Point defect engineering endows catalysts with novel physical and chemical properties,elevating their electrocatalytic efficiency.The introduction of defects emerges as a promising strategy,effectively modifying the e...Point defect engineering endows catalysts with novel physical and chemical properties,elevating their electrocatalytic efficiency.The introduction of defects emerges as a promising strategy,effectively modifying the electronic structure of active sites.This optimization influences the adsorption energy of intermediates,thereby mitigating reaction energy barriers,altering paths,enhancing selectivity,and ultimately improving the catalytic efficiency of electrocatalysts.To elucidate the impact of defects on the electrocatalytic process,we comprehensively outline the roles of various point defects,their synthetic methodologies,and characterization techniques.Importantly,we consolidate insights into the relationship between point defects and catalytic activity for hydrogen/oxygen evolution and CO_(2)/O_(2)/N_(2) reduction reactions by integrating mechanisms from diverse reactions.This underscores the pivotal role of point defects in enhancing catalytic performance.At last,the principal challenges and prospects associated with point defects in current electrocatalysts are proposed,emphasizing their role in advancing the efficiency of electrochemical energy storage and conversion materials.展开更多
The poor stability of RuO_(2)electrocatalysts has been the primary obstacles for their practical application in polymer electrolyte membrane electrolyzers.To dramatically enhance the durability of RuO_(2)to construct ...The poor stability of RuO_(2)electrocatalysts has been the primary obstacles for their practical application in polymer electrolyte membrane electrolyzers.To dramatically enhance the durability of RuO_(2)to construct activity-stability trade-off model is full of significance but challenging.Herein,a single atom Zn stabilized RuO_(2)with enriched oxygen vacancies(SA Zn-RuO_(2))is developed as a promising alternative to iridium oxide for acidic oxygen evolution reaction(OER).Compared with commercial RuO_(2),the enhanced Ru–O bond strength of SA Zn-RuO_(2)by forming Zn-O-Ru local structure motif is favorable to stabilize surface Ru,while the electrons transferred from Zn single atoms to adjacent Ru atoms protects the Ru active sites from overoxidation.Simultaneously,the optimized surrounding electronic structure of Ru sites in SA ZnRuO_(2)decreases the adsorption energies of OER intermediates to reduce the reaction barrier.As a result,the representative SA Zn-RuO_(2)exhibits a low overpotential of 210 mV to achieve 10 mA cm^(-2)and a greatly enhanced durability than commercial RuO_(2).This work provides a promising dual-engineering strategy by coupling single atom doping and vacancy for the tradeoff of high activity and catalytic stability toward acidic OER.展开更多
The production of renewable fuels through water splitting via photocatalytic hydrogen production holds significant promise.Nonetheless,the sluggish kinetics of hydrogen evolution and the inadequate water adsorption on...The production of renewable fuels through water splitting via photocatalytic hydrogen production holds significant promise.Nonetheless,the sluggish kinetics of hydrogen evolution and the inadequate water adsorption on photocatalysts present notable challenges.In this study,we have devised a straightforward hydrothermal method to synthesize Bi_(2)O_(3)(BO)derived from metal‐organic frameworks(MOFs),loaded with flower-like ZnIn_(2)S_(4)(ZIS).This approach substantially enhances water adsorption and surface catalytic reactions,resulting in a remarkable enhancement of photocatalytic activity.By employing triethanolamine(TEOA)as a sacrificial agent,the hydrogen evolution rate achieved with 15%(mass fraction)ZIS loading on BO reached an impressive value of 1610μmol∙h^(−1)∙g^(−1),marking a 6.34-fold increase compared to that observed for bare BO.Furthermore,through density functional theory(DFT)and ab initio molecular dynamics(AIMD)calculations,we have identified the reactions occurring at the ZIS/BO S-scheme heterojunction interface,including the identification of active sites for water adsorption and catalytic reactions.This study provides valuable insights into the development of high-performance composite photocatalytic materials with tailored electronic properties and wettability.展开更多
Compared to conventional electrocatalytic water splitting,electrocatalytic ethanol oxidation reaction(EOR)along with hydrogen production is considered a more energy-efficient strategy.Herein,we prepared a type of nove...Compared to conventional electrocatalytic water splitting,electrocatalytic ethanol oxidation reaction(EOR)along with hydrogen production is considered a more energy-efficient strategy.Herein,we prepared a type of novel quaternary alloy catalyst(PtAuCuNi@NF)that exhibits excellent activity for EOR(0.215 V at 10 mA cm^(-2))and hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)(7 mV at 10 mA cm^(-2)).Experimental results demonstrated that both Cu and Ni modulated the electronic environment around Pt and Au.The electron-rich active center facilitates the rapid adsorption and dissociation of reactants and intermediates for both EOR and HER.Impressively,in the ethanol-assisted overall water splitting(E-OWS),a current density of 10 mA cm^(-2)was achieved at 0.28 V.Moreover,an advanced acid-base self-powered system(A-Bsps)that can achieve a self-powered voltage of 0.59 V was assembled.Accordingly,the self-driven hydrogen production with zero external power supply was realized by integrating A-Bsps with the E-OWS equipment.The interesting results can provide a feasible strategy for designing and developing advanced nanoalloy-based materials for clean energy integration and use in various fields.展开更多
The sluggish kinetics of the oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)is the bottleneck for various electrochemical energy conversion devices.Regulating the electronic structure of electrocatalysts by ligands has received partic...The sluggish kinetics of the oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)is the bottleneck for various electrochemical energy conversion devices.Regulating the electronic structure of electrocatalysts by ligands has received particular attention in deriving valid ORR electrocatalysts.Here,the surface electronic structure of Ptbased noble metal aerogels(NMAs)was modulated by various organic ligands,among which the electron-withdrawing ligand of 4-methylphenylene effectively boosted the ORR electrocatalysis.Theoretical calculations suggested the smaller energy barrier for the transformation of O^(*) to OH^(*) and downshift the d-band center of Pt due to the interaction between 4-methylphenylene and the surface metals,thus enhancing the ORR intrinsic activity.Both Pt3Ni and Pt Pd aerogels with 4-methylphenylene decoration performed significant enhancement in ORR activity and durability in different media.Remarkably,the 4-methylphenylene modified Pt Pd aerogel exhibited the higher halfwave potential of 0.952 V and the mass activity of 10.2 times of commercial Pt/C.This work explained the effect of electronic structure on ORR electrocatalytic properties and would promote functionalized NMAs as efficient ORR electrocatalysts.展开更多
Owing to the distinctive structural characteristics,vanadium nitride(VN)is highly regarded as a catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)in zinc-air batteries(ZABs).However,VN exhibits limited intrinsic ORR activity...Owing to the distinctive structural characteristics,vanadium nitride(VN)is highly regarded as a catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)in zinc-air batteries(ZABs).However,VN exhibits limited intrinsic ORR activity due to the weak adsorption ability to O-containing species.Here,the S-doped VN anchored on N,S-doped multi-dimensional carbon(S-VN/Co/NS-MC)was constructed using the solvothermal and in-situ doping methods.Incorporating sulfur atoms into VN species alters the electron spin state of vanadium in the S-VN/Co/NS-MC for regulating the adsorption energy of vanadium sites to oxygen molecules.The introduced sulfur atoms polarize the V 3d_(z)^(2) electrons,shifting spin-down electrons closer to the Fermi level in the S-VN/Co/NS-MC.Consequently,the introduction of sulfur atoms into VN species enhances the adsorption energy of vanadium sites for oxygen molecules.The*OOH dissociation transitions from being unspontaneous on the VN surface to a spontaneous state on the S-doped VN surface.Then,the ORR barrier on the S-VN/Co/NS-MC surface is reduced.The S-VN/Co/NS-MC demonstrates a higher half-wave potential and limiting current density compared to the VN/Co/N-MC.The S-VN/Co/NS-MC-based liquid ZABs display a power density of 195.7 m W cm^(-2),a specific capacity of 815.7 m A h g^(-1),and a cycling stability exceeding 250 h.The S-VN/Co/NS-MC-based flexible ZABs are successfully employed to charge both a smart watch and a mobile phone.This approach holds promise for advancing the commercial utilization of VN-based catalysts in ZABs.展开更多
Zr-based amorphous alloys have attracted extensive attention because of their large glassy formation ability, wide supercooled liquid region, high elasticity, and unique mechanical strength induced by their icosahedra...Zr-based amorphous alloys have attracted extensive attention because of their large glassy formation ability, wide supercooled liquid region, high elasticity, and unique mechanical strength induced by their icosahedral local structures.To determine the microstructures of Zr–Cu clusters, the stable and metastable geometry of Zr_(n)Cu(n=2–12) clusters are screened out via the CALYPSO method using machine-learning potentials, and then the electronic structures are investigated using density functional theory. The results show that the Zr_(n)Cu(n ≥ 3) clusters possess three-dimensional geometries, Zr_(n)Cu(n≥9) possess cage-like geometries, and the Zr_(12)Cu cluster has icosahedral geometry. The binding energy per atom gradually gets enlarged with the increase in the size of the clusters, and Zr_(n)Cu(n=5,7,9,12) have relatively better stability than their neighbors. The magnetic moment of most Zr_(n)Cu clusters is just 1μB, and the main components of the highest occupied molecular orbitals(HOMOs) in the Zr_(12)Cu cluster come from the Zr-d state. There are hardly any localized two-center bonds, and there are about 20 σ-type delocalized three-center bonds.展开更多
Organic–inorganic lead halide perovskites(LHPs) have attracted great interest owing to their outstanding optoelectronic properties.Typically,the underlying electronic structure would determinate the physical properti...Organic–inorganic lead halide perovskites(LHPs) have attracted great interest owing to their outstanding optoelectronic properties.Typically,the underlying electronic structure would determinate the physical properties of materials.But as for now,limited studies have been done to reveal the underlying electronic structure of this material system,comparing to the huge amount of investigations on the material synthesis.The effective mass of the valance band is one of the most important physical parameters which plays a dominant role in charge transport and photovoltaic phenomena.In pristine CsPbBr_(3),the Fr?hlich polarons associated with the Pb–Br stretching modes are proposed to be responsible for the effective mass renormalization.In this regard,it would be very interesting to explore the electronic structure in doped LHPs.Here,we report high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy(ARPES) studies on both pristine and Cl-doped CsPbBr_(3).The experimental band dispersions are extracted from ARPES spectra along both ■ and ■ high symmetry directions.DFT calculations are performed and directly compared with the ARPES data.Our results have revealed the band structure of Cl-doped CsPbBr_(3) for the first time,which have also unveiled the effective mass renormalization in the Cl-doped CsPbBr_(3) compound.Doping dependent measurements indicate that the chlorine doping could moderately tune the renormalization strength.These results will help understand the physical properties of LHPs as a function of doping.展开更多
For the aim of finding new available functional materials, a series of nitrogen heteroatom 2 β naphthylbenzoxazole molecules were designed based on the experiment and theoretical studies of 2 β naphthylb...For the aim of finding new available functional materials, a series of nitrogen heteroatom 2 β naphthylbenzoxazole molecules were designed based on the experiment and theoretical studies of 2 β naphthylbenzoxazole molecule. Geometry optimization of the 2 β naphthylbenzoxazole was carried out by using Hyperchem Molecular Mechanics plus MM+. The planar molecular structure was obtained. The quantum chemistry calculating method PPP SCF CI, which is specially available to treat electron spectrum, was applied to investigate each novel designed molecules. Their electronic structures were analyzed in detail, it shows that total π electron energy decreased linearly with the number of replaced nitrogen. Single nitrogen atom located in benzoxazole ring or naphthalene ring results in contrary changes of level difference of FMO; multiple nitrogen atoms located in different molecular positions will lead to polarization of extremum in the level difference of FMO; and 5 nitrogen heteroatoms reach the culmination. Considering other electronic structure information, some favorable designed molecules were identified.展开更多
The first-principles density functional calculation is used to investigate the electronic structures and magnetic properties of Mn-doped and N-co-doped ZnO nanofilms.The band structure calculation shows that the band ...The first-principles density functional calculation is used to investigate the electronic structures and magnetic properties of Mn-doped and N-co-doped ZnO nanofilms.The band structure calculation shows that the band gaps of ZnO films with 2,4,and 6 layers are larger than the band gap of the bulk with wurtzite structure and decrease with the increase of film thickness.However,the four-layer ZnO nanofilms exhibit ferromagnetic phases for Mn concentrations less than 24% and 12% for Mn-doping performed in the whole layers and two layers of the film respectively,while they exhibit spin glass phases for higher Mn concentrations.It is also found,on the one hand,that the spin glass phase turns into the ferromagnetic one,with the substitution of nitrogen atoms for oxygen atoms,for nitrogen concentrations higher than 16% and 5% for Mn-doping performed in the whole layers and two layers of the film respectively.On the other hand,the spin-glass state is more stable for ZnO bulk containing 5% of Mn impurities,while the ferromagnetic phase is stable by introducing the p-type carriers into the bulk system.Moreover,it is shown that using the effective field theory for ferromagnetic system,the Curie temperature is close to the room temperature for the undamped Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yoshida（RKKY） interaction.展开更多
Aiming at developing p-type semiconductors and modulating the band gap for photoelectronic devices and band engineering, we present the ab initio numerical simulation of the effect of codoping ZnO with Al, N and Mg on...Aiming at developing p-type semiconductors and modulating the band gap for photoelectronic devices and band engineering, we present the ab initio numerical simulation of the effect of codoping ZnO with Al, N and Mg on the crystal lattice and electronic structure. The simulations are based on the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof generalised-gradient approximation in density functional theory. Results indicate that electrons close to the Fermi level transfer effectively when Al, Mg, and N replace Zn and O atoms, and the theoretical results were consistent with the experiments. The addition of Mg leads to the variation of crystal lattice, expanse of energy band, and change of band gap. These unusual properties are explained in terms of the computed electronic structure, and the results show promise for the development of next-generation photoconducting devices in optoelectronic information science and technology.展开更多
Montmorillonite is a kind of clay mineral which often causes large deformation in soft-rock tunnel engineering and thus brings about safety problems in practice.To deal with these engineering safety problems,the physi...Montmorillonite is a kind of clay mineral which often causes large deformation in soft-rock tunnel engineering and thus brings about safety problems in practice.To deal with these engineering safety problems,the physical and chemical properties of montmorillonite should be studied from basic viewpoints.We study the atomic and electronic structures of montmorillonite by using density-functional theory within the local-density approximation （LDA）.The results of calculation show that Al-O bond lengths are longer than Si-O bond lengths.It is found that both the valence band maximum （VBM） and the conduction band minimum （CBM） of montmorillonite are at point Г,and the calculated direct band gap of montmorillonite is 5.35 eV. We show that the chemical bonding between cations and oxygen anions in montmorillonite is mainly ionic,accompanied as well by a minor covalent component.It is pointed out that the VBM and CBM of montmorillonite consist of oxygen 2p and cation s states,respectively.Our calculated results help to understand the chemical and physical properties of montmorillonite,and are expected to be a guide for solving the problem of large deformation of soft-rock tunnels.展开更多
First-principle calculations with different exchange-correlation functionals, including LDA, PBE, and vd W-DF functional in the form of opt B88-vd W, have been performed to investigate the electronic and elastic prope...First-principle calculations with different exchange-correlation functionals, including LDA, PBE, and vd W-DF functional in the form of opt B88-vd W, have been performed to investigate the electronic and elastic properties of twodimensional transition metal dichalcogenides（TMDCs） with the formula of MX2（M = Mo, W; X = O, S, Se, Te） in both monolayer and bilayer structures. The calculated band structures show a direct band gap for monolayer TMDCs at the K point except for MoO2 and WO2. When the monolayers are stacked into a bilayer, the reduced indirect band gaps are found except for bilayer WTe2, in which the direct gap is still present at the K point. The calculated in-plane Young moduli are comparable to that of graphene, which promises possible application of TMDCs in future flexible and stretchable electronic devices. We also evaluated the performance of different functionals including LDA, PBE, and opt B88-vd W in describing elastic moduli of TMDCs and found that LDA seems to be the most qualified method. Moreover, our calculations suggest that the Young moduli for bilayers are insensitive to stacking orders and the mechanical coupling between monolayers seems to be negligible.展开更多
The effect of In doping on the electronic structure and optical properties of SrTiO3 is investigated by the first-principles calculation of plane wave ultra-soft pseudo-potential based on the density function theory ...The effect of In doping on the electronic structure and optical properties of SrTiO3 is investigated by the first-principles calculation of plane wave ultra-soft pseudo-potential based on the density function theory （DFT）. The calculated results reveal that due to the hole doping, the Fermi level shifts into valence bands （VBs） for SrTi1-x InxO3 with x = 0.125 and the system exhibits p-type degenerate semiconductor features. It is suggested according to the density of states （DOS） of SrTi0.875In0.125O3 that the band structure of p-type SrTIO3 can be described by a rigid band model. At the same time, the DOS shifts towards high energies and the optical band gap is broadened. The wide band gap, small transition probability and weak absorption due to the low partial density of states （PDOS） of impurity in the Fermi level result in the optical transparency of the film. The optical transmittance of In doped SrTiO3 is higher than 85% in a visible region, and the transmittance improves greatly. And the cut-off wavelength shifts into a blue-light region with the increase of In doping concentration.展开更多
Coordination tuning electronic structure of host materials is a quite effective strategy for activating and improving the intrinsic properties.Herein,halogen anion(X-)-incorporated β-FeOOH(β-FeOOH(X),X=F-,Cl-,and Br...Coordination tuning electronic structure of host materials is a quite effective strategy for activating and improving the intrinsic properties.Herein,halogen anion(X-)-incorporated β-FeOOH(β-FeOOH(X),X=F-,Cl-,and Br-) was investigated with a spontaneous adsorption process,which realized a great improvement of supercapacitor performances by adjusting the coordination geometry.Experiments coupled with theoretical calculations demonstrated that the change of Fe-O bond length and structural distortion of β-FeOOH,which is rooted in halogen ions embedment,led to the relatively narrow band gap.Because of the strong electronegativity of X-,the Fe element in β-FeOOH(X)s presented the unexpected high valence state(3+δ),which is facilitating to adsorb S032-species.Consequently,the designed β-FeOOH(X)s exhibited the good electric conductivity and enhanced the contact between electrode and electrolyte.When used as a negative electrode,the β-FeOOH(F) showed the excellent specific capacity of 391.9 F g-1 at 1 A g-1 current density,almost tenfold improvement compared with initial β-FeOOH,with the superior rate capacity and cyclic stability.This combinational design principle of electronic structure and electrochemical performances provides a promising way to develop advanced electrode materials for supercapacitor.展开更多
The electronic structures and magnetism of Fe nanowires along the [110] direction on Cu（001） and Ag（001） [Fe（nw）/Cu（001） and Fe（nw）/Ag（001）] are investigated by using the all-electron full-potential linear...The electronic structures and magnetism of Fe nanowires along the [110] direction on Cu（001） and Ag（001） [Fe（nw）/Cu（001） and Fe（nw）/Ag（001）] are investigated by using the all-electron full-potential linearized augmented plane wave method in the generalized gradient approximation. It is found that the magnetic moment of Fe atom for the Fe（nw）/Cu（001） is 2.99#B, which is slightly smaller than that （3.02μB） for the Fe（nw）/Ag（001） but much larger than that （2.22μB） for the bcc iron. The great enhancement of magnetic moment in the Fe nanowires can be explained by the Fe d-band narrowing and enhancement of the spin-splitting due to a reduction in coordination number, From the calculated spin-polarized layer-projected density of states, it is found that the Fe 3d-states are strongly hybridized with the adjacent Cu 3d-states in the Fe（nw）/Cu（001）, and there exists a strong hybridization between the Fe sp-and the adjacent Ag 4d-states in the Fe（nw）/Ag（001）.展开更多
The magnetisms of RCo5（R = rare earth） intermetallics are systematically studied with the empirical electron theory of solids and molecules（EET）.The theoretical moments and Curie temperatures agree well with exper...The magnetisms of RCo5（R = rare earth） intermetallics are systematically studied with the empirical electron theory of solids and molecules（EET）.The theoretical moments and Curie temperatures agree well with experimental ones.The calculated results show strong correlations between the valence electronic structure and the magnetic properties in RCo5 intermetallic compounds.The moments of RCo5 intermetallics originate mainly from the 3d electrons of Co atoms and 4f electrons of rare earth,and the s electrons also affect the magnetic moments by the hybridization of d and s electrons.It is found that moment of Co atom at 2c site is higher than that at 3g site due to the fact that the bonding effect between R and Co is associated with an electron transformation from 3d electrons into covalence electrons.In the heavy rare-earth-based RCo5 intermetallics,the contribution to magnetic moment originates from the 3d and 4f electrons.The covalence electrons and lattice electrons also affect the Curie temperature,which is proportional to the average moment along the various bonds.展开更多
TiO2 has been recently used to realize high-temperature ferromagnetic semiconductors.In fact,it has been widely used for a long time as white pigment and sunscreen because of its whiteness,high refractive index,and ex...TiO2 has been recently used to realize high-temperature ferromagnetic semiconductors.In fact,it has been widely used for a long time as white pigment and sunscreen because of its whiteness,high refractive index,and excellent optical properties.However,its electronic structures and the related properties have not been satisfactorily understood.Here,we use Tran and Blaha＇s modified Becke-Johnson（TB-mBJ） exchange potential（plus a local density approximation correlation potential） within the density functional theory to investigate electronic structures and optical properties of rutile and anatase TiO2.Our comparative calculations show that the energy gaps obtained from mBJ method agree better with the experimental results than that obtained from local density approximation（LDA） and generalized gradient approximation（GGA）,in contrast with substantially overestimated values from many-body perturbation（GW） calculations.As for optical dielectric functions（both real and imaginary parts）,refractive index,and extinction coefficients as functions of photon energy,our mBJ calculated results are in excellent agreement with the experimental curves.Our further analysis reveals that these excellent improvements are achieved because mBJ potential describes accurately the energy levels of Ti 3d states.These results should be helpful to understand the high temperature ferromagnetism in doped TiO2.This approach can be used as a standard to understand electronic structures and the related properties of such materials as TiO2.展开更多
First-principles, all-electron, ab initio calculations have been performed to construct an equivalent water potential for the electronic structure of serine （Ser） in solution. The calculation is composed of three st...First-principles, all-electron, ab initio calculations have been performed to construct an equivalent water potential for the electronic structure of serine （Ser） in solution. The calculation is composed of three steps. The first step is to search for the configuration of the Ser _ nH2O system with a minimum energy. The second step is to calculate the electronic structure of Ser with the water molecule potential via the self-consistent cluster-embedding method （SCCE）, based on the result obtained in the first step. The last step is to calculate the electronic structure of Set with the dipole potential after replacing the water molecules with dipoles. The results show that the occupied states of Ser are raised by about 0.017 Ry on average due to the effect of water. The water effect can be successfully simulated by using the dipole potential. The obtained equivalent potential can be applied directly to the electronic structure calculation of protein in solution by using the SCCE method.展开更多
Electronic structures of the artificial molecule comprising two truncated pyramidal quantum dots vertically coupled and embedded in the matrix are theoretically analysed via the finite element method. When the quantum...Electronic structures of the artificial molecule comprising two truncated pyramidal quantum dots vertically coupled and embedded in the matrix are theoretically analysed via the finite element method. When the quantum dots are completely aligned, the electron energy levels decrease with the horizontally applied electric field. However, energy levels may have the maxima at non-zero electric field if the dots are staggered by a distance of several nanometers in the same direction of the electric field. In addition to shifting the energy levels, the electric field can also manipulate the electron wavefunctions confined in the quantum dots, in company with the non-perfect alignment.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(U21A20281)the Special Fund for Young Teachers from Zhengzhou University(JC23557030,JC23257011)+1 种基金the Key Research Projects of Higher Education Institutions of Henan Province(24A530009)the Project of Zhongyuan Critical Metals Laboratory(GJJSGFYQ202336).
文摘Point defect engineering endows catalysts with novel physical and chemical properties,elevating their electrocatalytic efficiency.The introduction of defects emerges as a promising strategy,effectively modifying the electronic structure of active sites.This optimization influences the adsorption energy of intermediates,thereby mitigating reaction energy barriers,altering paths,enhancing selectivity,and ultimately improving the catalytic efficiency of electrocatalysts.To elucidate the impact of defects on the electrocatalytic process,we comprehensively outline the roles of various point defects,their synthetic methodologies,and characterization techniques.Importantly,we consolidate insights into the relationship between point defects and catalytic activity for hydrogen/oxygen evolution and CO_(2)/O_(2)/N_(2) reduction reactions by integrating mechanisms from diverse reactions.This underscores the pivotal role of point defects in enhancing catalytic performance.At last,the principal challenges and prospects associated with point defects in current electrocatalysts are proposed,emphasizing their role in advancing the efficiency of electrochemical energy storage and conversion materials.
基金supported by the Taishan Scholar Program of Shandong Province,China (tsqn202211162)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22102079)the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province of China (ZR2021YQ10,ZR2022QB163)。
文摘The poor stability of RuO_(2)electrocatalysts has been the primary obstacles for their practical application in polymer electrolyte membrane electrolyzers.To dramatically enhance the durability of RuO_(2)to construct activity-stability trade-off model is full of significance but challenging.Herein,a single atom Zn stabilized RuO_(2)with enriched oxygen vacancies(SA Zn-RuO_(2))is developed as a promising alternative to iridium oxide for acidic oxygen evolution reaction(OER).Compared with commercial RuO_(2),the enhanced Ru–O bond strength of SA Zn-RuO_(2)by forming Zn-O-Ru local structure motif is favorable to stabilize surface Ru,while the electrons transferred from Zn single atoms to adjacent Ru atoms protects the Ru active sites from overoxidation.Simultaneously,the optimized surrounding electronic structure of Ru sites in SA ZnRuO_(2)decreases the adsorption energies of OER intermediates to reduce the reaction barrier.As a result,the representative SA Zn-RuO_(2)exhibits a low overpotential of 210 mV to achieve 10 mA cm^(-2)and a greatly enhanced durability than commercial RuO_(2).This work provides a promising dual-engineering strategy by coupling single atom doping and vacancy for the tradeoff of high activity and catalytic stability toward acidic OER.
文摘The production of renewable fuels through water splitting via photocatalytic hydrogen production holds significant promise.Nonetheless,the sluggish kinetics of hydrogen evolution and the inadequate water adsorption on photocatalysts present notable challenges.In this study,we have devised a straightforward hydrothermal method to synthesize Bi_(2)O_(3)(BO)derived from metal‐organic frameworks(MOFs),loaded with flower-like ZnIn_(2)S_(4)(ZIS).This approach substantially enhances water adsorption and surface catalytic reactions,resulting in a remarkable enhancement of photocatalytic activity.By employing triethanolamine(TEOA)as a sacrificial agent,the hydrogen evolution rate achieved with 15%(mass fraction)ZIS loading on BO reached an impressive value of 1610μmol∙h^(−1)∙g^(−1),marking a 6.34-fold increase compared to that observed for bare BO.Furthermore,through density functional theory(DFT)and ab initio molecular dynamics(AIMD)calculations,we have identified the reactions occurring at the ZIS/BO S-scheme heterojunction interface,including the identification of active sites for water adsorption and catalytic reactions.This study provides valuable insights into the development of high-performance composite photocatalytic materials with tailored electronic properties and wettability.
基金supported by the Key projects of intergovernmental international cooperation in the Key R&D programs of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China(No.2021YFE0115800)the National Science Funding Committee of China(No.U20A20250)。
文摘Compared to conventional electrocatalytic water splitting,electrocatalytic ethanol oxidation reaction(EOR)along with hydrogen production is considered a more energy-efficient strategy.Herein,we prepared a type of novel quaternary alloy catalyst(PtAuCuNi@NF)that exhibits excellent activity for EOR(0.215 V at 10 mA cm^(-2))and hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)(7 mV at 10 mA cm^(-2)).Experimental results demonstrated that both Cu and Ni modulated the electronic environment around Pt and Au.The electron-rich active center facilitates the rapid adsorption and dissociation of reactants and intermediates for both EOR and HER.Impressively,in the ethanol-assisted overall water splitting(E-OWS),a current density of 10 mA cm^(-2)was achieved at 0.28 V.Moreover,an advanced acid-base self-powered system(A-Bsps)that can achieve a self-powered voltage of 0.59 V was assembled.Accordingly,the self-driven hydrogen production with zero external power supply was realized by integrating A-Bsps with the E-OWS equipment.The interesting results can provide a feasible strategy for designing and developing advanced nanoalloy-based materials for clean energy integration and use in various fields.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(22374119,21902128)the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(2021M692620)+1 种基金the Research Fund of the State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing(NPU),China(2021-QZ-01)the Key Project of Natural Science Fund of Shaanxi Province(2023-JC-ZD-06)。
文摘The sluggish kinetics of the oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)is the bottleneck for various electrochemical energy conversion devices.Regulating the electronic structure of electrocatalysts by ligands has received particular attention in deriving valid ORR electrocatalysts.Here,the surface electronic structure of Ptbased noble metal aerogels(NMAs)was modulated by various organic ligands,among which the electron-withdrawing ligand of 4-methylphenylene effectively boosted the ORR electrocatalysis.Theoretical calculations suggested the smaller energy barrier for the transformation of O^(*) to OH^(*) and downshift the d-band center of Pt due to the interaction between 4-methylphenylene and the surface metals,thus enhancing the ORR intrinsic activity.Both Pt3Ni and Pt Pd aerogels with 4-methylphenylene decoration performed significant enhancement in ORR activity and durability in different media.Remarkably,the 4-methylphenylene modified Pt Pd aerogel exhibited the higher halfwave potential of 0.952 V and the mass activity of 10.2 times of commercial Pt/C.This work explained the effect of electronic structure on ORR electrocatalytic properties and would promote functionalized NMAs as efficient ORR electrocatalysts.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.22178148,22278193,22075113)the Jiangsu Province and Education Ministry Co-Sponsored Synergistic Innovation Center of Modern Agricultural Equipment(Grant No.XTCX2029)+1 种基金a Project Funded by the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutionsthe Postgraduate Research&Practice Innovation Program of Jiangsu Province(Grant No.KYCX22_3691)。
文摘Owing to the distinctive structural characteristics,vanadium nitride(VN)is highly regarded as a catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)in zinc-air batteries(ZABs).However,VN exhibits limited intrinsic ORR activity due to the weak adsorption ability to O-containing species.Here,the S-doped VN anchored on N,S-doped multi-dimensional carbon(S-VN/Co/NS-MC)was constructed using the solvothermal and in-situ doping methods.Incorporating sulfur atoms into VN species alters the electron spin state of vanadium in the S-VN/Co/NS-MC for regulating the adsorption energy of vanadium sites to oxygen molecules.The introduced sulfur atoms polarize the V 3d_(z)^(2) electrons,shifting spin-down electrons closer to the Fermi level in the S-VN/Co/NS-MC.Consequently,the introduction of sulfur atoms into VN species enhances the adsorption energy of vanadium sites for oxygen molecules.The*OOH dissociation transitions from being unspontaneous on the VN surface to a spontaneous state on the S-doped VN surface.Then,the ORR barrier on the S-VN/Co/NS-MC surface is reduced.The S-VN/Co/NS-MC demonstrates a higher half-wave potential and limiting current density compared to the VN/Co/N-MC.The S-VN/Co/NS-MC-based liquid ZABs display a power density of 195.7 m W cm^(-2),a specific capacity of 815.7 m A h g^(-1),and a cycling stability exceeding 250 h.The S-VN/Co/NS-MC-based flexible ZABs are successfully employed to charge both a smart watch and a mobile phone.This approach holds promise for advancing the commercial utilization of VN-based catalysts in ZABs.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos.11864040,11964037,and 11664038)。
文摘Zr-based amorphous alloys have attracted extensive attention because of their large glassy formation ability, wide supercooled liquid region, high elasticity, and unique mechanical strength induced by their icosahedral local structures.To determine the microstructures of Zr–Cu clusters, the stable and metastable geometry of Zr_(n)Cu(n=2–12) clusters are screened out via the CALYPSO method using machine-learning potentials, and then the electronic structures are investigated using density functional theory. The results show that the Zr_(n)Cu(n ≥ 3) clusters possess three-dimensional geometries, Zr_(n)Cu(n≥9) possess cage-like geometries, and the Zr_(12)Cu cluster has icosahedral geometry. The binding energy per atom gradually gets enlarged with the increase in the size of the clusters, and Zr_(n)Cu(n=5,7,9,12) have relatively better stability than their neighbors. The magnetic moment of most Zr_(n)Cu clusters is just 1μB, and the main components of the highest occupied molecular orbitals(HOMOs) in the Zr_(12)Cu cluster come from the Zr-d state. There are hardly any localized two-center bonds, and there are about 20 σ-type delocalized three-center bonds.
基金Project supported by the International Partnership Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.123GJHZ2022035MI)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(Grant Nos.WK3510000015 and WK3510000012)。
文摘Organic–inorganic lead halide perovskites(LHPs) have attracted great interest owing to their outstanding optoelectronic properties.Typically,the underlying electronic structure would determinate the physical properties of materials.But as for now,limited studies have been done to reveal the underlying electronic structure of this material system,comparing to the huge amount of investigations on the material synthesis.The effective mass of the valance band is one of the most important physical parameters which plays a dominant role in charge transport and photovoltaic phenomena.In pristine CsPbBr_(3),the Fr?hlich polarons associated with the Pb–Br stretching modes are proposed to be responsible for the effective mass renormalization.In this regard,it would be very interesting to explore the electronic structure in doped LHPs.Here,we report high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy(ARPES) studies on both pristine and Cl-doped CsPbBr_(3).The experimental band dispersions are extracted from ARPES spectra along both ■ and ■ high symmetry directions.DFT calculations are performed and directly compared with the ARPES data.Our results have revealed the band structure of Cl-doped CsPbBr_(3) for the first time,which have also unveiled the effective mass renormalization in the Cl-doped CsPbBr_(3) compound.Doping dependent measurements indicate that the chlorine doping could moderately tune the renormalization strength.These results will help understand the physical properties of LHPs as a function of doping.
文摘For the aim of finding new available functional materials, a series of nitrogen heteroatom 2 β naphthylbenzoxazole molecules were designed based on the experiment and theoretical studies of 2 β naphthylbenzoxazole molecule. Geometry optimization of the 2 β naphthylbenzoxazole was carried out by using Hyperchem Molecular Mechanics plus MM+. The planar molecular structure was obtained. The quantum chemistry calculating method PPP SCF CI, which is specially available to treat electron spectrum, was applied to investigate each novel designed molecules. Their electronic structures were analyzed in detail, it shows that total π electron energy decreased linearly with the number of replaced nitrogen. Single nitrogen atom located in benzoxazole ring or naphthalene ring results in contrary changes of level difference of FMO; multiple nitrogen atoms located in different molecular positions will lead to polarization of extremum in the level difference of FMO; and 5 nitrogen heteroatoms reach the culmination. Considering other electronic structure information, some favorable designed molecules were identified.
文摘The first-principles density functional calculation is used to investigate the electronic structures and magnetic properties of Mn-doped and N-co-doped ZnO nanofilms.The band structure calculation shows that the band gaps of ZnO films with 2,4,and 6 layers are larger than the band gap of the bulk with wurtzite structure and decrease with the increase of film thickness.However,the four-layer ZnO nanofilms exhibit ferromagnetic phases for Mn concentrations less than 24% and 12% for Mn-doping performed in the whole layers and two layers of the film respectively,while they exhibit spin glass phases for higher Mn concentrations.It is also found,on the one hand,that the spin glass phase turns into the ferromagnetic one,with the substitution of nitrogen atoms for oxygen atoms,for nitrogen concentrations higher than 16% and 5% for Mn-doping performed in the whole layers and two layers of the film respectively.On the other hand,the spin-glass state is more stable for ZnO bulk containing 5% of Mn impurities,while the ferromagnetic phase is stable by introducing the p-type carriers into the bulk system.Moreover,it is shown that using the effective field theory for ferromagnetic system,the Curie temperature is close to the room temperature for the undamped Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yoshida（RKKY） interaction.
基金Project supported by the National Basic Research Program of China(Grant No.2011CB606401)
文摘Aiming at developing p-type semiconductors and modulating the band gap for photoelectronic devices and band engineering, we present the ab initio numerical simulation of the effect of codoping ZnO with Al, N and Mg on the crystal lattice and electronic structure. The simulations are based on the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof generalised-gradient approximation in density functional theory. Results indicate that electrons close to the Fermi level transfer effectively when Al, Mg, and N replace Zn and O atoms, and the theoretical results were consistent with the experiments. The addition of Mg leads to the variation of crystal lattice, expanse of energy band, and change of band gap. These unusual properties are explained in terms of the computed electronic structure, and the results show promise for the development of next-generation photoconducting devices in optoelectronic information science and technology.
基金Project supported by the National Key Basic Research Program of China (Grant No 2006CB202200)the Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University of China (Grant No IRT0656)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No 50490270)
文摘Montmorillonite is a kind of clay mineral which often causes large deformation in soft-rock tunnel engineering and thus brings about safety problems in practice.To deal with these engineering safety problems,the physical and chemical properties of montmorillonite should be studied from basic viewpoints.We study the atomic and electronic structures of montmorillonite by using density-functional theory within the local-density approximation （LDA）.The results of calculation show that Al-O bond lengths are longer than Si-O bond lengths.It is found that both the valence band maximum （VBM） and the conduction band minimum （CBM） of montmorillonite are at point Г,and the calculated direct band gap of montmorillonite is 5.35 eV. We show that the chemical bonding between cations and oxygen anions in montmorillonite is mainly ionic,accompanied as well by a minor covalent component.It is pointed out that the VBM and CBM of montmorillonite consist of oxygen 2p and cation s states,respectively.Our calculated results help to understand the chemical and physical properties of montmorillonite,and are expected to be a guide for solving the problem of large deformation of soft-rock tunnels.
基金Project supported by the Construct Program of the Key Discipline in Hunan Province,ChinaAid Program for Science and Technology Innovative Research Team in Higher Educational Institutions of Hunan Province,China
文摘First-principle calculations with different exchange-correlation functionals, including LDA, PBE, and vd W-DF functional in the form of opt B88-vd W, have been performed to investigate the electronic and elastic properties of twodimensional transition metal dichalcogenides（TMDCs） with the formula of MX2（M = Mo, W; X = O, S, Se, Te） in both monolayer and bilayer structures. The calculated band structures show a direct band gap for monolayer TMDCs at the K point except for MoO2 and WO2. When the monolayers are stacked into a bilayer, the reduced indirect band gaps are found except for bilayer WTe2, in which the direct gap is still present at the K point. The calculated in-plane Young moduli are comparable to that of graphene, which promises possible application of TMDCs in future flexible and stretchable electronic devices. We also evaluated the performance of different functionals including LDA, PBE, and opt B88-vd W in describing elastic moduli of TMDCs and found that LDA seems to be the most qualified method. Moreover, our calculations suggest that the Young moduli for bilayers are insensitive to stacking orders and the mechanical coupling between monolayers seems to be negligible.
基金Project supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Shaanxi Province, China （Grant No 2005F06）.
文摘The effect of In doping on the electronic structure and optical properties of SrTiO3 is investigated by the first-principles calculation of plane wave ultra-soft pseudo-potential based on the density function theory （DFT）. The calculated results reveal that due to the hole doping, the Fermi level shifts into valence bands （VBs） for SrTi1-x InxO3 with x = 0.125 and the system exhibits p-type degenerate semiconductor features. It is suggested according to the density of states （DOS） of SrTi0.875In0.125O3 that the band structure of p-type SrTIO3 can be described by a rigid band model. At the same time, the DOS shifts towards high energies and the optical band gap is broadened. The wide band gap, small transition probability and weak absorption due to the low partial density of states （PDOS） of impurity in the Fermi level result in the optical transparency of the film. The optical transmittance of In doped SrTiO3 is higher than 85% in a visible region, and the transmittance improves greatly. And the cut-off wavelength shifts into a blue-light region with the increase of In doping concentration.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.2177060378,21627813,and 21521005)the Program for Changjiang Scholars,Innovative Research Teams in Universities(No.IRT1205)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(Nos.12060093063 and XK1803-05).
文摘Coordination tuning electronic structure of host materials is a quite effective strategy for activating and improving the intrinsic properties.Herein,halogen anion(X-)-incorporated β-FeOOH(β-FeOOH(X),X=F-,Cl-,and Br-) was investigated with a spontaneous adsorption process,which realized a great improvement of supercapacitor performances by adjusting the coordination geometry.Experiments coupled with theoretical calculations demonstrated that the change of Fe-O bond length and structural distortion of β-FeOOH,which is rooted in halogen ions embedment,led to the relatively narrow band gap.Because of the strong electronegativity of X-,the Fe element in β-FeOOH(X)s presented the unexpected high valence state(3+δ),which is facilitating to adsorb S032-species.Consequently,the designed β-FeOOH(X)s exhibited the good electric conductivity and enhanced the contact between electrode and electrolyte.When used as a negative electrode,the β-FeOOH(F) showed the excellent specific capacity of 391.9 F g-1 at 1 A g-1 current density,almost tenfold improvement compared with initial β-FeOOH,with the superior rate capacity and cyclic stability.This combinational design principle of electronic structure and electrochemical performances provides a promising way to develop advanced electrode materials for supercapacitor.
文摘The electronic structures and magnetism of Fe nanowires along the [110] direction on Cu（001） and Ag（001） [Fe（nw）/Cu（001） and Fe（nw）/Ag（001）] are investigated by using the all-electron full-potential linearized augmented plane wave method in the generalized gradient approximation. It is found that the magnetic moment of Fe atom for the Fe（nw）/Cu（001） is 2.99#B, which is slightly smaller than that （3.02μB） for the Fe（nw）/Ag（001） but much larger than that （2.22μB） for the bcc iron. The great enhancement of magnetic moment in the Fe nanowires can be explained by the Fe d-band narrowing and enhancement of the spin-splitting due to a reduction in coordination number, From the calculated spin-polarized layer-projected density of states, it is found that the Fe 3d-states are strongly hybridized with the adjacent Cu 3d-states in the Fe（nw）/Cu（001）, and there exists a strong hybridization between the Fe sp-and the adjacent Ag 4d-states in the Fe（nw）/Ag（001）.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.11274110)
文摘The magnetisms of RCo5（R = rare earth） intermetallics are systematically studied with the empirical electron theory of solids and molecules（EET）.The theoretical moments and Curie temperatures agree well with experimental ones.The calculated results show strong correlations between the valence electronic structure and the magnetic properties in RCo5 intermetallic compounds.The moments of RCo5 intermetallics originate mainly from the 3d electrons of Co atoms and 4f electrons of rare earth,and the s electrons also affect the magnetic moments by the hybridization of d and s electrons.It is found that moment of Co atom at 2c site is higher than that at 3g site due to the fact that the bonding effect between R and Co is associated with an electron transformation from 3d electrons into covalence electrons.In the heavy rare-earth-based RCo5 intermetallics,the contribution to magnetic moment originates from the 3d and 4f electrons.The covalence electrons and lattice electrons also affect the Curie temperature,which is proportional to the average moment along the various bonds.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11174359,10874232,and 10774180)the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2012CB932302)
文摘TiO2 has been recently used to realize high-temperature ferromagnetic semiconductors.In fact,it has been widely used for a long time as white pigment and sunscreen because of its whiteness,high refractive index,and excellent optical properties.However,its electronic structures and the related properties have not been satisfactorily understood.Here,we use Tran and Blaha＇s modified Becke-Johnson（TB-mBJ） exchange potential（plus a local density approximation correlation potential） within the density functional theory to investigate electronic structures and optical properties of rutile and anatase TiO2.Our comparative calculations show that the energy gaps obtained from mBJ method agree better with the experimental results than that obtained from local density approximation（LDA） and generalized gradient approximation（GGA）,in contrast with substantially overestimated values from many-body perturbation（GW） calculations.As for optical dielectric functions（both real and imaginary parts）,refractive index,and extinction coefficients as functions of photon energy,our mBJ calculated results are in excellent agreement with the experimental curves.Our further analysis reveals that these excellent improvements are achieved because mBJ potential describes accurately the energy levels of Ti 3d states.These results should be helpful to understand the high temperature ferromagnetism in doped TiO2.This approach can be used as a standard to understand electronic structures and the related properties of such materials as TiO2.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No 30470410)the Science and Technology Development Foundation of Shanghai,China(Grant No 03JC14070)
文摘First-principles, all-electron, ab initio calculations have been performed to construct an equivalent water potential for the electronic structure of serine （Ser） in solution. The calculation is composed of three steps. The first step is to search for the configuration of the Ser _ nH2O system with a minimum energy. The second step is to calculate the electronic structure of Ser with the water molecule potential via the self-consistent cluster-embedding method （SCCE）, based on the result obtained in the first step. The last step is to calculate the electronic structure of Set with the dipole potential after replacing the water molecules with dipoles. The results show that the occupied states of Ser are raised by about 0.017 Ry on average due to the effect of water. The water effect can be successfully simulated by using the dipole potential. The obtained equivalent potential can be applied directly to the electronic structure calculation of protein in solution by using the SCCE method.
基金supported by the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2009AA03Z405)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 60908028 and 60971068)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant No. BUPT2009RC0411)
文摘Electronic structures of the artificial molecule comprising two truncated pyramidal quantum dots vertically coupled and embedded in the matrix are theoretically analysed via the finite element method. When the quantum dots are completely aligned, the electron energy levels decrease with the horizontally applied electric field. However, energy levels may have the maxima at non-zero electric field if the dots are staggered by a distance of several nanometers in the same direction of the electric field. In addition to shifting the energy levels, the electric field can also manipulate the electron wavefunctions confined in the quantum dots, in company with the non-perfect alignment.
