Fully spin-polarized transport induced by B doping in graphene nanoribbons

B-doping induced spin polarization in zigzag-edged graphene nanoribbons is studied by density functional calculations by two kinds of doping: (1) doping only one B atom in the central scattering region; (2) periodically doping in the whole system. It is found that even a single B dopant may cause large spin polarization in the current, which can be understood by the breaking of spin-degeneracy due to the impurity atoms and the Fermi level shift resulting from the hole-donating of the B atoms. More interestingly, 100% spin polarized current under finite bias is obtained through periodical doping although the transmission function around the Fermi level is not 100% spin polarized. This can be interpreted by a rigid shift model of the special band structures of the left and right leads in this case. It demonstrates that only transmission function at equilibrium conditions is not sufficient in the study of electron transport, but current should be considered in certain situations.     

Structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of pristine and oxygen-adsorbed graphene nanoribbons

The structural, electronic and magnetic properties of pristine and oxygen-adsorbed (3,0) zigzag and (6,1) armchair graphene nanoribbons have been investigated theoretically, by employing the ab initio pseudopotential method within the density functional scheme. The zigzag nanoribbon is more stable with antiferromagnetically coupled edges, and is semiconducting. The armchair nanoribbon does not show any preference for magnetic ordering and is semiconducting. The oxygen molecule in its triplet state is adsorbed most stably at the edge of the zigzag nanoribbon. The Stoner metallic behaviour of the ferromagnetic nanoribbons and the Slater insulating (ground state) behaviour of the antiferromagnetic nanoribbons remain intact upon oxygen adsorption. However, the local magnetic moment of the edge carbon atom of the ferromagnetic zigzag ribbon is drastically reduced, due to the formation of a spin-paired C-O bond.     

石墨烯与二氧化氮的吸附特性研究

由于石墨烯的二维结构以及其超高的比表面积，因此石墨烯可以感应到一个分子量级的变化，这使得其在气体传感方面具有很大的优势。文章通过计算和分析了石墨烯与二氧化氮的系统的能带结构，态密度和电荷分布情况来说明石墨烯吸附二氧化氮后的特性变化。这有助于进一步了解了石墨烯的特性，同时进一步推动石墨烯传感的发展。     

石墨烯与二氧化氮的吸附特性研究

由于石墨烯的二维结构以及其超高的比表面积,因此石墨烯可以感应到一个分子量级的变化,这使得其在气体传感方面具有很大的优势.文章通过计算和分析了石墨烯与二氧化氮的系统的能带结构,态密度和电荷分布情况来说明石墨烯吸附二氧化氮后的特性变化.这有助于进一步了解了石墨烯的特性,同时进一步推动石墨烯传感的发展.     

A cytosine-assisted carbon nanotubes junction: DFT studies

Since nucleobase-functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are important in the biological applications; the junction of a pair of CNTs through a bridging cytosine linkage is investigated based on density functional theory (DFT) calculations. In the exact model of study, the CNTs are bound to N₁ and C₅ atomic sites of cytosine to make possible the CNT–cytosine–CNT model. To systematically investigate the purpose, the models of original CNT, original cytosine, and primary models of cytosine–CNT in which one CNT is only bound to N₁ or C₅ atomic site of cytosine are also considered. The results of dipole moments and binding energies indicated that the CNT–cytosine–CNT model is the most stable one among all three possible models cytosine-functionalized CNT. The values of energy gaps indicated that the conducting properties of primary cytosine–CNT models are not changed referring to the original CNT but better conductivity could be observed for the CNT–cytosine–CNT model. The values of evaluated quadrupole coupling constants indicated that the electronic densities of nitrogen and oxygen atoms of cytosine detect notable affects during the functionalization processes by the zigzag CNTs and the oxygen atom of CNT–cytosine–CNT model could be proposed as the most proper interacting site of cytosine among other functionalized zigzag models and also the original cytosine. However, the changes of quadrupole coupling constants for the atoms of cytosine are almost negligible during the functionalization processes by the armchair CNTs.     

Electronic structure and optical properties of non-metallic modified graphene: a first-principles study

In this paper, the electronic structure and stability of the intrinsic, B-, N-, Si-, S-doped graphene are studied based on first-principles calculations of density functional theory. Firstly, the intrinsic, B-, N-, Si-, S-doped graphene structures are optimized, and then the forming energy, band structure, density of states, differential charge density are analyzed and calculated. The results show that B- and Si-doped systems are p-type doping, while N is n-type doping. By comparing the forming energy, it is found that N atoms are more easily doped in graphene. In addition, for B-, N-, Si-doped systems, it is found that the doping atoms will open the band gap, leading to a great change in the band structure of the doping system. Finally, we systematically study the optical properties of the different configurations. By comparison, it is found that the order of light sensitivity in the visible region is as follows: S-doped> Si-doped> pure > B-doped > N-doped. Our results will provide theoretical guidance for the stability and electronic structure of non-metallic doped graphene.     

Tailoring electronic and transport properties of edge-terminated armchair graphene by defect formation and N/B doping

First principle calculations based on Density Functional Theory and nonequilibrium Green's function methods were carried out on a p-n junction device made of armchair graphene nanoribbons (GNR), with B and N doping and with defects, to examine transport properties of these systems. Doping and defects were found to lower band gap compared to pristine GNR. N-doping leads to the smallest band gap and the highest current (17.18 μA at 0.9 V bias, −12.82 μA at −1 V bias). B-doping shows the least current. Extensive delocalisation in N-doped system suggests a strong coupling between p and n parts, making the system a high rectifying diode. Linear correspondence between transmission coefficient and projected density of states suggest robust negative differential resistance effect. Tuning of efficiency of such p-n junction by doping and defect suggests the design of suitable nanoelectronic devices in future.     

Tailoring atomic structure to control the electronic transport in zigzag graphene nanoribbon

We have performed ab initio   density functional theory calculation to study the electronic transport properties of the tailored zigzag-edged graphene nanoribbon (ZGNR) with particular electronic transport channels. Our results demonstrated that tailoring the atomic structure had significantly influenced the electronic transport of the defective nanostructures, and could lead to the metal-semiconducting transition when sufficient atoms are tailored. The asymmetric I–V$I\text{–}V$ characteristics as a result of symmetry breaking have been exhibited, which indicates the route to utilize GNR as a basic component for novel nanoelectronics.     

Ab initio study of the electronic and transport properties of waved graphene nanoribbons

We apply the nonequilibrium Green's function method based on density functional theory to investigate the electronic and transport properties of waved zigzag and armchair graphene nanoribbons. Our calculations show that out-of-plane mechanical deformations have a strong influence on the band structures and transport characteristics of graphene nanoribbons. The computed I-V curves demonstrate that the electrical conductance of graphene nanoribbons is significantly affected by deformations. The relationship between the conductance and the compression ratio is found to be sensitive to the type of the nanoribbon. The results of our study indicate the possibility of mechanical control of the electronic and transport properties of graphene nanoribbons.     

Density functional study of the reaction of O2 with a single site on the zigzag edge of graphene

The reaction between molecular oxygen and an isolated zigzag graphene edge has been studied using density functional theory at the B3LYP/6-31G(d) level of theory. The initial reaction forms a peroxide, ΔH = −135 kJ mol⁻¹. If the graphene edge is pre-oxidised, the dangling peroxy atom can (E_a = 91 kJ mol⁻¹) migrate across contiguous ketone groups until finding another vacant site and stabilizing as a ketone. However, if no further vacant sites are available, the peroxy oxygen has a number of other possibilities open to it, including desorption of an oxygen atom (E_a = 140 kJ mol⁻¹), migration via the basal plane to form a lactone (E_a = 147 kJ mol⁻¹), and direct interaction with an adjacent oxide to form the lactone or a carbonate (E_a = 146 kJ mol⁻¹). The combination of thermal energy and the heat released in the initial formation of the peroxy adduct is likely to be sufficient to overcome these secondary barriers at modest temperatures.Transfer of the dangling peroxy O to the basal plane produces an epoxide that is mobile on the basal surface (E_a = 40–80 kJ mol⁻¹) but that is transferred back to the edge upon coming into proximity of either a vacant edge site or ketone. The instability of the edge epoxide structure implies that it cannot play a significant role in carbon gasification through promoting the reactivity of ketones, contrary to earlier suggestions.The desorption of an oxygen atom creates a very active species capable of reacting with basal or edge sites as well as with oxygen complexes. The reaction of ketone + O has been reported to yield a five-membered ring + CO₂, leading to an overall stoichiometry which is consistent with the observed oxyreactivity of carbon surface oxides identified in isotopic labelling studies in which one O atom is gasified and the other forms a new surface oxide.     

Fe,Co,Ni掺杂石墨烯表面吸附C_2H_4的第一性原理研究

基于密度泛函理论(DFT)的广义梯度近似(GGA),本文对本征石墨烯以及掺杂Fe,Co,Ni石墨烯的几何结构和电子性质进行了优化计算,并计算了C_2H_4在本征石墨烯以及掺杂石墨烯表面的吸附过程,讨论了体系的吸附能、稳定性、DOS及掺杂对键长的影响.结果表明C_2H_4在本征石墨烯B位的吸附和掺杂石墨烯的吸附为化学吸附,在本征石墨烯T和H位的吸附为物理吸附;掺杂后石墨烯的比表面积增大,与本征石墨烯相比,掺杂使费米能级附近的态密度积分显著提高,表明掺杂石墨烯的电导性会发生变化,从而影响对C_2H_4的气敏度..C_2H_4在Fe、Co、Ni分别掺石墨烯的最佳吸附位为T位、H位和B位;掺杂Fe,Ni后体系的吸附能力显著提高,且掺杂Ni时体系的吸附能力最好.     

Electric field-induced unzipping of hydrogenated carbon nanotubes into graphene nanoribbons

We have investigated the electric field effect on horseshoe-shape carbon nanotubes (CNTs) resulting from hydrogen adsorption on the single-wall armchair (n,n)CNTs with 6 ≤ n ≤ 16 by using the density functional theory calculations. The horseshoe-shape CNT is completely unzipped into a graphene nanoribbon upon applying a critical electric field, which decreases with increasing CNT diameter, thus enabling one to select a nanoribbon width. A simple model based on the tensile force exerted on the tube walls by the applied electric field was introduced to understand the CNT-diameter dependence of the critical field.     

DFT study of graphene oxide reduction by a dopamine species

Recently a large interest has arisen for using less active reducers of graphene oxide, GO, that are friendly with the environment. In the present work, a DFT theoretical study on the reduction process of GO model surfaces is performed taking into account zwitterionic dopamine, ZDA, as reducing agent. Several periodic models representing epoxy and hydroxyl patches on GO basal plane are proposed. As the number of oxide groups in a patch of epoxies or hydroxyls on the surface of graphene increases from 1 to 5, these systems become more stable. Whereas the adsorption of ZDA on patches of GO with 5 epoxy groups is non-dissociative, that of ZDA on patches of GO with 5 hydroxyl groups is fundamentally dissociative, reducing the surface of graphene oxide. The H₂O molecule produced in the GO reduction becomes trapped to ZDA through a hydrogen bond. The ZDA binding to GO was analysed by considering electrostatic effects and attractive non-covalent contributions due to vdW interactions.     

Chemical shielding properties for BN,BP, AlN,and AlP nanocones: DFT studies

The properties of boron nitride (BN), boron phosphide (BP), aluminum nitride (AlN), and aluminum phosphide (AlP) nanocones were investigated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The investigated structures were optimized and chemical shielding (CS) properties including isotropic and anisotropic CS parameters were calculated for the atoms of the optimized structures. The magnitudes of CS parameters were observed to be mainly dependent on the bond lengths of considered atoms. The results indicated that the atoms could be divided into atomic layers due to the similarities of their CS properties for the atoms of each layer. The trend means that the atoms of each layer detect almost similar electronic environments. Moreover, the atoms at the apex and mouth of nanocones exhibit different properties with respect to the other atomic layers.     

Structural and electronic properties of H-passivated graphene

The atomic and electronic structures of graphane (hydrogen-passivated graphene) are theoretically investigated using the local density approximation (LDA) of the density functional theory (DFT) and the pseudopotential method. Our total energy calculations suggest that the chairlike configuration for graphane is more energetically stable than the boatlike and tablelike configurations by approximately 0.129 eV/cell and 0.655 eV/cell, respectively. Our calculations suggest that the LDA band gap of the chairlike structure is approximately 3.9 eV. The equilibrium geometry and the band structure of the chairlike conformer are investigated and compared with the available experimental and theoretical data. We further present total and partial charge density to reveal the orbital nature of the highest occupied and the lowest unoccupied states.     

Ab-initio calculation of optical properties of AA-stacked bilayer graphene with tunable layer separation

Density functional theory based calculations revealed that optical properties of AA-stacked bilayer graphene are anisotropic and highly sensitive to the interlayer separation. In the long wave length limit of electromagnetic radiation, the frequency dependent response of complex dielectric function becomes vanishingly small beyond the optical frequency of 25.0 eV. Besides, static dielectric constant shows a saturation behaviour for parallel polarization of electric field vector when interlayer spacing is greater than 2.75 Å. As a consequence, an appropriate modification of effective fine structure constant is observed as a function of layer separation. Moreover, the bilayer systems are highly transparent in the optical frequency range of 7.0–10.0 eV. The electron energy loss function exhibits two different in-plane collective (plasmon) excitations and a single out of plane plasmon excitation. The spectral nature of different frequency dependent optical properties is observed to be very similar to that of the monolayer pristine graphene apart from their exact numerical values.