DFT - based study of electronic structures and mechanical properties of LiTaO3: ferroelectric and paraelectric phases

Abstract

By applying ab initio calculation within density functional theory (DFT), we study the structure parameters, electronic band structure, elastic coefficients, polycrystalline elastic properties, anisotropy factors and Debye temperature of ferroelectric and paraelectric phases of LiTaO₃ within the generalised gradient approximation at ambient pressure. The atomic structure in both phases is fully relaxed and the lattice constant, angle and atomic positions are well consistent with experimental values. The computed single-crystal elastic coefficients indicate that mechanical stability of LiTaO₃ in both phases is confirmed using the generalised Born criteria. The shear, bulk and Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio, and Vickers hardness were computed according to theoretical elastic constants by Voight–Reuss–Hill method. Several anisotropy factors and indexes are computed to illustrate mechanical anisotropy. Both phases are shown to be weakly anisotropic. The Debye temperature is estimated using the longitude and transverse elastic wave velocity of the ideal polycrystalline LiTaO₃ aggregates. We have found that LiTaO₃ in both phases has an indirect energy band gap. The differences in the electronic structure and density of states for both phases are quite small. Our results indicate that the mechanical and bonding properties of both phases are very similar. The obtained results were compared with the available experimental and theoretical values.     

What determines the banking sector performance in globalized financial markets? The case of Turkey

This study attempts to give an insight into the trend in the performance of the Turkish banking sector by conducting a panel data fixed effects regression analysis. The results reveal that efficiency change is negatively related to the number of branches. We find a positive relationship between the loan ratio and the performance indices efficiency and efficiency change. Furthermore, bank capitalization is positively related to efficiency change. Interestingly however, return on equity is not statistically significant in explaining any of the efficiency measures. There is also no robust relationship between foreign ownership and efficiency. Finally, restructuring attempts in post-crises epoch robustly account for the improvement in efficiency scores in recent years.     

Synthesis,electrochemistry, and electrocatalytic activity of thiazole-substituted phthalocyanine complexes

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - We report the synthesis of non-peripheral metallophthalocyanines which carry four 4-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2-thiazole-2-thio units. 1H-NMR, FT-IR, UV–Vis,...     

Rhenium/rhenium oxide nanoparticles production using femtosecond pulsed laser ablation in liquid

In this study, rhenium/rhenium oxide nanoparticles (Re / ReO₃ NPs) have been produced for the first time in ultrapure water by using Femtosecond Pulsed Laser Ablation in Liquid (fsPLAL) method. X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) measurements and results obtained for NPs show the existence of well-crystallized peaks and preferred phases. Re NPs have hexagonal structure while ReO₃ NPs have the perovskite-like cubic crystal structures. The Re / ReO₃ ratio is also determined to be 53 / 47 with ~ 20 nm crystallite size, while pure ReO₃ crystallite sizes were measured to be ~ 25 nm. The TEM results have shown that the produced particles have a spherical shape, and particle sizes changes between ~ 20 nm and ~ 60 nm. The crystallite size is similar due to XRD results. Obtained nanoparticles exhibit promising applications for photonic devices with broad bandgap values which have measured to be 4.71 eV for Re / ReO₃ NPs mixture and 4.36 eV for pure ReO₃ NPs.     

Fluorescence of Zn(II) 8-hydroxyquinoline complex in the presence of aqueous micellar media: The special cetyltrimethylammonium bromide effect

Mixtures of Zn(II) and 8-hydroxyquinoline (8QOH) in a 1:2 proportion, in aqueous solutions, result in fast complexation, followed by precipitation. Addition of 0.05 M sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), N-dodecyl-N,N-dimethylammonio-1-propanesulfonate (SB3-12), N-hexadecyl-N,N-dimethylammonio-1-propanesulfonate (SB3-16) or Triton X-100 results in considerable retardation of precipitation. In the presence of SDS, SB3-12, SB3-16 and Triton X-100 the 8QOH chelates are only kinetically stable in solution and after 24 h, the precipitation is almost quantitative. Conversely, upon addition of the cationic surfactant hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTABr), the absorbance of the complex remains constant even after at least six months. The interaction of the ligand 8QOH (and of the (8QO)(2)Zn(II) complex) with the cationic surfactant was studied by ultraviolet and NMR spectroscopy and 8QOH has a pK(a)=9.05 in the presence of the cationic surfactant and the ligand intercalates in the micelle, being preferentially located near the headgroup of the micelle. Although the solubilization site of the (8QO)(2)Zn(II) complex is similar to that of 8QOH, the interaction of the aromatic moiety with the CTA(+) headgroup is much stronger, due to the increased electron density in the aromatic ring of the ligand. As a consequence of this interaction, sphere to rod transition and an increase in microscopic and macroscopic viscosity are observed.     

The chameleon-like nature of zwitterionic micelles. Control of anion and cation binding in sulfobetaine micelles. Effects on acid equilibria and rates

The rate of specific hydrogen ion catalyzed hydrolysis of 2-(p-heptoxyphenyl)-1,3-dioxolane and equilibrium protonation of 1-hydroxy-2-naphthoate ion in zwitterionic micelles of SB3-14, C14H29NMe2+(CH2)3SO3-, are increased markedly by NaClO4 which induces anionic character and uptake of H3O+ in the micelles. Other salts, for example, NaNO3, NaBr, and NaCl, have similar but much smaller effects on this uptake of H3O+.     

Specific anion binding to sulfobetaine micelles and kinetics of nucleophilic reactions

With fully micellar bound substrates reactions of OH- with benzoic anhydride, Bz(2)O, and of Br- with methyl naphthalene-2-sulfonate, MeONs, in micellized sulfobetaines are strongly inhibited by NaClO4 which displaces the nucleophilic anions from the micellar pseudophases. Micellar incorporations of ClO4- and Br- are estimated with an ion-selective electrode and by electrophoresis, and partitioning of Br- between water and micelles is related to changes in NMR spectral (79)Br- line widths. Extents of inhibition by ClO4- of these nucleophilic reactions in the micellar pseudophase are related to quantitative displacement of the reactive anions from the micelles by ClO4-. The kinetic data are correlated with physical evidence on the strong interactions between sulfobetaines and ClO4-, which turn sulfobetaine micelles anionic and effectively provoke displacement of OH- and Br-.