The (2 × 2) reconstructions on the SrTiO3 (001) surface: A combined scanning tunneling microscopy and density functional theory study

Scanning tunneling microscopy study showed that the (2 × 2) reconstruction on the (001) surface of SrTiO₃ should have a surface structure with a 4-fold symmetry. The previously proposed solution for the (2 × 2) reconstruction with the p2gm symmetry only has a 2-fold symmetry. In this study density functional theory study was carried out to propose a possible surface structure with the p4mm surface symmetry which matches the scanning tunneling microscopy images and suggests that two different (2 × 2) surface structures exist. The formation of the (2 × 2) reconstruction with the p4mm symmetry may be due to the kinetics as it has slightly higher surface energy than the one with the p2gm symmetry.     

Surface structure of In2O3(111) (1 × 1) determined by density functional theory calculations and low energy electron diffraction

The surface structure of In₂O₃(111) has been investigated by dynamical analysis of low energy electron diffraction data, in conjunction with first principles calculations using density functional theory. The experimental data set consisted of eight independent beams whose intensities were measured for incident energies in the range between 25 eV and 250 eV. In fitting the experimental data it was essential to treat the radii of In and O spheres as variable parameters: following this procedure a final Pendry R factor of 0.31 was obtained. The LEED results are compatible with the calculations and both analyses suggest that the surface structure involves only small vertical relaxations in the outermost of the {[O^2?]₁₂^24?[In³⁺]₁₆⁴⁸⁺[O^2?]₁₂^24?} quadrupolar units that define the (111) surface. The ab initio slab calculations also confirm that lateral relaxations not considered in fitting the experimental data are of very minor importance.     

The adsorption and reconstruction of strong electron acceptor tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) on Si(001)-(2 × 1): A density functional theory investigation

The adsorption and reconstruction of strong electron-acceptor TCNE on the Si(001)-(2 × 1) surface are investigated by density functional theory (DFT). The results show that TCNE prefers to adsorb on the trench between two adjacent dimer rows and the CC double bond is parallel to dimer rows. Charge density difference calculation and Bader charge analysis indicate that abundant negative charge transfers from dimer Si to TCNE. Strong interaction makes it difficult for TCNE to move on Si(001), which is confirmed by nudged elastic band (NEB) analysis. In addition, the correlations between simulated STM images and molecular orbitals are discussed and two surface reconstructions of (2 × 1) and (4 × 2) are predicted at different TCNE coverages.     

Adsorption of chlorine on Ru(0001)—A combined density functional theory and quantitative low energy electron diffraction study

Chlorine adsorption on Ru(0001) surface has been studied by a combined density functional theory (DFT) and quantitative low energy electron diffraction (LEED) approach. The (√3 × √3)R30°-Cl phase with Θ_Cl = 1/3 ML and chlorine sitting in fcc sites has been identified by DFT calculations as the most stable chlorine adsorbate structure on Ru(0001) with an adsorption energy of ? 220 kJ/mol. The atomic geometry of (√3 × √3)R30°-Cl was determined by quantitative LEED. The achieved agreement between experimental and simulated LEED data is quantified by a Pendry factor of r_P = 0.19 for a fcc adsorption site with a Cl-Ru bond length of 2.52 Å. At chlorine coverages beyond 1/3 ML LEED reveals diffuse diffraction rings, indicating a continuous compression of the hexagonal Cl overlayer with a preferred average Cl–Cl distance of 4.7 Å in the (√3 × √3)R30°-Cl, Θ_Cl = 1/3 ML phase towards 3.9 Å at saturation coverage of 0.48 ML.     

The electronic properties of Co nanowires on Cu(110)-p(2 × 3)N

We present the first measurements of the differential conductance of Co wires grown on top of Cu(110)-p(2 × 3)N (Cu₃N). We apply scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) in constant height and constant current mode to access the electronic density of states of the sample over a wide energy range. All measurements have been performed at 7 K. Our study reveals that the differential conductance of the Co wires is very similar to that of Cu₃N. Spectra of the differential conductance measured on the Co wires and on Cu₃N reveal that both systems exhibit the same characteristic features near + 1.8V and + 3.5 V.     

Demixing of amphiphile–polymer mixtures investigated using density functional theory

We construct a functional for amphiphile–polymer mixtures and investigate the demixing transition by using a proposed version of density functional theory. It is found that increase of the amphiphilic size ratio and polymer length can effectively promote phase separation of the systems. Phase diagrams are plotted to clarify these influences. The results provide an effective way of controlling the stability of the fluid–fluid phase equilibrium of the mixtures.     

Understanding 4-bromostyrene Adsorption on the Si(001)-(1 × 2) surface: A density functional theory study

Adsorption properties of 4-bromostyrene (Br–Sty) on the Si(001)-(1 × 2) surface are investigated by ab initio calculation based on density functional theory (DFT). For the adsorption of Br–Sty molecule on the Si(001)-(1 × 2) surface, we have assumed two possible cases within: (i) binding on the partially H-terminated surface and (ii) binding on the clean surface. For the first case, we have estimated two different binding sides: (i) Bromine-terminated bindings and (ii) Carbon-terminated binding. The adsorption energies of Br-terminated and C-terminated binding were found as 0.36 eV and 3.76 eV, respectively. In the same manner, we have also assumed two possible binding sides for the clean surface: (i) Br-terminated binding and (ii) ring-shaped binding. We have found adsorption energies for Br-terminated and ring-shaped binding as 0.14 eV and 1.10 eV on the clean surface, respectively. Moreover, the nudged elastic band method (NEB) was used to reveal the adsorption pathway of these binding models. These results serve to understand the possibility of the adsorption of Br–Sty molecules onto different kind of silicon surfaces into different reaction conditions.     

Ab initio study of Yb on the Ge(111)–(3 × 2) and Si(111)–(3 × 2) surfaces

The surface reconstruction, 3 × 2, induced by Yb adsorption on a Ge (Si)(111) surface has been studied using first principles density-functional calculation within the generalized gradient approximation. The two different possible adsorption sites have been considered: (i) H₃ (this site is directly above a fourth-layer Ge (Si) atom) and (ii) T₄ (directly above a second-layer Ge (Si) atom). We have found that the total energies corresponding to these binding sites are nearly the same, indeed for the Yb/Ge (Si)(111)–(3 × 2) structure the T₄ model is slightly energetic by about 0.01 (0.08) eV/unitcell compared with the H₃ model. In particular for the Ge sublayer, the energy difference is small, and therefore it is possible that the T₄, H₃, or T₄H₃ (half of the adatoms occupy the T₄ adsorption site and the rest of the adatoms are located at the H₃ site) binding sites can coexist with REM/Ge(111)–(3 × 2). In contrast to the proposed model, we have not determined any buckling in the Ge = Ge double bond. The electronic band structures of the surfaces and the corresponding natures of their orbitals have also been calculated. Our results for both substrates are seen to be in agreement with the recent experimental data, especially that of the Yb/Si(111)–(3 × 2) surface.     

Atomic and electronic structures of Ag/Si(100)-c(6 × 2) surface: A first-principles study

Using the experimental data obtained mainly with the scanning tunneling microscopy observations, density functional theory calculations have been applied to examine an atomic structure of the Ag/Si(100)-c(6 × 2) reconstruction. A set of structural models has been proposed having a similar Si(100) substrate reconstruction which incorporates rows of top Si atom dimers and troughs in between the rows. Stability of about twenty models with various Ag coverage ranging from 1/6 to 1 ML has been tested, that allows reducing the number of plausible models to four. Two of these four models have been attributed to the “regular” intrinsic Ag/Si(100)-c(6 × 2) reconstruction, while the other two to its defect-induced modification. The latter is observed in the local areas near defects and domain boundaries and exhibits 3 × 2 periodicity. Comparing the results of calculations with the experimental STM images, it has been concluded that while the Si(100) substrate reconstruction is solid, the Ag subsystem is flexible due to the presence of the lightly bonded mobile Ag atoms.     

Strained c(4 × 2) CoO(1 0 0)-like monolayer on Pd(1 0 0): Experiment and theory

We report on an interface-stabilized strained c(4 × 2) phase formed by cobalt oxide on Pd(1 0 0). The structural details and electronic properties of this oxide monolayer are elucidated by combination of scanning tunneling microscopy data, high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy measurements and density functional theory. The c(4 × 2) periodicity is shown to arise from a rhombic array of Co vacancies, which form in a pseudomorphic CoO(1 0 0) monolayer to partially compensate for the compressive strain associated with the large lattice mismatch (～9.5%) between cobalt monoxide and the substrate. Deviation from the perfect 1:1 stoichiometry thus appears to offer a common and stable mechanism for strain release in Pd(1 0 0) supported monolayers of transition metal rocksalt monoxides of the first transition series, as very similar metal-deficient c(4 × 2) structures have been previously found for nickel and manganese oxides on the same substrate.     

Theoretical investigation of the inversion parameter in Co3 − sAlsO4 (s = 0–3) spinel structures

The structural, energetic, and thermodynamic properties of the Co_3 ? sAl_sO₄ (s = 0, 1, 2, and 3) crystal family are studied using periodic DFT calculations. We provide a quantitative discussion of the cation distribution effect on the cell parameter, the oxygen Wyckoff position, the interatomic distances and the energies of the structures. It is demonstrated that the low cobalt containing CoAl₂O₄ spinel is the most stable structure of the Co_3 ? sAl_sO₄ (s = 0, 1, 2, and 3) crystal family.     

Synthesis,Structure, and Thermophysical Properties of Pb10 – xBix(GeO4)2 + xVO4)4 – x (x = 0–3) in the Temperature Range of 350–950 K

Physics of the Solid State - The Pb10 – xBix(GeO4)2 + x(VO4)4 – x (x = 0–3) compounds with an apatite structure have been...     

Spectral and Structural Characteristics of (Lu1 – xEux)2(WO4)3 Tungstates

Physics of the Solid State - The structure, luminescence, and IR absorption spectra of (Lu1 – xEux)2(WO4)3 solid solutions are studied in a wide range of europium...     

Spectral and Structural Characteristics of Molybdates (Lu1 – xEux)2(MoO4)3

Physics of the Solid State - The structure, the photoluminescence, and IR absorption spectra of solid solutions (Lu1 ‒ xEux)2(MoO4)3 have been studied over a wide range of...     

Calculation of the Kirkwood–Frohlich correlation factor and dielectric constant of methanol using a statistical model and density functional theory

The geometries of methanol monomer and methanol clusters, (CH₃OH) _m , m = 2–10, were optimized using the DFT/B3LYP/6-31++G(d,p) method. For each m > 2, a number of conformers were found to satisfy the optimization condition, showing no imaginary frequency in their calculated IR spectra. With increasing m, five- and six-membered rings begin to appear with open chain branches and the calculated IR spectra approach the experimentally observed IR spectrum of liquid methanol. Using the average energy of formation of one hydrogen bond and a statistical model, the Kirkwood–Frohlich (K–F) correlation factor (g) and dielectric constant (ε) were calculated for each methanol cluster. From a plot of ε versus cluster size (m), the bulk dielectric constant was obtained by extrapolation to m→∞. The value of g averaged over all conformers is in almost complete agreement with the g value obtained in an earlier molecular dynamics simulation study by Fonseca and Ladanyi [J. Chem. Phys. 93, 8148 (1990)]. Using this value of g in the K–F equation, the dielectric constant (ε) of methanol was calculated and found to be in fair agreement with (～17% lower than) the experimental value and also with an earlier molecular dynamics simulation [Mol. Phys. 94, 435 (1998)]. The calculated ε follows the same trend in variation with temperature as the experimental ε in the range 288–318 K.     

Structure determination of the Cu(0 0 1)–c(4 × 4)-Sn surface by low-energy electron diffraction

Low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) have been used to determine the Cu(0 0 1)–c(4 × 4)-Sn structure formed at 300 K. It is demonstrated that a structural model suggested by scanning tunneling microscopy observations is correct: The model consists of one substitutional Sn atom and four Sn adatoms in the unit cell. Optimum parameters of the determined c(4 × 4) structure reveal that Sn adatoms laterally are displaced by 0.30 Å away from ideal fourfold-hollow sites along the 〈100〉 directions. It is proposed that such displacements of the Sn adatoms cause the formation of a network of octagonal rings on Cu(0 0 1). The substitutional Sn atom is located at each center of the octagonal rings. The formation conditions of the network are discussed.