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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.

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At least 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2016

Understanding the photoluminescence characteristics of Eu{sup 3+}-doped double-perovskite by electronic structure calculation

Europium-doped luminescent barium samarium tantalum oxide Ba{sub 2}SmTaO{sub 6} (BST) has been investigated by first-principles calculation, and the crystal structure, electronic structure, and optical properties of pure BST and Eu-doped BST have been examined and compared. Based on the calculated results, the luminescence properties and mechanism of Eu-doped BST has been discussed. In the case of Eu-doped BST, there is an impurity energy band at the Fermi level, which is formed by seven spin up energy levels of Eu and act as the luminescent centre, which is evident from the band structure calculations.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2017

First-principles calculation on electronic structure and optical property of BaSi{sub 2}O{sub 2}N{sub 2}:Eu{sup 2+} phosphor

The crystal structure, electronic structure and optical properties of BaSi{sub 2}O{sub 2}N{sub 2}:Eu{sup 2+} with varying Eu doping concentrations are computed by the density functional theory (DFT) and compared with experimental results. The results show that the lattice parameters of primitive cells of Ba{sub 1−x}Si{sub 2}O{sub 2}N{sub 2}:Eu{sub x} become smaller and Eu–N bond length shortens as Eu concentration increases. The band structure of Ba{sub 1−x}Si{sub 2}O{sub 2}N{sub 2}:Eu{sub x} exhibits a direct optical band gap and it's propitious to luminescence. The energy differences from the lowest Eu 5d state to the lowest Eu 4f state decrease with increasing Eu concentrations. The analysis of simulative absorption spectra indicates that the electron transition from Eu 4f states to 5d states of both Eu and Ba atoms contributes to the absorption of Ba{sub 1−x}Si{sub 2}O{sub 2}N{sub 2}:Eu{sub x}. Under the coupling effect between Eu and Ba, Ba in BaSi{sub 2}O{sub 2}N{sub 2} exhibits longer wavelength absorption and increases absorption efficiency. The emission wavelength is deduced by measuring energy differences from the lowest Eu 5d state to the lowest Eu 4f state, and the result is in good agreement with experimental value within experimental Eu{sup 2+} doping range. - Graphical abstract: The structure and optical property of BaSi{sub 2}O{sub 2}N{sub 2}:Eu{sup 2+} are computed by DFT and its absorption mechanism is analysed. Results show that absorption peak α is from the host lattice absorption. The absorption peaks β, γ and δ are from Eu 4f to Eu 5d and Ba 6s 5d states. The absorption is attributed to the coupling effect of Eu and Ba atom. - Highlights: • The crystal, electronic structure and optical properties of BaSi{sub 2}O{sub 2}N{sub 2}:Eu{sup 2+} are computed by DFT. • The lattice parameters of primitive cells reduces and Eu–N bond length shortens as Eu{sup 2+} increases. • The energy gap from Eu 5d state to Eu 4f state decrease with increasing Eu concentrations. • Both Eu and Ba atoms contributes to the absorption of Ba{sub 1−x}Si{sub 2}O{sub 2}N{sub 2}:Eu{sub x}. • The deduced emission wavelength is in good agreement with experimental value.

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

Effect of Pd alloying on structural, electronic and magnetic properties of L1 0 Fe–Ni

We present a systematic study of the effect of Pd-alloying on phase stability, electronic structure, and elastic properties in L1 0 Fe–Ni using density-functional theory. Being from the same group of the periodic table, Pd is the best candidate for chemical alloying. The Fe–Ni/Fe–Pd/Ni–Pd bond-length increases with increasing Pd-concentration, which weakens the hybridization between low lying energy states below Fermi-level. The reduced hybridization decreases the relative thermodynamic stability of L1 0 Fe(Ni 1–x Pd x ) until x = 0.75. Beyond this concentration, the relative stability gets enhanced, which is attributed to a unique change in the lattice distortion (c/a). The elastic properties show a non-monotonous behavior as a function of x, which is again due to a specific change-over in the uniaxial strain. We found that Pd alloying increases the local Fe moment and structural anisotropy of L1 0 FeNi, which are important for applications such as microwave absorption, refrigeration systems, recording devices, imaging and sensors. Here, we believe that the present study for the chemical alloying effect can provide critical insights toward the understanding of electronic-structure and elastic behavior of other technologically important materials.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2022

First-Principles Calculations of the Structural, Electronic, Optical, and Mechanical Properties of 21 Pyrophosphate Crystals

Pyrophosphate crystals have a wide array of applications in industrial and biomedical fields. However, fundamental understanding of their electronic structure, optical, and mechanical properties is still scattered and incomplete. In the present research, we report a comprehensive theoretical investigation of 21 pyrophosphates A 2 M (H 2 P 2 O 7 ) 2 •2H 2 O with either triclinic or orthorhombic crystal structure. The molecule H 2 P 2 O 7 is the dominant molecular unit, whereas A = (K, Rb, NH 4 , Tl), M = (Zn, Cu, Mg, Ni, Co, Mn), and H 2 O stand for the cation elements, transition metals, and the water molecules, respectively. The electronic structure, interatomic bonding, partial charge distribution, optical properties, and mechanical properties are investigated by first-principles calculations based on density functional theory (DFT). Most of these 21 crystals are theoretically investigated for the first time. The calculated results show a complex interplay between A, M, H 2 P 2 O 7 , and H 2 O, resulting in either metallic, half-metallic, or semi-conducting characteristics. The novel concept of total bond order density (TBOD) is used as a single quantum mechanical metric to characterize the internal cohesion of these crystals to correlate with the calculated properties, especially the mechanical properties. This work provides a large database for pyrophosphate crystals and a road map for potential applications of a wider variety of phosphates.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays for photocatalysis: Effects of crystallinity, local order, and electronic structure

To furnish insight into correlations of electronic and local structure and photoactivity, arrays of short and long TiO{sub 2} nanotubes were synthesized by electrochemical anodization of Ti foil, followed by thermal treatment in O{sub 2} (oxidizing), Ar (inert), and H{sub 2} (reducing) environments. The physical and electronic structures of these nanotubes were probed with x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and synchrotron-based x-ray absorption spectroscopy, and correlated with their photocatalytic properties. The photocatalytic activity of the nanotubes was evaluated by monitoring the degradation of methyl orange under UV-VIS light irradiation. Results show that upon annealing at 350 °C all as-anodized amorphous TiO{sub 2} nanotube samples partially transform to the anatase structure, with variations in the degree of crystallinity and in the concentration of local defects near the nanotubes' surface (∼5 nm) depending on the annealing conditions. Degradation of methyl orange was not detectable for the as-anodized TiO{sub 2} nanotubes regardless of their length. However, the annealed long nanotubes demonstrated detectable catalytic activity, which was more significant with the H{sub 2}-annealed nanotubes than with the Ar- and O{sub 2}-annealed nanotube samples. This enhanced photocatalytic response of the H{sub 2}-annealed long nanotubes relative to the other samples is positively correlated with the presence of a larger concentration of lattice defects (such as Ti{sup 3+} and anticipated oxygen vacancies) and a slightly lower degree of crystallinity near the nanotube surface. These physical and electronic structural attributes impact the efficacy of visible light absorption; moreover, the increased concentration of surface defects is postulated to promote the generation of hydroxyl radicals and thus accelerate the photodegradation of the methyl orange. The information obtained from this study provides unique insight into the role of the near-surface electronic and defect structure, crystal structure, and the local chemical environment on the photocatalytic activity and may be employed for tailoring the materials' properties for photocatalysis and other energy-related applications.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2012

Impact of Point Defects on Electronic Structure in Y₂Ti₂O₇

With many technologies and applications downscaling to nanometer dimensions, the influence of single point defects on electronic structure has shown an increasingly profound impact on optical and electrical properties, and advancing fundamental understanding is critical to defect engineering and control of materials properties. In the present study, first-principles calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) are carried out to study the effects of Ti point defects on the electronic structure of Y₂Ti₂O₇. In the literature, it has been demonstrated that conventional DFT tends to produce delocalized holes and electrons in defective oxide materials due to insufficient cancellation of the self-interaction energy and underestimation of the band gap, which results in an incorrect description of the electronic structure of the system. In an effort to better understand the accuracy of DFT in describing the behavior of Y₂Ti₂O₇ with point defects, the calculated results obtained from DFT and DFT+U methods are compared, including the geometrical distortion, the localization of the defect states and the position of the defect levels in the band gap. Using DFT, distorted geometries around the Ti vacancy and interstitial are found, along with localized oxygen holes and Ti electrons, both of which compare well with the DFT+U results, suggesting that the conventional DFT can be used to describe the localization of the Ti defects in Y₂Ti₂O₇. One major difference in the DFT and DFT+U calculations is the energy position of the defect levels, for which DFT+U results in the states positioned deep in the band gap. Since the DFT+U method suffers from the dependence of the results on the empirical parameter U and no experimental results on the energy position of the defect states are available to tune this U value, care must be taken in applying DFT+U to electronic structure calculations of Y₂Ti₂O₇ with point defects. Based on the DFT method, the most preferred charge state is determined by the formation energies for charged point defects. Moving the Fermi level across the band gap has slight effects on the charge state, and the Ti vacancy and interstitial are found to be in 24 and +4 charge states, respectively.

Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory↗
DOE OSTI2014

Electronic structure and optical properties of CdS{sub x}Se{sub 1−x} solid solution nanostructures from X-ray absorption near edge structure, X-ray excited optical luminescence, and density functional theory investigations

The electronic structure and optical properties of a series of iso-electronic and iso-structural CdS{sub x}Se{sub 1−x} solid solution nanostructures have been investigated using X-ray absorption near edge structure, extended X-ray absorption fine structure, and X-ray excited optical luminescence at various absorption edges of Cd, S, and Se. It is found that the system exhibits compositions, with variable local structure in-between that of CdS and CdSe accompanied by tunable optical band gap between that of CdS and CdSe. Theoretical calculation using density functional theory has been carried out to elucidate the observations. It is also found that luminescence induced by X-ray excitation shows new optical channels not observed previously with laser excitation. The implications of these observations are discussed.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Going with the Electron Flow: Heme Electronic Structure and Electron Transfer in Cytochrome c

Heme is an essential and functionally versatile cofactor. Our understanding of how the environment of a heme in a protein tunes its function has benefited from spectroscopic and functional investigations of heme proteins and their variants with altered heme environments. Two properties of current interest are the conformation of the heme and hydrogen bonding to heme propionates. By combining nuclear magnetic resonance experiments and density functional theory calculations, both of these characteristics have been shown to influence the distribution of the singly occupied molecular orbital on the heme of ferricytochrome c, which affects coupling to redox partners and electron-transfer rates. In addition, heme conformation has been shown to tune reduction potential. These results reveal that subtle variations in heme conformation and in interactions with its propionates can have significant impacts on electron-transfer activity.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2018

Crystal and Electronic Structure and Optical Properties of AE 2 SiP 4 ( AE = Sr, Eu, Ba) and Ba 4 S 3 P 8

Here, three new compounds in the AE –Si–P ( AE = Sr, Eu, Ba) systems are reported. Sr 2 SiP 4 and Eu 2 SiP 4 , the first members of their respective ternary systems, are isostructural to previously reported Ba2SiP4 and crystallize in the noncentrosymmetric I 42 d (no. 122) space group. Ba 4 Si 3 P 8 crystallizes in the new structure type, in P 2 1 / c (no. 14) space group, mP –120 Pearson symbol, Wyckoff sequence e 30 . In the crystal structures of Sr 2 SiP 4 and Eu 2 SiP 4 all SiP 4 tetrahedral building blocks are connected via formation of P–P bonds forming a three–dimensional framework. In the crystal structure of Ba 4 Si 3 P 8 , Si–P tetrahedral chains formed by corner–sharing, edge–sharing, and P–P bonds are surrounded by Ba cations. This results in a quasi–one–dimensional structure. Electronic structure calculations and UV/Vis measurements suggest that the AE 2 SiP 4 ( AE = Sr, Eu, Ba) are direct bandgap semiconductors with bandgaps of ca. 1.4 eV and have potential for thermoelectric applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Rational Selection of Transition-Metal Oxide Electrocatalysts from Structure Electronic Structure-Activity Relations: The Role of Defects, Strain, and Sub-Surface Layering

This BES research investigates the physicochemical properties of metal oxides and how they affect electrocatalytic functionalities. The goal is to develop a predictive framework for realizing top-performing electrocatalytic materials for energy-critical reactions. The hypothesis is that well-defined thin films allow detailed mapping of structural-activity relationships because flat surfaces are more straightforward to characterize. Furthermore, the well-defined nature of thin-film metal oxides allows precise tuning of structural and chemical variables for structure-activity-relationship mapping. The proposed research has two technical objectives. The first is to experimentally assess whether the binding energies of surface oxygen can serve as an activity descriptor for oxygen electrocatalysis on metal oxides and then how to control them by tuning the structure and chemical variables. The second is to find the rate-limiting process in oxygen electrocatalysis and other small-molecule reactions. Similar mechanistic insights have been developed on well-defined platinum surfaces but not yet on oxides. This research addresses this gap and uses electrochemistry and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy to study oxide surface chemistry. The obtained insights are collectively analyzed to reveal how the oxides’ structural and chemical variables affect kinetics and can be used to design more active electrocatalysts for energy-critical reactions.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2016

Graph-based linear scaling electronic structure theory

We show how graph theory can be combined with quantum theory to calculate the electronic structure of large complex systems. The graph formalism is general and applicable to a broad range of electronic structure methods and materials, including challenging systems such as biomolecules. The methodology combines well-controlled accuracy, low computational cost, and natural low-communication parallelism. This combination addresses substantial shortcomings of linear scaling electronic structure theory, in particular with respect to quantum-based molecular dynamics simulations.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2012

The first 3D malonate bridged copper [Cu(O{sub 2}C-CH{sub 2}-CO{sub 2}H){sub 2}{center_dot}2H{sub 2}O]: Structure, properties and electronic structure

A new inorganic-organic compound [Cu(O{sub 2}C-CH{sub 2}-CO{sub 2}H){sub 2}{center_dot}2H{sub 2}O] ([Cumal]) was hydrothermally synthesized and characterized by IR spectroscopy, thermal analysis and single crystal X-ray diffraction. [Cumal] is the first three-dimensional compound existing in the system Cu(II)-malonic acid-H{sub 2}O. Its framework is built up through carboxyl bridged copper where CuO{sub 6} octahedra are elongated with an almost D{sub 4h} symmetry (4+2) due to the Jahn-Teller effect. The magnetic properties were studied by measuring its magnetic susceptibility in the temperature range of 2-300 K indicating the existence of weak ferromagnetic interactions. The electronic structure of [Cumal] was calculated within the density functional theory (DFT) framework. Structural features are well reproduced using DFT structural optimizations and the optical spectra, calculated within the dielectric formalism, explain very well the light blue colour of the compound. It is shown that a GGA+U approach with a U{sub eff} value of about 6 eV is necessary for a better correlation with the experiment. - Graphical abstract: [Cu(O{sub 2}C-CH{sub 2}-CO{sub 2}H){sub 2}{center_dot}2H{sub 2}O]: the first 3D hybrid organic-inorganic compound built up carboxyl groups. The network presents a diamond-like structure achieved via carboxyl. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A new organic-inorganic material with an unprecedented topology is synthesized. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Crystallographic structure is determined using single crystal X-ray diffraction. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Electronic structure is obtained from DFT, GGA+U calculation. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Framework can be described as formed from CuC{sub 4} tetrahedron sharing four corners. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer This structure can be classified as an extended diamond structure.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2014

Tuning the electronic structure of SrTiO{sub 3}/SrFeO{sub 3−x} superlattices via composition and vacancy control

Using density functional theory-based calculations, we explore the effects of oxygen vacancies and epitaxial layering on the atomic, magnetic, and electronic structure of (SrTiO{sub 3}){sub n}(SrFeO{sub 3−x}){sub 1} superlattices. While structures without oxygen vacancies (x = 0) possess small or non-existent band gaps and ferromagnetic ordering in their iron layers, those with large vacancy concentrations (x = 0.5) have much larger gaps and antiferromagnetic ordering. Though the computed gaps depend numerically on the delicate energetic balance of vacancy ordering and on the value of Hubbard U{sub eff} used in the calculations, we demonstrate that changes in layering can tune the band gaps of these superlattices below that of SrTiO{sub 3} (3.2 eV) by raising their valence band maxima. This suggests the possibility that these superlattices could absorb in the solar spectrum, and could serve as water-splitting photocatalysts.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Electronic structure and dynamics of confined atoms

Confined atomic systems are of great importance owing a multitude of possible applications in various areas of science and technology. Of particular interest are atoms encaged in the C 60 molecule, A@C 60 , since the near-spherical symmetry of C 60 simplifies theoretical studies, and the stability of C 60 renders it amenable to experimental examination. Herein a review of investigations of the electronic structure and dynamics of A@C 60 is presented in this manuscript focusing on developments in the last decade. Addressed mainly are how the confinement affects electronic structure properties such as ionization potentials, localization of atomic electrons, Shannon entropy, correlation effects, relativistic interactions, and others. In the area of dynamics, photoionization and e-A@C 60 scattering are reviewed and summarized, and the major effects of confinement on the dynamical properties, e.g., confinement resonances, hybridization, Wigner time delay, are delineated.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗