Color Centers in BaFBr Crystals: Experimental Study and Theoretical Modeling.

This study presents theoretical and experimental investigations into the electron and hole color centers in BaFBr crystals, characterizing their electronic and optical properties. Stoichiometric BaFBr crystals grown by the Steber method were used in the experiments. Radiation defects in BaFBr crystals were created by irradiation with 147 MeV 84Kr ions with up to fluences of 1010-1014 ions/cm2. The formation of electron color centers (F(F-), F2(F-), F2(Br-)) and hole aggregates was experimentally established by optical absorption spectroscopy. Performed measurements are compared with theoretical calculations. It allows us to determine the electron transition mechanisms and investigate the processes involved in photoluminescence emission in Eu-doped BaFBr materials to enhance the understanding of the fundamental electronic structure and properties of electron and hole color centers formed in BaFBr crystals.

Effect of Rh Doping on Optical Absorption and Oxygen Evolution Reaction Activity on BaTiO3 (001) Surfaces.

In the present work, we investigate the potential of modified barium titanate (BaTiO3), an inexpensive perovskite oxide derived from earth-abundant precursors, for developing efficient water oxidation electrocatalysts using first-principles calculations. Based on our calculations, Rh doping is a way of making BaTiO3 absorb more light and have less overpotential needed for water to oxidize. It has been shown that a TiO2-terminated BaTiO3 (001) surface is more promising from the point of view of its use as a catalyst. Rh doping expands the spectrum of absorbed light to the entire visible range. The aqueous environment significantly affects the ability of Rh-doped BaTiO3 to absorb solar radiation. After Ti→Rh replacement, the doping ion can take over part of the electron density from neighboring oxygen ions. As a result, during the water oxidation reaction, rhodium ions can be in an intermediate oxidation state between 3+ and 4+. This affects the adsorption energy of reaction intermediates on the catalyst's surface, reducing the overpotential value.

Fluoride-assisted detection of glutathione by surface Ce3+/Ce4+ engineered nanoceria.

Nanoceria has evolved as a promising nanomaterial due to its unique enzyme-like properties, including excellent oxidase mimetic activity, which significantly increases in the presence of fluoride ions. However, this significant increase in oxidase activity has never been utilised as a signal enhancer for the detection of biological analytes partly because of the lack of understanding of the mechanism involved in this process. In this study, we show that the surface oxidation state of cerium ions plays a very crucial role in different enzymatic activities, especially the oxidase mimetic activity by engineering nanoceria with three different surface Ce4+/Ce3+ compositions. Using DFT calculations combined with Bader charge analysis, it is demonstrated that stoichiometric ceria registers a higher oxidase mimetic activity than oxygen-deficient ceria with a low Ce4+/Ce3+ ratio due to a higher charge transfer from a substrate, 3,3',5,5' tetramethylbenzidine (TMB), to the ceria surface. We also show that the fluoride ions can significantly increase the charge transfer from the TMB surface to ceria irrespective of the surface Ce4+/Ce3+ ratio. Using this knowledge, we first compare the fluoride sensing properties of nanoceria with high Ce4+ and mixed Ce4+/Ce3+ oxidation states and further demonstrate that the linear detection range of fluoride ions can be extended to 1-10 ppm for nanoceria with mixed oxidation states. Then, we also demonstrate an assay for fluoride assisted detection of glutathione, an antioxidant with elevated levels during cancer, using nanoceria with a high surface Ce4+/Ce3+ ratio. The addition of fluoride ions in this assay allows the detection of glutathione in the linear range of 2.5-50 ppm with a limit of detection (LOD) of 3.8 ppm. These studies not only underpin the role of the surface Ce4+/Ce3+ ratio in tuning the fluoride assisted boost in the oxidase mimetic activity of nanoceria but also its strategic application in designing better colourimetric assays.

Tuning the enzyme-like activities of cerium oxide nanoparticles using a triethyl phosphite ligand.

Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeNPs) exhibit excellent in vitro and in vivo antioxidant properties, determined by the redox switching of surface cerium ions between their two oxidation states (Ce3+ and Ce4+). It is known that ligands such as triethyl phosphite (TEP) can tune the redox behavior of CeNPs and change their biological enzyme-mimetic activities; however, the corresponding mechanism for such a behavior is completely unknown. Herein, we have studied the effect of TEP in promoting the SOD-enzyme-like activity in CeNPs with high and low Ce3+/Ce4+ ratio, which were synthesized by wet chemical and thermal hydrolysis methods, respectively, and incubated with varying concentrations of TEP. X-ray diffraction, UV-visible, photoluminescence, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy combined with DFT calculations were used to investigate the interaction of TEP on the surface of CeNPs. We observed a clear correlation between TEP concentration and the formation of surface oxygen vacancies. XPS analysis confirmed the increase in Ce3+ concentration after interaction with TEP. Moreover, we show that TEP's influence depends on the surface Ce3+/Ce4+ ratio. The superoxide dismutase-, catalase-, and oxidase-like activities of CeNPs with high Ce3+/Ce4+ ratio are not affected by TEP interaction, whereas catalase- and oxidase-like activities of CeNPs with low Ce3+/Ce4+ ratio decrease and the SOD-like activity is found to increase upon incubation with different concentrations of TEP. We also demonstrate that TEP interaction does not affect the regeneration of the CeNP surface, while the DFT calculations show that TEP facilitates the formation of defects on the surface of stoichiometric cerium oxide by reducing the oxygen vacancy formation energy. CeNPs with low Ce3+/Ce4+ ratio incubated with TEP also exhibited good antibacterial activity as compared to the CeNPs or TEP alone.

Improved thermoelectric performance of Bi-deficient BiCuSeO material doped with Nb, Y, and P.

Thermoelectric materials convert waste heat into electric energy. Oxyselenide-based material, specifically, p-type BiCuSeO, is one of the most promising materials for these applications. There are numerous approaches to improve the heat-to-electricity conversion performance. Usually, these approaches are applied individually, starting from the pure intrinsic material. Higher performance could, however, be reached by combining a few strategies simultaneously. In the current work, yttrium, niobium, and phosphorous substitutions on the bismuth sites in already bismuth-deficient Bi1-xCuSeO systems were investigated via density functional theory. The bismuth-deficient system was used as the reference system for further introduction of substitutional defects. The substitution with phosphorous showed a decrease of up to 40 meV (11%) in the energy gap between conduction and valence bands at the highest substitution concentration. Doping with niobium led to the system changing from a p-type to an n-type conductor, which provides a possible route to obtain n-type BiCuSeO systems.

Magnetic-Field-Driven Electron Dynamics in Graphene.

Graphene exhibits unique optoelectronic properties originating from the band structure at the Dirac points. It is an ideal model structure to study the electronic and optical properties under the influence of the applied magnetic field. In graphene, electric field, laser pulse, and voltage can create electron dynamics which is influenced by momentum dispersion. However, computational modeling of momentum-influenced electron dynamics under the applied magnetic field remains challenging. Here, we perform computational modeling of the photoexcited electron dynamics achieved in graphene under an applied magnetic field. Our results show that magnetic field leads to local deviation from momentum conservation for charge carriers. With the increasing magnetic field, the delocalization of electron probability distribution increases and forms a cyclotron-like trajectory. Our work facilitates understanding of momentum resolved magnetic field effect on non-equilibrium properties of graphene, which is critical for optoelectronic and photovoltaic applications.

Experimental and Ab Initio Studies of Intrinsic Defects in "Antizeolite" Borates with a Ba12(BO3)66+ Framework and Their Influence on Properties.

The porous Ba12(BO3)66+ framework of the so-called "antizeolite" borates with channels along the c axis is capable of accommodating various guest anionic groups, e.g. [BO3]3-, [F2]2-, [F4]4-, and [(Li,Na)F4]3-. Taking as an example the Ba12(BO3)6[BO3][LiF4] crystal, we put forward the argument that the optical properties of "antizeolite" borates are strongly influenced by the degree of channel packing with anionic groups and, correspondingly, by the conjugated intrinsic defects. With the use of optical, electron-spin resonance, Raman spectroscopy, and ab initio calculations, it was shown that intrinsic defects largely impact the absorption of light in the visible and UV regions (the color of the bulk crystals can change from colorless to dark brown), absorption-edge position, dichroism, and other optical properties. The change in the optical absorption in the visible range is caused by the appearance of new states in the electronic structure inside the band gap, which are associated mainly with the presence of single and double F centers-fluorine vacancies that capture electrons-in [□F4]4-, [F2]2-, and [LiF4]3- groups. The formation of F centers in the [F2]2- group is the most energetically favorable. It has been found that Ba12(BO3)6[BO3][LiF4] crystals are optically active gyrotropic with an isotropic point at 499 nm at 300 K and are of interest for practical application as narrow-band light filters.

Excited-State Dynamics of a CsPbBr3 Nanocrystal Terminated with Binary Ligands: Sparse Density of States with Giant Spin-Orbit Coupling Suppresses Carrier Cooling.

Fully inorganic lead halide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) are of interest for photovoltaic and light-emitting devices due to optoelectronic properties that can be tuned/optimized via halide composition, surface passivation, doping, and confinement. Compared to bulk materials, certain excited-state properties in NCs can be adjusted by electronic confinement effects such as suppressed hot carrier cooling and enhanced radiative recombination. Here we use spinor Kohn-Sham orbitals (SKSOs) with spin-orbit coupling (SOC) interaction as a basis to compute excited-state dissipative dynamics simulations on a fully passivated CsPbBr3 NC atomistic model. Redfield theory in the density matrix formalism is used to describe electron-phonon interactions which drive hot carrier cooling and nonradiative recombination ( knonrad). Radiative recombination ( krad) is calculated through oscillator strengths using SKSO basis. From krad and krad + knonrad, we compute a theoretical photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 53%. Computed rates of hot carrier cooling ( kcooling ≈ 10-1 1/ps) compare favorably with what has been reported in the literature. Interestingly, we observe that hot electron cooling slows down near the band edge, which we attribute to large SOC in the conduction band combined with strong confinement, which creates subgaps above the band edge. This slow carrier cooling could potentially impact hot carrier extraction before complete thermalization in photovoltaics (PVs). Implications of this work suggest that strong/intermediate confined APbX3 NCs are better suited to applications in PVs due to slower carrier cooling near the conduction band edge, while intermediate/weak confined NCs are more appropriate for light-emitting applications, such as LEDs.

New high-pressure phases of Fe7N3 and Fe7C3 stable at Earth's core conditions: evidences for carbon-nitrogen isomorphism in Fe-compounds.

We carried out ab initio calculations on the crystal structure prediction and determination of P-T diagrams within the quasi-harmonic approximation for Fe7N3 and Fe7C3. Two new isostructural phases Fe7N3-C2/m and Fe7C3-C2/m which are dynamically and thermodynamically stable under the Earth's core conditions were predicted. The Fe7C3-C2/m phase stabilizes preferentially to the known h-Fe7C3 at 253-344 GPa in the temperature range of 0-5000 K, and the Fe7N3-C2/m stabilizes preferentially relative to the ß-Fe7N3 - at ∼305 GPa over the entire temperature range. This indicate that carbon and nitrogen can mutually coexist and replace each other in the Earth's and other planetary cores similarly to low pressure phases of the same compounds.

Photoinduced Single- and Multiple-Electron Dynamics Processes Enhanced by Quantum Confinement in Lead Halide Perovskite Quantum Dots.

Methylammonium lead iodide perovskite (MAPbI3) is a promising material for photovoltaic devices. A modification of MAPbI3 into confined nanostructures is expected to further increase efficiency of solar energy conversion. Photoexcited dynamic processes in a MAPbI3 quantum dot (QD) have been modeled by many-body perturbation theory and nonadiabatic dynamics. A photoexcitation is followed by either exciton cooling (EC), its radiative (RR) or nonradiative recombination (NRR), or multiexciton generation (MEG) processes. Computed times of these processes fall in the order of MEG < EC < RR < NRR, where MEG is on the order of a few femtoseconds, EC is in the picosecond range, while RR and NRR are on the order of nanoseconds. Computed time scales indicate which electronic transition pathways can contribute to increase in charge collection efficiency. Simulated mechanisms of relaxation and their rates show that quantum confinement promotes MEG in MAPbI3 QDs.

Aqueous medium induced optical transitions in cerium oxide nanoparticles.

Experimental and theoretical investigations were performed to investigate the effect of water on optical properties of nanoceria as a function of Ce(3+) concentration. Theoretical studies based on density functional plane-wave calculations reveal that the indirect optical transitions in bare ceria nanoparticles are red-shifted with an increase in the concentration of Ce(3+). However, ceria nanoparticles model with adsorbed water molecules show a blue shift in the indirect optical spectra under identical conditions. Direct optical transitions are almost independent of Ce(3+) concentration but show a pronounced blue shift in the aqueous environment relative to the bare nanoparticles. The theoretical study is consistent with our experimental observation in difference of shift behaviour in bare and aqueous suspended ceria nanoparticles. This change from red- to blue-shift in indirect optical transitions is associated with the polarization effect of water molecules on f-electron states.

Thermal equation of state of solid naphthalene to 13 GPa and 773 K: in situ X-ray diffraction study and first principles calculations.

In a wide range of P-T conditions, such fundamental characteristics as compressibility and thermoelastic properties remain unknown for most classes of organic compounds. Here we attempt to clarify this issue by the example of naphthalene as a model representative of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The elastic behavior of solid naphthalene was studied by in situ synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction up to 13 GPa and 773 K and first principles computations to 20 GPa and 773 K. Fitting of the P-V experimental data to Vinet equation of state yielded T 0 = 8.4(3) GPa and T' = 7.2 (3) at V0 = 361 Å(3), whereas the thermal expansion coefficient was found to be extremely low at P > 3 GPa (about 10(-5) K(-1)), in agreement with theoretical estimation. Such a diminishing of thermal effects with the pressure increase clearly demonstrates a specific feature of the high-pressure behavior of molecular crystals like PAHs, associated with a low energy of intermolecular interactions.

Excited State Dynamics of Ru10 Cluster Interfacing Anatase TiO2(101) Surface and Liquid Water.

Charge transfer dynamics at the interface of supported metal nanocluster and liquid water by GGA+U calculations combined with density matrix formalism is considered. The Ru10 cluster introduces new states into the band gap of TiO2 surface, narrows the band gap of TiO2, and enhances the absorption strength. The H2O adsorption significantly enhances the intensity of photon absorption, which is due to the formation of Ti-O(water) and Ru-O(water) bonds at the interfaces. The Ru10 cluster promotes the dissociation of water, facilitates charge transfer, and increases the relaxation rates of holes and electrons. We expect that our results are helpful in understanding basic processes contributing to photoelectrochemical water splitting.

Photoinduced Charge Transfer from Titania to Surface Doping Site.

We evaluate a theoretical model in which Ru is substituting for Ti at the (100) surface of anatase TiO2. Charge transfer from the photo-excited TiO2 substrate to the catalytic site triggers the photo-catalytic event (such as water oxidation or reduction half-reaction). We perform ab-initio computational modeling of the charge transfer dynamics on the interface of TiO2 nanorod and catalytic site. A slab of TiO2 represents a fragment of TiO2 nanorod in the anatase phase. Titanium to ruthenium replacement is performed in a way to match the symmetry of TiO2 substrate. One molecular layer of adsorbed water is taken into consideration to mimic the experimental conditions. It is found that these adsorbed water molecules saturate dangling surface bonds and drastically affect the electronic properties of systems investigated. The modeling is performed by reduced density matrix method in the basis of Kohn-Sham orbitals. A nano-catalyst modeled through replacement defect contributes energy levels near the bottom of the conduction band of TiO2 nano-structure. An exciton in the nano-rod is dissipating due to interaction with lattice vibrations, treated through non-adiabatic coupling. The electron relaxes to conduction band edge and then to the Ru cite with faster rate than hole relaxes to the Ru cite. These results are of the importance for an optimal design of nano-materials for photo-catalytic water splitting and solar energy harvesting.

Enzyme-free detection of hydrogen peroxide from cerium oxide nanoparticles immobilized on poly(4-vinylpyridine) self-assembled monolayers.

A simple enzyme-free spectrophotometric detection of hydrogen peroxide is demonstrated based on its colorimetric reaction with oxygen deficient cerium oxide nanoparticles (CNPs). This colorimetric sensitivity of CNPs towards H2O2 increases significantly with decreasing crystallite size due to an increase in the surface area as well as the concentration of Ce3+ on the surface. The origin of this colorimetric reaction was studied using DFT that suggests the adsorption of peroxide and oxygen molecules on ceria nanoparticles creates new states in the electronic structure leading to transitions absorbing in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum. For detection, a single layer of nanoparticles was immobilized on transparent microscopic glass slides using self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PVP). Cluster-free and uniform immobilization of nanoparticles was confirmed from atomic force microscopy (AFM) and helium ion microscopy (HIM). UV-Visible absorption measurements showed a concentration dependent increase in absorbance from immobilized CNPs that were exposed to increasing concentrations (10-400 µM) of hydrogen peroxide. The immobilized CNPs can be baked at 80 °C after initial use to regenerate the sensor for reuse. The development of a direct, reusable, enzyme-free and dye-free peroxide sensing technology is possible and can be immediately applied in various areas, including biomedicine and national security.

Density functional study of oxygen vacancy formation and spin density distribution in octahedral ceria nanoparticles.

We report plane wave basis density functional theory (DFT) calculations of the oxygen vacancies formation energy in nanocrystalline CeO2-x in comparison with corresponding results for bulk and (111) CeO2 surface. Effects of strong electronic correlation of Ce4f states are taken into account through the use of an effective on-site Coulomb repulsive interaction within DFT+U approach. Different combinations of exchange-correlation functionals and corresponding U values reported in the literature are tested and the obtained results compared with experimental data. We found that both absolute values and trends in oxygen vacancy formation energy depend on the value of U and associated with degree of localization of Ce4f states. Effect of oxygen vacancy and geometry optimization method on spatial spin distribution in model ceria nanoparticles is also discussed.

Tuning hydrated nanoceria surfaces: experimental/theoretical investigations of ion exchange and implications in organic and inorganic interactions.

Long-term stability and surface properties of colloidal nanoparticles have significance in many applications. Here, surface charge modified hydrated cerium oxide nanoparticles (CNPs, also known as nanoceria) are synthesized, and their dynamic ion exchange interactions with the surrounding medium are investigated in detail. Time-dependent zeta (zeta) potential (ZP) variations of CNPs are demonstrated as a useful characteristic for optimizing their surface properties. The surface charge reversal of CNPs observed with respect to time, concentration, temperature, and doping is correlated to the surface modification of CNPs in aqueous solution and the ion exchange reaction between the surface protons (H(+)) and the neighboring hydroxyls ions (OH(-)). Using density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we have demonstrated that the adsorption of H(+) ions on the CNP surface is kinetically more favorable while the adsorption of OH(-) ions on CNPs is thermodynamically more favorable. The importance of selecting CNPs with appropriate surface charges and the implications of dynamic surface charge variations are exemplified with applications in microelectronics and biomedical.

Quantum chemistry of quantum dots: effects of ligands and oxidation.

We report Gaussian basis set density functional theory (DFT) calculations of the structure and spectra of several colloidal quantum dots (QDs) with a (CdSe)(n) core (n=6,15,17), that are either passivated by trimethylphosphine oxide ligands, or unpassivated and oxidized. From the ground state geometry optimization results we conclude that trimethylphosphine oxide ligands preserve the wurtzite structure of the QDs. Evaporation of the ligands may lead to surface reconstruction. We found that the number of two-coordinated atoms on the nanoparticle's surface is the critical parameter defining the optical absorption properties. For (CdSe)(15) wurtzite-derived QD this number is maximal among all considered QDs and the optical absorption spectrum is strongly redshifted compared to QDs with threefold coordinated surface atoms. According to the time-dependent DFT results, surface reconstruction is accompanied by a significant decrease in the linear absorption. Oxidation of QDs destroys the perfection of the QD surface, increases the number of two-coordinated atoms and results in the appearance of an infrared absorption peak close to 700 nm. The vacant orbitals responsible for this near infrared transition have strong Se-O antibonding character. Conclusions of this study may be used in optimization of engineered nanoparticles for photodetectors and photovoltaic devices.

Dopant-mediated oxygen vacancy tuning in ceria nanoparticles.

Ceria nanoparticles with 20 and 40 at.% RE (RE = Y, Sm, Gd, and Yb) dopants were synthesized through a microemulsion method. Independently of the dopant nature and concentration, nearly monodispersed nanoparticles of size 3-5 nm were observed in high resolution transmission electron microscopic analysis. The ceria lattice either expands or contracts depending on the dopant cation ionic radii, as indicated by x-ray diffraction studies. X-ray photoelectron and Raman spectroscopic studies were used to quantify the cerium oxidation state and oxygen vacancy concentration. The results show the tunability of the oxygen vacancy and Ce(3+) concentrations based on the dopant properties. First principles simulations using the free energy density functional theory method support the observed experimental trends. The reported results establish a relationship between the oxygen vacancies and oxidation states in doped ceria required for tailoring properties in catalytic and biomedical applications.

Protonated nanoparticle surface governing ligand tethering and cellular targeting.

Nanoparticles have shown tremendous potential for effective drug delivery due to their tiny size and cell membrane penetration capabilities. Cellular targeting with nanoparticles is often achieved by surface modifications followed by ligand conjugation. However, the efficiency of the nanoparticles reaching the target cells and getting internalized depends on the stability of targeting ligands and the chemical nature of the ligand nanoparticle binding. Recent advancements in nanobiomaterials research have proven the superoxide dismutase (SOD) mimetic activity of cerium oxide nanoparticles (CNPs) in protecting cells against oxidative stress. Due to their excellent biocompatibility, CNPs can be used as a potential drug carrier that can transport and release drugs to the malignant sites. Here we combine single molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) and density functional theory (DFT) simulations to understand the interaction between transferrin, a ligand protein overexpressed in cancer cells, and CNPs. SMFS studies demonstrate an increase in the transferrin adhesion to the nanoparticles' surface with an increase in positive zeta potential of CNPs. Binding energy values obtained from DFT calculations predict an increase in bond strength between the transferrin and CNPs upon surface protonation and charge modification. Transferrin-conjugated CNPs were tested for their binding stability and preferential cellular uptake efficiency by incubating them with human lung cancer cells (A549) and normal embryo lung cells (WI-38). The results demonstrate the importance of tuning the surface properties of nanoparticles for better ligand adsorption and cellular uptake.