Dynamics of self-localized excitations in a polyacene chain

Dynamical formation processes of self-localized excitations induced by charge injection or photoexcitations in a polyacene chain are investigated by a nonadiabatic dynamic method. The polyacene chain is treated as two alternatively coupled polyacetylene chains. The initial lattice configuration is taken as the pristine polyacene chain. It contains an interchain-coupled neutral soliton as a consequence of odd-number sites in each of the two chains. The nonadiabatic dynamical processes are carefully investigated in the following physical cases: (1) electron injection; (2) electron transition from the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) to the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO); (3) electron transition from HOMO to the localized soliton level, and (4) electron-hole pair excited at the continuum absorbtion edge for light polarized parallel to the chain. It is interestingly found that the centers of the electron and the hole excited by light polarized parallel to the chain are separated. Therefore, the photogenerated charge carriers should be favorable in polyacene, which is remarkably different from those found in a single polyacetylene chain.     

六方氮化硼单层中一种(CN)3VB缺陷的第一性原理计算

二维六方氮化硼(hBN)的点缺陷最近被发现可以实现室温下的单光子发射,而成为近年的研究热点.尽管其具有重要的基础和应用研究意义,hBN中发光缺陷的原子结构起源仍然存在争议.本文采用基于密度泛函理论的第一性原理计算,研究hBN单层中一种B空位附近3个N原子被C替代的缺陷(CN)3VB.在hBN的B空位处,3个N原子各自带一个在平面内的悬挂键及相应的未配对电子,而通过C替换可以消除未配对的电子.系统研究了(CN)3VB缺陷的几何结构、电子结构以及光学性质,结果表明,缺陷可以由一个对称的亚稳态经过原子结构弛豫变成1个非对称的、3个C原子连在一起的基态结构.缺陷的形成在hBN中引入了一些由缺陷悬挂σ键及重构的π键贡献的局域缺陷态.这些缺陷态可以导致能量阈值在2.58 eV附近的可见光内部跃迁.本文的工作有助于进一步理解hBN中点缺陷的构成及光学性质,为实验上探讨发光点缺陷的原子结构起源及其性质提供理论依据.     

Trapping of phase kinks in polyacetylene

Molecular orbital calculations with full geometry optimization using a semi-empirical tight-binding Hamiltonian for finite molecular models of phase kinks (solitons) in polyacetylene, (CH)_X′ were done. This bond alternation defect extends over many atoms from which only ～30 atoms are energetically important for stabilizing it. The neutral (spin-carying) phase kink is attracted by an energy on the meV scale to carbon atoms joining a non-hydrogen side-group, in contrast to charged phase kinks, where this attraction is estimated to be 100 to 1000 times larger.     

阳离子空位磁矩起因探讨

运用群论和分子轨道理论的方法, 系统地研究了非掺杂磁性半导体中阳离子空位产生磁矩的原因, 并用海森堡模型阐明了磁矩之间的交换耦合机理. 研究发现: 阳离子空位磁矩的大小与占据缺陷能级轨道的未配对电子数有关, 而缺陷能级的分布与空位的晶场对称性密切相关; 通过体系的反铁磁状态和铁磁状态下的能量差估算交换耦合系数J₀, 交换耦合系数J₀的正负可以用来预测磁矩之间的耦合是否为铁磁耦合:J₀>0, 则表明磁矩之间的耦合为铁磁耦合, 反之为反铁磁耦合. 最后指出空位的几何构型发生畸变(John-Teller效应)的原因: 缺陷能级轨道简并度的降低与占据缺陷能级轨道的电子的数目有直接的关系.     

Cathodoluminescence study of extended defects in hydrothermal ZnO crystals

Understanding the luminescence of ZnO is very important for some applications. In spite of the many studies carried out, there are still some points concerning the origin of some of the luminescence emissions in ZnO crystals that require additional study; in particular, the role of extended defects remains to be a matter of controversy. We present here a cathodoluminescence analysis of the defects generated by Vickers indentation in hydrothermal HTT crystals. Special emphasis was paid to the luminescence band peaking around 3.3 eV. The origin of this band is a matter of controversy, since it has been related to different causes, extended defects being one of the candidates for this emission. The CL images were acquired around crystal defects. It is observed that the 3.3 eV emission is enhanced around the crystal defects; though it is also observed, but weaker, out of the defect regions, which suggests that there exist two luminescence emissions peaking very close to 3.3 eV. The two emissions, one related to structural defects and the other to the LO phonon replica of the free excitonic band, appear very close each other and their relative intensity should determine the shape of the spectrum.     

分子空位缺陷对环三亚甲基三硝胺含能材料几何结构、电子结构及振动特性的影响

含能材料中的微观缺陷是导致“热点”形成并相继引发爆轰的重要因素. 然而, 由于目前人们对材料内部微观缺陷的认识不足, 限制了对含能材料中“热点”形成微观机理的理解, 进而阻碍了含能材料的发展和应用. 为了洞悉含能材料内部微观缺陷特性及探索缺陷引发“热点”的形成机理, 利用第一性原理方法研究了分子空位缺陷对环三亚甲基三硝胺(RDX) 含能材料的几何结构、电子结构及振动特性的影响, 探讨了微观缺陷对初始“热点”形成的基本机理. 采用周期性模型分析了分子空位缺陷对RDX几何结构、电子能带结构、电子态密度及前线分子轨道的影响. 采用团簇模型分析了分子空位缺陷对RDX振动特性的影响. 结果发现, 分子空位缺陷的存在使其附近的N–N键变长, 分子结构变得松弛; 使导带中很多简并的能级发生分离, 电子态密度减小, 并使由N-2p和O-2p轨道形成的导带底和价带顶均向费米面方向移动, 降低了能带隙值, 增加了体系活性. 前线分子轨道及红外振动光谱的计算分析表明, 分子缺陷使最高已占分子轨道电荷主要集中在缺陷附近的分子上, 且分子中C–H键和N–N键能减弱. 这些特性表明, 分子空位缺陷的存在使体系能带隙变小, 并使缺陷附近的分子结构松弛, 电荷分布增多, 反应活性增强; 在外界能量激发下, 缺陷附近分子将变得不稳定, 分子中的C–H键或N–N键较易先发生断裂, 发生化学反应释放能量, 进而成为形成“热点”的根源.     

Electrical Conductivity in Polyazomethines: A Novel Mechanism Derived from All Valence MO Calculation and IR Study of Polymer–Dopant Interaction

A simple mechanism is proposed to explain the variation of electrical conductivity in polyazomethines. The results of semiempirical, all valence, molecular orbital calculations obtained from the PM3 method have been employed to arrive at the mechanism. The difference of energy (ΔE) between highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) alone could not explain the variation in electrical conductivity; however, ΔE together with the LUMO electron density at the atoms that lie on the continuous chain could account for the electrical conductivity in these polymers. The LUMO electron density on these centers may be visualized as the carrier movement. In certain polymers there are intrinsic holes in HOMO. The movement of these intrinsic holes also adds to the electrical conduction. The polyazomethines are prepared by the condensation of diamines with azo bis-aldehydes. A few of these polymers were doped with silver nanoparticles. Many of the doped polymers showed substantial enhancement in conductivity. Strong polymer–dopant interaction, identified by IR spectroscopy, is proposed to be responsible for the increase in conductivity.     

Electrofluorescence polarity in a molecular diode

The kinetic equations describing the transmission of an electron in the molecular compound “electrode 1–molecule–electrode 2” (1M2 system) are derived using the method of a nonequilibrium density matrix. The steady-state transmission regime is considered, for which detailed analysis of the kinetics of electrofluorescence formation in systems with symmetric and asymmetric couplings between the molecule and the electrodes is carried out. It is shown that the optically active state of the molecule is formed as a result of electron hops between the molecule and each of the electrodes, as well as due to inelastic interelectrode tunneling of the electron. The electrofluorescence power for a molecular diode (asymmetric 1M2 system) depends on the polarity of the voltage bias applied to the electrodes. The polarity is explained using a model in which the optically active part of the molecule (chromophore group) is represented by the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO). Two mechanisms of the emergence of polarity are revealed. One mechanism is associated with nonidentical Stark shifts of the HOMO and LUMO levels relative to the Fermi levels of the electrodes. The second mechanism is associated with the fact that the rates of an electron hopping between HOMO (LUMO) and one of the electrodes are much higher than the rates of such a hopping with the other electrode. The conditions in which each mechanism can be implemented experimentally are indicated.     

The degradation mechanism of an AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor under step-stress

Step-stress experiments are performed in this paper to investigate the degradation mechanism of an AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor(HEMT).It is found that the stress current shows a recoverable decrease during each voltage step and there is a critical voltage beyond which the stress current starts to increase sharply in our experiments.We postulate that defects may be randomly induced within the AlGaN barrier by the high electric field during each voltage step.But once the critical voltage is reached,the trap concentration will increase sharply due to the inverse piezoelectric effect.A leakage path may be introduced by excessive defect,and this may result in the permanent degradation of the AlGaN/GaN HEMT.     

First-principles calculations of the hole-induced depassivation of SiO2/Si interface defects

The holes induced by ionizing radiation or carrier injection can depassivate saturated interface defects. The depassivation of these defects suggests that the deep levels associated with the defects are reactivated, affecting the performance of devices. This work simulates the depassivation reactions between holes and passivated amorphous-SiO₂/Si interface defects (HP_b+h→ P_b+H⁺). The climbing image nudged elastic band method is used to calculate the reaction curves and the barriers. In addition, the atomic charges of the initial and final structures are analyzed by the Bader charge method. It is shown that more than one hole is trapped by the defects, which is implied by the reduction in the total number of valence electrons on the active atoms. The results indicate that the depassivation of the defects by the holes actually occurs in three steps. In the first step, a hole is captured by the passivated defect, resulting in the stretching of the Si-H bond. In the second step, the defect captures one more hole, which may contribute to the breaking of the Si-H bond. The H atom is released as a proton and the Si atom is three-coordinated and positively charged. In the third step, an electron is captured by the Si atom, and the Si atom becomes neutral. In this step, a P_b-type defect is reactivated.     

Quantum mechanics: cleaning up metaphysical baggage

The dynamic electronic structure of atoms and molecules can be directly observed by means of the (e, 2e) reaction, which measures the distribution of energies and momenta of two electrons in coincidence after a knockout reaction initiated by an electron beam of known momentum incident on a molecular gas target. The molecular state for each event is identified by the electron separation energy. The recoil momentum for each event is known from the difference of measured initial and final momenta. It has been verified that values of this momentum are equal under suitable conditions to the momentum of the electron in the target immediately before knockout. Thus the spherically-averaged electron momentum distribution for each molecular orbital is measured. This is directly related to molecular orbitals calculated by the methods of quantum chemistry. Properties obtained by this method for different types of molecules are discussed.     

基于分子动力学的石墨炔纳米带空位缺陷的导热特性

空位缺陷石墨炔比完整石墨炔更贴近实际材料,而空位缺陷的多样性可导致更丰富的导热特性,因此模拟各种空位缺陷对热导率的影响显得尤为重要.采用非平衡分子动力学方法,通过在纳米带长度方向上施加周期性边界条件,基于AIREBO(adaptive intermolecular reactive empirical bond order)势函数描述碳-碳原子间的相互作用,模拟了300 K时单层石墨炔纳米带乙炔链上单空位缺陷和双空位缺陷以及苯环上单空位缺陷对其热导率的影响,利用Fourier定律计算热导率.模拟结果表明,对于几十纳米尺度范围内的石墨炔纳米带热导率,1)由于声子的散射集中和声子倒逆过程增强,与完美无缺陷的石墨炔纳米带相比,空位缺陷会导致石墨炔纳米带热导率的下降;2)由于声子态密度匹配程度高低的不同,相比于乙炔链上的空位缺陷,苯环的空位缺陷对石墨炔纳米带热导率影响更大,乙炔链上空位缺陷数量对石墨炔纳米带热导率的影响明显;3)由于尺寸效应问题,随着长度增加,石墨炔纳米带热导率会相应增大.本文的研究可为在一定尺度下进行石墨炔纳米带热导率的调控问题提供参考.     

Infrared spectra of edge-shared silicate tetrahedra

Dehydroxylated silica exhibits two well-defined infrared bands at 888 and 907 cm⁻¹ previously assigned to a highly reactive strained surface defect. Comparisons of the spectra of dehydroxylated silica to frequencies and intensities calculated using molecular orbital (MO) calculations and to spectra obtained for cyclodisiloxanes suggest that the strained surface defect consists of an edge-shared silicate tetrahedral ring. Changes in vibrational frequencies and peak intensities with ¹⁸O labeling for both the surface defect and the cyclodisiloxanes are consistent with those expected for ring vibrational modes. The IR bands associated with the strained edge-shared ring disappear when either the surface defects or the cyclodisiloxanes react with water. Reactions of the surface defect can be used to study how strain enhances the reactivity of Si-O-Si bonds for modeling phenomena such as stress corrosion cracking.     

Effect of bromine substituent on optical properties of aryl compounds

Substituents significantly affect optical properties of organic compounds. In this study, a series of organic compounds were synthesized. Ultraviolet‐visible and cyclic voltammetry spectra were determined. The relationships between the number of π electron in an aryl ring and the redshift (and molecular orbital energy levels) were studied. To investigate mechanisms of the bromine substituent effects, theoretical calculations were carried out. Ultraviolet‐visible spectra of bromine‐containing compounds exhibit obvious redshifts (0.04‐0.17 eV) of the maximal absorption wavelengths and enhanced absorbance (11%‐57%) compared with corresponding reference compounds. The lowest unoccupied and highest occupied molecular orbital energy levels of compounds containing bromine substituents are 0.05 to 0.60 and 0.02 to 0.40 eV lower than that of corresponding reference compounds. On the whole, the redshifts and the reduced molecular orbital energy levels caused by bromine substituent decrease with the increase in the number of π electron in an aryl ring. The effects would be attributed to strong p‐π conjugation between p electron in the bromine substituent and π electrons in aryl rings. Therefore, this paper suggests a useful way for tuning optical absorption and molecular orbital energy levels of aryl compounds.     

TEM analysis of planar defects induced by Ti doping in Bi-2212 single crystals

An electron microscopy study is performed on Ti doped Bi-2212 single crystals. High resolution electron microscopy reveals that the Ti doping leads to incorporation of (010) planar defects in the Bi-2212 lattice. These defects consist of pairs of antiphase boundaries, which are separated along the b-axis by one modulation distance. The atomic shift at the boundary is such that one of the two CuO₂ planes is continuous throughout the defect. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis clearly reveals the presence of Ti in the planar defects, whereas no Ti could be detected in defect free areas. This evidences the fact that these defects are induced by the Ti doping.     

Theoretical explorations on the armchair BN nanotube with defects

A systematic study of armchair boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) with defects has been carried out within density functional theory. The effect brought by the defects is localized. The defect sites have major contribution to the frontier molecular orbital and change the conductivity of the BNNTs. The defect sites are reactive centers. The substitution of boron with carbon enhances the field emission of the tubes. Doping or vacancy defect creates active center on nanotubes, thus broadening the applications of nanotubes in chemistry and material sciences through functionalization.     

ESR of X-ray irradiated lithium boracites

ESR spectra of paramagnetic defects induced by X-ray irradiation in lithium chloroboracites and bromoboracites have been measured for the first time, at 9 GHz and room temperature. ESR parameters are deduced by computer simulations of the spectra for polycrystalline powders and a single crystal. The paramagnetic center is characterized by an isotropic g — factor and an anisotropic hyperfine interaction with a boron nucleus. It is shown to be an unpaired electron trapped in a vacant site of the network and localized on a sp³ boron orbital. The defect is similar to the boron electron center (BEC) detected in borate glasses.     

Tuning HOMO–LUMO levels: trends leading to the design of 9‐fluorenone scaffolds with predictable electronic and optoelectronic properties

Highest occupied molecular orbital–lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (HOMO–LUMO) tuning is an important consideration in the development of organic‐based semiconducting materials. A study of the specific effects and overall trends for the HOMO–LUMO tuning of a diverse series of 9‐fluorenones by means of extended conjugation and substituent effects is described. Trends were explored in a range of compounds, beginning with structures having highly electron‐withdrawing substituents and progressing to structures having highly electron‐donating substituents. Compounds with an incremental increase in conjugation were also examined. Electrochemical and optical measurements were used to calculate the HOMO–LUMO levels and HOMO–LUMO bandgap (HLG) for each structure. Results from both methods were compared and correlated with the differences in molecular structure. Increasing the electron‐donating character of the substituents was observed to decrease the HLG and increase the energy levels of the HOMO and the LUMO, whereas an increase in the electron‐withdrawing character produced the opposite results. Increasing conjugation decreased the HLG, increased the HOMO energy level, but decreased the LUMO energy level. Spectroscopic evidence of substituent influence on the carbonyl suggests that substituents directly impact the HLG by influencing the availability of nonbonding electrons within the carbonyl, which impacts the probability of an nπ* transition. The data presented not only elaborate on the HOMO–LUMO tuning of 9‐fluorenone systems but also enable the consideration of 9‐fluorenones as analogous models for HOMO–LUMO tuning in other more complex polyaromatic systems such as bifluorenylidenes. These trends may provide insight into developing materials with specifically tuned HLGs and HOMO–LUMO levels for a variety of applications. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Convergence process with quasi-canonical localized orbital in all-electron SCF calculation on proteins

A convergence process with a new type of localized orbital (LO) is proposed for self-consistent field (SCF) molecular orbital (MO) calculations on proteins. Recently, an all-electron density functional (DF) calculation on cytochrome c was achieved by a convergence method in which the initial electron density of a peptide was constructed by linking the electron density of small peptides. However, its convergence was slow and insufficient in SCF calculations for long peptides. In this paper a new kind of LO called the ‘quasi-canonical localized orbital (QCLO)’ is formulated and a computational process with QCLOs is proposed to improve the SCF convergence. The QCLO is localized in a certain region of a molecule, but it is also the canonical MO of the region. In test calculations on a seven-residue peptide, the error in the initial total energy calculated with QCLOs was about one twentieth of that by cut and paste of the electron density, and the number of SCF iterations was reduced markedly. Future applications of QCLO to big and complex molecules are also discussed.     

Electrical breakdown in solid dielectrics

The mechanism of electrical breakdown in solid dielectrics is analyzed using the results of our investigations performed in this direction over a period of several decades. It is shown that the electrical breakdown in solid dielectrics involves interrelated prebreakdown processes, such as high-voltage polarization, defect formation, electron impact excitation and electron impact ionization of luminescence centers and ions in the host crystal lattice, etc. The electrical breakdown is initiated by electric-field and thermal generation of defects in the crystal. In turn, the generation of defects leads to the formation of defect regions and channels that provide an assisted transfer of charge carriers. Electron currents flow (and electrons are accelerated by the electric field to energies sufficient to induce impact ionization) in these regions of the crystal with a lattice distorted by defects. In this respect, the known approaches to the elaboration of the breakdown theory for alkali halide and other dielectric crystals on the basis of analyzing the motion and acceleration of electrons in an ideal crystal structure have appeared to be incorrect.