Theoretical studies of structural and electronic properties of AlnAsn clusters

We present theoretical results of size dependent structural, electronic, and optical properties of ligand‐free stoichiometric Al_nAs_n clusters of zinc‐blende modification. The investigation is done using a simplified parametrized linear combination of atomic orbital–density functional theory‐local density approximation–tight‐binding (LCAO–DFT–LDA–TB) method and consider clusters with n up to around 100. Initial structures have assumed as spherical parts of infinite zinc‐blende structure and then allowed to relax to the closest local‐energy‐minimum structure. We analyze the radial distributions of atoms, Mulliken populations, electronic energy levels (in particular, HOMO and LUMO), bandgap, and stability as a function of size and composition. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2006     

Nitrogen defect levels in InN: XANES study

The local and electronic structure of nitrogen-related defects in thin film of InN (0 0 0 1) has been studied using synchrotron-based X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. Several defect levels within the band gap and the conduction band of InN were clearly resolved in XANES spectra around the nitrogen K-edge. Theoretical analysis of XANES data includes advanced “ab initio” simulations: self-consistent full multiple scattering calculations using muffin-tin approximation, non-muffin-tin finite difference approach to study the influence of non-muffin-tin effects on XANES shape as well as advanced local density approximation scheme for optimization of initial geometry around nitrogen defects. Theoretical analysis of XANES data allows to attribute the level observed at 1.7 eV above the conduction band mimimum to antisite nitrogen and a sharp resonance at 3.2 eV above the conduction band minimum to molecular nitrogen.     

Non-muffin-tin MS Xα total energies for H2, C2, N2 and CO

NMT (non-muffin-tin) MS Xα calculations for the ground state potential curves are reported for the molecules H₂, C₂, N₂, and CO. These calculations include corrections linear and second order in the NMT charge density and show great improvement over the MT (muffin-tin) curves. With these corrections, somewhat better agreement with experiment is also found. A comparison is made between tne Xα and the local spin density (LSD approximations for the H₂ and CO molecules.     

Ab-initio calculation of structural, electronic, and optical characterizations of the intermetallic trialuminides ScAl3 compound

We present first-principles study of the electronic and the optical properties for the intermetallic trialuminides ScAl₃ compound using the full-potential linear augmented plane wave method within density-functional theory. We have employed the generalized gradient approximation (GGA), which is based on exchange-correlation energy optimization to calculate the total energy. Also we have used the Engel-Vosko GGA formalism, which optimizes the corresponding potential for calculating the electronic band structure and optical properties. The electronic specific heat coefficient (γ), which is a function of density of states, can be calculated from the density of states at Fermi energy N(E_F). The N(E_F) of the phase L1₂ is found to be lower than that of D0₂₂ structure which confirms the stability of L1₂ structure. We found that the dispersion of the band structure of D0₂₂ is denser than L1₂ phase. The linear optical properties were calculated. The evaluations are based on calculations of the energy band structure.     

Non-muffin-tin effects in the Xα treatment of Ne2

The total energy of Ne₂ has been calculated in two realizations of the Xα model. Both the full non-muffin-tin correction to the MS Xα result and a high-precision LCAO Xα give overbinding, confirming an earlier, less-inclusive result.     

Density functional study of the conformers of Co4‐based single‐molecule magnet

We present a detailed density functional theory‐based investigation on the geometry and electronic structure of the [Co₄(hmp)₄(MeOH)₄Cl₄] molecule. It is experimentally found to behave as a molecular magnet. The all‐electron electronic structure calculations and geometry optimization of the 88‐atom molecule were carried out within the generalized gradient approximation to the exchange correlation energy. We also study the electronic structures and geometries of a few low‐lying conformers of this molecule. It is found that the magnetic anisotropy energy is highly sensitive to the geometric structure of the molecule. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem 93: 324–331, 2003     

Calculation of the size dependence of the ionization energy and autoionization energy of Hg-clusters

To study the transition from van der Waals to metallic bonding we calculate the size dependence of the ionization energy and 5d→6p autoionization energy of Hg _n -clusters using a parametrized LCAO model. Our results are in good qualitative agreement with experiment. Comparison with experimental results suggests that electron correlations play an important role for the transition from localized (van der Waals-like) to delocalized (covalent or metallic) electronic states occuring in Hg _n atn?13–19.     

Theoretical investigation on quinoline-based platinum (II) complexes as efficient singlet oxygen photosensitizers in photodynamic therapy

Geometry optimizations of the quinoline-based platinum (II) complexes (1-R, 2-R) and their related calculations on excited state energies, electronic absorption spectra and orbital populations have been carried out by the hybrid density functional theory (DFT) and its time-dependent approach (TD-DFT). The solvent effects on excitation energies are taken into account using the conductor-like polarizable continuum model (C-PCM). The red-shifted level of absorption bands, energy gaps between the singlet ground state (S₁) and the first triplet excited state (T₁) for each examined complex have been elaborated thoroughly as well. We find that the quinoline-8-thoil (ligand 2) induces much more significant red-shifted level than 8-hydroxyquinoline (ligand 1), and singlet-triplet splitting energy gaps of all examined complexes are bigger than threshold energy to yield singlet oxygen. It is revealed that the electronic red-shifted absorption bands originate from metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) transitions, and also shown that the quinoline-based Pt (II) complexes with strong donor groups could be considered as potential candidates for unearthing of novel photosensitizers in photodynamic therapy (PDT).     

Electron transport through an extended nano-ring in presence of magnetic field: An analytical approach

We analytically describe the influence of magnetic field on the electronic transport properties of an extended nano-ring by using Green's function technique in the nearest neighbor tight-binding approximation. We obtain exact analytic formulas for the electronic transmission coefficient, the total and local contact density of states as functions of incident electron energy, magnetic flux crossing over the ring and all the system parameters. Our formalism gives the ability to study the extended nano-rings of any size under certain conditions which provides useful tools to analyze electronic transport of these systems, much faster and more easily. The results show that the electronic transport quantities of a system consisting of a nano-ring are strongly sensitive to incoming electron energy, magnetic flux and contact hopping energies. The present approach may be useful to design nano-devices measuring magnetic field and magnetic based nano-switches.     

Origin of the insulating state in NaCuO2

We study the electronic structure of NaCuO₂ by analysing experimental core level photoemission and X-ray absorption spectra using a cluster as well as an Anderson impurity Hamiltonianincluding the band structure of the oxygen sublattice. We show that the X-ray absorption results unambiguously establish a negative value of the charge transfer energy, Δ. Further, mean-field calculations for the edge-shared one-dimensional CuO₂ lattice of NaCuO₂ within the multiband Hubbard Hamiltonian show that the origin of the insulating nature lies in the band structure rather than in the correlation effects. LMTO-ASA band structure calculations suggest that NaCuO₂ is an insulator with a gap of around 1 eV.     

Aerobic Damage to [FeFe]‐Hydrogenases: Activation Barriers for the Chemical Attachment of O2

[FeFe]‐hydrogenases are the best natural hydrogen‐producing enzymes but their biotechnological exploitation is hampered by their extreme oxygen sensitivity. The free energy profile for the chemical attachment of O₂ to the enzyme active site was investigated by using a range‐separated density functional re‐parametrized to reproduce high‐level ab initio data. An activation free‐energy barrier of 13 kcal mol^?1 was obtained for chemical bond formation between the di‐iron active site and O₂, a value in good agreement with experimental inactivation rates. The oxygen binding can be viewed as an inner‐sphere electron‐transfer process that is strongly influenced by Coulombic interactions with the proximal cubane cluster and the protein environment. The implications of these results for future mutation studies with the aim of increasing the oxygen tolerance of this enzyme are discussed.     

Hydrogen-induced Sulfur Vacancies on the MoS2 Basal Plane Studied by Ambient Pressure XPS and DFT Calculations

Sulfur vacancy on an MoS₂ basal plane plays a crucial role in device performance and catalytic activity; thus, an understanding of the electronic states of sulfur vacancies is still an important issue. We investigate the electronic states on an MoS₂ basal plane by ambient-pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (AP-XPS) and density functional theory calculations while heating the system in hydrogen. The AP-XPS results show a decrease in the intensity ratio of S 2p to Mo 3d, indicating that sulfur vacancies are formed. Furthermore, low-energy components are observed in Mo 3d and S 2p spectra. To understand the changes in the electronic states induced by sulfur vacancy formation at the atomic scale, we calculate the core-level binding energies for the model vacancy surfaces. The calculated shifts for Mo 3d and S 2p with the formation of sulfur vacancy are consistent with the experimentally observed binding energy shifts. Mulliken charge analysis indicates that this is caused by an increase in the electronic density associated with the Mo and S atoms around the sulfur vacancy as compared to the pristine surface. The present investigation provides a guideline for sulfur vacancy engineering.     

Electro-structural correlations,elastic and optical properties among the nanolaminated ternary carbides Zr2AC

We have performed ab initio calculations for the nanolaminates Zr₂AC (A = Ti, In, Tl, Si, Ge, Sn, Pb, P, As, S) ceramics to study their electronic structure, elastic and optical properties. In this work, we used the accurate augmented plane wave plus local orbital method with density functional theory to find the equilibrium structural parameters, dielectric functions and to compute the full elastic tensors. The obtained elastic constants were used to quantify the stiffness of the Zr₂AC phases and to appraise their mechanical stability. The relationship between elastic, electronic and valence electron concentration is discussed. Our results show that the bulk modulus and shear modulus increase across the periodic table for Zr₂AC. Furthermore, trends in elastic stiffness are well explained in terms of electronic structure analysis, as occupation of valence electrons in states near the Fermi level of Zr₂AC. We show that increments of bulk moduli originate from additional valence electrons filling states involving Zr d–A p. We show also that Zr d–A p hybridizations are located just below the Fermi level and are weaker bonds than the Zr d–C p hybridizations, which are deeper in energy. As a function of the p-state filling of the A element the Zr d–A p bands are driven to deeper energy. The optical spectra were analyzed by means of the electronic structure, which provides theoretical understanding of the conduction mechanism of these ceramics.     

Perturbation method to calculate the interaction potentials and electronic excitation spectra of atoms in He nanodroplets

A method is proposed for the calculation of potential energy curves and related electronic excitation spectra of dopant atoms captured in/on He nanodroplets and is applied to alkali metal atoms. The method requires knowledge of the droplet density distribution at equilibrium (here calculated within a bosonic-He density functional approach) and of a set of valence electron orbitals of the bare dopant atom (here calculated by numeric solution of the Schr?dinger equation in a suitably parametrized model potential). The electron-helium interaction is added as a perturbation, and potential energy curves are obtained by numeric diagonalization of the resulting Hamiltonian as a function of an effective coordinate z(A) (here the distance between the dopant atom and center of mass of the droplet, resulting in a pseudodiatomic potential). Excitation spectra are calculated for Na in the companion paper as the Franck-Condon factors between the v = 0 vibrational state in the ground electronic state and excited states of the pseudodiatomic molecule. They agree well with available experimental data, even for highly excited states where a more traditional approach fails.     

SiC Monolayers as Promising Substrates for the Development of Highly Stable Palladium Single Atom Catalysts: A Density Functional Theory Study

Single-atom catalysts have been touted as highly efficient catalysts, but the catalytic single-atom sites are unstable and tend to aggregate into nanoparticles during chemical reactions. In this study, we show that SiC monolayers are promising substrates for the development of highly stable single-atom catalysts (Pd₁/SiC) within the density functional theory. In presence of a Si-vacancy, the diffusion barrier energy of a Pd₁ atom embedded in the SiC monolayer is substantially enhanced from 2.3 to 7.8 eV, which is much higher than the reported diffusion barrier energies of graphene, boron nitride and defective MgO of the same catalytic system. Ab initio molecular dynamic calculations at 500 K also confirm the enhanced stability of Pd₁/SiC monolayer (Si-vacancy) such that the Pd₁ atom remains embedded in the vacancy. Additionally, the Pd₁/SiC monolayer (Si-vacancy) catalysts show a ∼34 % reduction of activation barrier energy for CO oxidation as compared to pristine catalysts. This work implies that nanostructured SiC materials are promising substrates for the synthesis of highly stable single-atom catalysts.     

苯乙烯基吡啶类化合物几何结构与光谱的理论研究

采用量子化学密度泛函理论(DFT)方法分别在B3LYP/6-31G*, 6-31G**, 6-31＋G*水平上对苯乙烯基吡啶类化合物进行计算研究. 通过在相同水平下的振动频率分析发现苯乙烯基吡啶类化合物具有C₁对称性, 酯基的碳氧原子与苯环形成不同的离域大π键, 空间位阻和共轭效应使得两苯环处于两个不同平面, 二面角在60°与62°之间. 使用含时密度泛函理论(TD-DFT)方法计算第一激发态的电子垂直跃迁能, 得到最大吸收波长λ_max. 计算结果表明末端烷基链的长度对该类化合物的几何结构与振动光谱、电子光谱无影响.     

Beyond muffin-tin model for theoretical analysis of As K-edge XANES of InAs

Three alternative approaches have been applied to calculate As K-edge XANES of InAs: multiple scattering (MS) theory, non-muffin-tin finite difference method (FDM) and full potential linearized augmented plane wave (FLAPW) method. Such combination allows to make the distinction between two types of non-muffin-tin effects. First, in the interstitial region the potential is not constant. Second, the covalent bonds increase the charge density between nearest atoms and lead to additional loss of spherical symmetry of the potential within MT spheres.     

Density Functional Study of Two Seven-Membered Unconventional Fullerenes C58F17CF3 and C58F18

The density functional method is used to study the structure, electronic properties, static linear polarizabilities, and optical absorption spectra of two seven‐membered unconventional fullerene derivatives C₅₈F₁₇CF₃ and C₅₈F₁₈. It is calculated that three sites chosen to locate the CF₃ are isoenergetic. The energy gaps of C₅₈F₁₈ and C₅₈F₁₇CF₃ are much larger than that of C₅₈, indicating the fluorination and trifluoromethylation of C₅₈ can remarkably enhance the kinetic stability. The density of states explore that the influence of CF₃ to the energy levels is mainly distributed in the energy range from ?10 to ?2 eV. However, when the CF₃ substitutes for F in C₅₈F₁₈, the bond lengths, energy gaps, static linear polarizabilities, and optical absorption spectra all show small variety.     

Critical comparison of electrode models in density functional theory based quantum transport calculations

We study the performance of two different electrode models in quantum transport calculations based on density functional theory: parametrized Bethe lattices and quasi-one-dimensional wires or nanowires. A detailed account of implementation details in both the cases is given. From the systematic study of nanocontacts made of representative metallic elements, we can conclude that the parametrized electrode models represent an excellent compromise between computational cost and electronic structure definition as long as the aim is to compare with experiments where the precise atomic structure of the electrodes is not relevant or defined with precision. The results obtained using parametrized Bethe lattices are essentially similar to the ones obtained with quasi-one-dimensional electrodes for large enough cross-sections of these, adding a natural smearing to the transmission curves that mimics the true nature of polycrystalline electrodes. The latter are more demanding from the computational point of view, but present the advantage of expanding the range of applicability of transport calculations to situations where the electrodes have a well-defined atomic structure, as is the case for carbon nanotubes, graphene nanoribbons, or semiconducting nanowires. All the analysis is done with the help of codes developed by the authors which can be found in the quantum transport toolbox ALACANT and are publicly available.