Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “transitional metals”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 397 records · Page 22
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Atomic Structure, Dynamics, Changes in Chemical Bonding and Semiconductor-Metal Transition in Sb 2 Se 3 : A Remarkable Material for Quantum Networks and Energy Applications

Antimony sesquiselenide has become an outstanding functional material for photovoltaics, energy storage and transformation, memory and photonic applications. Sb 2 Se 3 is one of the most successful emerging solar light absorbers and has also been identified as a highly promising ultralow-loss phase-change material (PCM) for next-generation coherent nanophotonic processors, photonic tensor cores, quantum and neuromorphic networks. Unlike benchmark telluride PCMs, Sb 2 Se 3 features a quasi-one-dimensional (1D) crystalline structure consisting of (Sb 4 Se 6 ) ∞ ribbons, lacks the typical PCM chemical bonding, and undergoes an extended semiconductor-metal transition above the melting point. Consequently, the origin of high optical contrast between crystalline (SET) and amorphous (RESET) logic states remains elusive and presents a significant challenge. Using high-energy X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy over a wide temperature range, supported by first-principles simulations and complemented by thermal, optical and electrical measurements, as well as by 121 Sb-Mossbauer spectroscopy, the quasi-1D network of orthorhombic antimony sesquiselenide was found to undergo significant evolution in amorphous and supercooled Sb 2 Se 3 , leading to lower coordination, shorter interatomic distances and a higher p-electron density on antimony, indicating changes in chemical bonding. The observed novel Sb 2 Se 3 nanocrystalline polymorph, characterized by trigonal antimony coordination and more isolated Sb-Se ribbons, could help reduce multiple trapping defect states in the bandgap, which are typical of orthorhombic Sb 2 Se 3 , thereby enhancing the power-conversion efficiency of photovoltaic devices. Semimetallic and metallic liquid Sb 2 Se 3 exhibit a gradual transformation into a denser 2D and/or 3D network with higher antimony coordination. Localized electron states in the pseudogap are becoming extended, leading to an increase in electronic conductivity σ following the relationship σ ∝ N(E F ) 2 . Liquid Sb 2 Se 3 also appears to be strongly fragile, with a nonmonotonic change in viscosity and higher atomic mobility in the metallic liquid. Furthermore, these results explain extraordinary functionalities of Sb 2 Se 3 for photonic and energy applications.

antimony↗
DOE OSTI2021

Charge Transfer Properties of Heterostructures Formed by Bi 2 O 2 Se and Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Monolayers

Atomically thin bismuth oxyselenide (Bi 2 O 2 Se) exhibits attractive properties for electronic and optoelectronic applications, such as high charge-carrier mobility and good air stability. Recently, the development of Bi 2 O 2 Se-based heterostructures have attracted enormous interests with promising prospects for diverse device applications. Although the electrical properties of Bi 2 O 2 Se-based heterostructures have been widely studied, the interlayer charge transfer in these heterostructures remains elusive, despite its importance in harnessing their emergent functionalities. Here, a comprehensive experimental investigation on the interlayer charge transfer properties of two heterostructures formed by Bi 2 O 2 Se and representative transition metal dichalcogenides (namely, WS 2 /Bi 2 O 2 Se and MoS 2 /Bi 2 O 2 Se) is reported. In this work, Kelvin probe force microscopy is used to measure the work functions of the samples, which are further employed to establish type-II band alignment of both heterostructures. Photoluminescence quenching is observed in each heterostructure, suggesting high charge transfer efficiency. Time-resolved and layer-selective pump–probe measurements further prove the ultrafast interlayer charge transfer processes and formation of long-lived interlayer excitons. These results establish the feasibility of integrating 2D Bi 2 O 2 Se with other 2D semiconductors to fabricate heterostructures with novel charge transfer properties and provide insight for understanding the performance of optoelectronic devices based on such 2D heterostructures.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Insulator‐to‐Metal Transition and Isotropic Gigantic Magnetoresistance in Layered Magnetic Semiconductors

Magnetotransport, the response of electrical conduction to external magnetic field, acts as an important tool to reveal fundamental concepts behind exotic phenomena and plays a key role in enabling spintronic applications. Magnetotransport is generally sensitive to magnetic field orientations. In contrast, efficient and isotropic modulation of electronic transport, which is useful in technology applications such as omnidirectional sensing, is rarely seen, especially for pristine crystals. Here a strategy is proposed to realize extremely strong modulation of electron conduction by magnetic field which is independent of field direction. GdPS, a layered antiferromagnetic semiconductor with resistivity anisotropies, supports a field-driven insulator-to-metal transition with a paradoxically isotropic gigantic negative magnetoresistance insensitive to magnetic field orientations. This isotropic magnetoresistance originates from the combined effects of a near-zero spin–orbit coupling of Gd 3+ -based half-filling ƒ-electron system and the strong on-site f – d exchange coupling in Gd atoms. These results not only provide a novel material system with extraordinary magnetotransport that offers a missing block for antiferromagnet-based ultrafast and efficient spintronic devices, but also demonstrate the key ingredients for designing magnetic materials with desired transport properties for advanced functionalities.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Measuring the Exciton Binding Energy: Learning from a Decade of Measurements on Halide Perovskites and Transition Metal Dichalcogenides

The exciton binding energy ( E b ) is a key parameter that governs the physics of many optoelectronic devices. At their best, trustworthy and precise measurements of E b challenge theoreticians to refine models, are a driving force in advancing the understanding of a material system, and lead to efficient device design. At their worst, inaccurate E b measurements lead theoreticians astray, sow confusion within the research community, and hinder device improvements by leading to poor designs. Here, this review article seeks to highlight the pros and cons of different measurement techniques used to determine E b , namely, temperature‐dependent photoluminescence, resolving Rydberg states, electroabsorption, magnetoabsorption, scanning tunneling spectroscopy, and fitting the optical absorption. Due to numerous conflicting E b values reported for halide perovskites (HP) and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDC) monolayers, an emphasis is placed on highlighting these measurements in an attempt to reconcile the variance between different measurement techniques. It is argued that the experiments with the clearest indicators are in agreement on the following values: ≈350–450 meV for TMDC monolayers between SiO 2 and vacuum, ≈150–200 meV for hBN‐encapsulated TMDC monolayers, ≈200–300 meV for common lead‐iodide 2D HPs, and ≈10 meV for methylammonium lead iodide.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Microscopic model of the doping dependence of linewidths in monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides

A fully microscopic model of the doping-dependent exciton and trion linewidths in the absorption spectra of monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides in the low temperature and low-doping regime is explored. The approach is based on perturbation theory and avoids the use of phenomenological parameters. In the low-doping regime, we find that the trion linewidth is relatively insensitive to doping levels, while the exciton linewidth increases monotonically with doping. On the other hand, we argue that the trion linewidth shows a somewhat stronger temperature dependence. The magnitudes of the linewidths are likely to be masked by phonon scattering for T ≥ 20 K in encapsulated samples in the low-doping regime. We discuss the breakdown of perturbation theory, which should occur at relatively low-doping levels and low temperatures. Our work also paves the way toward understanding a variety of related scattering processes, including impact ionization and Auger scattering in clean 2D samples

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Tunable plasmon-enhanced second-order optical nonlinearity in transition metal dichalcogenide nanotriangles

The development of nanomaterials with a large nonlinear susceptibility is essential for nonlinear nanophotonics. Here we show that transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) nanotriangles have a large effective second-order susceptibility [χ (2) ] at midinfrared to near-infrared frequencies owing to their broken centrosymmetry. χ (2) is calculated within the density-matrix formalism that accounts for dissipation and screening. χ (2) peaks in the vicinity of both two-photon resonances (specified by the geometry) and plasmon resonances (tunable via the carrier density). Aligning the resonances yields the values of χ (2) as high as 10 –6 m/V. These findings underscore the potential of TMD nanotriangles for nonlinear nanophotonics, particularly second-harmonic generation.

0-dimensional systems↗
DOE OSTI2021

Polarization Flipping of Even-Order Harmonics in Monolayer Transition-Metal Dichalcogenides

We present a systematic study of the crystal-orientation dependence of high-harmonic generation in monolayer transition-metal dichalcogenides, WS 2 and MoSe 2 , subjected to intense linearly polarized midinfrared laser fields. The measured spectra consist of both odd- and even-order harmonics, with a high-energy cutoff extending beyond the 15th order for a laser-field strength around ~1 V/nm. In WS 2 , we find that the polarization direction of the odd-order harmonics smoothly follows that of the laser field irrespective of the crystal orientation, whereas the direction of the even-order harmonics is fixed by the crystal mirror planes. Furthermore, the polarization of the even-order harmonics shows a flip in the course of crystal rotation when the laser field lies between two of the crystal mirror planes. By numerically solving the semiconductor Bloch equations for a gapped-graphene model, we qualitatively reproduce these experimental features and find the polarization flipping to be associated with a significant contribution from interband polarization. In contrast, high-harmonic signals from MoSe 2 exhibit deviations from the laser-field following of odd-order harmonics and crystal-mirror-plane following of even-order harmonics. We attribute these differences to the competing roles of the intraband and interband contributions, including the deflection of the electron-hole trajectories by nonparabolic crystal bands.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1984

Theoretical study of electron correlation effects in transition metal dimers

Introduction of partially localized orbitals is shown to reduce the number of terms needed to describe the bonding in transition metal clusters. Using this formalism, it is possible to compute the various intra- and inter-atomic electron correlation contributions to the bond energy. Calculations demonstrate the relative importance of several kinds of electron correlation terms involving the 3p, 3d, and 4s electrons. Improved interaction potentials are obtained for the dimers V(2) and Cr(2) when additional correlation is added to the CAS SCF results of Walch, Bauschlicher, Roos, and Nelin (1983).

Das, G. P.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Structure and phase transitions in niobium and tantalum derived nanoscale transition metal perovskites, Ba(Ti,MV)O3, M=Nb,Ta

The prospect of creating ferroelectric or high permittivity nanomaterials provides motivation for investigating complex transition metal oxides of the form Ba(Ti, MV)O3, where M = Nb or Ta. Solid state processing typically produces mixtures of crystalline phases, rarely beyond minimally doped Nb/Ta. Using a modified sol-gel method, we prepared single phase nanocrystals of Ba(Ti, M)O3. Compositional and elemental analysis puts the empirical formulas close to BaTi0.5Nb0.5O3−δ and BaTi0.5Ta0.5O3−δ. For both materials, a reversible temperature dependent phase transition (non-centrosymmetric to symmetric) is observed in the Raman spectrum in the region 533–583 K (260–310 °C); for Ba(Ti, Nb)O3, the onset is at 543 K (270 °C); and for Ba(Ti, Ta)O3, the onset is at 533 K (260 °C), which are comparable with 390–393 K (117–120 °C) for bulk BaTiO3. The crystal structure was resolved by examination of the powder x-ray diffraction and atomic pair distribution function (PDF) analysis of synchrotron total scattering data. It was postulated whether the structure adopted at the nanoscale was single or double perovskite. Double perovskites (A2B′B″O6) are characterized by the type and extent of cation ordering, which gives rise to higher symmetry crystal structures. PDF analysis was used to examine all likely candidate structures and to look for evidence of higher symmetry. The feasible phase space that evolves includes the ordered double perovskite structure Ba2(Ti, MV)O6 (M = Nb, Ta) Fm-3m, a disordered cubic structure, as a suitable high temperature analog, Ba(Ti, MV)O3Pm-3m, and an orthorhombic Ba(Ti, MV)O3Amm2, a room temperature structure that presents an unusually high level of lattice displacement, possibly due to octahedral tilting, and indication of a highly polarized crystal.

Chemistry↗
DOE OSTI2023

Advances in arene alkylation and alkenylation catalyzed by transition metal complexes based on ruthenium, nickel, palladium, platinum, rhodium and iridium

Over the past several years, significant advancements have been made for transition metal catalyzed arene alkylation and alkenylation that operate by metal mediated arene C–H activation. These catalytic processes provide a route for arene alkylation and alkenylation that is complementary to traditional acid catalyzed reactions (e.g., Friedel-Crafts reactions and zeolite-based arene alkylations). Catalysts from Groups 8, 9 and 10 have dominated new developments. As a result, this monograph will overview advancements for catalytic arene alkylation and alkenylation for hydrocarbon substrates.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Local Distortions and Metal–Semiconductor–Metal Transition in Quasi-One-Dimensional Nanowire Compounds AV 3 Q 3 O δ (A = K, Rb, Cs and Q = Se, Te)

Metal cluster compounds have garnered renewed interest in the search for novel superconductors and topological semimetals owing to structural instabilities of metal-cluster geometries and broken symmetries. Here we synthesized needle-like crystals of the V-cluster-based quasi-one-dimensional (Q1D) materials AV 3 Q 3 O δ (A = K, Rb, Cs, Q= Se, Te) which can also be viewed as being composed of parallel nanowires. We examine how changes in their average and local structure control their electronic properties. All compounds crystallize in the TIFe 3 Te 3 -type structure (P6 3 /m space group) with infinite (V 3 )Q 3 ) - double-walled columnar chains separated by A + cations. Our single-crystal and synchrotron powder diffraction studies indicate oxygen atoms partially occupy the center site of the V 6 octahedral metal cluster cages in KV 3 Te 3 O 0.33 , RbV 3 Te 3 O 0.32 , and CsV 3 Te 3 O 0.35 , whereas KV 3 Se 3 is structurally oxygen-free. Our synchrotron X-ray pair distribution function (PDF) analyses indicate that the oxygen-free V 6 cluster octahedra in KV 3 Se 3 are highly distorted perpendicular to the chain direction even at room temperature, reducing the symmetry of the average structure from hexagonal P6 3 /m to monoclinic P2 1 /m. Our theoretical calculation supports this P2 1 /m distortion and suggests the structure further distorts to P2 1 or P2 1 /c at lower temperatures. In contrast, the oxygen-centered V-cluster in KV 3 Te 3 O 0.33 exhibits a V-3-triangle-trimerization along the chain direction. This feature is discernible from the local PDF and is consistent with lattice dynamical calculations based on density functional theory. Resistivity measurements indicate that KV 3 Se 3 exhibits metallic behavior, whereas a dramatic metal-semiconductor-metal transition emerges in KV 3 Te 3 O 6.33 , RbV 3 Te 3 O 0.32 , and CsV 3 Te 3 O 0.35 because of oxygen disorder and changes in local structure captured from our electronic structure analyses of the Fermi surface. Our investigation of the AV 3 Q 3 O 6 family demonstrates the importance of understanding local changes in structure driven by electronic instabilities, which can guide the search for new quantum materials in other low-dimensional cluster-compound materials.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2023

Cr silicate as a prototype for engineering magnetic phases in air-stable two-dimensional transition-metal silicates

Abstract Identifying environmentally inert, ferromagnetic two-dimensional (2D) materials with high Curie temperatures ( T c ) down to the single layer limit has been an obstacle to fundamental studies of 2D magnetism and application of 2D heterostructures to spin-polarized devices. To address this challenge, the growth, structure and magnetic properties of a 2D Cr-silicate single layer on Pt(111) was investigated experimentally and theoretically. The layer was grown by sequentially depositing SiO and Cr followed by annealing in O 2 . Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), low-energy electron diffraction (LEED), and low energy electron microscopy all indicated a well-ordered layer that uniformly covered the surface, with STM and LEED indicating that the silicate relaxed to its favored lattice constant. Further experimental characterizations demonstrated that the Cr was nominally 3+ but with a lower electron density than typical trivalent Cr compounds. Comparison with theory identified a Cr 2 Si 2 O 9 structure that resembles a single layer of a dehydrogenated dioctahedral silicate. Magnetic circular dichroism in x-ray absorption spectroscopy revealed a ferromagnetically ordered state up to at least 80 K. Theoretical analysis revealed that the Cr in a dehydrogenated Cr-silicate/Pt(111) is more oxidized than Cr in freestanding Cr 2 Si 2 O 9 H 4 layers. This greater oxidation was found to enhance ferromagnetic coupling and suggests that the magnetism may be tuned by doping. The 2D Cr-silicate is the first member of a broad series of possible layered first-row transition metal silicates with magnetic order; thus, this paper introduces a new platform for investigating 2D ferromagnetism and the development of magnetoelectronic and spintronic devices by stacking 2D atomic layers.

2D materials↗
DOE OSTI2025

Catalytic Promotion of Transition-Metal-Doped Graphene Cathodes in Li-CO 2 Batteries

The Li-CO 2 battery is a promising energy storage system with impressive theoretical specific energy and discharge capacity. Graphene-based single-atom catalysts (SACs) provide high surface area and long-term electrochemical reactivity and stability, making SACs among the most promising cathode catalysts for these batteries. However, current Li-CO 2 systems have high reaction barriers, slowing the reaction and greatly increasing the overpotential. Improvement of the discharge/charge energetics requires atomic-level innovations in cathode design, such as alterations to the catalyst chemical structure. In this paper, we propose enhancing the SAC by using a Ti metal center, which is found to deliver the highest electrochemical Li + CO 2 activity among 3d transition metal candidates. Furthermore, we propose cathode surface coating with ionic liquids, since these environments promote the formation of reaction intermediates in the electrochemical conversion process. Here, our work provides insights to optimize electrode design for high-performance Li-CO 2 batteries, which can open new avenues to recycle greenhouse gases and achieve enhanced renewable energy storage.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Acetonitrile Transition Metal Interfaces from First Principles

Acetonitrile is among the most commonly used nonaqueous solvents in catalysis and electrochemistry. Here, we study its interfaces with multiple facets of the metals Ag, Cu, Pt, and Rh using density functional theory calculations; the structures reported shed new light on experimental observations and underscore the importance of solvent–solvent interactions at high coverage. We investigate the relationship of potential of zero charge (PZC) to metal work function, reporting results in agreement with experimental measurements. We develop a model to explain the effects of solvent chemisorption and orientation on the PZC to within a mean absolute deviation of 0.08–0.12 V for all facets studied. Our electrostatic field dependent phase diagram agrees with spectroscopic observations and sheds new light on electrostatic field effects. This work provides new insight into experimental observations on acetonitrile metal interfaces and provides guidance for future studies of acetonitrile and other nonaqueous solvent interfaces with transition metals.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Operando leaching of pre-incorporated Al and mechanism in transition-metal hybrids on carbon substrates for enhanced charge storage

Insufficient exposure and utilization of active sites often induces an inferior reactivity for transition-metal-based two-dimensional (2D) materials. In response, we for the first time propose a universal "nano-tailoring" strategy to incorporate abundant defects and active sites into low-crystallinity nanosheets by electrochemically leaching of Al species. With MnAl layered double hydroxides (LDHs) as a representative example, potassium-birnessite MnO 2 (AK-MnO 2 ) with oxygen vacancies and abundant edge sites is successfully produced. The oxygen vacancies are shown to help optimize the electron-transfer and ion-adsorption capability. These integrated advantages endow the AK-MnO 2 with a high capacitance value of 239 F g –1 at 100 A g –1 . By further combining with soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy techniques, we unravel that the reducibility of M 2+ in M 2+ Al-LDH serves as the key descriptor for the reconstruction rate. Here, this "nano-tailoring" strategy can provide some important implications and clues to manipulating 2D materials for efficient energy storage and conversion.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2026

Transition Metal Dichalcogenide MoS 2 : Oxygen and Fluorine Functionalization for Selective Plasma Processing

Low-temperature plasma processing is a promising technique for tailoring transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs). For chalcogen substitution processing, a key challenge is to identify the ion energy window that enables selective chalcogen removal while preserving the metal lattice. Using ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD), we demonstrate that oxygen and fluorine functionalization widen the processing window by significantly lowering the sulfur sputtering energy threshold (E sputt,S ) of MoS 2 from ∼30 to ∼10 eV via formation of sputtering products such as SO 2 and SF n . Additionally, we show that experimentally relevant cryogenic temperatures strongly affect E sputt,S (T). The dependence is confirmed via AIMD and also predicted by a mechanistic parameter-free theory, suggesting that E sputt (T) generalizes to other TMDs, functionalizations, and surface impact conditions. Our results highlight oxygen/fluorine functionalization, ionic impact angle, and material temperature to be key control parameters for selective, damage-controlled chalcogen removal in TMD processing.

Polyachenko, Yury [Princeton Plasma Physics Labora↗