Modern room temperature ferroelectrics/piezoelectrics significantly impact advanced nanoelectronics than conventional chemical compounds. Changes in crystallinity modulation, long-range order of atoms in metalloids permits the design of novel materials. The ferroelectric like nature of a single element (selenium, Se) is demonstrated via in-plane (E perpendicular to(ar) to the Se helical chains in micro-rod (MR)) and out-of-plane (E parallel to(el) to the Se helical chains in MR) polarization. Atomic electron microscopy shows large stacks of covalently bound Se atoms in a c-axis orientation for tip bias voltage-dependent switchable domains with a 180 degrees phase and butterfly displacement curves. The single crystalline Se MR has a high in-plane piezoelectric coefficient of 30 pm/V relative to polycrystalline samples due to larger grains, crystal imperfections in MR, and tuned helical chains. The energy conversion of a single Se-MR demonstrated via d(13), d(12) (or d(15)) piezoelectric modes.
First principles electronic structure calculations based on the density functional theory (DFT) framework are performed to investigate hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) on two-dimensional Al2C monolayers. In addition to the pristine Al2C monolayer, monolayers doped with Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P), Boron (B), and Sulphur (S) are also investigated. After determining the individual adsorption energy of hydrogen and oxygen on the different functionalized Al2C monolayers, the adsorption free energies are predicted for each of the functionalized monolayers in order to assess their suitability for HER or OER. The density of states and optical absorption spectra calculations along with the work function of the functionalized Al2C monolayers enable us to gain a profound understanding of the electronic structure for the individual system and their relation to the water splitting mechanism.
Conducting polymers are being considered promising candidates for sustainable organic batteries mainly due to their fast electron transport properties and high recyclability. In this work, key properties of polythiophene and polypyridine have been assessed through a combined theoretical and experimental study focusing on such applications. A theoretical protocol has been developed to calculate redox potentials in solution within the framework of the density functional theory and using continuous solvation models. Here, the evolution of the electrochemical properties of solvated oligomers as a function of the length of the chain is analyzed and then the polymer properties are estimated via linear regressions using ordinary least square. The predicted values were verified against our electrochemical experiments. This protocol can now be employed to screen a large database of compounds in order to identify organic electrodes with superior properties.
Organic compounds evolve as a promising alternative to the currently used inorganic materials in rechargeable batteries due to their low-cost, environmentally friendliness and flexibility. One of the strategies to reach acceptable energy densities and to deal with the high solubility of known organic compounds is to combine small redox active molecules, acting as capacity carrying centres, with conducting polymers. Following this strategy, it is important to achieve redox matching between the chosen molecule and the polymer backbone. Here, a synergetic approach combining theory and experiment has been employed to investigate this strategy. The framework of density functional theory connected with the reaction field method has been applied to predict the formal potential of 137 molecules and identify promising candidates for the referent application. The effects of including different ring types, e.g. fused rings or bonded rings, heteroatoms, [small pi] bonds, as well as carboxyl groups on the formal potential, has been rationalized. Finally, we have identified a number of molecules with acceptable theoretical capacities that show redox matching with thiophene-based conducting polymers which, hence, are suggested as pendent groups for the development of conducting redox polymer based electrode materials.
In the current emerging sustainable organic battery field, quinones are seen as one of the prime candidates for application in rechargeable battery electrodes. Recently, C6Cl4O2, a modified quinone, has been proposed as a high voltage organic cathode. However, the sodium insertion mechanism behind the cell reaction remained unclear due to the nescience of the right crystal structure. Here, the framework of the density functional theory (DFT) together with an evolutionary algorithm was employed to elucidate the crystal structures of the compounds NaxC6Cl4O2 (x = 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2). Along with the usefulness of PBE functional to reflect the experimental potential, also the importance of the hybrid functional to divulge the hidden theoretical capacity is evaluated. We showed that the experimentally observed lower specific capacity is a result of the great stabilization of the intermediate phase Na1.5C6Cl4O2. The calculated activation barriers for the ionic hops are 0.68, 0.40, and 0.31 eV, respectively, for NaC6Cl4O2, Na1.5C6Cl4O2, and Na2C6Cl4O2. These results indicate that the kinetic process must not be a limiting factor upon Na insertion. Finally, the correct prediction of the specific capacity has confirmed that the theoretical strategy used, employing evolutionary simulations together with the hybrid functional framework, can rightly model the thermodynamic process in organic electrode compounds.
In this Ph.D. thesis, ab initio density functional theory along with molecular dynamics and global optimization methods are used to unveil and understand the structures and properties of energy relevant materials. In this connection, the following applications are considered: i. electrocatalyst for solar fuel production through water splitting, ii. hybrid perovskite solar cell for generation of electrical energy and iii. Battery materials to store the electrical energy. The water splitting mechanism in terms of hydrogen evolution and oxygen evolution reactions (HER and OER) on the catalytic surfaces has been envisaged based on the free energy diagram, named reaction coordinate, of the reaction intermediates. The Ti-functionalized two-dimensional (2D) borophene monolayer has been emerged as a promising material for HER and OER mechanisms as compared to the pristine borophene sheet. Further investigation in the series of this noble metal free monolayer catalyst is 2D Al2C monolayer both in form of pristine and functionalized with nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), boron (B), and sulphur (S). It has been observed that only B substituted Al2C shows very close to thermoneutral, that could be the most promising candidate for HER on functionalized Al2C monolayer. The adsorption of O* intermediate is stronger in S-substituted Al2C, whereas it is less strongly adsorbed on N-substituted Al2C. The subsequent consideration is being the case of n-type doping (W) along with Ti codoped in BiVO4 to enhance the efficiency of BiVO4 photoanode for water splitting. The determined adsorption energy and corresponding Gibbs free energies depict that the Ti site is energetically more favorable for water splitting. Moreover, the Ti site possesses a lower overpotential in the W–Ti codoped sample as compared to the mono-W doped sample. We have also explored the effect of mixed cation and mixed anion substitution in the hybrid perovskite in terms of structural stability, electronic properties and optical response of hybrid perovskite crystal structures. It has been found that the insertion of bromine (Br) into the system could modulate the stability of the Guanidinium lead iodide (GAPbI3) hybrid perovskite. Moreover, the band gap of the mixed hybrid perovskite is increased with the inclusion of smaller Br anion while replacing partially the larger iodine (I) anion. Finally the electrochemical storage mechanism for Sodium (Na) and lithium (Li) ion insertion has been envisaged in inorganic electrode (eldfellite, NaFe(SO4)2) as well as in more sustainable organic electrode (di-lithium terephthalate, Li2TP). The full desodiation capability of the eldfellite enhances the capacity while the activation energies (higher than 1 eV) for the Na+ ion diffusion for the charged state lower the ionic insertion rate. The key factor as the variation of Li-O coordination in the terephthalate, for the disproportionation redox reaction in Li2TP is also identified.
We have envisaged the hydrogen evolution and oxygen evolution reactions (HER and OER) on two-dimensional (2D) noble metal free borophene monolayer based on first-principles electronic structure calculations. We have investigated the effect of Ti functionalization on borophene monolayer from the perspective of HER and OER activities enhancement. We have probed the activities based on the reaction coordinate, which is conceptually related to the adsorption free energies of the intermediates of HER and OER, as well as from the vibrational frequency analysis with the corresponding charge transfer mechanism between the surface and the adsorbate. Ti-functionalized borophene has emerged as a promising material for HER and OER mechanisms. We believe that our probing method, based on reaction coordinate coupled with vibrational analysis that has been validated by the charge transfer mechanism, would certainly become as a robust prediction route for HER and OER mechanisms in coming days.
Keywords: borophene; hydrogen evolution reaction; oxygen evolution reaction; reaction coordinate; vibrational frequency
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Efficient charge separation of photo-generated electrons and holes is critical to achieve high solar to hydrogen conversion efficiency in photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. N-type doping is generally used to improve the conductivity by increasing the majority carrier density and enhance the charge separation in the photoanode. However, minority carrier transport is also very important in the process of charge separation, especially in materials that possess inadequate minority carrier mobility. Herein, we take a BiVO4 PEC water splitting cell as an example to demonstrate how to analyze the limiting factor and to formulate the corresponding solutions to improve the hole mobility. The benefits and problems caused by n-type doping (W-doping here) of BiVO4 are analyzed. Codoping with Ti further enhances the charge separation by improving the hole transport and leads to a cathodic shift of the photocurrent onset potential. A high charge separation efficiency (79% at 1.23 V-RHE) in a compact BiVO4 photoanode has been achieved without any nanostructure formation. Theoretical results show that W-Ti codoping has decreased the hole polaron hopping activation energy by 11.5% compared with mono-W doping, and this has resulted in a hole mobility increase by 29%. The calculated adsorption energy and reaction Gibbs free energies indicate that the Ti site is energetically more favorable for water splitting. Moreover, the Ti site possesses a lower overpotential in the W-Ti codoped sample compared with the mono-W doped sample. The current study indicates that in order to improve the solar energy conversion efficiency, there should be a balanced charge transport of both majority and minority charge carriers. This can be achieved by simply choosing appropriate codoping elements.
Guanidinium lead iodide (GAPbI(3)) has been synthesized experimentally, but stability remains an issue, which can be modulated by the insertion of bromine (Br) into the system. We have performed a systematic theoretical investigation to see how bromination can tune the stability of GAPbI(3). The optical properties were also determined, and we have found formation enthalpy-based stability in the perovskite systems, which are active in the visible and IR region even after bromine insertion and additionally more active in the IR range with the transition from GAPbI(3) to GAPbBr(3). The spin orbit coupling effect is considered throughout the band structure calculations. The ensemble of the primary and secondary gaps in the half and fully brominated hybrid perovskites leads to the phenomenon of a multipeak response in the optical spectra, which can be subsequently attributed as multivalley optical response behaviour. This multivalley optical behaviour enables the brominated guanidinium-based hybrid perovskites to exhibit broad light harvesting abilities, and this can be perceived as an idea for natural multi-junction solar cells.
The mineral eldfellite, NaFe(SO4)2, was recently proposed as an inexpensive candidate for the next generation of cathode application in Na-based batteries. Employing the density functional theory framework, we have investigated the phase stability, electrochemical properties and ionic diffusion of this eldfellite cathode material. We showed that the crystal structure undergoes a volume shrinkage of ≈8% upon full removal of Na ions with no imaginary frequencies at the Γ point of phonon dispersion. This evokes the stability of the host structure. According to this result, we proposed structural changes to get higher specific energy by inserting two Na ions per redox-active metal. Our calculations indicate NaV(SO4)2 as the best candidate with the capability of reversibly inserting two Na ions per redox center and producing an excellent specific energy. The main bottleneck for the application of eldfellite as a cathode is the high activation energies for the Na+ ion hop, which can reach values even higher than 1 eV for the charged state. This effect produces a low ionic insertion rate.
Divulging the Hidden Capacity and Sodiation Kinetics of NaxC6Cl4O2: A High Voltage Organic Cathode for Sodium Rechargeable Batteries
The ever-increasing consumption of energy storage devices has pushed the scientific community to realize strategies toward organic electrodes with superior properties. This is owed to advantages such as economic viability and eco-friendliness. In this context, the family of conjugated dicarboxylates has emerged as an interesting candidate for the application as negative electrodes in advanced Li-ion batteries due to the revealed thermal stability, rate capability, high capacity and high cyclability. This work aims to rationalize the effects of small molecular modifications on the electrochemical properties of the terephthalate anode by means of first principles calculations. The crystal structure prediction of the investigated host compounds dilithium terephthalate (Li2TP) and diethyl terephthalate (Et2Li0TP) together with their crystal modification upon battery cycling enable us to calculate the potential profile of these materials. Distinct underlying mechanisms of the redox reactions were obtained where Li2TP comes with a disproportionation reaction while Et2Li0TP displays sequential redox reactions. This effect proved to be strongly correlated to the Li coordination number evolution upon the Li insertion into the host structures. Finally, the calculations of sublimation enthalpy inferred that polymerization techniques could easily be employed in Et2Li0TP as compared to Li2TP. Similar results are observed with methyl, propyl, and vinyl capped groups. That could be a strategy to enhance the properties of this compound placing it into the gallery of the new anode materials for state of art Li-batteries.
The inherent spin-orbit coupling (SOC) effect in non-centrosymmetric crystal structure has laid the foundation of Rashba splitting phenomena. This Rashba splitting directly governs the charge carrier recombination, which eventually controls the carrier lifetime and diffusion length and therefore the solar cell efficiency for such hybrid perovskite materials. In this work, we have performed a rigorous structural search prediction of the mixed cation-mixed halide hybrid perovskites FA(0.83)MA(0.17)Pb(I0.83Br0.17)(3) and FA(0.875)MA(0.125 )Pb(I0.875Br (0.125))(3), which are the two nearest neighbor structures of record efficiency (22.1%) holder FA(0.85)MA(0.15)Pb(I0.85Br0.15)(3) in the structural composition phase space. We have found the prediction routes for a structural search such as the mixed perovskite structure govern the Rashba splitting energy value, depending on whether it has been predicted from FPI (FAPbI(3)) or MPB (MAPbBr(3)) as parent structure, which are leading to the mixed phase FA(0.83)MA(0.17)Pb(I0.83Br0.17)(3) and FA(0.875)MA(0.125)Pb(I0.875Br0.125)(3) respectively. The strong dependency of the splitting energy on the structural phase evolution along with the stoichiometry and space group is also observed, where in the mixed phase, 0.045 difference in concentration could lead to a remarkable difference in the splitting energy, which is more pronounced in the valence band as compared to the conduction band. We have also determined the Goldschmidt tolerance factor to envisage structural stability of the newly predicted crystal structures based on the corresponding chemical route in the composition phase space.
In this work, we have envisaged the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) mechanism on Mg3N2 monolayer based on electronic structure calculations within the framework of density functional theory (DFT) formalism. The semiconducting nature of Mg3N2 monolayer motivates us to investigate the HER mechanism on this sheet. We have constructed the reaction coordinate associated with HER mechanism after determining the hydrogen adsorption energy on Mg3N2 monolayer, while investigating all possible adsorption sites. After obtaining the adsorption energy, we subsequently obtain the adsorption free energy while adding zero point energy difference (Delta ZPE) and entropic contribution (T Delta S). We have not only confined our investigations to a single hydrogen, but have thoroughly observed the adsorption phenomena for increasing number of hydrogen atoms on the surface. We have determined the projected density of states (DOS) in order to find the elemental contribution in the valence band and conduction band regime for all the considered cases. We have also compared the work function value among all the cases, which quantifies the amount of energy required for taking an electron out of the surface. The charge transfer mechanism is also being investigated in order to correlate with the HER mechanism with amount of charge transfer. This is the first attempt on this material to the best of our knowledge, where theoretical investigation has been done to mapping the reaction coordinate of HER mechanism with the associated charge transfer process and the work function values, not only for single hydrogen adsorption, but also for increasing number of adsorbed hydrogen.
A long-standing effort has been devoted for the development of high energy density cathodes both for Li-and Na-ion batteries (LIBs and SIBs). The scientific communities in battery research primarily divide the Li- and Na-ion cathode materials into two categories: layered oxides and polyanionic compounds. Researchers are trying to improve the energy density of such materials through materials screening by mixing the transition metals or changing the concentration of Li or Na in the polyanionic compounds. Due to the fact that there is more stability in the polyanionic frameworks, batteries based on these materials mostly provide a prolonged cycling life as compared to the layered oxide materials. Nevertheless, the bottleneck for such compounds is the weight penalty from polyanionic groups that results into the lower capacity. The anion engineering could be considered as an essential way out to design such polyanionic compounds to resolve this issue and to fetch improved cathode performance. In this topical review we present a systematic overview of the polyanionic cathode materials used for LIBs and SIBs. We will also present the computational methodologies that have become significantly relevant for battery research. We will make an attempt to provide the theoretical insight with a current development in sulfate (SO4), silicate (SiO4) and phosphate (PO4) based cathode materials for LIBs and SIBs. We will end this topical review with the future outlook, that will consist of the next generation organic electrode materials, mainly based on conjugated carbonyl compounds.
In this study, the photocatalytic degradation of seven sulfur compounds (2-methylthiophene, 3-methylthiophene, 2-phenylthiophene, 3-phenylthiophene, 2,5-diphenylthiophene, 2-(2-thienyl) pyridine, and 2-(3-thienyl) pyridine in semiaqueous medium are compared to thiophene. The apparent-reaction-rate constant (k) is found to decrease in the following order: 2,5-diphenylthiophene > 2-(2-thienyl) pyridine > 2-penhylthiophene methylthiophene > 3-penhylthiophene > 2-methylthiophene > 2-(3-thienyl) pyridine > 3-thiophene. From the data obtained by UV light absorption (lambda(max)) measurements and electronic structure calculations (frontier orbitals energy, global hardness, and global softness), the kinetic parameters of the reaction have been determined. Among the studied compounds, thiophene with a high lambda(max) and low calculated LUMO-HOMO gap energy has showed higher activity under UV irradiation. Interestingly, a lower activity is observed with low lambda(max) and high LUMO-HOMO gap energy. This demonstrates, for the first time, that the reactivity depends essentially on the thermodynamic stability of the sulfur compound rather than on the nature or the position of the substituent on the ring.
Metal halide compounds with photovoltaic properties prepared from solution have received increased attention for utilization in solar cells. In this work, low-toxicity cesium bismuth iodides are synthesized from solution, and their photovoltaic and, optical properties as well as electronic and crystal structures are investigated. The X-ray diffraction patterns reveal that a CsI/BiI3 precursor ratio of 1.5:1 can convert pure rhombohedral BiI3 to pure hexagonal Cs3Bi2I9, but any ratio intermediate of this stoichiometry and pure BiI3 yields a mixture containing the two crystalline phases Cs3Bi2I9 and BiI3, with their relative fraction depending on the CsI/BiI3 ratio. Solar cells from the series of compounds are characterized, showing the highest efficiency for the compounds with a mixture of the two structures. The energies of the valence band edge were estimated using hard and soft X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy for more bulk and surface electronic properties, respectively. On the basis of these measurements, together with UV-vis-near-IR spectrophotometry, measuring the band gap, and Kelvin probe measurements for estimating the work function, an approximate energy diagram has been compiled clarifying the relationship between the positions of the valence and conduction band edges and the Fermi level.
Development of high capacity anode materials is one of the essential strategies for next-generation high-performance Li/Na-ion batteries. Rational design, using density functional theory, can expedite the discovery of these anode materials. Here, we propose a new anode material, germanium carbide, g-GeC, for Li/Na-ion batteries. Our results show that g-GeC possesses both benefits of the high stability of graphene and the strong interaction between Li/Na and germanene. The single-layer germanium carbide, g-GeC, can be lithiated/sodiated on both sides yielding Li2GeC and Na2GeC with a storage capacity as high as 633 mA h/g. Besides germagraphene's 2D honeycomb structure, fast charge transfer, and high (Li/Na)-ion diffusion and negligible volume change further enhance the anode performance. These findings provide valuable insights into the electronic characteristics of newly predicted 2D g-GeC nanomaterial as a promising anode for (Li/Na)-ion batteries.
Nowadays, secondary batteries based on sodium (Na), potassium (K), and magnesium (Mg) stimulate curiosity as eventually high-availability, nontoxic, and eco-friendly alternatives of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Against this background, a spate of studies has been carried out over the past few years on anode materials suitable for post-lithium-ion battery (PLIBs), in particular sodium-, potassium- and magnesium-ion batteries. Here, we have consistently studied the efficiency of a 2D alpha-phase arsenic phosphorus (alpha-AsP) as anodes through density functional theory (DFT) basin-hopping Monte Carlo algorithm (BHMC) and ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) calculations. Our findings show that alpha-AsP is an optimal anode material with very high stabilities, high binding strength, intrinsic metallic characteristic after (Na/K/Mg) adsorption, theoretical specific capacity, and ultralow ion diffusion barriers. The ultralow energy barriers are found to be 0.066 eV (Na), 0.043 eV (K), and 0.058 eV (Mg), inferior to that of the widely investigated MXene materials. During the charging process, a wide (Na+/K+/Mg2+) concentration storage from which a high specific capacity of 759.24/506.16/253.08 mAh/g for Na/K/Mg ions was achieved with average operating voltages of 0.84, 0.93, and 0.52 V, respectively. The above results provide valuable insights for the experimental setup of outstanding anode material for post-Li-ion battery.
Full potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method based on the density functional theory (DFT) is used to investigate the structural, electronic and magnetic properties of Fe and Ni (3d transition metal) substituted Rock-salt wide band gap insulator Mg1-xMxO (M = Fe, Ni). We have performed spin polarized calculations throughout this work with generalized gradient approximation (GGA) type exchange correlation functional. Additionally, the electronic structures and density of states are computed using modified Becke-Johnson (mBJ) potential based approximation with the inclusion of coulomb energy (U = 7 eV). Based on the Vegard's law and structural optimization, the lattice parameter and bulk modulus are found to be in good agreement with experimental values. Moreover, the analysis of electronic band structures reveals an insulating character for Ni substituted MgO while semiconducting and half-metallic character for Fe substituted case. It has been found that the p-d super-exchange interaction provides a ferromagnetic character due to the 3d transition metal impurities and oxygen atom. The observed p-d hybridization at the top of the valence band edge in this investigations could be useful for magneto-optic and spintronic applications.
One of the limitations to the widespread use of hydrogen as an energy carrier is its storage in a safe and compact form. Herein, recent developments in effective high-capacity hydrogen storage materials are reviewed, with a special emphasis on light compounds, including those based on organic porous structures, boron, nitrogen, and aluminum. These elements and their related compounds hold the promise of high, reversible, and practical hydrogen storage capacity for mobile applications, including vehicles and portable power equipment, but also for the large scale and distributed storage of energy for stationary applications. Current understanding of the fundamental principles that govern the interaction of hydrogen with these light compounds is summarized, as well as basic strategies to meet practical targets of hydrogen uptake and release. The limitation of these strategies and current understanding is also discussed and new directions proposed.
The design of a suitable electrode is an essential and fundamental research challenge in the field of electrochemical energy storage because the electronic structures and morphologies determine the surface redox reactions. Calcium molybdate (CaMoO4) was synthesized by a combustion route at 300 degrees C and 500 degrees C. We describe new findings on the behaviour of CaMoO4 and evaluate the influence of crystallinity on energy storage performance. A wide range of characterization techniques was used to obtain detailed information about the physical and morphological characteristics of CaMoO4. The characterization results enable the phase evolution as a function of the electrode synthesis temperature to be understood. The crystallinity of the materials was found to increase with increasing temperature but with no second phases observed. Molecular dynamics simulation of electronic structures correlated well with the experimental findings. These results show that to enable faster energy storage and release for a given surface area, amorphous CaMoO4 is required, while larger energy storage can be obtained by using crystalline CaMoO4. CaMoO4 has been evaluated as a cathode material in classical lithium-ion batteries recently. However, determining the surface properties in a sodium-ion system experimentally, combined with computational modelling to understand the results has not been reported. The superior electrochemical properties of crystalline CaMoO4 are attributed to its morphology providing enhanced Na+ ion diffusivity and electron transport. However, the presence of carbon in amorphous CaMoO4 resulted in excellent rate capability, suitable for supercapacitor applications.
In this work, density functional theory within the framework of generalized gradient approximation has been used to investigate the structural, elastic, mechanical, and phonon properties of lutetium monopnictides in rock-salt crystal structure. The spin orbit coupling and Hubbard-U corrections are included to correctly predict the essential properties of these compounds. The elastic constants, Young's modulus E, Poisson's ratio v, shear modulus G, anisotropy factor A and Pugh's ratio are computed. We found that all lutetium monopnictides are anisotropic and show brittle character. From the wave velocities along [100], [110] and [111] directions, melting temperature of lutetium monopnictides are predicted. Dynamical stability of these monopnictides has been studied by density functional perturbation theory.
A better understanding of the electronic structure of perovskite materials used in photovoltaic devices is essential for their development and optimization. In this investigation, synchrotron based photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) was used to experimentally delineate the character and energy position of the valence band structures of a mixed perovskite. The valence band was measured using PES with photon energies ranging from UPS (21.2 eV) to hard X-rays (up to 4,000 eV) and by taking the variation of the photoionization cross-sections into account, we could experimentally determine the inorganic and organic contributions. The experiments were compared to theoretical calculations to further distinguish the role of the different anions in the electronic structure. The investigation also includes a thorough study of the valence band maximum (VBM) and its position in relation to the Fermi level, which is crucial for the design and optimization of complete solar cells and their functional properties.
Quinones have a capacity for high energy storage and exhibit facile and reversible electrochemistry in several widely different electrolytes. They are, therefore, one of the most popular compounds currently used in organic materials based electrical energy storage. Quinone electrochemistry is, however, strongly affected by the composition of the electrolyte. This report summarizes our systematic investigation of the redox chemistry of a series of quinones with electron-withdrawing and electron-donating substituents in aqueous solution and in acetonitrile (MeCN) with tetrabutylammonium (TBA+)-, Li+-, and H+-based electrolytes. As a general trend, proton cycling, TBA+ cycling, and Li+ cycling resulted in the highest, the lowest, and intermediate redox potentials, respectively. We attribute this trend to stabilization of the reduced state, namely benzene-1,4-bis(olate) (Q2–), by the different counterions. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations showed that, in the fully reduced state, two Li+ counterions accommodated 35% of the injected electron charges while proton counterions accommodated 69% of the injected charge, thus significantly stabilizing the reduced state. However, with the bulky TBA+ as the cycling ion, this stabilization was not possible and the reduction potential was decreased. In addition, we showed that stabilization of the counterion also affected the Coulombic interaction between the successively injected charges, resulting in the well-known disproportionation of the semiquinone radical intermediate state with proton cycling, while Li+ and TBA+ cycling generally resulted in two consecutive redox reactions. Finally, we showed that the electrolyte strongly influences the effects of substitution with electron-donating and electron-withdrawing substituents. A strong relationship between the redox potential and the electron-withdrawing power of the substituent was observed in the MeCN solution. However, this relationship was completely lost in aqueous solution. The reason for the loss of the relationship was addressed using a DFT explicit-solvent model and is discussed.
A new family of 2D materials, Janus MTeSe (M=Nb, Mo, or W) pristine and defective monolayers have been investigated in this work as promising catalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) based on first-principles calculations. It has been observed that these Janus monolayers are dynamically and thermodynamically stable. Hybrid exchange-correlation functional (HSE06) based electronic structures reveal Janus NbTeSe is a polarized semiconductor with an indirect bandgap of 1.478 eV with excellent optical absorption capability near infra-red region. While MoTeSe and WTeSe monolayers are direct bandgap semiconductors with a suitable bandgap of 1.859 and 1.898 eV. The carrier effective masses and mobilities in MTeSe monolayer are also calculated. Subsequently, the catalytic activity of pristine as well as defective MTeSe for HER has been identified from the reaction coordinate based on the adsorption free energy (Delta GH*). It is noticed that the Nb based Janus layer has comparatively weak HER activity than its peers, group VIB transition metals, Mo, W based Janus layer. The Coulomb attraction between the hydrogen and the monolayer decreases with the increase of the inner atomic radius from Nb, Mo to W, which is one of the structural frailties of 2D Janus NbSeTe as an active photocatalyst. We have further analyzed electronic structures and charge density distributions of pristine and defective MTeSe with/without H adatom to unveil the reason of the catalytic inferiority for Nb based Janus layer over W and Mo based systems. This comparative study of Janus MTeSe monolayers with HSE06 would provide a deep understanding of Janus based HER catalyst.