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At least 667 records · Page 37
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2017

Influence of La/W ratio on electrical conductivity of lanthanum tungstate with high La/W ratio

The proton-conducting properties of lanthanum tungstates (LWOs) with high La/W ratios were investigated using electrochemical measurements and quantum chemical calculations. Single phases of LWOs with high La/W ratios (6.3≤La/W≤6.7) were synthesized by high-temperature sintering at around 1700 °C. The electrical conductivity of LWO increased with increasing La/W ratio in the single-phase region. The LWO synthesized at the optimum sintering temperature and time, and with the optimum La/W ratio gave the maximum conductivity, i.e., 2.7×10{sup −3} S cm{sup −1} with La/W=6.7 at 500 °C. Density functional theory calculations, using the nudged elastic band method, were performed to investigate the proton diffusion barrier. The results suggest that the proton diffusion paths around La sites have the lowest proton diffusion barrier. These findings improve our understanding of LWO synthesis and the proton-conducting mechanism and provide a strategy for improving proton conduction in LWOs. - Graphical abstract: The LWOs with high La/W ratios were synthesized for the first time. The optimum La/W ratio gave the maximum conductivity with La/W=6.7 at 500 °C. The proton diffusion paths were also considered with density functional theory calculations. - Highlights: • The proton-conducting properties of lanthanum tungstates (LWOs) were investigated. • Single phase LWOs with high La/W ratios (6.3≤La/W≤6.7) were synthesized successfully. • LWOs with the high La/W ratios showed high proton conductivity. • The DFT calculation suggested the lowest proton diffusion barrier in the path around La sites.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2019

Fermi surface of the flat-band intermetallics A P d 3 ( A = Pb , Sn )

The intermetallic phases APd 3 (A = Pb, Sn) were recently predicted to host an unconventional combination of unique electronic structure features, namely, flat bands near the Fermi energy coexisting with topologically protected surface states at the Gamma point. These features each could independently produce alternative electronic states, including electronically or magnetically ordered states coexisting with unconventional edge dominated transport and a significantly large thermopower coexisting with topological characteristics. To explore these expectations, we report the synthesis, structural/chemical characterization, electrical and thermal transport properties, magnetic torque (up to 45 T), and Fermi surface mapping for single crystals produced using the Czochralski technique. X-ray diffraction and scanning transmission electron microscope measurements establish the absence of defects, while small measured values of the thermopower indicate that the Fermi level is located away from the flat-band region. The electronic properties are further clarified by the topography of the Fermi surfaces, measured through the de Haas–van Alphen effect. We find that the Fermi levels are placed at higher energy values than the original ones resulting from the density functional theory calculations, 54 meV higher for PbPd 3 and 68 meV higher for SnPd 3 . Furthermore, the molten flux method was used to synthesize PbPd 3 , yielding nearly identical Fermi surfaces between the specimens grown using different synthesis techniques, indicating the robustness of the Fermi level position. According to the density functional theory calculations, the flat band is mainly formed by the 4d bands of Pd. Thus, we propose monovalent doping on the Pb/Sn site as a viable approach to accessing the flat band while maintaining the unique band structure features of these compounds.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

Large-scale atomistic simulations of helium-3 bubble growth in complex palladium alloys

Palladium is an attractive material for hydrogen and hydrogen-isotope storage applications due to its properties of large storage density and high diffusion of lattice hydrogen. When considering tritium storage, the material’s structural and mechanical integrity is threatened by both the embrittlement effect of hydrogen and the creation and evolution of additional crystal defects (e.g., dislocations, stacking faults) caused by the formation and growth of helium-3 bubbles. Using recently developed inter-atomic potentials for the palladium-silver-hydrogen system, we perform large-scale atomistic simulations to examine the defect-mediated mechanisms that govern helium bubble growth. Our simulations show the evolution of a distribution of material defects, and we compare the material behavior displayed with expectations from experiment and theory. We also present density functional theory calculations to characterize ideal tensile and shear strengths for these materials, which enable the understanding of how and why our developed potentials either meet or confound these expectations.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2016

Discovery of a Superconducting Cu-Bi Intermetallic Compound by High-Pressure Synthesis

A new intermetallic compound, the first to be structurally identified in the Cu–Bi binary system, is reported herein. This compound is accessed by high-pressure reaction of the elements. Its detailed characterization, physical property measurements, and ab initio calculations are described. The commensurate crystal structure of Cu 11 Bi 7 is a unique variation of the NiAs structure type. Temperature-dependent electrical resistivity and heat capacity measurements reveal a bulk superconducting transition at T c =1.36 K. Density functional theory calculations further demonstrate that Cu 11 Bi 7 can be stabilized (relative to decomposition into the elements) at high pressure and temperature. These results highlight the ability of high-pressure syntheses to allow for inroads into heretofore-undiscovered intermetallic systems for which no thermodynamically stable binaries are known.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

Bond energies of ThO{sup +} and ThC{sup +}: A guided ion beam and quantum chemical investigation of the reactions of thorium cation with O{sub 2} and CO

Kinetic energy dependent reactions of Th{sup +} with O{sub 2} and CO are studied using a guided ion beam tandem mass spectrometer. The formation of ThO{sup +} in the reaction of Th{sup +} with O{sub 2} is observed to be exothermic and barrierless with a reaction efficiency at low energies of k/k{sub LGS} = 1.21 ± 0.24 similar to the efficiency observed in ion cyclotron resonance experiments. Formation of ThO{sup +} and ThC{sup +} in the reaction of Th{sup +} with CO is endothermic in both cases. The kinetic energy dependent cross sections for formation of these product ions were evaluated to determine 0 K bond dissociation energies (BDEs) of D{sub 0}(Th{sup +}–O) = 8.57 ± 0.14 eV and D{sub 0}(Th{sup +}–C) = 4.82 ± 0.29 eV. The present value of D{sub 0} (Th{sup +}–O) is within experimental uncertainty of previously reported experimental values, whereas this is the first report of D{sub 0} (Th{sup +}–C). Both BDEs are observed to be larger than those of their transition metal congeners, TiL{sup +}, ZrL{sup +}, and HfL{sup +} (L = O and C), believed to be a result of lanthanide contraction. Additionally, the reactions were explored by quantum chemical calculations, including a full Feller-Peterson-Dixon composite approach with correlation contributions up to coupled-cluster singles and doubles with iterative triples and quadruples (CCSDTQ) for ThC, ThC{sup +}, ThO, and ThO{sup +}, as well as more approximate CCSD with perturbative (triples) [CCSD(T)] calculations where a semi-empirical model was used to estimate spin-orbit energy contributions. Finally, the ThO{sup +} BDE is compared to other actinide (An) oxide cation BDEs and a simple model utilizing An{sup +} promotion energies to the reactive state is used to estimate AnO{sup +} and AnC{sup +} BDEs. For AnO{sup +}, this model yields predictions that are typically within experimental uncertainty and performs better than density functional theory calculations presented previously.

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

Ultrafast One-Dimensional Peierls-Distortion Dynamics in 1⁢T′−Re⁢S 2 Revealed by 4D Electron Microscopy

Rhenium disulfide (ReS 2 ), a prototypical 2D semiconductor with an anisotropic 1⁢T′ structure due to the pronounced Peierls distortion, has demonstrated great potential for polarization-dependent optoelectronics and photonics. Here, we report an ultrafast phase transition occurring within 1 ps, accompanied by a one-dimensional Peierls-distortion relaxation in 1⁢T′−ReS 2 revealed with combined 4D electron microscopy and time-dependent density functional theory calculations. Upon femtosecond laser pulse excitation, the Re-Re dimerization morphology rapidly transforms from a diamond cluster to zigzag chains and persists for several nanoseconds. Here, this ultrafast Peierls-distortion relaxation is further verified by transient changes in optical anisotropy via polarization-dependent transient absorption spectroscopy. Time-dependent density functional theory calculations attribute this novel phase transition to strong correlation between Peierls distortion and impulsive photoexcited carrier doping, predicting a transient band-gap collapse. This Letter opens up an exciting avenue for ultrafast control of Peierls-distortion-induced anisotropy and the metal-insulator transition in 1⁢T′−ReS 2 .

1T’-ReS2↗
DOE OSTI2022

Strongly correlated itinerant magnetism near superconductivity in NiTa 4 Se 8

Metallic ferromagnets with strongly interacting electrons often exhibit remarkable electronic phases such as ferromagnetic superconductivity, complex spin textures, and nontrivial topology. Here, in this report, we discuss the synthesis of a layered magnetic metal NiTa 4 Se 8 (or Ni 1/4 TaSe 2 ) with a Curie temperature of 58 Kelvin. Magnetization data and density functional theory calculations indicate that the nickel atoms host uniaxial ferromagnetic order of about 0.7µ B per atom, while an even smaller moment is generated in the itinerant tantalum conduction electrons. Strong correlations are evident in flat bands near the Fermi level, a high heat capacity coefficient, and a high Kadowaki-Woods ratio. Density functional theory calculations suggest that electron and hole Fermi surfaces in the ferromagnetic phase are associated with opposite spin polarization. When the system is diluted of magnetic ions, the samples become superconducting below about 2 Kelvin. We discuss possible mechanisms for superconductivity in this family.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
DOE OSTI2019

Accuracy of Density Functional Theory Methods for the Calculation of Magnetic Exchange Couplings in Binuclear Iron(III) Complexes

We assess the performance of popular hybrid density functional approximations for the prediction of magnetic exchange couplings (J) in FeIII complexes. To this end, eleven dinuclear oxo-bridged iron(III) complexes with accurately determined J values were chosen to cover cases of weak and strong antiferromagnetic couplings ranging from -6 cm -1 to -132 cm -1 . Six representative exchange-correlation functionals ranging from the hybrids PBE and B3LYP to meta hybrids (M06, M062X), range separated functionals (HSE, LC-!PBE), and LSDA with 30 % of HF exchange were used for this assessment. These functionals have been suggested as good performers for this particular property in transition metal complexes and hence this assessment aims to narrow the interval of con dence for the particular case of Fe complexes. In addition, we examined the performance of an alternative method based on di erential local spin rotations to calculate magnetic exchange coupling parameters in these complexes. Our results show that, although some of these functionals perform on par, the M06 and HSE functionals yields magnetic exchange couplings in closer agreement with experimental data, with a mean absolute percentage errors of 8.6 and 9.2 %, respectively.

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

Probing Active-Site Relocation in Cu/SSZ-13 SCR Catalysts during Hydrothermal Aging by in situ EPR Spectroscopy, Kinetic Studies, and DFT Calculations

Cu/SSZ-13 selective catalytic reduction catalysts display activity loss after mild hydrothermal aging without support degradation or loss of isolated Cu ion content. By applying electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy to compare hydrated, dehydrated and NH3-saturated catalysts before and after hydrothermal aging, as well as density functional theory calculations, it is found that hydrothermal aging induces Cu relocation, leading to stronger Cu-support interactions. This is particularly evidenced by ZCuOH conversion to Z2Cu, which leads to the generation of a unique structure with two Cu(II) ions positioned in a double 6-membered ring prism. The Cu(II) ions that do not undergo such dramatic changes also appear to stay closer to framework windows as evidenced by the overall increased anisotropy during EPR measurements. In situ EPR measurements under SCR conditions demonstrate that, in comparison to the fresh catalyst, higher percentages of Cu species stay as Cu(II) in the aged catalyst. This suggests that the reduction half-cycle of the SCR redox, i.e., Cu(II) ? Cu(I), becomes slower for the hydrothermally aged catalyst.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2018

Bastnaesite flotation chemistry issues associated with alkyl phosphate collectors

The hydrophobicity, selectivity, and adsorption state in bastnaesite flotation using alkyl phosphates were examined by contact angle and zeta potential measurements, microflotation and microcalorimetry experiments, as well as density functional theory calculations and molecular dynamics simulations. Here the contact angle and microflotation results show that bastnaesite flotation with alkyl phosphates (lauryl phosphate and 2-ethylhexyl phosphate) is accomplished at a remarkably lower collector concentration. Selective flotation of bastnaesite from calcite with 2-ethylhexyl phosphate increased the bastnaesite grade from 52% to 95% without sacrificing recovery when compared to lauryl phosphate. As expected, the results from density functional theory calculations, together with the microcalorimetry and molecular dynamics simulation results, suggest that the hydrophobic surface state is due to a chemisorbed monolayer of the alkyl phosphate and that the lower reactivity of 2-ethylhexyl phosphate accounts for higher selectivity when compared to results for lauryl phosphate.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2016

Vacancy-mediated fcc/bcc phase separation in Fe 1-x Ni x ultrathin films

The phase separation occurring in Fe-Ni thin lms near the Invar composition is studied by using high resolution spectromicroscopy techniques and density functional theory calculations. Annealed at temperatures around 300 C, Fe 0.70 Ni 0.30 lms on W(110) break into micron-sized bcc and fcc domains with compositions in agreement with the bulk Fe-Ni phase diagram. Ni is found to be the di using species in forming the chemical heterogeneity. The experimentally-determined energy barrier of 1.59 0.09 eV is identi ed as the vacancy formation energy via density functional theory calculations. Thus, the principal role of the surface in the phase separation process is attributed to vacancy creation without interstitials.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2021

Dipole Moment Calculations Using Multiconfiguration Pair-Density Functional Theory and Hybrid Multiconfiguration Pair-Density Functional Theory

The dipole moment is the molecular property that most directly indicates molecular polarity. The accuracy of computed dipole moments depends strongly on the quality of the calculated electron density, and the breakdown of single-reference methods for strongly correlated systems can lead to poor predictions of the dipole moments in those cases. Here, we derive the analytical expression for obtaining the electric dipole moment by multiconfiguration pair density functional theory (MCPDFT), and we assess the accuracy of MC-PDFT for predicting dipole moments at equilibrium and nonequilibrium geometries. We show that MC-PDFT dipole moment curves have reasonable behavior even for stretched geometries, and they significantly improve upon the CASSCF results by capturing more electron correlation. Herein, the analysis of a dataset consisting of 18 first-row transition metal diatomics and 6 main-group polyatomic molecules with multireference character suggests that MC-PDFT and its hybrid extension (HMC-PDFT) perform comparably to CASPT2 and MRCISD+Q methods and have a mean unsigned deviation of 0.2–0.3 D with respect to the best available dipole moment reference values. We explored the dependence of the predicted dipole moments upon the choice of the on-top density functional and active space, and we recommend the tPBE and hybrid tPBE0 on-top choices for the functionals combined with the moderate correlated participating orbital scheme for selecting the active space. With these choices, the mean unsigned deviations (in debyes) of the calculated equilibrium dipole moments from the best estimates are 0.77 for CASSCF, 0.29 for MC-PDFT, 0.24 for HMCPDFT, 0.28 for CASPT2, and 0.25 for MRCISD+Q. These results are encouraging because the computational cost of MC-PDFT or HMC-PDFT is largely reduced compared to the CASPT2 and MRCISD+Q methods.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2017

The origin of selectivity in the conversion of glucose to fructose and mannose in Sn-BEA and Na-exchanged Sn-BEA zeolites

We investigate the isomerization and epimerization of glucose to fructose and mannose in Sn-BEA andNa-exchanged Sn-BEA using density-functional theory calculations on periodic BEA crystals. We comparereaction pathways both in the absence and presence of water molecules in the vicinity of the active siteand find that water effectively determines the selectivity in Na-Sn-BEA. We identify two competingepimerization pathways, one involving direct 1,2-carbon shift and the other involving 1,2-hydride shiftvia fructose. In Sn-BEA, the isomerization to fructose is the kinetically dominant pathway, while mannoseis formed via the indirect 1,2-hydride shift epimerization pathway. In Na-Sn-BEA, the kinetically domi-nant pathway is epimerization to mannose via the direct 1,2-carbon shift pathway (Bilik mechanism)only in the presence of water solvent in the vicinity of the active site, whereas isomerization is preferredin the absence of water. We argue that polar water molecules that coordinate around the Na cation screenstrong electrostatic interactions between Na+and the glucose backbone that are responsible for thestrong inhibition of the 1,2-carbon shift mechanism in the absence of water. In Sn-BEA, the presenceof water does not influence the selectivity. Our calculations resolve for the first time the role of waterand Na cations in the catalytic activity of Sn-BEA, and rationalize the experimental data.

Li, Sha↗
DOE OSTI2021

Thermomagnetic properties of Bi 2 Te 3 single crystal in the temperature range from 55 K to 380 K

Magnetothermoelectric transport provides an understanding of coupled electron-hole-phonon current in topological materials and has applications in energy conversion and cooling. In this paper, we study the Nernst coefficient, the magneto-Seebeck coefficient, and the magnetoresistance of single-crystalline Bi 2 Te 3 under external magnetic field in the range of –3T to 3T and in the temperature range of 55 K to 380 K. Moreau's relation is employed to justify both the overall trend of the Nernst coefficient and the temperature at which this coefficient changes sign. We observe a nonlinear relationship between the Nernst coefficient and the applied magnetic field in the temperature range of 55 K to 255 K. An increase in both the Nernst coefficient and the magneto-Seebeck coefficient is observed as the temperature is reduced which can be attributed to the increased mobility of the carriers at lower temperatures. First-principles density functional theory calculations were carried out to physically model the experimental data including electronic and transport properties. Simulation findings agreed with the experiments and provide a theoretical insight to justify the measurements.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Single-crystal growth and superconductivity in RbNi 2 Se 2

Herein we report the synthesis and characterization of RbNi 2 Se 2 , an analog of the iron chalcogenide superconductor Rb x Fe 2 Se 2 , via transport, angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, and density functional theory calculations. A superconducting transition at T c =1.20 K is identified. In the normal state, RbNi 2 Se 2 shows paramagnetic and Fermi-liquid behaviors. A large Sommerfeld coefficient yields an effective electron mass of m* ≈ 6m e . In the superconducting state, zero-field electronic specific-heat data C es can be described by a two-gap BCS model, indicating that RbNi 2 Se 2 is a possible multigap superconductor. Our density functional theory calculations and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements demonstrate that RbNi 2 Se 2 exhibits relatively weak correlations and multiband characteristics, consistent with the multigap superconductivity.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Electronic and vibrational properties of lithium doped graphene

In the frame-work of density functional theory calculation, using planewave pseudopotentials within local density approximation, the electronic and vibrational properties of graphene supercell by adsorption of lithium at three different sites top, hollow and bridge, have been systematically investigated and analyzed. We found that the hollow site is the most favorable site having lowest energy and positive phonon frequency throughout Brillouin zone indicating dynamical stability.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2022

X-ray diffraction study of phase transformation dynamics of Fe and Fe-Si alloys along the shock Hugoniot using an x-ray free electron laser

The x-ray free electron laser (XFEL) enables probing a highly compressed material response at the subnanosecond timescale. Here we exploit the ultrafast XFEL pulse to combine reflection x-ray diffraction and laser-driven shock compression to perform a study of the phase transformation and stability in Fe and Fe-Si alloys. Our approach enables us to observe that solid-solid phase transformations occur in Fe and Fe- Si 8.5 wt % in ≤ 130 ps at ~ 130 GPa; no transformation is observed in Fe- Si 16 wt % up to 110 GPa. Density functional theory calculations predict similar phase relations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

First-principles calculations of solute transport in zirconium: Vacancy-mediated diffusion with metastable states and interstitial diffusion

Zirconium alloys are the most widely used nuclear fuel cladding materials for light water power reactors where irradiation damage causes solute redistribution, leading to degradation of alloy properties such as corrosion resistance. Designing radiation-tolerant zirconium alloys requires a thorough understanding of the atomic-scale transport behavior of the alloying elements in Zr. In this work, we perform density function theory calculations to investigate the diffusion of Sn, Cr, Fe, Be, Al, and Ni in the hexagonal close-packed (HCP) Zr matrix. We develop a methodology to accurately model the metastable vacancy states along the basal migration path, known to occur in group IV metals. We compute the vacancy-mediated solute diffusion coefficients and drag ratios using the kinetic Monte Carlo method and an analytic Green's function method—the agreement between the two validates our methodology. The computed diffusion coefficients of Sn and Al show good agreement with the experimental data and we expect these solutes to diffuse via the vacancy-mediated mechanism. We use a Green's function approach, parameterized with data from density functional theory calculations, to compute the interstitial diffusion coefficients of Cr, Fe, Be, and Ni in the HCP Zr lattice. The computed diffusion coefficients of Cr, Ni, and Be agree with the experimental measurements within one order of magnitude, while those of Fe are within two orders of magnitude of the experimental measurements. The drag ratios for Cr, Fe, Be, and Ni are positive up to 1235 K, which suggests that nonequilibrium vacancy fluxes could drag these solutes toward sinks such as dislocation loops and grain boundaries. We also compute the transport coefficients without including the metastable states, and using the eight- and thirteen-frequency model. Our results show significant differences in drag ratio for the eight- and thirteen-frequency model predictions compared with the Green's function methodology, but smaller errors in the solute diffusivity. Combining interstitial and vacancy-mediated diffusivities, we predict the unusual result that increased vacancy concentration slows down solute diffusivity, while a sufficiently high vacancy concentration can change the dominant mechanism to an accelerated vacancy-mediated diffusion.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗