Nature of the Positron State in CdSe Quantum Dots.

Previous studies have shown that positron-annihilation spectroscopy is a highly sensitive probe of the electronic structure and surface composition of ligand-capped semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) embedded in thin films. The nature of the associated positron state, however, whether the positron is confined inside the QDs or localized at their surfaces, has so far remained unresolved. Our positron-annihilation lifetime spectroscopy studies of CdSe QDs reveal the presence of a strong lifetime component in the narrow range of 358-371 ps, indicating abundant trapping and annihilation of positrons at the surfaces of the QDs. Furthermore, our ab initio calculations of the positron wave function and lifetime employing a recent formulation of the weighted density approximation demonstrate the presence of a positron surface state and predict positron lifetimes close to experimental values. Our study thus resolves the long-standing question regarding the nature of the positron state in semiconductor QDs and opens the way to extract quantitative information on surface composition and ligand-surface interactions of colloidal semiconductor QDs through highly sensitive positron-annihilation techniques.

Reduced enthalpy of metal hydride formation for Mg-Ti nanocomposites produced by spark discharge generation.

Spark discharge generation was used to synthesize Mg-Ti nanocomposites consisting primarily of a metastable body-centered-cubic (bcc) alloy of Mg and Ti. The bcc Mg-Ti alloy transformed upon hydrogenation into the face-centered-cubic fluorite Mg1-yTiyHx phase with favorable hydrogen storage properties. Both metal and metal hydride nanocomposites showed a fractal-like porous morphology, with a primary particle size of 10-20 nm. The metal content of 70 atom % (at %) Mg and 30 at % Ti, consistently determined by XRD, TEM-EDS, and ICP-OES, was distributed uniformly across the as-prepared sample. Pressure-composition isotherms for the Mg-Ti-H nanocomposites revealed large differences in the thermodynamics relative to bulk MgH2, with a much less negative enthalpy of formation of the hydride as small as -45 ± 3 kJ/molH2 as deduced from van't Hoff plots. The plateau pressures of hydrogenation were substantially higher than those for bulk MgH2 in the low temperature range from 150 to 250 °C. The reaction entropy was simultaneously reduced to values down to 84 ± 5 J/K mol H2, following a linear relationship between the enthalpy and entropy. Plausible mechanisms for the modified thermodynamics are discussed, including the effect of lattice strains, the presence of interfaces and hydrogen vacancies, and the formation of excess free volume due to local deformations. These mechanisms all rely on the finely interdispersed nanocomposite character of the samples which is maintained by grain refinement.

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.

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.

Influence of Cation (RE = Sc, Y, Gd) and O/H Anion Ratio on the Photochromic Properties of REO x H3-2x Thin Films.

Rare-earth oxyhydride REO x H3-2x thin films prepared by air-oxidation of reactively sputtered REH2 dihydrides show a color-neutral, reversible photochromic effect at ambient conditions. The present work shows that the O/H anion ratio, as well as the choice of the cation, allow to largely tune the extent of the optical change and its speed. The bleaching time, in particular, can be reduced by an order of magnitude by increasing the O/H ratio, indirectly defined by the deposition pressure of the parent REH2. The influence of the cation (RE = Sc, Y, Gd) under comparable deposition conditions is discussed. Our data suggest that REs of a larger ionic radius form oxyhydrides with a larger optical contrast and faster bleaching speed, hinting to a dependency of the photochromic mechanism on the anion site-hopping.

Study of colloidal quantum-dot surfaces using an innovative thin-film positron 2D-ACAR method.

Nanosized inorganic particles are of great interest because their electronic properties can be easily tailored, providing a tremendous potential for applications in optoelectronic devices, light-emitting diodes, solar cells and hydrogen storage. Confinement of electrons and holes to dimensions comparable to their wavelength leads to quantum-well states with modified wavefunctions and density of states. Surface phenomena are crucial in determining nanoparticle properties in view of their large surface-to-volume ratio. Despite a wealth of information, many fundamental questions about the nature of the surface and its relationship with the electronic structure remain unsolved. Ab initio calculations on CdSe nanocrystals suggest that passivating the ligands does not produce the ideal wurtzite structure and that Se atoms relax outwards irrespective of passivation. Here we show that implanted positrons are trapped at the surface of CdSe nanocrystals. They annihilate mostly with the Se electrons, monitor changes in composition and structure of the surface while hardly sensing the ligand molecules, and we thus unambiguously confirm the predicted strong surface relaxation.