barrierless topochemical generation of silicane and germanane. Photochemical generation of the trans‐bent structure of acetylene in its first excited state (S₁) can directly generate graphane through a barrierless condensation. Unlike the buckled structure of silicene, the phase‐h of CaSi₂ with perfectly planar silicene layers exhibits the Dirac cones at the high symmetry points K and H. Interestingly, topochemical acidification of the cubic phase of calcium carbide is predicted to generate the previously elusive platonic hydrocarbon, tetrahedrane.     

Zn/Al层状双氢氧化物-聚氯乙烯纳米复合物的制备与性能

用共沉淀法制备油酸钾改性的Zn2+、Al 3+层状双氢氧化物(Zn/Al-LDH),以环己酮为溶剂,用溶液插层法制备了Zn/Al层状双氢氧化物-聚氯乙烯(PVC)纳米复合物。采用傅里叶红外(FT-IR)、X-射线衍射(XRD)、透射电镜(TEM)对复合材料的结构及形貌进行了表征,并用热分析仪、万能试验机和紫外分光光度计研究了复合物的热稳定性能、拉伸性能和紫外吸收性能。结果表明:Zn/Al-LDH纳米片层无序分散在PVC基体中;Zn/Al-LDH对PVC低温时的骨干脱氯化氢有促进作用;与PVC膜相比,复合膜的分解温度降低,高温碳化温度升高,复合膜的拉伸强度及断裂伸长率得到提高,在300~380nm具有一定的紫外吸收性能。     

Nickel‐Rich Layered Lithium Transition‐Metal Oxide for High‐Energy Lithium‐Ion Batteries

High energy‐density lithium‐ion batteries are in demand for portable electronic devices and electrical vehicles. Since the energy density of the batteries relies heavily on the cathode material used, major research efforts have been made to develop alternative cathode materials with a higher degree of lithium utilization and specific energy density. In particular, layered, Ni‐rich, lithium transition‐metal oxides can deliver higher capacity at lower cost than the conventional LiCoO₂. However, for these Ni‐rich compounds there are still several problems associated with their cycle life, thermal stability, and safety. Herein the performance enhancement of Ni‐rich cathode materials through structure tuning or interface engineering is summarized. The underlying mechanisms and remaining challenges will also be discussed.     

Co‐development of Crystalline and Mesoscopic Order in Mesostructured Zeolite Nanosheets

Mesoporous zeolites are a new and technologically important class of materials that exhibit improved diffusion and catalytic reaction properties compared to conventional zeolites with sub‐nanometer pore dimensions. During their syntheses, the transient developments of crystalline and mesoscopic order are closely coupled and challenging to control. Correlated solid‐state NMR, X‐ray, and electron microscopy analyses yield new molecular‐level insights on the interactions and distributions of complicated organic structure‐directing agents with respect to crystallizing zeolite frameworks. The analyses reveal the formation of an intermediate layered silicate phase, which subsequently transforms into zeolite nanosheets with uniform nano‐ and mesoscale porosities. Such materials result from coupled surfactant self‐assembly and inorganic crystallization processes, the interplay between which governs the onset and development of framework structural order on different length and time scales.     

Synthesis of Inorganic Structural Isomers By Diffusion‐Constrained Self‐Assembly of Designed Precursors: A Novel Type of Isomerism

The structure of precursors is used to control the formation of six possible structural isomers that contain four structural units of PbSe and four structural units of NbSe₂: [(PbSe)_1.14]₄[NbSe₂]₄, [(PbSe)_1.14]₃[NbSe₂]₃[(PbSe)_1.14]₁[NbSe₂]₁, [(PbSe)_1.14]₃[NbSe₂]₂[(PbSe)_1.14]₁[NbSe₂]₂, [(PbSe)_1.14]₂[NbSe₂]₃[(PbSe)_1.14]₂[NbSe₂]₁, [(PbSe)_1.14]₂[NbSe₂]₂[(PbSe)_1.14]₁[NbSe₂]₁[(PbSe)_1.14]₁[NbSe₂]₁, [(PbSe)_1.14]₂[NbSe₂]₁[(PbSe)_1.14]₁[NbSe₂]₂[(PbSe)_1.14]₁[NbSe₂]₁. The electrical properties of these compounds vary with the nanoarchitecture. For each pair of constituents, over 20 000 new compounds, each with a specific nanoarchitecture, are possible with the number of structural units equal to 10 or less. This provides opportunities to systematically correlate structure with properties and hence optimize performance.     

Encapsulation of Functional Organic Compounds in Nanoglass for Optically Anisotropic Coatings

A novel approach is presented for the encapsulation of organic functional molecules between two sheets of 1 nm thin silicate layers, which like glass are transparent and chemically stable. An ordered heterostructure with organic interlayers strictly alternating with osmotically swelling sodium interlayers can be spontaneously delaminated into double stacks with the organic interlayers sandwiched between two silicate layers. The double stacks show high aspect ratios of >1000 (typical lateral extension 5000 nm, thickness 4.5 nm). This newly developed technique can be used to mask hydrophobic functional molecules and render them completely dispersible in water. The combination of the structural anisotropy of the silicate layers and a preferred orientation of molecules confined in the interlayer space allows polymer nanocomposite films to be cast with a well‐defined orientation of the encapsulated molecules, thus rendering the optical properties of the nanocoatings anisotropic.