Realization of the Zn 3+ oxidation state
Realizing the Zn +3 oxidation state by interacting with superelectrophilic clusters that are stable gas-phase trianions in their ground states.
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Realizing the Zn +3 oxidation state by interacting with superelectrophilic clusters that are stable gas-phase trianions in their ground states.
Organic–inorganic hybrid metal halides have been extensively studied because of their great potential in optoelectronics. Herein, we report three hybrid metal halides (Bmpip) 2 ZnBr 4 , (Bmpip) 2 CdBr 4 , and (Bmpip) 8 Pb 11 Br 30 (where Bmpip + is 1-butyl-1-methyl-piperidinium, C 10 H 22 N + ). (Bmpip) 2 ZnBr 4 and (Bmpip) 2 CdBr 4 crystallize in the P2 1 /c space group with zero-dimensional crystal structures with [MBr 4 ] 2− (M = Zn, Cd) tetrahedra isolated by Bmpip + . (Bmpip) 8 Pb 11 Br 30 crystallizes in the triclinic space group P$\overline{1}$ with combining macron] with one-dimensional corrugated chains constructed from face-sharing [PbBr 6 ] 4− octahedra. Furthermore, all of the compounds exhibit excellent ambient and thermal stability. Under UV excitation, all three compounds exhibit very broad emissions. Temperature-dependent photoluminescence measurements indicate that the broad emissions of (Bmpip) 2 ZnBr 4 and (Bmpip) 2 CdBr 4 can be attributed to both the organic cations and self-trapped excitons (STEs) and that the emission of (Bmpip) 8 Pb 11 Br 30 is assigned to STEs. Density functional theory calculations reveal that the three compounds adopt a direct band gap. This work enriches our understanding of the structure types of hybrid metal halides while revealing their diverse emission mechanisms.
Hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveals the (Cd,Zn)S:Ga/CuSbS 2 thin-film solar cell interface to be heavily intermixed resulting in a ‘cliff’-like conduction band offset.
Na plating and stripping on Zn surfaces exhibits >99.9% faradaic efficiency for a range of current densities with a 1.0 M NaPF 6 in a diglyme-based electrolyte. This enabled anode-free Na metal batteries with ∼90% capacity retention over 100 cycles.
This work explores the utilization of a photoactive organic cation for the preparation of R 2 MCl 4 (M = Zn, Cd; R = (E)-4-styrylpyridinium, C 13 H 12 N + ). Here, the zero-dimensional crystal structures of R 2 MCl 4 contain isolated tetrahedral anions [MCl 4 ] 2– separated by the organic cations R + , leading to flat bands around the optical band gap. In R 2 MCl 4 , the inorganic band gaps are sufficiently large to accommodate the organic molecular levels within, and therefore, the optical properties of R 2 MCl 4 are determined by the organic cation. Our combined optical spectroscopy and density functional theory (DFT) studies confirm the attribution of the bright green photoluminescence demonstrated by R 2 MCl 4 to the organic molecular emission. Importantly, the incorporation of the photoemissive organic cation R + into the hybrid framework in R 2 MCl 4 leads to a nearly two-fold enhancement of the light emission efficiency with the measured photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) values of 6.04%, 10.40% and 11.21% for RCl, R 2 ZnCl 4 and R 2 CdCl 4 , respectively. In addition, the crystal structure of the hybrid R 2 MCl 4 ensures a stabilized PL emission, preventing the occurrence of the harmful organic photodimerization, which is a notorious problem for this class of organic emitters.
Valence-to-core X-ray emission spectroscopy is combined with electronic structure theory and molecular dynamics simulations to quantify contact ion pairing in Zn halide aqueous electrolytes.
By using coordinating anions such as acetate, a water-in-salt-like coordination environment of Zn ions is achieved in relatively dilute conditions, leading to prolonged and efficient cycling of zinc metal anodes.
Metathesis reactions can synthesize a semiconductor Zn 3 WN 4 from Li 6 WN 4 combined with a ZnX 2 salt (where X = Br, Cl, F).
Electrochemical cycling of the VOPO 4 cathode in aqueous Zn-ion batteries proceeds via proton insertion, which is accompanied by the conformal coating of an amorphous ZnO layer on the electrode particles.
Various zinc anodes with increasing calcium zincate (0%, 30%, 70%, 100%) were cycled at 50% theoretical Zn utilization to investigate cycle life and estimated cost. Failure mechanisms of majority 70% Zn/30% CaZn anodes are compared with pure CaZn.
Analyses and modeling of the T -dependent thermal properties of Zn 2 GeSe 4 reveal an ultra-low thermal conductivity over a large temperature range due to low-frequency soft modes as well as strong lattice anharmonicity.
Aqueous Zn/MnO 2 batteries are a promising, safe alternative for grid-scale energy storage, owing to their environmentally safe and low-cost nature. The dissolution–deposition reaction mechanism in a mild aqueous pH regime has recently gained significance due to its relevance in battery design. Comprehending both the specific locations and the way reaction progresses is crucial for efficient batteries. This study demonstrates that Zinc Hydroxy Sulfate (ZHS) formed during discharge primarily near the dissolved MnO2 particles. Acting as a host for charge reactants in subsequent cycles, the charge product morphology was visualized using operando X-ray fluorescence microscopy. After ∼400 hours of cycling, capacity fade was linked to the formation of a Zn–Mn core–shell phase which is attributed to an irreversible core phase in the electrode, visualized through three-dimensional chemical mapping. Altogether, this research underscores the importance of understanding local morphological evolution in designing electrodes and chemistries for advanced grid-scale energy storage technologies.
We report the first-time measurement of the electron-hole pair (ehp) creation energy (W ehp ) in novel Cd 0.9 Zn 0.1 Te 0.98 Se 0.02 (CZTS) quaternary semiconductor. CZTS in single crystalline form is poised to be the future of large-volume room-temperature gamma-ray detectors due to its excellent compositional homogeneity with highly reduced defects, high-Z (atomic number) constituents, wide bandgap (1.6 eV), and superior charge transport properties. Despite a great deal of study of the material and device properties since its inception, the W ehp in CZTS has not been measured experimentally. Accurate determination of W ehp is essential for calibration of the spectrometer and other theoretical calculations. In this study we have used an absolute calibration approach, which is based on an iterative approach that yields the Wehp as the best-fit parameter. Using a 241 Am alpha emitting radioisotope and a planar CZTS detector, the Wehp in CZTS was calculated to be 4.47 eV. The obtained value has been validated by accurately predicting the peak energy for gamma rays emitted by a 137 Cs source and read by a CZTS detector with different dimensions. The dependences of the calculated W ehp value on the detector dimensions, type of interaction, and effect of charge trapping are also discussed.
The effect of trapping of charge carriers on the shape of the charge pulses from room temperature nuclear detectors, based on a recently discovered quaternary semiconductor Cd 0.9 Zn 0.1 Te 0.98 Se 0.02 (CZTS), has been studied. Here, we present a charge-trapping model that explains the pulse shapes for its entire duration from radiation detectors containing multiple defect types. A piecewise continuous model, based on the movement of a large number of charge carriers rather than a single charge, has been proposed to explain the pulse shapes from planar room temperature nuclear detectors. An experimental method based on the model has been described to extract charge-trapping information. This model can be applied to similar semiconductor detectors with electrically active trap centers, in general, to extract information like pre-trapping drift times. Charge pulses from a CZTS planar detector, exposed to 5486 keV alpha particles emitted by a 241Am source, were acquired using a digitizer, and the pulse shapes were explained based on the proposed model. The pre-trapping drift times for electrons as well as holes in CZTS were calculated and studied as a function of operating bias voltage, and a contrast between their bias dependent behaviors was noticed, indicating the behavioral difference of electron and hole traps.
High-performance piezoelectrics are always demanded for the high-end application. In this study, a complex piezoelectric system of 0.49Pb(Zn 1/2 Ni 1/2 ) 1/3 Nb 2/3 O 3 – x Pb(In 1/2 Yb 1/2 ) 1/2 Nb 1/2 O 3 –(0.51 – x )Pb(Zr 1/2 Hf 1/2 ) 0.1 Ti 0.9 O 3 (0.16 ≤ x ≤ 0.23) was fabricated through the solid-state method. The structure, ferroelectric, piezoelectric, and dielectric properties were investigated. The optimum piezoelectric coefficient d 33 of 761 pC/N, high Curie temperature of 169 °C, dielectric permittivity ( ε r ) of 4557, and electromechanical coupling coefficient ( k p ) of 63% were found at the morphotropic phase boundary composition of x = 0.19, which are superior to other complex piezoelectric materials. In particular, a significant large-signal d 33 * of 913 pm/V and low strain hysteresis (6%) was obtained in the temperature range of 20–170 °C. Temperature-dependent x-ray diffraction (XRD) has demonstrated that good temperature stability is put down to the structure stability. The agreement between the calculated lattice strain from in situ high-energy synchrotron XRD data and the macroscopic measurements suggests that the large lattice strain has a dominant contribution to the high piezoelectric response. The high piezoelectric performance and good temperature stability makes it potential for application.
Jahn–Teller distortions are often observed in Cu II -containing complex oxides resulting in remarkable changes of physical properties. Tuning the Jahn–Teller distortions with pressure has attracted considerable interest but is less studied in Cu II -containing high-entropy oxides (HEOs). We found that pressure can suppress the structural distortions originating from the Jahn–Teller effect of CuO 6 octahedra in the rock salt-type (Mg 0.2 Ni 0.2 Co 0.2 Zn 0.2 Cu 0.2 )O HEO and significantly modify its electronic properties. Synchrotron x-ray diffraction shows that the structural distortions arising from the Jahn–Teller effect of CuO 6 octahedra are progressively suppressed, and the distorted structure evolves into a nearly ideal form under compression. Alternating current impedance and ultraviolet-visible absorption measurements reveal a dramatic resistance drop by more than three orders of magnitude and an obvious bandgap decrease in ~0.1 eV, respectively, accompanied by the pressure-induced suppression of structural distortions. Our study presents a promising route for tuning the structural distortions and the electronic structures of Cu II -containing HEOs for optimizing materials functionalities.
The effect of inserting a nm-scale layer of Zn(Si,Ge)N2 into an AlGaN quantum well structure designed for light emission in the wavelength range from 255 to 305 nm is investigated here. The enhanced confinement of the hole within the quantum well results in an enhancement of the overlap of the hole and electron wave functions, resulting in an enhancement of the radiative recombination rate. In this theoretical calculation, for emission at a 270 nm wavelength, the enhancement in the wavefunction overlap can reach a factor of 7 when compared to an AlGaN quantum well device specifically engineered for optimal emission at the identical wavelength. Increases of almost an order of magnitude in both the peak spontaneous emission intensity and the radiative recombination rate are predicted. The peak emission wavelength can be tuned from 255 to 305 nm by adjusting the width and/or the composition of the inserted layer. The proposed structures provide a route to higher efficiency ultraviolet practical light emitting diodes and lasers.
We investigated microhydrated transition metal-EDTA dianion complexes [EDTA·M(II)]2-·nH2O (M = Ni, Cu, and Zn; n = 1, 2) using cryogenic photoelectron spectroscopy in conjunction with theoretical calculations. The measured spectra of [EDTA·Ni/Zn(II)]2-·nH2O closely resemble those of their corresponding bare dianions, with a systematic shift towards high electron binding energy side upon stepwise hydration and featuring a hexadentate metal-EDTA binding motif. In contrast, the spectra of hydrated [EDTA·Cu(II)]2- exhibit broadened first detachment bands, implying coexistence of multiple metal-ligand binding forms, as a consequence of the Jahn-Teller effect associated with its d9 electron arrangement. These findings showcase molecular-level insights into the structural adaptability of EDTA-based supramolecular assemblies comprising transition metal ions, water molecules, and multidentate ligand environments.