Exploring Multi-Anion Chemistry in Yttrium Oxyhydrides: Solid-State NMR Studies and DFT Calculations.

Rare earth oxyhydrides REOxH(3-2x), with RE = Y, Sc, or Gd and a cationic FCC lattice, are reversibly photochromic in nature. It is known that structural details and anion (O2-:H-) composition dictate the efficiency of the photochromic behavior. The mechanism behind the photochromism is, however, not yet understood. In this study, we use 1H, 2H, 17O, and 89Y solid-state NMR spectroscopy and density functional theory (DFT) calculations to study the various yttrium, hydrogen, and oxygen local environments, anion oxidation states, and hydride ion dynamics. DFT models of YOxH(3-2x) with both anion-ordered and anion-disordered sublattices are constructed for a range of compositions and show a good correlation with the experimental NMR parameters. Two-dimensional 17O-1H and 89Y-1H NMR correlation experiments reveal heterogeneities in the samples, which appear to consist of hydride-rich (x ≈ 0.25) and hydride-poor domains (x ≈ 1) rather than a single composition with homogeneous anion mixing. The compositional variation (as indicated by the different x values in YOxH(3-2x)) is determined by comparing static 1H NMR line widths with calculated 1H-1H dipolar couplings of yttrium oxyhydride models. The 1D 17O MAS spectrum demonstrates the presence of a small percentage of hydroxide (OH-) ions. DFT modeling indicates a reaction between the protons of hydroxides and hydrides to form molecular hydrogen (H+ + H- → H2). 1H MAS NMR indicates the presence of a mobile component that, based on this finding, is attributed to trapped molecular H2 in the lattice.

Disorder to order: how halide mixing in MAPbI3-xBrx perovskites restricts MA dynamics.

Mixed-halide lead perovskites are of particular interest for the design of tandem solar cells currently reaching record efficiencies. While halide phase segregation upon illumination of mixed perovskites is extensively studied, the effect of halide disorder on A cation dynamics is not well understood, despite its importance for charge carrier diffusion and lifetime. Here, we study the methylammonium (MA) reorientational dynamics in mixed halide MAPbI3-xBrx perovskites by a combined approach of experimental solid-state NMR spectroscopy and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations based on machine-learning force-fields (MLFF). 207Pb NMR spectra indicate the halides are randomly distributed over their lattice positions, whereas PXRD measurements show that all mixed MAPbI3-xBrx samples are cubic. The experimental 14N spectra and 1H double-quantum (DQ) NMR data reveal anisotropic MA reorientations depending on the halide composition and thus associated disorder in the inorganic sublattice. MD calculations allow us to correlate these experimental results to restrictions of MA dynamics due to preferred MA orientations in their local Pb8I12-nBrn "cages". Based on the experimental and simulated results, we develop a phenomenological model that correlates the 1H dipolar coupling and thus the MA dynamics with the local composition and reproduces the experimental data over the whole composition range. We show that the dominant interaction between the MA cations and the Pb-X lattice that influences the cation dynamics is the local electrostatic potential being inhomogeneous in mixed halide systems. As such, we generate a fundamental understanding of the predominant interaction between the MA cations and the inorganic sublattice, as well as MA dynamics in asymmetric halide coordinations.

Correction to "Aliovalent Calcium Doping of Yttrium Oxyhydride Thin Films and Implications for Photochromism".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.2c04456.].

Aliovalent Calcium Doping of Yttrium Oxyhydride Thin Films and Implications for Photochromism.

To develop an understanding of the photochromic effect in rare-earth metal oxyhydride thin films (REH3-2x O x , here RE = Y), we explore the aliovalent doping of the RE cation. We prepared Ca-doped yttrium oxyhydride thin films ((Ca z Y1-z )H x O y ) by reactive magnetron cosputtering with Ca doping concentrations between 0 and 36 at. %. All of the films are semiconductors with a constant optical band gap for Ca content below 15%, while the band gap expands for compositions above 15%. Ca doping affects the photochromic properties, resulting in (1) a lower photochromic contrast, likely due to a lower H- concentration, and (2) a faster bleaching speed, caused by a higher pre-exponential factor. Overall, these results point to the importance of the H- concentration for the formation of a "darkened" phase and the local rearrangement of these H- for the kinetics of the process.

Comparing GIPAW with numerically exact chemical shieldings: The role of two-center contributions to the induced current.

In this study, we benchmark density functional theory gauge-including projector-augmented-wave (GIPAW) chemical shieldings against molecular shieldings for which basis set completeness has been achieved [Jensen et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 18, 21145 (2016)]. We demonstrate the importance of two-center corrections for GIPAW hydrogen shieldings. For the other nuclei studied, standard GIPAW is sufficiently accurate. We find that GIPAW can be pushed to closely approach the basis set limit. The only source of small inaccuracies lies in the contribution to the shielding that is caused by surface currents, which we estimate comparing GIPAW susceptibilities to converged molecular magnetizabilities.

Microscopic (Dis)order and Dynamics of Cations in Mixed FA/MA Lead Halide Perovskites.

Recent developments in the field of high efficiency perovskite solar cells are based on stabilization of the perovskite crystal structure of FAPbI3 while preserving its excellent optoelectronic properties. Compositional engineering of, for example, MA or Br mixed into FAPbI3 results in the desired effects, but detailed knowledge of local structural features, such as local (dis)order or cation interactions of formamidinium (FA) and methylammonium (MA), is still limited. This knowledge is, however, crucial for their further development. Here, we shed light on the microscopic distribution of MA and FA in mixed perovskites MA1-x FA x PbI3 and MA0.15FA0.85PbI2.55Br0.45 by combining high-resolution double-quantum 1H solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy with state-of-the-art near-first-principles accuracy molecular dynamics (MD) simulations using machine-learning force-fields (MLFFs). We show that on a small local scale, partial MA and FA clustering takes place over the whole MA/FA compositional range. A reasonable driving force for the clustering might be an increase of the dynamical freedom of FA cations in FA-rich regions. While MA0.15FA0.85PbI2.55Br0.45 displays similar MA and FA ordering as the MA1-x FA x PbI3 systems, the average cation-cation interaction strength increased significantly in this double mixed material, indicating a restriction of the space accessible to the cations or their partial immobilization upon Br- incorporation. Our results shed light on the heterogeneities in cation composition of mixed halide perovskites, helping to exploit their full optoelectronic potential.

The Rich Solid-State Phase Behavior of dl-Aminoheptanoic Acid: Five Polymorphic Forms and Their Phase Transitions.

The rich landscape of enantiotropically related polymorphic forms and their solid-state phase transitions of dl-2-aminoheptanoic acid (dl-AHE) has been explored using a range of complementary characterization techniques, and is largely exemplary of the polymorphic behavior of linear aliphatic amino acids. As many as five new polymorphic forms were found, connected by four fully reversible solid-state phase transitions. Two low temperature forms were refined in a high Z' crystal structure, which is a new phenomenon for linear aliphatic amino acids. All five structures consist of two-dimensional hydrogen-bonded bilayers interconnected by weak van der Waals interactions. The single-crystal-to-single-crystal phase transitions involve shifts of bilayers and/or conformational changes in the aliphatic chain. Compared to two similar phase transitions of the related amino acid dl-norleucine, the enthalpies of transition and NMR chemical shift differences are notably smaller in dl-aminoheptanoic acid. This is explained to be a result of both the nature of the conformational changes and the increased chain length, weakening the interactions between the bilayers.

The Role of Connectivity on Electronic Properties of Lead Iodide Perovskite-Derived Compounds.

We use a layered solution crystal growth method to synthesize high-quality single crystals of two different benzylammonium lead iodide perovskite-like organic/inorganic hybrids. The well-known (C6H5CH2NH3)2PbI4 phase is obtained in the form of bright orange platelets, with a structure comprised of single ⟨100⟩-terminated sheets of corner-sharing PbI6 octahedra separated by bilayers of the organic cations. The presence of water during synthesis leads to formation of a novel minority phase that crystallizes in the form of nearly transparent, light yellow bar-shaped crystals. This phase adopts the monoclinic space group P21/n and incorporates water molecules, with structural formula (C6H5CH2NH3)4Pb5I14·2H2O. The crystal structure consists of ribbons of edge-sharing PbI6 octahedra separated by the organic cations. Density functional theory calculations including spin-orbit coupling show that these edge-sharing PbI6 octahedra cause the band gap to increase with respect to corner-sharing PbI6 octahedra in (C6H5CH2NH3)2PbI4. To gain systematic insight, we model the effect of the connectivity of PbI6 octahedra on the band gap in idealized lead iodide perovskite-derived compounds. We find that increasing the connectivity from corner-, via edge-, to face-sharing causes a significant increase in the band gap. This provides a new mechanism to tailor the optical properties in organic/inorganic hybrid compounds.

Symmetry, Dynamics, and Defects in Methylammonium Lead Halide Perovskites.

In order to better understand the structure and dynamics of methylammonium lead halide perovskites, we performed NMR, NQR, and DFT studies of CH3NH3PbI3 in the tetragonal and cubic phase. Our results indicate that the space group of the tetragonal phase is the nonpolar I4/mcm. The highly dynamic methylammonium moiety shows no indication of the occurrence of additional orientations of the C-N bond close to the c-axis at temperatures approaching the cubic phase. Crystal quality effects are shown to influence the 14N NMR and 127I NQR spectra, and the effects of high-temperature annealing on defects can be observed. A strong increase in T2 relaxation time of the 207Pb NMR signal on cooling is found, and is an indication of slow motions in the PbI6 octahedra at room temperature. These results aid in the understanding of the structure of methylammonium lead halides and enable further studies of defects in these materials.

Anionogenic mixed valency in KxBa1-xO2-δ.

We have synthesized members of an isostructural solid solution series KxBa1-xO2-δ (x < 0.41, δ < 0.11) containing mixed-valent dioxygen anions. Synthesis in liquid ammonia solution allows a continuous range of compounds to be prepared. X-ray and neutron diffraction show that KxBa1-xO2-δ adopts the tetragonal rocksalt-derived structure of the end members KO2 and BaO2, without any structural phase transition down to 5 K, the lowest temperature studied here. We identify four oxygen-oxygen stretching modes above 750 cm(-1) in the measured Raman spectra, unlike the spectra of KO2 and BaO2 which both contain just a single mode. We use density functional theory calculations to show that the stretching modes in KxBa1-xO2-δ arise from in-phase and anti-phase coupling of the stretching of nearest-neighbor oxygen dimers when the valence state of the dimers lies between -1 and -2 because of mixed cation coordination. This coupling is a direct signature of a novel type of anionogenic mixed valency.

Finite-field implementation of NMR chemical shieldings for molecules: direct and converse gauge-including projector-augmented-wave methods.

Two finite-field implementations for the calculation of chemical shieldings of molecular systems using a plane-wave basis set and the Gauge-Including Projector-Augmented-Wave method are presented. The direct approach mimics the nuclear magnetic resonance experiment in that it puts the molecule in a uniform magnetic field and obtains shieldings from the current response. The other is based on the recently introduced "converse method" [T. Thonhauser, D. Ceresoli, A. A. Mostofi et al., J. Chem. Phys. 131, 101101 (2009)]. In both methods two-center contributions to the shieldings can be included via a numerically simple augmentation construction. Results obtained with both methods are discussed as well as (dis)similarities in their behaviors.

Hydrogen bonding and chemical shift assignments in carbazole functionalized isocyanides from solid-state NMR and first-principles calculations.

Carbazole functionalized polyisocyanides are known to exhibit excellent electronic properties (E. Schwartz, et al., Chemistry of Materials, 2010, 22, 2597). The functionalities and properties of such materials crucially depend on the organization and stability of the polymer structure. We combine solid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) experiments with first-principles calculations of isotropic chemical shifts, within the recently developed converse approach, to rationalize the origin of isotropic chemical shifts in the crystalline monomer l-isocyanoalanine 2-(9H-carbazol-9-yl) ethyl amide (monomer 1) and thereby gain insight into the structural organization of its polymer (polymer 2). The use of state-of-the-art solid-state NMR experiments combined with Density Functional Theory (DFT) based calculations allows an unambiguous assignment of all proton and carbon resonances of the monomer. We were able to identify the structure stabilising interactions in the crystal and understand the influence of the molecular packing in the crystal structure on the chemical shift data observed in the NMR spectra. Here the Nuclear Independent Chemical Shift (NICS) approach allows discriminating between 'physical' interactions amongst neighboring molecules such as ring-current effects and 'chemical' interactions such as hydrogen bonding. This analysis reveals that the isocyanide monomer is stabilized by multiple hydrogen bonds such as a bifurcated hydrogen bond involving -N-H, -C-H and O=C- moieties and Ar-H···C≡N- hydrogen bonding (Ar = aromatic group). Based on the geometrical arrangement it is postulated that the carbazole units are involved in the weak σ-π interactions giving rise to a Herringbone packing of the molecules. The chemical shift analysis of the polymer spectra readily establishes the existence of N-H···O=C hydrogen bonds despite the limited resolution exhibited by the polymer spectra. It is also elucidated that the relative arrangement of the carbazole units in the polymer differs significantly from that of the monomer.

A solid-state NMR and DFT study of compositional modulations in Al(x)Ga(1-x)As.

We have conducted (75)As and (69)Ga Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) experiments to investigate order/disorder in Al(x)Ga(1-x)As lift-off films with x∼ 0.297 and 0.489. We were able to identify all possible As(Al(n)Ga(4-n)) sites with n = 0-4 coordinations in (75)As NMR spectra using spin-echo experiments at 18.8 Tesla. This was achieved by employing high rf field strengths using a small solenoid coil and an NMR probe specifically designed for this purpose. Spectral deconvolution, using an evolutionary algorithm, complies with the absence of long-range order if a CuAu based order parameter is imposed. An unconstrained fit shows a deviation of the statistics imposed by this type of ordering. The occupational disorder in the Ga and Al positions is reflected in a distribution of the Electric Field Gradients (EFGs) experienced at the different arsenic sites. We established that this can be modelled by summing the effects of the first coordination sphere and a Czjzek type distribution resulting from the compositional variation in the Al/Ga sub-lattice in the higher coordination spheres. (69)Ga 3QMAS and nutation data exclude the presence of highly symmetric sites and also show a distribution in EFG. The experimentally obtained quadrupolar interactions are in good agreement with calculations based on Density Functional Theory (DFT). Using additivity of EFG tensors arising from distant charge perturbations, we could use DFT to model the EFG distributions of the n = 0-4 sites, reproducing the Czjzek and extended Czjzek distributions that were found experimentally. On the basis of these calculations we conclude that the (75)As quadrupolar interaction is sensitive to compositional modulations up to the 7th coordination shell in these systems.

First-principles modelling of magnesium titanium hydrides.

Mixing Mg with Ti leads to a hydride Mg(x)Ti((1 - x))H(2) with markedly improved (de)hydrogenation properties for x ≤ 0.8, as compared to MgH(2). Optically thin films of Mg(x)Ti((1 - x))H(2) have a black appearance, which is remarkable for a hydride material. In this paper we study the structure and stability of Mg(x)Ti((1 - x))H(2), x = 0-1 by first-principles calculations at the level of density functional theory. We give evidence for a fluorite to rutile phase transition at a critical composition x(c) = 0.8-0.9, which correlates with the experimentally observed sharp decrease in (de)hydrogenation rates at this composition. The densities of states of Mg(x)Ti((1 - x))H(2) have a peak at the Fermi level, composed of Ti d states. Disorder in the positions of the Ti atoms easily destroys the metallic plasma, however, which suppresses the optical reflection. Interband transitions result in a featureless optical absorption over a large energy range, causing the black appearance of Mg(x)Ti((1 - x))H(2).

Theoretical study of the stable radicals galvinoxyl, azagalvinoxyl and wurster's blue perchlorate in the solid state.

Calculations on crystalline organic radicals were performed to establish the ground states of these materials. These calculations show that the radicals may interact, depending on their orientation in the crystal structure. For galvinxoyl, a second structure is proposed which is similar to that of azagalvinoxyl, in which the radicals form pairs. This structure accounts for the anomalous magnetic properties of galvinoxyl at low temperatures.

Thermodynamic stability of boron: the role of defects and zero point motion.

Its low weight, high melting point, and large degree of hardness make elemental boron a technologically interesting material. The large number of allotropes, mostly containing over a hundred atoms in the unit cell, and their difficult characterization challenge both experimentalists and theoreticians. Even the ground state of this element is still under discussion. For over 30 years, scientists have attempted to determine the relative stability of alpha- and beta-rhombohedral boron. We use density functional calculations in the generalized gradient approximation to study a broad range of possible beta-rhombohedral structures containing interstitial atoms and partially occupied sites within a 105 atoms framework. The two most stable structures are practically degenerate in energy and semiconducting. One contains the experimental 320 atoms in the hexagonal unit cell, and the other contains 106 atoms in the triclinic unit cell. When populated with the experimental 320 electrons, the 106 atom structure exhibits a band gap of 1.4 eV and an in-gap hole trap at 0.35 eV above the valence band, consistent with known experiments. The total energy of these two structures is 23 meV/B lower than the original 105 atom framework, but it is still 1 meV/B above the alpha phase. Adding zero point energies finally makes the beta phase the ground state of elemental boron by 3 meV/B. At finite temperatures, the difference becomes even larger.

Anionogenic ferromagnets.

Magnetism in molecules and solids is understood to originate from atoms in that part of the periodic table where a particular value of the angular momentum appears first (i.e., the 2p, 3d, and 4f series). In contrast to the many magnetic compounds containing transition metal or lanthanide atoms, ferromagnetism based on atoms from the 2p series is very rare. We report density functional calculations that show the existing compound rubidium sesquioxide is a ferromagnet with an estimated Curie temperature of 300 K, unprecedented in p-electron magnetism. The magnetic moment is carried by the anion. Rubidium sesquioxide is a conductor, but only for the minority spin electrons (a so-called "half-metal"). Half-metals play an important role in spintronics, that is, electronics that exploits the electron spin. Since the magnetic moment resides on a light element (oxygen), spin-orbit interactions are considerably reduced compared to other half-metals. Consequently spin relaxation is expected to be suppressed by up to 2 orders of magnitude in comparison with materials presently used in spintronics.

Modeling the polymorphism of pentacene.

Thin films of pentacene are known to crystallize in at least four different polymorphs. All polymorphs are layered structures that are characterized by their interlayer spacing d(001). We develop a model that rationalizes the size of the interlayer spacing in terms of intralayer shifts of the pentacene molecules along their long molecular axes. It explains the wide variety of interlayer spacings, without distorting the herringbone pattern that is characteristic of many acenes. Using two simple theoretical models, we attempt to relate the intralayer shifts with the dominant, although weak, interatomic interactions (van der Waals, weak electrostatic, and covalent). For two polymorphs, a consistent picture is found. A full understanding of the other two, substrate-induced, polymorphs probably requires consideration of interlayer interactions.