Study of electronic and optical properties of pure and metal decorated boron nitride nanoribbons (B15N14H14-X): first principle calculations

Density functional theory (DFT)/time dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) based calculations were performed for basis sets 6-31G for DFT and 6-31G (d), 6-31G (d,p) and 6-31+G (d,p) for TDDFT calculations on pure boron nitride nanoribbon (BNNR) B₁₅N₁₅H₁₄ and metal decorated B₁₅N₁₄H₁₄-X BNNRs, where X = Ni⁺, Fe⁺, Co, Cr⁺, Cu and Al. The metal doping ratio = 3.45% and the doping site (nitrogen atom), were fixed for all the BNNRs. Electronic properties dipole moment, binding energy and bandgap were determined. Absorption properties in the wavelength range (100–600 nm) were studied, and optical gaps, absorption wavelengths, oscillator strengths and dominant transitions were calculated. The effect of metal doping on the electronic and optical properties was investigated. Single metal doping shifts the electronic gap of pure BNNR from insulating to semiconducting nature. Red shift in the absorption wavelengths from ultraviolet to visible in all the BNNRs was noticed.     

A DFT study on the formaldehyde (H2CO and (H2CO)2) monitoring using pristine B12N12 nanocluster

The interaction between formaldehyde monomer (H₂CO) as well as dimer ((H₂CO)₂) and pristine B₁₂N₁₂ nanocluster is investigated at B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level of theory. It is found that in contrary to the pristine boron nitride nanotube and nanosheet, formaldehyde adsorption induce considerable variation in the electronic properties of the B₁₂N₁₂ nanocluster. Also it is shown that the pristine B₁₂N₁₂ cluster could adsorb up to four monomer and three dimer of formaldehyde molecules in which the HOMO–LUMO gap decreased about 38–55%. Since the conductivity of the B₁₂N₁₂ nanocluster changes by the adsorption of formaldehyde molecules, the presence of this toxic gas could be detected. The Bader theory of atoms in molecules (AIM) is also applied to analyze the interaction of formaldehyde with nanocluster. It is suggested pristine B₁₂N₁₂ nanocluster could be a promising candidate for detecting formaldehyde molecule. The results indicate that B₁₂N₁₂ may be a promising chemical sensor for detection of formaldehyde molecule.     

First-principles calculations of the structural, electronic and magnetic properties of BnN20−n (n = 6−18) clusters

The structures of B _n N_20 ? n    (n = 6?18), the clusters of boron nitride, are investigated by the density functional theory calculations. The structures of the obtained low-lying isomers can be described by the following six prototypes: single ring, double ring, three-ring, graphitic-like sheet, fullerene and others. B₁₀N₁₀ is demonstrated to be the most stable cluster against the nonstoichiometric ones. Nonzero magnetic moments, 1.999, 1.998, 2.000, 3.999 and 1.999μ _B respectively, are found in five B _n N_20?n (n = 6, 7, 11, 12, 13) clusters. Further analysis indicates that the magnetic moment of the B₆N₁₄ cluster is mainly originated from the N atoms, while those of others are from the B atoms. The magnetic moment are finally attributed to the interesting issues of the 2p electrons due to the breaking of local symmetries, the change of coordination number, charge distribution and orbital hybridization.     

Effect on photophysical properties of colloidal ZnS quantum dots by doping with cobalt, copper, and cobalt�Ccopper mixtures

Colloidal ZnS quantum dots (QDs) are prepared by passing H₂S gas through a solution of Zn(CH₃COO)₂ in acetonitrile. Photophysical properties are investigated using UV?CVisible and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The spectrum shows an absorption shoulder at 271 nm representing a band gap of 4.6 eV. The doping of ZnS QDs with Co, Cu, and a mixture of Co and Cu not only increased the band gap to 0.2 eV but also turns these otherwise colorless QDs to blue in color due to cobalt, and green due to Cu. The observed emission in the visible region suggests that the dopants may have induced additional excited states to the ZnS QDs. This absorbance in the visible region can be utilized in the optoelectronic applications.     

Hydrogen storage in boron nitride and carbon clusters studied by molecular orbital calculations

Possibility of hydrogen gas storage in carbon (C) and boron nitride (BN) clusters was investigated by molecular orbital calculations. Chemisorption calculation was carried out for C₆₀, B₂₄N₂₄ and B₃₆N₃₆ with changing position of hydrogen atom to compare the bonding energy at carbon, nitrogen and boron, tetragonal and hexagonal rings. Chemisorption calculation of hydrogen for BN clusters showed that hydrogen bondings with nitrogen atoms and tetragonal rings were the most stable. Stability of H₂ molecules inside BN and C clusters was also investigated by molecular orbital calculations. C and BN clusters showed possibility of hydrogen storage of 6.5 and 4.9 wt%, respectively.     

等离子体增强化学气相沉积法制备立方氮化硼薄膜过程中的表面生长机理

利用感应耦合等离子体增强化学气相沉积法以Ar，He，N₂和B₂H₆为反应气体制备了高纯立方氮化硼薄膜.用四极质谱仪对等离子体状况进行了系统的分析，发现B₂H₆完全被电离而N₂只是部分被电离.H₂和过量的N₂在等离子体中生成大量中性的H原子和活化的N^*₂，它们与表面的相互作用严重地阻碍了立方 关键词： 立方氮化硼薄膜 等离子体 质谱     

分层掺B和吸附H2O碳纳米管的结构稳定性及电子场发射性能

运用基于第一性原理的密度泛函理论,系统研究了处于外电场中分层掺B并吸附不同数目H₂O碳纳米管体系的结构稳定性和电子场发射性能. 研究表明:第3层掺B并吸附5个H₂O的B₃CNT+5H₂O体系结构最稳定,管帽处Mulliken电荷最密集,尤其与单独掺B的B₃CNT和单独吸附H₂O的B₃CNT+5H₂O相比,其Fermi能级处态密度分别     

The electronic and structural properties of BN and BP nano-cages interacting with OCN: A DFT study

The adsorption of OCN⁻ (cyanato anion) on boron nitride (B₁₂N₁₂ and B₁₆N₁₆) and boron phosphide nano-cages (B₁₂P₁₂ and B₁₆P₁₆) in terms of energetic, geometric, and electronic properties are studied using density functional theory calculations. Our study results indicated that the first OCN⁻ strongly prefers to be adsorbed from its N atom upon B atoms of the nano-cages than the O atoms of OCN⁻. These findings have been rationalized using frontier molecular orbitals and total electron density plots. The energy gap of the B₁₂P₁₂ is significantly reduced upon the adsorption of OCN⁻ compared to B₁₂N₁₂, thus leading to the increase in electrical conductance of nano-cage.     

Electronic structure of boron nitride nanostructures doped with a carbon atom

We have investigated, using first-principles calculations, the role of a substitutional carbon atom on the electronic properties of boron nitride monolayers, nanotubes, and nanocones. It is shown that electron states in the energy-gap are independent of the curvature, being the same for the monolayer, for the cone and for the tube. It is also found, that the presence of carbon in the boron nitride compounds induces a spin polarization, with magnetic moment of 1.0 μ_B, which does not depend on the curvature.     

Synthesis, structure and photocatalytic activity of nano TiO2 and nano Ti1-xMxO2-δ (M = Cu, Fe, Pt, Pd, V, W, Ce, Zr)

We have synthesized 5–7 nm size, highly crystalline TiO₂ which absorbs radiation in the visible region of solar spectrum. The material shows higher photocatalytic activity both in UV and visible region of the solar radiation compared to commercial Degussa P25 TiO₂. Transition metal ion substitution for Ti⁴⁺ creates mid-gap states which act as recombination centers for electron-hole induced by photons thus reducing photocatalytic activity. However, Pt, Pd and Cu ion substituted TiO₂ are excellent CO oxidation and NO reduction catalysts at temperatures less than 100° C.     

21.0%‐efficient co‐diffused screen printed n‐type silicon solar cell with rear‐side boron emitter

Plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) is applied to deposit boron silicate glasses (BSG) acting as boron diffusion source during the fabrication of n‐type silicon solar cells. We characterize the resulting boron‐diffused emitter after boron drive‐in from PECVD BSG by measuring the sheet resistances R_sheet,B and saturation current densities J_0,B. For process optimization, we vary the PECVD deposition parameters such as the gas flows of the precursor gases silane and diborane and the PECVD BSG layer thickness. We find an optimum gas flow ratio of SiH₄/B₂H₆= 8% and layer thickness of 40 nm. After boron drive in from these PECVD BSG diffusion sources, a low J_0,B values of 21 fA/cm² is reached for R_sheet,B = 70 Ω/□. The optimized PECVD BSG layers together with a co‐diffusion process are implemented into the fabrication process of passivated emitter and rear totally diffused (PERT) back junction (BJ) cells on n‐type silicon. An independently confirmed energy conversion efficiency of 21.0% is achieved on 15.6 × 15.6 cm² cell area with a simplified process flow. This is the highest efficiency reported for a co‐diffused n‐type PERT BJ cell using PECVD BSG as diffusion source. A loss analysis shows a small contribution of 0.13 mW/cm² of the boron diffusion to the recombination loss proving the high quality of this diffusion source. (© 2016 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Effects of endohedral element in B24N24 clusters on hydrogenation studied by molecular orbital calculations

Possibility of hydrogen gas storage in boron nitride (BN) clusters was investigated by molecular orbital calculations. Chemisorption calculation was carried out for B₂₄N₂₄ with changing endohedral elements in BN cluster to compare the bonding energy at nitrogen and boron, which showed that Li is a suitable element for hydrogenation to B₂₄N₂₄.     

Structural, vibrational, thermal and magnetic investigation of novel Co(II), Cu(II), Zn(II) and Hg(II) crystalline metal complexes with 2-amino-5-benzylmercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole: a low weight model of protonated copolymer resin

The 2-amino-5-benzylmercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole (C₉H₉N₃S₂) is a low weight model of a protonated copolymer resin used as a metal uptake agent. New monomeric crystalline metal complexes of C₉H₉N₃S₂ with Co(II), Cu(II), Zn(II) and Hg(II) were synthesized and investigated in order to facilitate the interpretation of the metal/resin binding mode. These materials have been studied by single crystal X-ray Diffraction and FTIR Spectroscopy at room temperature. Crystal data for these triclinic phases are reported. All frameworks consist of discrete monomeric units that provide crystalline stability through a network of hydrogen bond interactions. The Co(II), Zn(II) and Hg(II) ions are surrounded by a tetrahedral arrangement of two thioether monodentate ligands (each one coordinating by a N(1)_thiadiazole atom) and two chlorine atoms. The Cu(II) ion is coordinated by four thioether monodentate ligands (each one coordinating by a N(1)_thiadiazole atom) and one chlorine atom as nearest neighbor in a distorted square pyramidal polyhedron. The spectroscopic data are consistent with the structural model. FTIR spectra evidence changes in the H-bonds in the crystal packing when coordination with these divalent ions is present. Magnetic susceptibility at room temperature for Cu(II) and Co(II) complexes, EPR spectrum at room temperature for Cu(II) complex and thermal properties for all complexes were measured. These results could be useful for the interpretation of the binding mode of M(II)/1,3,4-thiadiazole-2-amino-5-thiol in protonated copolymer resin which are used as uptake agents of toxic metallic ions.     

Fluid synthesis and structure of a new boron nitride polymorph—hyperdiamond fulborenite B<Subscript>12</Subscript>N<Subscript>12</Subscript> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">E</Emphasis> phase)

A new boron nitride polymorph is prepared for the first time by supercritical fluid synthesis in a high-pressure gazostat at a pressure P < 200 MPa and a temperature T < 1000°C in various atmospheres. The formation of the new phase is confirmed by x-ray diffraction and infrared absorption spectroscopy. A number of lines in the x-ray diffraction patterns and infrared absorption spectra of the new phase coincide with those described in the literature for the so-called E phase. On this basis, the conclusion is drawn that the E phase of boron nitride is most likely formed during supercritical fluid synthesis. Since the structure of the E phase is as yet unknown, a model structure of the new phase is proposed in the form of a diamond-like lattice with the sites occupied by molecules of the fulborene B₁₂N₁₂. The proposed structure is confirmed by the good agreement between the calculated and experimental values of the lattice parameters (A = 1.152 and 1.114 nm, respectively), densities (ρ = 2.59 and 2.50–2.60 g/cm³, respectively), and x-ray diffraction patterns. This new boron nitride zeolite with a faujasite lattice is given the name hyperdiamond fulborenite B₁₂N₁₂. The calculated bulk modulus of the hyperdiamond fulborenite B = 658 GPa is higher than that of diamond.     

鼓型CoB16-团簇电子结构的探索：罕见的Co(-1)氧化态

本文发现CoB₁₆^-团簇由两个对称、上下错位相连的B₈环和位于中心的Co原子组成,它代表了金属掺杂硼纳米管结构的潜在雏形,这一发现为设计一维金属-硼纳米结构提供了机会. 本文报道了CoB₁₆^-新的实验光电子能谱,并采用量子化学方法对其电子结构和化学成键特性进行了详细的电子结构分析,为进一步了解金属掺杂硼纳米管结构的化学键和稳定性提供了深入的见解. 有趣的是,发现该类体系的中心Co原子具有异常低的氧化态,即负一价钴(-1). 因此中性CoB₁₆分子可以被视为配体到金属的电荷转移化合物(Co^-@BB₁₆⁺). 研究表明,掺杂金属和硼管之间的相互作用来源于共价和静电作用的相互协调,硼元素低的电负性使得硼团簇成为形成各种低价态化合物的重要化学配体.     

Spin Excitations in the Field-Induced Phase of the Quasi-One-Dimensional S = 1 Heisenberg Antiferromagnet NDMAP

The S = 1 quasi-one-dimensional Heisenberg antiferromagnet [Ni(C₅H₁₄N₂)₂N₃](PF₆), abbreviated as NDMAP, has been studied by electron spin resonance in a magnetic field above the critical field (H _c). We studied angular and frequency dependences of spin excitations. The angular dependence of the spin excitations in the vicinity of H _c is explained well by a phenomenological field theory, but the agreement between the experiment and the calculation is not satisfactory above 10 T. In high magnetic fields above 15 T, we obtained some characteristic spin excitations which are well explained by conventional antiferromagnetic resonance modes. These results suggest that the spin excitations change from a quantum state to a classical one due to the suppression of quantum fluctuations by high magnetic fields.     

Theoretical study on Si-doped hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) sheet: Electronic,magnetic properties,and reactivity

The properties and reactivity of Si-doped hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) sheets were studied using density functional theory (DFT) methods. We find that Si impurity is more likely to substitute the boron site (Si_B) due to the low formation energy. Si-doping severely deforms h-BN sheet, resulting in the local curvature changes of h-BN sheet. Moreover, Si-doping introduces two spin localized states within the band gap of h-BN sheet, thus rendering the two doped systems exhibit acceptor properties. The band gap of h  -BN sheet is reduced from ∼4.70 eV$\sim 4.70\text{eV}$ to 1.24 (for Si_B) and 0.84 eV (for Si_N), respectively. In addition, Si-doped one exhibits higher activity than pristine one, endowing them wider application potential.     

Electronic structure and enhanced visible‐light absorption of N,B‐codoped TiO2

We present GGA+U calculations to investigate the electronic structure and visible‐light absorption of N,B‐codoped anatase TiO₂. The N_sB_i (substitutional N, interstitial B) codoped TiO₂ produces significant Ti 3d and N 2p mid‐gap states when the distance of N and B atoms is far, whereas the N_iB_i (interstitial N and B) and N_sB_s (substitutional N and B) codoped TiO₂ prefer to form localized p states at 0.3–1.2 eV above the valence band maximum. Further, the optical band edges of the three codoped systems shift slightly to the visible region, but only the far‐distance N_sB_i codoped TiO₂ clearly shows an optical transition. These results indicate that N_sB_i codoped TiO₂ has a dominant contribution to the optical absorption of N,B‐codoped TiO₂. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

A facile in situ solvothermal method for two-dimensional layered g-C<Subscript>3</Subscript>N<Subscript>4</Subscript>/SnS<Subscript>2</Subscript> p-n heterojunction composites with efficient visible-light photocatalytic activity

To overcome the fast recombination rate of electron-hole pairs of individual SnS₂, p-n heterojunction g-C₃N₄/SnS₂ composites were fabricated as high-efficiency visible-light photocatalyst to photodegradate the organic dye MB. The morphologies, structures, compositions, and photocatalytic properties were characterized. The SnS₂ shows two-dimensional layer structure with an average thickness of 20 nm and diameter size of about 2 μm, and the g-C₃N₄ nanoflakes were uniformly deposited on the surface of SnS₂ nanosheets. In comparison with the bare g-C₃N₄ and SnS₂, the composites show improved photocatalytic activity under visible light, which is sensitive to the content of g-C₃N₄. In particular, the 15% g-C₃N₄/SnS₂ composites exhibit the highest photocatalytic activity and outstanding reusability, which can degrade 88.01% MB after only 1 h in the visible light (λ?>?420 nm) range. The g-C₃N₄/SnS₂ heterojunction composites show outstanding reusability after four times cycling experiments. The improved photocatalytic activities of composites are attributed to abundant active species, increased charge separation, and decreased electron-hole pair recombination, which originated from the large specific surface area and efficient interfacial transport of photo-induced charge carriers between SnS₂ and g-C₃N₄. These results suggest that the two-dimensional layered g-C₃N₄/SnS₂ p-n heterojunction composites are promised to be a high-efficiency visible-light photocatalyst.     

Influence of oxygen on the growth of cubic boron nitride thin films by plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition

Cubic boron nitride thin films were deposited on silicon substrates by low-pressure inductively coupled plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition. It was found that the introduction of O₂ into the deposition system suppresses both nucleation and growth of cubic boron nitride. At a B₂H₆ concentration of 2.5\% during film deposition, the critical O₂ concentration allowed for the nucleation of cubic boron nitride was found to be less than 1.4\%, while that for the growth of cubic boron nitride was higher than 2.1\%. Moreover, the infrared absorption peak observed at around 1230--1280~cm^-1, frequently detected for cubic boron nitride films prepared using non-ultrahigh vacuum systems, appears to be due to the absorption of boron oxide, a contaminant formed as a result of the oxygen impurity. Therefore, the existence of trace oxygen contamination in boron nitride films can be evaluated qualitatively by this infrared absorption peak.