Computational study on the half-metallicity in transition metal–oxide-incorporated 2D g-C3N4 nanosheets

In this study, based on the first-principles calculations, we systematically investigated the electronic and magnetic properties of the transition metal–oxide-incorporated 2D g-C₃N₄ nanosheet (labeled C₃N₄– TM–O, TM= Sc–Mn). The results suggest that the TM–O binds to g-C₃N₄ nanosheets strongly for all systems. We found that the 2D C₃N₄–TM–O framework is ferromagnetic for TM= Sc, Ti, V, Cr, while it is antiferromagnetic for TM= Mn. All the ferromagnetic systems exhibit the half-metallic property. Furthermore, Monte Carlo simulations based on the Heisenberg model suggest that the Curie temperatures (T_c) of the C₃N₄–TM–O (TM= Sc, Ti, V, Cr) framework are 169 K, 68 K, 203 K, and 190 K, respectively. Based on Bader charge analysis, we found that the origin of the half-metallicity at Fermi energy can be partially attributed to the transfer of electrons from TM atoms to the g-C₃N₄ nanosheet. In addition, we found that not only electrons but also holes can induce half-metallicity for 2D g-C₃N₄ nanosheets, which may help to understand the origin of half-metallicity for graphitic carbon nitride.     

Dy@C82分子在Au(111)表面依赖于覆盖度的取向研究

利用超高真空扫描隧道显微镜, 在低温(80 K)下研究了同分异构体分子Dy@C₈₂在Au(111)表面的吸附与分子取向．在低覆盖度下,Dy@C₈₂分子优先吸附于台阶边缘形成分子团簇与分子链结构．这种吸附取决于分子-衬底的相互作用,并存在多种不同的分子取向．增大分子覆盖度后,Dy@C₈₂在金表面形成二维有序密排的单层膜结构．Dy@C₈₂分子在金表面的取向倾向于其C₂长轴与金表面近乎平行．具有三种取向的分子最具优势,而同种取向的分子组成许多局限于一个个小区域内的取向有序结构畴．随着覆盖度的增加,Dy@C₈₂分子在Au(111)表面趋向于短程有序取向排列,这是由分子-衬底作用与分子间的偶极-偶极作用共同决定的．     

Dissociation of liquid water on defective rutile TiO2 (110) surfaces using ab initio molecular dynamics simulations

In order to obtain a comprehensive understanding of both thermodynamics and kinetics of water dissociation on TiO₂, the reactions between liquid water and perfect and defective rutile TiO₂ (110) surfaces were investigated using ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. The results showed that the free-energy barrier (~4.4 kcal/mol) is too high for a spontaneous dissociation of water on the perfect rutile (110) surface at a low temperature. The most stable oxygen vacancy (V_o1) on the rutile (110) surface cannot promote the dissociation of water, while other unstable oxygen vacancies can significantly enhance the water dissociation rate. This is opposite to the general understanding that V_o1 defects are active sites for water dissociation. Furthermore, we reveal that water dissociation is an exothermic reaction, which demonstrates that the dissociated state of the adsorbed water is thermodynamically favorable for both perfect and defective rutile (110) surfaces. The dissociation adsorption of water can also increase the hydrophilicity of TiO₂.     

空间位阻对吡啶过度修饰导致丝光沸石二甲醚羰基化酸性位中毒后 再生的诱导作用

当今世界环境与能源问题日益加剧,乙醇作为一种重要的清洁燃料和化学品受到广泛关注,迫切需要探索高效的乙醇合成方法,以满足日益增长的市场需求.其中,将煤炭、生物质、页岩气等为原料合成的二甲醚通过羰基化反应制乙酸甲酯、乙酸甲酯加氢制乙醇的串联式绿色乙醇合成路线具有重要的工业应用前景.然而,在二甲醚羰基化过程中,丝光沸石分子筛易积碳失活,阻碍了其工业应用.吡啶改性可以毒化丝光沸石12元环孔道中的酸性位,抑制积碳的形成,进而大幅度提高该催化剂的稳定性,但同时会使其催化活性降低约40%–50%.为了解决这一难题,本文从分子水平上研究了吡啶吸附行为以及分子筛骨架空间位阻对丝光沸石催化剂上二甲醚羰基化反应的影响.通过解析丝光沸石的骨架结构,我们发现位于8元环侧袋和12元环孔道共用孔壁处O_2位置上的酸性位是二甲醚羰基化反应的活性位,但它们在吡啶修饰过程中易被毒化而使催化剂活性下降.密度泛函理论计算结果表明,吡啶分子因受分子筛骨架空间位阻的影响,在O_2处酸性位上的吸附较弱.而实验结果也表明,通过673 K热处理可以再生被吡啶毒化的O_2活性位,而并不影响12元环孔道中其它吡啶分子的吸附.因此,该热处理方法可以使丝光沸石催化剂保持高稳定性的同时,将二甲醚羰基化反应催化活性提高约60%.本文从分子水平证明了丝光沸石中O_2活性位对二甲醚羰基化反应的重要作用,为绿色乙醇合成技术研究提供了新的思路,也为其它高效分子筛催化体系设计提供了有益的参考.     

Co3+离子自旋态对六方相LaCoO3的低指数晶面稳定性影响的密度泛函理论研究

By the first-principles calculations,most studies indicated that the (11102)-CoO₂ termination of LaCoO₃ cannot be stabilized,which disagrees with the experimental observation.Besides the crystal structure,we found that the spin states of Co³⁺ ions could affect surface stability,which previously were not well considered.By examining the different states of Co³⁺ ions in hexagonal-phase LaCoO₃,including low spin,intermediate spin,and high spin states,the surface grand potentials of these facets are calculated and compared.The results show that the spin states of Co³⁺ ions have an important influence on stability of the LaCoO₃ facets.Different from the previous results,the stability diagrams demonstrate that the (11102)-CoO₂ termination can stably exist under O-rich condition,which can get an agreement with the experimental ones.Furthermore,the surface oxygen vacancy formation energies (E_Ov) of stable facets are computed in different spin states.The E_Ov of these possible exposed terminations strongly depend on the spin state of Co³⁺ ions:in particular,the E_Ov of the HS states is lower than that of other spin states.This indicates that one can tune the properties of LaCoO₃ by directly tuning the spin states of Co³⁺ ions.     

Dissociation of liquid water on defective rutile TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> (110) surfaces using <Emphasis Type="Italic">ab initio</Emphasis> molecular dynamics simulations

In order to obtain a comprehensive understanding of both thermodynamics and kinetics of water dissociation on TiO₂, the reactions between liquid water and perfect and defective rutile TiO₂ (110) surfaces were investigated using ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. The results showed that the free-energy barrier (~4.4 kcal/mol) is too high for a spontaneous dissociation of water on the perfect rutile (110) surface at a low temperature. The most stable oxygen vacancy (Vo₁) on the rutile (110) surface cannot promote the dissociation of water, while other unstable oxygen vacancies can significantly enhance the water dissociation rate. This is opposite to the general understanding that Vo₁ defects are active sites for water dissociation. Furthermore, we reveal that water dissociation is an exothermic reaction, which demonstrates that the dissociated state of the adsorbed water is thermodynamically favorable for both perfect and defective rutile (110) surfaces. The dissociation adsorption of water can also increase the hydrophilicity of TiO₂.     

Computational study on the half-metallicity in transition metal—oxide-incorporated 2D g-C<Subscript>3</Subscript>N<Subscript>4</Subscript> nanosheets

In this study, based on the first-principles calculations, we systematically investigated the electronic and magnetic properties of the transition metal–oxide-incorporated 2D g-C₃N₄ nanosheet (labeled C₃N₄–TM–O, TM = Sc–Mn). The results suggest that the TM–O binds to g-C₃N₄ nanosheets strongly for all systems. We found that the 2D C₃N₄–TM–O framework is ferromagnetic for TM = Sc, Ti, V, Cr, while it is antiferromagnetic for TM = Mn. All the ferromagnetic systems exhibit the half-metallic property. Furthermore, Monte Carlo simulations based on the Heisenberg model suggest that the Curie temperatures (T _c ) of the C₃N₄–TM–O (TM = Sc, Ti, V, Cr) framework are 169 K, 68 K, 203 K, and 190 K, respectively. Based on Bader charge analysis, we found that the origin of the half-metallicity at Fermi energy can be partially attributed to the transfer of electrons from TM atoms to the g-C₃N₄ nanosheet. In addition, we found that not only electrons but also holes can induce half-metallicity for 2D g-C₃N₄ nanosheets, which may help to understand the origin of half-metallicity for graphitic carbon nitride.