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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 109 records · Page 6
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

From Molecules to Solids: A vdW-DF-C09 Case Study of the Mercury Dihalides

The mercury dihalides show a remarkable diversity in the structural preferences in their minimum energy structure types, spanning molecular to strongly bound ionic solids. A challenge in the development of density functional methods for extended systems is to arrive at strategies that serve equally well such a broad range of bonding modes or structural preferences. The chemical bonding and the stabilities of mercury dihalides and the general utility and reliability of the van der Waals density functional with C09 exchange (vdW-DF-C09) in predicting or describing the energetics and structural preferences in these metal dihalides is examined. Here, we show that, in contrast with the uncorrected generalized gradient approximation of the Perdew-Burke-Erzenhoff (PBE) exchange-correlation functional, qualitative and quantitative patterns in the bonding of the mercury dihalide solids are well reproduced with vdW-DF-C09 for the full series of HgX 2 systems for X = F, Cl, Br, and I. The possible existence of a low-temperature cotunnite polymorph for HgF 2 and PbF 2 is posited.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Ab-Initio Investigation of Finite Size Effects in Rutile Titania Nanoparticles with Semilocal and Nonlocal Density Functionals

In this work, we employ hybrid and generalized gradient approximation (GGA) level density functional theory (DFT) calculations to investigate the convergence of surface properties and electronic gap of rutile titania nanoparticles with particle size. The surface energies and electronic gaps are calculated for cuboidal particles with minimum dimension ranging from 3.7 Angstrom (24 atoms) to 10.3 Angstrom (384 atoms) using a highly-parallel real-space DFT code to enable hybrid level DFT calculations of larger nanoparticles than are typically practical. We deconvolute the geometric and electronic finite size effects in surface energy, and evaluate the influence of defects on electronic gap and density of states (DOS). The electronic finite size effects in surface energy vanish when the minimum length scale of the nanoparticles becomes greater than 10 Angstrom. We show that this length scale is consistent with a computationally efficient numerical analysis of the characteristic length scale of electronic interactions. The surface energy of nanoparticles having minimum dimension beyond this characteristic length can be approximated using slab calculations that account for the geometric defects. In contrast, the finite size effects on the electronic gap and DOS is highly dependent on the shape and size of these particles. Furthermore, the DOS for cuboidal particles and more realistic particles constructed using the Wulff algorithm reveal that defect states within the electronic gap play a key role in determining the eigen value distribution of nanoparticles and the electronic gap does not converge to the bulk limit for the particle sizes investigated.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

Unveiling the Role of Surface Ir-Oxo Species in O 2 Evolution at IrO 2 Electrocatalysts via Embedded Cluster Multireference Calculations

Understanding the mechanisms driving the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) on iridium oxide (IrO 2 )-based catalysts is essential to improving their performance and enabling an actual scale-up of water-splitting photoelectrochemical cells. The mechanistic pathways at IrO 2 interfaces have been extensively investigated computationally using density functional theory (DFT), which predicts a high-energy barrier for the last step of the OER of molecular oxygen detachment and release from the catalyst surface. Nevertheless, surface O 2 over- and under-binding results by standard generalized gradient approximation and hybrid density functionals, respectively, call for further analysis of this crucial step via multireference methods. Aiming at unveiling the nature of such a barrier, we hereby address the formation of O 2 from the most-stable IrO 2 (110) surface with both periodic DFT and an electrostatic embedded cluster approach at the n-electron valence-state perturbation theory. With this multireference approach, we find a value for the aforementioned energy barrier that is much closer to experimental indications than DFT ones. Here, an in-depth analysis of the involved molecular orbitals suggests that the origin of this barrier is related to the breaking of a π interaction between O 2 and Ir surface atom and to a significant additional O 2 interaction with adjacent electrophilic Ir-oxo species, which is present under experimental operating conditions. Besides shedding light on the mechanism of the OER on IrO 2 , these findings point out the importance of multireference methods for dissecting complex reactions at electrocatalytic interfaces and pave the route for further investigations with effective embedding approaches.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Lattice Structure and Dynamics of Sparse Molecular Crystals: OsO 4 and RuO 4

OsO 4 and RuO 4 are molecular oxides with unique tetrameric structures and rare +8 oxidation states. Accurately modeling their properties remains challenging for density functional theory (DFT) due to weak intertetramer interactions, which standard functionals fail to capture. Here, in this work, we show that the van der Waals (vdW)-corrected density functional (vdW-DF-optB86b) provides structural parameters that are much closer to experimental values than the standard generalized gradient approximation, with volume predictions that fall within the experimentally observed range. Phonon band structure analysis shows that the inclusion of vdW interactions stabilizes soft phonon modes, highlighting the importance of dispersion corrections for accurate predictions of lattice dynamics. Experimental measurements of the phonon density of states for OsO 4 , obtained via inelastic neutron scattering, demonstrate good agreement with our vdW-DF-optB86b calculations. These results validate OsO 4 and RuO 4 as valuable benchmarks for structural and vibrational calculations via vdW-corrected DFT methods and offer insights for studying the broader class of sparse molecular materials.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Metal Halide Perovskites Demonstrate Radiation Hardness and Defect Healing in Vacuum

Herein, we subject formamidinium lead iodide films to oxygen-containing gases (flowing O 2 or free diffusion of lab atmosphere), inert gases (flowing He, Ar, or N 2 ), and vacuum. Our films are irradiated by Cu Ka X-rays and held at 75 °C while X-ray diffraction is recorded. Under all gas conditions, we observe a reproducible 1.1 ± 0.5 A 3 perovskite lattice contraction from an initial unit cell volume of 256.5 ± 0.8 A 3 concurrent with continuous perovskite loss and lead iodide growth. Oxygen-containing gases increase the reaction rates without materially altering perovskite structural changes. Under the same temperature and irradiation conditions in vacuo, a self-healing reaction is observed, exhibited by a reproducible (0.9 ± 0.3 A 3 ) lattice expansion and stabilization of the perovskite. Furthermore, interactions between the perovskite, defects, and minority phases are simulated by generalized gradient approximation Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (GGA-PBE) density functional theory. Lattice contraction indicates an increase in the concentration of Schottky defects-pairs of formamidinium and iodine vacancies. Under irradiation in every atmospheric condition, a solid solution of Schottky defects with a concentration of several percent diffuses and precipitates forming lead iodide and consuming the defects. In the presence of ionized gases, this framework is modified to include the continual loss of formamidinium and iodine ions from the perovskite forming Schottky defects.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Curated Collection of More than 20,000 Experimentally Reported One-Dimensional Metal–Organic Frameworks

Herein, a collection of more than 20,000 experimentally derived crystal structures for metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) that do not have two- or three-dimensional covalently bonded networks has been developed from the materials available at the Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre. Of these 20,000 1D MOFs, more than 12,000 structures have been verified to be solvent-free and in exact agreement with the stoichiometry of the synthesized materials. More than 10% of the complete data set comprise materials including two or more distinct metals. The band gaps of more than 12,000 1D MOFs have been computed at the density functional theory-generalized gradient approximation level, finding more than 2000 materials that have a zero band gap. Molecular simulations of CH4 adsorption in a small number of 1D MOFs indicated that adsorbate-induced deformation plays a significant role in determining adsorption isotherms in these materials. As a result, methods that have been used previously for high-throughput predictions of molecular adsorption in 3D MOFs are not suitable for 1D MOFs.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

Efficient simulations of charge density waves in the transition metal Dichalcogenide TiSe 2

Charge density waves (CDWs) in transition metal dichalcogenides are the subject of growing scientific interest due to their rich interplay with exotic phases of matter and their potential technological applications. Here, using density functional theory with advanced meta-generalized gradient approximations (meta-GGAs) and linear response time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) with state-of-the-art exchange-correlation kernels, we investigate the electronic, vibrational, and optical properties in 1T-TiSe 2 with and without CDW. In both bulk and monolayer TiSe 2 , the electronic bands and phonon dispersions in either normal or CDW (semiconducting) phase are described well via meta-GGAs, which separate the valence and conduction bands just as HSE06 does but with significantly more computational feasibility. The experimentally observed humps of electron energy loss spectroscopy are successfully reproduced in TDDFT. Our work opens the door to simulating these complexities in CDW compounds from first principles by revealing meta-GGAs as an accurate low-cost alternative to HSE06.

Electronic properties and materials↗
DOE OSTI2025

MP-ALOE: an r2SCAN dataset for universal machine learning interatomic potentials

We present MP-ALOE, a dataset of nearly 1 million DFT calculations using the accurate r2SCAN meta-generalized gradient approximation. Covering 89 elements, MP-ALOE was created using active learning and primarily consists of off-equilibrium structures. We benchmark a machine learning interatomic potential trained on MP-ALOE, and evaluate its performance on a series of benchmarks, including predicting the thermochemical properties of equilibrium structures; predicting forces of far-from-equilibrium structures; maintaining physical soundness under static extreme deformations; and molecular dynamic stability under extreme temperatures and pressures. MP-ALOE shows strong performance on all of these benchmarks and is made public for the broader community to utilize.

Kuner, Matthew C↗
DOE OSTI2020

Colossal magnetoresistance in a nonsymmorphic antiferromagnetic insulator

Here we investigate antiferromagnetic Eu 5 In 2 Sb 6 , a nonsymmorphic Zintl phase. Our electrical transport data show that Eu 5 In 2 Sb 6 is remarkably insulating and exhibits an exceptionally large negative magnetoresistance, which is consistent with the presence of magnetic polarons. From ab initio calculations, the paramagnetic state of Eu 5 In 2 Sb 6 is a topologically nontrivial semimetal within the generalized gradient approximation (GGA), whereas an insulating state with trivial topological indices is obtained using a modified Becke–Johnson potential. Notably, GGA + U calculations suggest that the antiferromagnetic phase of Eu 5 In 2 Sb 6 may host an axion insulating state. Our results provide important feedback for theories of topological classification and highlight the potential of realizing clean magnetic narrow-gap semiconductors in Zintl materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Implications of the fractional charge of hydroxide at the electrochemical interface

Rational design of materials that efficiently convert electrical energy into chemical bonds will ultimately depend on a thorough understanding of the electrochemical interface at the atomic level. Towards this goal, the use of density functional theory (DFT) at the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) level has been applied widely in the past 15 years. In the calculation of electrochemical reaction energetics using GGA-DFT, it is frequently implicitly assumed that ions in the Helmholtz plane have unit charge. However, the ion charge is observed to be fractional near the interface through both a capacitor model and through Bader charge partitioning. In this work, we show that this spurious charge transfer can be effectively mitigated by continuum charging of the electrolyte. Finally, we show that, similar to hydronium, the observed fractional charge of hydroxide is not due to a GGA level self-interaction error, as the partial charge is observed even when using hybrid level exchange–correlation functionals.

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

Investigation of local distortion effects on X-ray absorption of ferroelectric perovskites from first principles simulations

Understanding the role of ferroelectric polarization in modulating the electronic and structural properties of crystals is critical for advancing these materials for overcoming various technological and scientific challenges. However, due to difficulties in performing experimental methods with the required resolution, or in interpreting the results of methods therein, the nanoscale morphology and response of these surfaces to external electric fields has not been properly elaborated. Here, in this work, we investigate the effect of ferroelectric polarization and local distortions in a BaTiO 3 perovskite, using two widely used computational approaches which treat the many-body nature of X-ray excitations using different philosophies, namely the many-body, delta-self-consistent-field determinant (mb-ΔSCF) and the Bethe–Salpeter equation (BSE) approaches. We show that in agreement with our experiments, both approaches consistently predict higher excitations of the main peak in the O–K edge for the surface with upward polarization. However, the mb-ΔSCF approach mostly fails to capture the L 2,3 separations at the Ti–L edge, due to the absence of spin–orbit coupling in Kohn–Sham density functional theory (KS-DFT) at the generalized gradient approximation level. On the other hand, and most promising, we show that application of the GW/BSE approach successfully reproduces the experimental XAS, both the relative peak intensities as well as the L 2,3 separations at the Ti–L edges upon ferroelectric switching. Thus simulated XAS is shown to be a powerful method for capturing the nanoscale structure of complex materials, and we underscore the need for many-body perturbation approaches, with explicit consideration of core-hole and multiplet effects, for capturing the essential physics in these systems.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Assessing density functionals for describing methane dissociative chemisorption on Pt(110)-(2×1) surface

In this work, we explore the suitability of several density functionals with the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and beyond for describing the dissociative chemisorption of methane on the reconstructed Pt(110)-(2×1) surface. The bulk and surface structures of the metal, methane adsorption energy, and dissociation barrier are used to assess the functionals. A van der Waals corrected GGA functional (optPBE-vdW) and a metaGGA functional with van der Waals correction (MS PBEl-rVV10) are selected for ab initio molecular dynamics calculations of the sticking probability. Our results suggest that the use of these two functionals may lead to a better agreement with existing experimental results, thus serving as a good starting point for future development of reliable machine-learned potential energy surfaces for the dissociation of methane on the Pt(110)-(2×1) surface.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

First-principles study of intrinsic point defects and Xe impurities in uranium monocarbide

Based on density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we perform an extensive investigation of intrinsic point defects and Xe impurities in uranium monocarbide (UC). The DFT calculations involve both the conventional generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and the GGA+U approach with the Hubbard parametric term (U), using up to 5×5×5 supercells. GGA calculations for the formation energy of intrinsic defects demonstrate the significant effect of using larger supercells than in previous studies. Results confirm that the ⟨111⟩ and ⟨100⟩ dumbbell interstitials are the most stable interstitial configurations for U and C, respectively. The interstitial mechanisms are favored for self-diffusion of both uranium and carbon and diffusion of Xe under equilibrium conditions. Calculations also reveal that the Xe substitutional defect at the C lattice site tends to adopt an off-site configuration, which can be interpreted as a Xe interstitial–C vacancy complex. We also utilize GGA+U to assess the impact of effective U parameter (Ueff) on the results. Moreover, we introduce a method to estimate the carbon chemical potential by fitting the phase diagram composition data and propose a selection Ueff=1.25 eV based on the experimental Xe diffusion activation energy. With this approach, GGA+U calculations reproduce the available experimental data for the formation energy of the carbon Frenkel pair and can explain the stepwise recovery of intrinsic properties and burst Xe release behavior in UC observed in annealing experiments.

Huang, Gui-Yang (ORCID:0000000301447376)↗
DOE OSTI2024

Comparing first-principles density functionals plus corrections for the lattice dynamics of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 6

The enigmatic mechanism underlying unconventional high-temperature superconductivity, especially the role of lattice dynamics, has remained a subject of debate. Theoretical insights have long been hindered due to the lack of an accurate first-principles description of the lattice dynamics of cuprates. Recently, using the r2SCAN meta-generalized gradient approximation (meta-GGA) functional, we have been able to achieve accurate phonon spectra of an insulating cuprate YBa 2 Cu 3 O 6 and discover significant magnetoelastic coupling in experimentally interesting Cu–O bond stretching optical modes [Ning et al., Phys. Rev. B 107, 045126 (2023)]. We extend this work by comparing Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof and r2SCAN performances with corrections from the on-site Hubbard U and the D4 van der Waals (vdW) methods, aiming at further understanding on both the materials science side and the density functional side. We demonstrate the importance of vdW and self-interaction corrections for accurate first-principles YBa 2 Cu 3 O 6 lattice dynamics. Since r2SCAN by itself partially accounts for these effects, the good performance of r2SCAN is now more fully explained. Finally, in addition, the performances of the Tao–Mo series of meta-GGAs, which are constructed in a different way from the strongly constrained and appropriately normed (SCAN) meta-GGA and its revised version r2SCAN, are also compared and discussed.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

Improving gas adsorption modeling for MOFs by local calibration of Hubbard U parameters

While computational screening with density functional theory (DFT) is frequently employed for the screening of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) for gas separation and storage, commonly applied generalized gradient approximations (GGAs) exhibit self-interaction errors, which hinder the predictions of adsorption energies. We investigate the Hubbard U parameter to augment DFT calculations for full periodic MOFs, targeting a more precise modeling of gas molecule–MOF interactions, specifically for N2, CO2, and O2. We introduce a calibration scheme for the U parameter, which is tailored for each MOF, by leveraging higher-level calculations on the secondary building unit (SBU) of the MOF. When applied to the full periodic MOF, the U parameter calibrated against hybrid HSE06 calculations of SBUs successfully reproduces hybrid-quality calculations of the adsorption energy of the periodic MOF. The mean absolute deviation of adsorption energies reduces from 0.13 eV for a standard GGA treatment to 0.06 eV with the calibrated U, demonstrating the utility of the calibration procedure when applied to the full MOF structure. Furthermore, attempting to use coupled cluster singles and doubles with perturbative triples calculations of isolated SBUs for this calibration procedure shows varying degrees of success in predicting the experimental heat of adsorption. It improves accuracy for N2 adsorption for cases of overbinding, whereas its impact on CO2 is minimal, and ambiguities in spin state assignment hinder consistent improvements of O2 adsorption. Our findings emphasize the limitations of cluster models and advocate the use of full periodic MOF systems with a calibrated U parameter, providing a more comprehensive understanding of gas adsorption in MOFs.

Chemistry↗
DOE OSTI2026

Mott vs Kondo: Influence of various density functional based methods on the Ce isostructural phase transition mechanism

The cerium iso-structural phase transition (γ–α) is dominated by f-electron localization changes that results in a magnetic ordering change and a volume collapse. Generally, these physics are difficult to capture with ab initio and first principles methods. However, previous works have shown various methods to be successful in predicting at least some of the physics of the γ to α phase transition. Therefore, here, we perform a broad survey of density functional based methods across three levels of theory and types of functions [GGA (generalized gradient approximation), MetaGGA, and hybrid functionals] and compare the results, focusing on hydrostatic compression across the phase boundary at zero kelvin. For the methods that best reproduce experimental results, we directly probe the predicted mechanisms and frame the results in the Mott/Kondo debate, assessing how the underlying methods and assumptions of different functionals can assess the physical drivers in the phase transition, providing insight into the governing processes of this unique phase transition.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

PBE-GGA predicts the B8↔B2 phase boundary of FeO at Earth’s core conditions

FeO is a crucial component of the Earth’s core, and its thermodynamic properties are essential to developing more accurate core models. It is also a notorious correlated insulator in the NaCl-type (B1) phase at ambient conditions. It undergoes two polymorphic transitions at 300 K before it becomes metallic in the NiAs-type (B8) structure at ~100 GPa. Although its phase diagram is not fully mapped, it is well established that the B8 phase transforms to the CsCl-type (B2) phase at core pressures and temperatures. Here, we report a successful ab initio calculation of the B8↔B2 phase boundary in FeO at Earth’s core pressures. We show that fully anharmonic free energies computed with the Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof-generalized gradient approximation coupled with thermal electronic excitations reproduce the experimental phase boundary within uncertainties at P > 255 GPa, including the largely negative Clapeyron slope of –52 MPa/K. This study validates the applicability of a standard density functional theory functional to FeO under Earth’s core conditions and demonstrates the theoretical framework that enables complex predictive studies of this region.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗