Density functional theory study on sensing properties of g-C3N4 sheet to atmospheric gasses: Role of zigzag and armchair edges

The ability of the polymer-based graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) as a gas sensor toward NO, NO₂, CO, CO₂, SO₂, SO₃, and O₂ gasses is assessed using density functional theory (DFT) calculations in terms of energetic and electronic transport characteristics. In particular, this study is aimed to explore the role of zigzag and armchair edges of the g-C₃N₄ sheet on sensing performances. The electronic properties of adsorption systems, such as Bader charge analysis, band gaps, work function, and density of states (DOS), are used to understand the interaction between the adsorbed gas molecules and the g-C₃N₄ sheet. Our calculated results indicate that SOx (SO₃ and SO₂) gasses have higher adsorption energies on the g-C₃N₄ sheet than other gasses. Furthermore, the transport properties, such as current–voltage (I-V) and resistance-voltage (R-V) curves along the zigzag and armchair directions are calculated using the non-equilibrium Green's function (NEGF) method to understand the performance of the g-C₃N₄ sheet as a prominent conductive/resistive sensor. The I-V/R-V results indicate that the zigzag g-C₃N₄ sheet has excellent sensing ability toward SOx gasses at low applied voltages. However, the presence of H₂O degrades the sensing performance of the armchair g-C₃N₄ sheet. Theoretical recovery time has also been calculated to evaluate the reusability of g-C₃N₄ sheet-based gas sensors. Our results reveal that the zigzag g-C₃N₄ sheet-based sensing device has a remarkably high sensitivity (>300%) and selectivity toward SOx gasses and has the potential to work in a complex environment.     

Implementation of molecular symmetry in valence bond calculation

A novel strategy for the construction of many-electron symmetry-adapted wave function is proposed for ab initio valence bond (VB) calculations and is implemented for valence bond self-consistent filed (VBSCF) and breathing orbital valence bond (BOVB) methods with various orbital optimization algorithms. Symmetry-adapted VB functions are constructed by the projection operator of symmetry group. The many-electron symmetry-adapted wave function is expressed in terms of symmetry-adapted VB functions, and thus the VB calculations can be performed with the molecular symmetry restriction. Test results show that molecular symmetry reduces the computational cost of both the iteration numbers and CPU time. Furthermore, excited states with specific symmetry can be conveniently obtained in VB calculations by using symmetry-adapted VB functions.     

Role of Cu-doping in CdTe thin films: Experiments and simulations

Due to its outstanding physical properties, CdTe is used to fabricate high efficiency solar cells. However, its high work function poses a challenge, and hence, to fabricate an efficient CdTe-based solar cell, Cu-doping may be useful. Here, we present the role of temperature-dependent Cu-doping in radio frequency sputter-deposited CdTe films and the related changes occurring in their optical, electrical, structural and microstructural properties. For instance, Cu-doping at different temperatures leads to an increase in the grain size and a reduction in the optical reflectance with increasing temperature. In addition, Kelvin probe force microscopy measurements reveal that the work function is found to be smaller corresponding to the annealing temperature of 473 K, whereas resistivity measurements show that it decreases with increasing temperature (the lowest value of resistivity is found to be 1.8 × 10⁻² Ω-cm). To understand the electronic structure of CdTe before and after Cu-doping, we have carried out first-principles density functional theory (DFT) simulation, which reveals a strong hybridization among Cu, Cd and Te atoms. This study paves the way to fabricate efficient Cu-doped CdTe-based solar cells.     

Investigation of 500 keV Si ion induced surface structuring of Ni and Ti for enhancement of field emission properties

The present paper reports the investigation of surface morphology, elemental composition, phase changes and field emission properties of Si ion irradiated nickel (Ni) and titanium (Ti). The Ni and Ti targets have been irradiated with 500 keV Si ions generated by Pelletron accelerator at various fluences ranging from 6.9 × 10¹³ to 77.1 × 10¹³ ions/cm². Stopping range of ions in matter analysis revealed higher values of electronic stopping and sputtering yield for Ni as compared with Ti. For both irradiated metals, electronic energy loss dominant over the nuclear stopping. The growth of induced surface structures have been analysed by using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) analysis. In case of Ni, as the ion fluence increases from 6.9 × 10¹³ to 65.8 × 10¹³ ions/cm², the formation of spherical particulates, agglomers and sputtering is observed. Although in the case of Ti, with the increase of Si ion fluence from 11.6 × 10¹³ to 77.1 × 10¹³ ions/cm², the formation of irregular-shaped particulates along with crater and sputtered channels is observed. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis shows that no new phase is identified. However, a significant increase in peak intensity is observed with increasing ion fluence. The variation in crystallite size and dislocation line density is also observed as a function of Si ion fluence. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis shows that no bands are formed after the Si ion irradiation. Field emission properties of ion-structured Ni and Ti are well correlated with the growth of surface structures observed by SEM and dislocation line density evaluated by XRD analysis.     

How deeply are core electrons perturbed when valence electrons are spin polarized? The case study of transition metal compounds

The ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic wave functions of the KMnF₃ perovskite have been evaluated quantum-mechanically by using an all electron approach and, for comparison, pseudopotentials on the transition metal and the fluorine ions. It is shown that the different number of α and β electrons in the d shell of Mn perturbs the inner shells, with shifts between the α and β eigenvalues that can be as large as 6 eV for the 3s level, and is far from negligible also for the 2s and 2p states. The valence electrons of F are polarized by the majority spin electrons of Mn, and in turn, spin polarize their 1s electrons. When a pseudopotential is used, such a spin polarization of the core functions of Mn and F can obviously not take place. The importance of such a spin polarization can be appreciated by comparing (i) the spin density at the Mn and F nuclear position, and then the Fermi contact constant, a crucial quantity for the hyperfine coupling, and (ii) the ferromagnetic–antiferromagnetic energy difference, when obtained with an all electron or a pseudopotential scheme, and exploring how the latter varies with pressure. This difference is as large as 50% of the all electron datum, and is mainly due to the rigid treatment of the F ion core. The effect of five different functionals on the core spin polarization is documented.     

Comonotone approximation with interpolation at the ends on an interval

Let a function f ∈ C[-1, 1], changes its monotonisity at the finite collection Y := {y1,… ,ys} of s points yi ∈ (-1, 1). For each n ≥ N(Y), we construct an algebraic polynomial Pn, of degree ≤ n, which is comonotone with f, that is changes its monotonisity at the same points yi as f, and |f(x)-Pn(x)|≤c(s)ω2(f,(√1-x2)/n), x∈[-1,1],where N(Y) is a constant depending only on Y, c(s) is a constant depending only on s and ω2 (f, t) is the second modulus of smoothness of f.     

药物小分子化学位移的量子化学计算研究

核磁共振的谱峰归属对分子结构的确定至关重要,用理论计算方法预测化学位移对谱峰的正确归属是极其有帮助的. 我们用量子化学的方法预测了乙酰水杨酸及其衍生物分子上碳原子的化学位移,并通过比较计算值和实验值得到不同理论计算方法的误差范围. 用HF和DFT理论计算芳环碳的化学位移时,CSGT方法比GIAO方法更为准确. 与其它方法相比,B3PW91//CSGT 在6-311G(d,p)基组下得到的芳环碳的化学位移最接近实验值. 采用B3LYP//GIAO计算时, 使用不同的基组 6-31G(d,p)和6-311++G(3df,3pd)得到的化学位移计算值只有δ 0.01~2.04的差异. MP2方法非常耗时,且对于计算精度的改善并不显著; 并且,由于电子相关性的影响,碳原子周围的电子环境对化学位移计算的准确性影响很大. 与实验值比较,HF方法由于忽略电子相关效应所以表现较差. 另外,碳链的增长对计算准确性也存在一定影响.      

具有重值分担的亚纯函数

在考虑重值分担的情况下,得到一个具有三个分担值的亚纯函数的唯一性定理及若干推论,推广并改进了仪洪勋、Lah iri等人的结果.     

关于Smarandache ceil函数的一个方程

研究了关于Sm arandache ceil函数的一个方程,并用初等方法得到了它的所有解.