Enhanced visible light absorption for lead-free double perovskite Cs2AgSbBr6.

In a search for Pb-free photovoltaic materials, a double perovskite Cs2AgSbBr6 with an indirect optical bandgap of 1.64 eV has been synthesized. Single crystal X-ray diffraction determined the space group as Fm3[combining macron]m with a = 11.1583(7) Å. The black, as-synthesised compound turned brown after heat treatment at 480 K while the symmetry and crystallinity were preserved. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicated the existence of Sb5+ in the black crystals, suggesting that the dark colour arises from the Sb3+-Sb5+ charge transfer. Furthermore, UV visible spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations have been applied to probe the optical properties and electronic structure.

Polymorphism in M(H2PO2)3 (M = V, Al, Ga) compounds with the perovskite-related ReO3 structure.

Trivalent metal hypophosphites with the general formula M(H2PO2)3 (M = V, Al, Ga) adopt the ReO3 structure, with each compound displaying two structural polymorphs. High-pressure synchrotron X-ray studies reveal a pressure-driven phase transition in Ga(H2PO2)3 that can be understood on the basis of ab initio thermodynamics.

Carbon nanotube functionalization as a route to enhancing the electrical and mechanical properties of Cu-CNT composites.

Copper-CNT (carbon nanotube) composite materials are promising alternatives to conventional conductors in applications ranging from interconnects in microelectronics to electrical cabling in aircraft and vehicles. Unfortunately, exploiting the full potential of these composites is difficult due to the poor Cu-CNT electro-mechanical interface. We demonstrate through large-scale ab initio calculations and sonication experiments that this problem can be addressed by CNT surface modification. Our calculations show that covalent functionalization of CNTs below 6.7 at% significantly improves Cu-CNT wetting and the mechanical properties of the composite. Oxidative pre-treatment of CNTs enhances the Young's modulus of the composite by nearly a factor 3 above that of pure Cu, whereas amination slightly improves the electrical current density with respect to the unmodified Cu-CNT system in the high bias regime. However, only nitrogen doping can effectively improve both the mechanical and electrical properties of the composite. As the experiments show, consistent with the calculations, substitutional doping with nitrogen effectively improves adhesion of the CNT to the Cu matrix. We also predict an improvement in the mechanical properties for the composite containing doped double-wall CNTs. Moreover, the calculations indicate that the presence of nitrogen dopants almost doubles locally the transmission through the nanotube and reduces the back scattering in the Cu matrix around the CNT. The computed electrical conductance of N-doped Cu-CNT "carpets" exceeds that of an undoped system by ∼160%.

[Am]Mn(H2POO)3: A New Family of Hybrid Perovskites Based on the Hypophosphite Ligand.

A family of five hybrid ABX3 perovskites has been synthesized using hypophosphite (H2POO)- as the X-site ion. These compounds adopt the general formula [Am]Mn(H2POO)3, where Am = guanidinium (GUA), formamidinium (FA), imidazolium, triazolium, and dabconium. We explore the diverse structural and phase transition behavior of these materials through single-crystal diffraction measurements and demonstrate contrasting magnetism in two of the phases, Am = GUA and FA, that arises from structural distortions. The results show that hypophosphite perovskites offer a promising platform for generating new functional materials.

Synthesis and Characterization of the Rare-Earth Hybrid Double Perovskites: (CH3NH3)2KGdCl6 and (CH3NH3)2KYCl6.

Two hybrid rare-earth double perovskites, (CH3NH3)2KGdCl6 and (CH3NH3)2KYCl6, have been synthesized by a solution evaporation method and their structures determined by variable temperature single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The diffraction results show that at room temperature both perovskites adopt a rhombohedral structure with R3̅m symmetry, as found previously for (MA)2KBiCl6, and lattice parameters of a = 7.7704(5) Šand c = 20.945(2) Šfor (MA)2KGdCl6 and a = 7.6212(12) Šand c = 20.742(4) Šfor (MA)2KYCl6. Both phases exhibit a rhombohedral-to-cubic phase transition on heating to ∼435 K for (MA)2KYCl6 and ∼375 K for (MA)2KGdCl6. Density functional calculations on the rhombohedral phase indicate that both materials have large direct band gaps, are mechanically stable, and, in the case of (MA)2KGdCl6, could exhibit magnetic ordering at low temperatures.

Factors Influencing the Mechanical Properties of Formamidinium Lead Halides and Related Hybrid Perovskites.

The mechanical properties of formamidinium lead halide perovskites (FAPbX3 , X=Br or I) grown by inverse-temperature crystallization have been studied by nanoindentation. The measured Young's moduli (9.7-12.3 GPa) and hardnesses (0.36-0.45 GPa) indicate good mechanical flexibility and ductility. The effects of hydrogen bonding were evaluated by performing ab initio molecular dynamics on both formamidinium and methylammonium perovskites and calculating radial distribution functions. The structural and chemical factors influencing these properties are discussed by comparison with corresponding values in the literature for other hybrid perovskites, including double perovskites. Our results reveal that bonding in the inorganic framework and hydrogen bonding play important roles in determining elastic stiffness. The influence of the organic cation becomes more important for structures at the limit of their perovskite stability, indicated by high tolerance factors.

Breaking the electrical barrier between copper and carbon nanotubes.

Improving the interface between copper and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) offers a straightforward strategy for the effective manufacturing and utilisation of Cu-CNT composite material that could be used in various industries including microelectronics, aerospace and transportation. Motivated by a combination of structural and electrical measurements on Cu-M-CNT bimetal systems (M = Ni, Cr) we show, using first principles calculations, that the conductance of this composite can exceed that of a pure Cu-CNT system and that the current density can even reach 1011 A cm-2. The results show that the proper choice of alloying element (M) and type of contact facilitate the fabrication of ultra-conductive Cu-M-CNT systems by creating a favourable interface geometry, increasing the interface electronic density of states and reducing the contact resistance. In particular, a small concentration of Ni between the Cu matrix and the CNT using either an "end contact" and or a "dot contact" can significantly improve the electrical performance of the composite. Furthermore the predicted conductance of Ni-doped Cu-CNT "carpets" exceeds that of an undoped system by ∼200%. Cr is shown to improve CNT integration and composite conductance over a wide temperature range while Al, at low voltages, can enhance the conductance beyond that of Cr.

Variable temperature and high-pressure crystal chemistry of perovskite formamidinium lead iodide: a single crystal X-ray diffraction and computational study.

We investigate the variable temperature (100-450 K) and high-pressure (p = ambient - 0.74 GPa) crystal chemistry of the black perovskite formamidinium lead iodide, [(NH2)2CH]PbI3, using single crystal X-ray diffraction. In both cases we find a phase transition to a tetragonal phase. Our experimental results are combined with first principles calculations, providing information about the electronic properties of [(NH2)2CH]PbI3 as well as the most probable orientation of the [(NH2)2CH]+ cations.

Improving the electrical properties of carbon nanotubes with interhalogen compounds.

The electronic properties of carbon nanostructures such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) or graphene can easily be tuned by the action of various doping agents. We present an experimental study and numerical analysis of how and why metallic and semiconductive CNTs can be p-doped by exposing them to two interhalogens: iodine monochloride and iodine monobromide. Simple application of these compounds was found to reduce the electrical resistance by as much as 2/3 without causing any unfavorable chemical modification, which could disrupt the highly conductive network of sp2 carbon atoms. To gain better insight into the underlying mechanism of the observed experimental results, we provide a first principles indication of how interhalogens interact with model metallic (5,5) and semiconductive (10,0) CNTs.

Impact of amorphization on the electronic properties of Zn-Ir-O systems.

We analyze the geometry and electronic structure of a series of amorphous Zn-Ir-O systems using classical molecular dynamics followed by density functional theory taking into account two different charge states of Ir (+3 and +4). The structures obtained consist of a matrix of interconnected metal-oxygen polyhedra, with Zn adopting preferentially a coordination of 4 and Ir a mixture of coordinations between 4 and 6 that depend on the charge state of Ir and its concentration. The amorphous phases display reduced band gaps compared to crystalline ZnIr2O4 and exhibit localized states near the band edges, which harm their transparency and hole mobility. Increasing amounts of Ir in the Ir(4+) phases decrease the band gap further while not altering it significantly in the Ir(3+) phases. The results are consistent with recent transmittance and resistivity measurements.

A computational study of the quantum transport properties of a Cu-CNT composite.

The quantum transport properties of a Cu-CNT composite are studied using a non-equilibrium Green's function approach combined with the self-consistent-charge density-functional tight-binding method. The results show that the electrical conductance of the composite depends strongly on CNT density and alignment but more weakly on chirality. Alignment with the applied bias is preferred and the conductance of the composite increases as its mass density increases.

Role of hydrogen-bonding and its interplay with octahedral tilting in CH3NH3PbI3.

First principles calculations on the hybrid perovskite CH3NH3PbI3 predict strong hydrogen-bonding which influences the structure and dynamics of the methylammonium cation and reveal its interaction with the tilting of the PbI6 octahedra. The calculated atomic coordinates are in excellent agreement with neutron diffraction results.

The effect of defects and disorder on the electronic properties of ZnIr2O4.

We analyze by means of ab initio calculations the role of imperfections on the electronic structure of ZnIr2O4, ranging from point defects in the spinel phase to the fully amorphous phase. We find that interstitial defects and anion vacancies in the spinel have large formation energies, in agreement with the trends observed in other spinels. In contrast, cation vacancies and antisites have lower formation energies. Among them, the zinc antisite and the zinc vacancy are the defects with the lowest formation energy. They are found to act as acceptors, and may be responsible for the spontaneous hole doping in the material. They may also induce optical transitions that would reduce the transparency of the material. Amorphization of ZnIr2O4 leads a large decrease of the band gap and appearance of localized states at the edges of the band gap region, which may act as charge traps and prevent amorphous ZnIr2O4 from being a good hole conductor.

Computational studies on the adsorption of CO2 in the flexible perfluorinated metal-organic framework zinc 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane tetrafluoroterephthalate.

Carbon dioxide adsorption sites within the flexible metal-organic framework (MOF) zinc 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane tetrafluoroterephthalate (Znbpetpa) were investigated using density functional theory (DFT) and canonical Monte Carlo (MC) calculations. Two types of sites with different heats of adsorption were found by using DFT and confirmed by the MC results. Expansion of the cavities occurred simultaneously with gas uptake and the process of "breathing" within the MOF was identified. The presence of such a mechanism makes the understanding of this structure useful in tuning the design of MOFs for permanent trapping of gases.

Van der Waals forces in the perfluorinated metal-organic framework zinc 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane tetrafluoroterephthalate.

Traditional density functional theory (DFT) and dispersion-corrected DFT calculations are performed to investigate the metal-organic framework zinc 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane tetrafluoroterephthalate (Znbpetpa). Without dispersion correction, straightening of the zigzag C-O-Zn chain connecting the secondary building units across the diagonal of the unit cell is observed, accompanied by a large anisotropic expansion of the structure along one cell parameter. The results show that van der Waals dispersion forces and specifically Zn-C equatorial interactions and the resulting effects on the zigzag chain play an important role in maintaining key structural features which match with experimental observations. It is suggested that the pore volume of the framework could be controlled by substituting the Zn metal centre with another transition element of different polarizability, while maintaining functional linkers.

An interfacial complex in ZnO and its influence on charge transport.

The segregation of native defects and Bi impurities to a high-angle grain boundary in ZnO is studied by first-principles calculations. It is found that the presence of Bi(Zn) increases the concentration of native defects of acceptor type in the grain boundary. This leads to the formation of a Bi(Zn)+V(Zn)+O(i) interfacial complex under O-rich conditions and exhibits a localized acceptor state. This state, which is different from that of the isolated impurity, gives the grain boundary p-type character and when embedded between n-type ZnO grains is consistent with the double Schottky barrier model for Bi-doped ZnO varistors.