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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Interplay of electronic structure, magnetism, strain, and defects in carbide $\mathrm{MX}$enes

We report the two-dimensional (2D) magnetic and semiconducting materials, including carbide MXenes, are in high demand for magneto-electronic devices and applications. Here, we report a first-principles study of electronic structure and magnetism of a Ti 2 C MXene, its derivatives Ti 2 CT 2 (T = -F, -O, -OH, -H), and the effect of single vacancy defects (25% C, 12.5% O, and 12.5% and 5.5% Ti) and transition metal (V, Cr, Mn, and Co) dopings. The MAX phase Ti 2 AlC is a non-magnetic (NM) metal which upon removal of Al layer forms a pristine Ti 2 C MXene with A-type antiferromagnetic (AFM) semiconductor having reliable transition temperature (T N = 41K) predicted by the Heisenberg model. All the functionalized MXenes are stable as NM metal except for Ti 2 CO 2 which remains semiconducting with NM ground state. The significant effect of spin–orbit coupling (SOC) is evident in the band structure forming Dirac-like cones and band inversions near the Fermi level. Depending upon the type of vacancy defects Ti 2 CO 2 is NM metal and ferromagnetic (FM) metal. The transition metal (TM) doped MXenes fulfill FM Stoner criterion. The V- and Co-doped MXenes are metals, whereas Cr- and Mn-doped are half-metal and semiconductor.

2D magnetism↗
DOE OSTI2026

Anisotropic Ferromagnetism in CrAu 3 Sb 6

The crystal structure and properties of CrAu 3 Sb 6 are presented, determined by measurements on single crystal and polycrystalline samples and first-principles calculations. The trigonal structure (space group P$\overline{3}$1m) comprises a CdI 2 -like sublattice of AuSb 2 with Cr occupying octahedral holes in a fully ordered triangular array. It can be viewed as a variation of the interesting and well-known families of partially intercalated transition metal dichalcogenides, but with stronger interactions along the stacking direction evidenced by short Cr–Au distances. The compound is metallic and ferromagnetic with a Curie temperature of 164 K. A strong anomalous contribution to the Hall effect is seen in the ferromagnetic state, and quantum oscillations are observed in magnetization at 2 K. Magnetization measurements show that the ordered moments of 1.5 μ B per Cr are oriented along the c-axis with relatively strong magnetocrystalline anisotropy. Electronic structure calculations confirm this uniaxial anisotropy and the important role of spin–orbit coupling in CrAu 3 Sb 6 and reveal strongly favored ferromagnetic ground state consistent with the measured Curie temperature. Through combined experiment and theory, this work provides a detailed picture of the basic properties and behaviors of this uniquely structured, Cr-based, anisotropic ferromagnet.

Crystal structure↗
DOE OSTI2020

Chemical Bonding Governs Complex Magnetism in MnPt 5 P

Subtle changes in chemical bonds may result in dramatic revolutions in magnetic properties in solid-state materials. MnPt 5 P, a derivative of the rare-earth-free ferromagnetic MnPt 5 As, was discovered and is presented in this work. Specifically, MnPt 5 P was synthesized, and its crystal structure and chemical composition were characterized by X-ray diffraction as well as energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Accordingly, MnPt 5 P crystallizes in the layered tetragonal structure with the space group P4/mmm (No. 123), in which the face-shared Mn@Pt 12 polyhedral layers are separated by P layers. In contrast to the ferromagnetism observed in MnPt 5 As, the magnetic properties measurements on MnPt 5 P show antiferromagnetic ordering occurs at ~188 K with a strong magnetic anisotropy in and out of the ab-plane. Moreover, a spin-flop transition appears when a high magnetic field is applied. An A-type antiferromagnetic structure was obtained from the analysis of powder neutron diffraction (PND) patterns collected at 150 and 9 K. Calculated electronic structures imply that hybridization of Mn-3d and Pt-5d orbitals is critical for both the structural stability and observed magnetic properties. Semiempirical molecular orbitals calculations on both MnPt 5 P and MnPt 5 As indicate that the lack of 4p character on the P atoms at the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) in MnPt 5 P may cause the different magnetic behavior in MnPt 5 P compared to MnPt 5 As. The discovery of MnPt 5 P, along with our previously reported MnPt5As, parametrizes the end points of a tunable system to study the chemical bonding which tunes the magnetic ordering from ferromagnetism to antiferromagnetism with the strong spin–orbit coupling (SOC) effect.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Homoleptic Perchlorophenyl “Ate” Complexes of Thorium(IV) and Uranium(IV)

The reaction of AnCl 4 (DME) n (An = Th, n = 2; U, n = 0) with 5 equiv of LiC 6 Cl 5 in Et 2 O resulted in the formation of homoleptic actinide-aryl “ate” complexes [Li(DME) 2 (Et 2 O)] 2 [Li(DME) 2 ][Th(C 6 Cl 5 ) 5 ] 3 ([Li][1]) and [Li(Et 2 O) 4 ][U(C 6 Cl 5 ) 5 ] ([Li][2]). Similarly, the reaction of AnCl 4 (DME)n (An = Th, n = 2; U, n = 0) with 3 equiv of LiC 6 Cl 5 in Et 2 O resulted in the formation of heteroleptic actinide-aryl “ate” complexes [Li(DME) 2 (Et 2 O)][Li(Et 2 O) 2 ][ThCl 3 (C 6 Cl 5 ) 3 ] ([Li][3]) and [Li(Et 2 O) 3 ][UCl 2 (C 6 Cl 5 ) 3 ] ([Li][4]). Density functional calculations show that the An–C ipso σ-bonds are considerably more covalent for the uranium complexes vs the thorium analogues, in line with past results. Additionally, good agreement between experiment and calculations is obtained for the 13 C ipso NMR chemical shifts in [Li][1] and [Li][3]. Here, the calculations demonstrate a deshielding by ca. 29 ppm from spin–orbit coupling effects originating at Th, which is a direct consequence of 5f orbital participation in the Th–C bonds.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Covalency of Trivalent Actinide Ions with Different Donor Ligands: Do Density Functional and Multiconfigurational Wavefunction Calculations Corroborate the Observed “Breaks”?

A comprehensive ab initio study of periodic actinide–ligand bonding trends for trivalent actinides is performed. Relativistic density functional theory (DFT) and complete active-space (CAS) self-consistent field wavefunction calculations are used to dissect the chemical bonding in the [AnCl 6 ] 3– , [An(CN) 6 ] 3– , [An(NCS) 6 ] 3– , [An(S 2 PMe 2 ) 3 ], [An(DPA) 3 ] 3– , and [An(HOPO)] – series of actinide (An = U–Es) complexes. Except for some differences for the early actinide complexes with DPA, bond orders and excess 5f-shell populations from donation bonding show qualitatively similar trends in 5f n active-space CAS vs DFT calculations. The influence of spin–orbit coupling on donation bonding is small for the tested systems. Along the actinide series, chemically soft vs chemically harder ligands exhibit clear differences in bonding trends. There are pronounced changes in the 5f populations when moving from Pu to Am or Cm, which correlate with previously noted “breaks” in chemical trends. As a result, bonding involving 5f becomes very weak beyond Cm/Bk. We propose that Cm(III) is a borderline case among the trivalent actinides that can be meaningfully considered to be involved in ground-state 5f covalent bonding.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Spin Reorientation in Antiferromagnetic MnPd 5 Se with an Anti-CeCoIn 5 Structure Type

MnPd 5 Se, a derivative of the anti-CeCoIn 5 -type phase, was synthesized from a high-temperature solid-state reaction, structurally determined by X-ray diffraction, and magnetically characterized with a combined magnetic measurement and neutron powder diffraction (NPD). According to the X-ray diffraction results, MnPd 5 Se crystallizes in a layered tetragonal structure with the same space group as CeCoIn 5 , P4/mmm (No. 123). MnPd5Se shows antiferromagnetic ordering around 80 K on the basis of the magnetic property measurements. An A-type antiferromagnetic structure was revealed from the analysis of neutron powder diffraction results at 300, 50, and 6 K. Moreover, a spin orientation rotation was observed as the temperature decreased. Pd L 3 X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy results for MnPd5Se semiqualitatively correlate with the calculated density of states supporting a nominal 0.2 electron transfer into the Pd d orbital from either Se or Mn in the compound. The discovery of MnPd 5 Se, along with our previously reported MnT 5 Pn (T = Pd or Pt; Pn = P or As), provides a tunable system for studying the magnetic ordering from ferromagnetism to antiferromagnetism with the strong spin–orbit coupling effect.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Long-Lived Photoluminescence of Molecular Group 14 Compounds through Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence

Photoluminescent molecules exploiting the sizable spin-orbit coupling constants of main group metals and metalloids to access long-lived triplet excited states are relatively rare compared to phosphorescent transition metal complexes. Here we report the synthesis of three air- and moisture-stable group 14 compounds E( Me PDP Ph ) 2 , where E = Si, Ge, or Sn and [ Me PDP Ph] 2- is the doubly deprotonated form of 2,6-bis(5- methyl-3-phenyl-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)pyridine. In solution, all three molecules exhibit exceptionally long-lived triplet excited states with lifetimes in the millisecond range and show highly efficient photoluminescence (Φ ≤ 0.49) due to competing prompt fluorescence and thermally activated delayed fluorescence at and around room temperature. Temperature-dependent steady-state emission spectra and photoluminescent lifetime measurements provided conclusive evidence for the two distinct emission pathways. Picosecond transient absorption spectroscopy allowed further analysis of the intersystem crossing (ISC) between singlet and triplet manifolds (τ ISC = 0.25-3.1 ns) and confirmed the expected trend of increased ISC rates for the heavier elements in otherwise isostructural compounds.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Li2[SeC2Se] · 2 NH3: A Crystalline Ammoniate with a-Se-C=C-Se- Dianion

Reaction of Li2C2 with elemental selenium in a molar ratio of 1:2 in liquid ammonia led to the formation of the ammoniate Li2[SeC2Se] ? 2 NH3. Its crystal structure was solved and refined from high-resolution synchrotron powder diffraction data (P21/c, Z = 4). It contains the ?Se-C?C-Se? anion, unprecedented in a crystalline material, whose existence was corroborated by IR/Raman spectra and electronic-structure theory, showing an almost perfect agreement with calculated spectra. Elaborated magnetic-bottle and velocity-map imaging photoelectron spectroscopic investigations show that the ?Se-C?C-Se? radical anion can be transferred to the gas phase, where it was analyzed by NIPE (Negative Ion Photoelectron) and VMI (Velocity-Map Imaging) spectra, which correlate nicely with simulated spectra based on 2?u ? 3Sg – and 2?u ?1Sg + transitions including spin-orbit couplings

Hetzert, Marc↗
DOE OSTI2023

Non-Centrosymmetric Sr 2 IrO 4 Obtained Under High Pressure

Sr 2 IrO 4 with strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC) and Hubbard repulsion (U) hosts Mott insulating states. The similar crystal structure, magnetic and electronic properties, particularly the d-wave gap observed in Sr 2 IrO 4 enhanced the analogies to cuprate high-$T_c$ superconductor, La 2 CuO 4 . The incomplete analogy was due to the lack of broken inversion symmetry phases observed in Sr 2 IrO 4 . Here, under high pressure and high temperature conditions, we report a non-centrosymmetric Sr 2 IrO 4 . The crystal structure and its noncentrosymmetric character were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction and high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (HR-STEM). The magnetic characterization confirms the Ir 4+ with $\textit{S}$ = 1/2 at low temperature in Sr 2 IrO 4 with magnetic ordering occurred at around 86 K, where a larger moment is observed than the ambient pressure Sr 2 IrO 4 . Moreover, the resistivity measurement shows three-dimensional Mott variable-range hopping existed in the system. Further, this non-centrosymmetric Sr 2 IrO 4 phase appears to be a unique material to offer further understanding of high-$T_c$ superconductivity.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2023

Magnetic Properties of Tetravalent Pu in the Perovskites BaPuO 3 and SrPuO 3

BaPuO 3 and SrPuO 3 were synthesized, and their structures were refined in the orthorhombic space group Pbnm , a common distortion from the classic $Pm\bar{3}$m over barm cubic perovskite. Magnetic-susceptibility measurements, obtained as a function of temperature over the range of 1.8-320 K, exhibit temperature-dependent behavior, with evidence of long-range magnetic order at temperatures higher than their lanthanide and actinide analogues: BaPuO 3 below 164(1) K and SrPuO 3 below 76(1) K. Effective moments of 1.66(10)μ B for BaPuO 3 and 1.84(8)μ B for SrPuO 3 were obtained by fitting their paramagnetic susceptibilities using the Curie-Weiss law. Further, both are below the free-ion value of 2.68 μ B expected for a Pu 4+ 5 $\mid$ 4 ground level. Ab initio wave function calculations, performed at the relativistic complete active space level including spin-orbit coupling and with an embedded cluster approach that neglects interactions between Pu centers, were used to generate embedded-cluster Pu 4+ magnetic susceptibilities. The calculations agree well with experimental data at higher temperatures, providing evidence that a single-ion representation is sufficient to account for the observed paramagnetic behavior without the need to invoke charge transfer, disproportionation, strong covalent bonding, or other more complex electronic behavior.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2023

Quantifying Actinide–Carbon Bond Covalency in a Uranyl–Aryl Complex Utilizing Solution 13 C NMR Spectroscopy

Reaction of [UO 2 Cl 2 (THF) 2 ] 2 with in situ generated LiFmes (FmesH = 1,3,5-(CF 3 ) 3 C 6 H 3 ) in Et 2 O resulted in the formation of the uranyl aryl complexes [Li(THF) 3 ][UO 2 (Fmes) 3 ] ([Li(THF) 3 ][1]) and [Li(Et 2 O) 3 (THF)][UO 2 (Fmes) 3 ] ([Li(Et 2 O) 3 (THF)][1]) in good to moderate yields after crystallization from hexanes and Et 2 O, respectively. Both complexes were characterized by X-ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy. DFT calculations reveal that the C ispo resonance in [1] – exhibits a deshielding of 51 ppm from spin–orbit coupling effects originating at uranium, which indicates an appreciable covalency in the U–C bonding interaction.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

Spin–Orbit Matrix Elements for a Combined Spin-Flip and IP/EA approach

We introduce a practical approach for computing the Breit–Pauli spin–orbit matrix elements of multiconfigurational systems with both spin and spatial degeneracies based on our recently developed RAS-nSF-IP/EA method (Houck, S. E.; et al. J. Chem. Theory Comput. 2019, 15, 2278). The spin–orbit matrix elements over all the multiplet components are computed using a single one-particle reduced density matrix as a result of the Wigner–Eckart theorem. A mean field spin–orbit approximation was used to account for the two-electron contributions. Basis set dependence as well as the effect of including additional excitations is presented. The effect of correlating the core and semicore orbitals is also examined. Surprisingly accurate results are obtained for spin–orbit coupling constants, despite the fact that the efficient wave function approximations we research neglect the bulk of dynamical correlation.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Theoretical Prediction and Interpretation of 237 Np Mössbauer Isomer Shifts

Different theoretical approaches for the calculation of 237 Np Mössbauer isomer shifts are investigated. The traditional contact density route is compared to a previously proposed alternative approach that uses energy derivatives with respect to the nuclear radius. Both approaches yield similar results as long as suitable basis sets augmented with large exponents and relativistic methods are used. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations do not show a strong dependency of the 237 Np isomer shift on the chosen functional. Wavefunction calculations show that dynamic electron correlation can be important when covalent bonding influences the isomer shift. Effects from spin–orbit coupling are small. The isomer shifts of ionic solids and Np(III) organometallic complexes are largely governed by the oxidation state of Np. Isomer shifts of organometallic Np(IV) complexes are strongly affected by donation bonding. Furthermore, detailed analysis of the wavefunction results with different active spaces demonstrates that correlation among the outer core Np and occupied ligand frontier orbitals contributes significantly to isomer shifts of Np(IV) compounds.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2026

Fingerprinting Uranium Oxides with Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy Supported by Theoretical Computations

Uranium oxides occur in a variety of phases that differ in crystal structure and uranium oxidation states. Electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) is one of the few techniques that has sufficient spatial resolution and sensitivity to electronic structure to distinguish amongst phases at the nanoscale. However, beam-sensitive materials such as uranium oxides are subject to spectral modification due to interactions with the electron beam. Therefore, theory support is essential to reliably exclude the impact of beam damage and generate true reference datasets. Here we use a comparison of theoretical and experimental spectra to probe the impact of beam damage on O K-edge and U N-edge (N6,7 and N4,5) EELS spectra of various single-valent and mixed-valence uranium oxide bulk phases. Using a low-dose experimental set-up, we show that the O K-edge theoretical spectra are in excellent agreement with experiment for both peak positions and relative intensities of respective peaks. In contrast, U N-edge features are less distinguishing due to the partially localized nature of the U 5f orbitals and overlapping multiplet and spin–orbit coupling effects. This work demonstrates that O K-edge EELS is sufficiently diagnostic to distinguish a wide range of uranium oxides and that the experimental approach used here minimizes beam damage and allows valence state discrimination across the U(IV), U(V) and U(VI) series. When combined with imaging modes available in electron mi-croscopy, the work enables detailed investigation and characterization of uranium redox transformations at the nanoscale.

Carbone, Jacopo↗
DOE OSTI2025

Defect Stability in CdTe Based on Formation Energies and Migration Barriers

Native point defects are thought to play a key role in CdTe, either as compensation centers in intentionally doped material, as a source of conductivity in nominally undoped material, or as electron–hole recombination centers. Here, the discussion of their concentration and impact has often centered only on formation energies and transition levels. Using hybrid density functional calculations, including the effects of spin–orbit coupling (SOC), we discuss the stability of native point defects in CdTe based on their formation energies and migration barriers. We show that although Cd interstitials are the lowest energy donor defects, they are unstable at room temperature due to a low migration barrier. They are important for maintaining charge neutrality during growth or annealing at high temperatures, but once the material is brought to room temperature, they are not frozen in as often assumed and are expected to anneal out, leaving the other more stable defects to determine the conductivity. Taking this into account in the solution of the charge neutrality equation, we are able to predict the conductivity type and carrier concentrations that are in good agreement with experimental observations.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Machine Learning an Ab-Initio Based Bond-Order Potential for Bismuthene

Bismuthene is a heavy 2D material whose strong spin–orbit coupling and recently observed single-element ferroelectricity have intensified interest in its structural, vibrational, and transport properties. Accurate modeling of these behaviors requires a short-range interatomic potential that can reproduce the underlying bonding physics at a fraction of the computational cost of first-principles methods. However, such a potential is currently unavailable. Here, in this work, we construct a Tersoff bond-order potential for β-bismuthene using a reinforcement-learning framework that integrates a continuous Monte Carlo Tree Search with a simplex-based local optimizer. The optimized parameter sets reproduce first-principles lattice constants, cohesive energy, the equation of state, elastic constants, and phonon dispersion. We validate the models by performing thermal-conductivity calculations and uniaxial fracture simulations our findings confirm the reliability of the resulting models across multiple thermomechanical regimes. Comparison of the three best solutions reveals how differences in pairwise interactions, angular terms, and bond-order behavior govern phonon features and mechanical responses. We demonstrate an interpretable and computationally efficient potential for bismuthene and demonstrate a general reinforcement-learning strategy for developing bond-order models in emerging 2D materials.

deformation↗
DOE OSTI2020

Visible-Light-Driven Triplet Sensitization of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Using Thionated Perinones

Metal-free chromophores that efficiently generate triplet excited states represent enticing alternatives with respect to transition metal-containing photosensitizers, such as those featuring metal-to-ligand charge transfer excited states. Yet, such molecular constructs have remained underexplored due to the unclear relationship(s) between molecular structure and efficient/rapid intersystem crossing. In this regard, we present a series of three thionated perinone chromophores serving as a newly conceived class of heavy metal-free triplet photosensitizers. We demonstrate that thionation of the lone C=O substituent in each highly fluorescent perinone imparts red-shifted absorbance bands that maintain intense extinction coefficients across the visible spectrum, as well as unusually efficient triplet excited state formation as inferred from the measured singlet O 2 quantum yields at 1270 nm (Φ Δ = 0.78–1.0). Electronic structure calculations revealed the emergence of a low energy S 1 (n → π*) excited state in the proximity of a slightly higher energy S 2 (π → π*) excited state. The distinct character in each of the two lowest-lying singlet state manifolds resulted in the energetic inversion of the corresponding triplet excited states due to differences in electron exchange interactions. Rapid S 1 → T 1 intersystem crossing was thereby facilitated in this manner through spin–orbit coupling as predicted by the El Sayed rules. The lifetimes of the resultant triplet excited states persisted into the microsecond time regime, as measured by transient absorbance spectroscopy, enabling effective bimolecular triplet sensitization of some common polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The synthetically facile interchange of a single O atom to an S atom in the investigated perinones resulted in marked changes to their photophysical properties, namely, conversion of dominant singlet state fluorescence in the former to long-lived triplet excited states in the latter. The combined results suggest a general strategy for accessing long-lived triplet excited states in organic chromophores featuring a lone C=O moiety residing within its structure, valuable for the design of metal-free triplet photosensitizers.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Doping Limits of Phosphorus, Arsenic, and Antimony in CdTe

Low p-type doping is a limiting factor to increase CdTe thin-film solar-cell efficiency toward the theoretical Shockley-Queisser limit of 33%. Previous calculations predict relatively high ionization energies for group-V acceptors (P, As, and Sb) and they are plagued by self-compensation, forming AX-centers, severely limiting hole concentration. However, recent experiments on CdTe single crystals indicate a much more favorable scenario, where P, As, and Sb behave as shallow acceptors. Using hybrid functional calculations, we solve this puzzle by showing that the ionization energies significantly decrease with the supercell size. When including the effects of spin-orbit coupling and extrapolating the results to the dilute limit, we find these impurities behave as hydrogenic-like shallow acceptors, and AX-centers are unstable and do not limit ptype doping. We address the differences between our results and previous theoretical predictions and show that our ionization energies predict hole concentrations that agree with recent temperature-dependent Hall measurements.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗