Density functional theory simulations with conventional (PBE) and hybrid (HSE06) functionals were performed to investigate the structural and electronic properties of MXene monolayers, \ce{Ti_{n+1}C_n} and \ce{Ti_{n+1}N_n} ($n$ = 1--9) with surfaces terminated by O, F, H, and OH groups. We find that PBE and HSE06 give similar results. Without functional groups, MXenes have magnetically ordered ground states. All the studied materials are metallic except for \ce{Ti_{2}CO_{2}}, which we predict to be semiconducting. The calculated density of states at the Fermi level of the thicker MXenes ($n$ $\geqslant$ 5) is much higher than for thin MXenes, indicating that properties such as electronic conductivity and surface chemistry will be different. In general, the carbides and nitrides behave differently with the same functional groups.
In this work, we investigated the electronic structure and the quantum capacitance of the functionalized MoS$_2$ monolayer. The functionalizations have been done by using different ad-atom adsorption on Mo$S_2$ monolayer. Density functional theory calculations are performed to obtain an accurate electronic structure of ad-atom doped MoS$_2$ monolayer with a varying degree of doping concentration. The quantum capacitance of the systems was subsequently estimated. A marked quantum capacitance above 200 $μ$F/cm$^2$ has been observed. Our calculations show that the quantum capacitance of MoS$_2$ m…
In a first-principles study based on many-body perturbation theory, we analyze the optical excitations of azobenzene-functionalized SAMs with increasing packing density and different terminations, considering for comparison the corresponding gas-phase molecules and dimers. The intermolecular coupling increases with the density of the chromophores independently of the functional groups. The intense $π\rightarrowπ^*$ resonance that triggers photo-isomerization is present in the spectra of isolated dimers and diluted SAMs, but it is almost completely washed out in tightly packed architectures. In…
The deposition of a monolayer by direct self-assembly from solution of an active spin-crossover (SCO) complex via chemisorption has been achieved starting from the perchlorate salt of Co(II) bis(4-(4-carboxyphenyl)-2,2:6,2-terpyridine). MALDI-TOF MS, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirm the presence of an intact monolayer of SCO molecules grafted through carboxylate groups to the Ag surface. Three different spectroscopic techniques (Raman, XPS and X-ray Absorption spectroscopy, XAS) evidence a thermal spin transition of such monolayer of molecules. To our knowl…
In a joint theoretical and experimental work the optical properties of azobenzene-functionalized self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) are studied at different molecular packing densities. Our results, based on density-functional and many-body perturbation theory, as well as on differential reflectance (DR) spectroscopy, shed light on the microscopic mechanisms ruling photo-absorption in these systems. While the optical excitations are intrinsically excitonic in nature, regardless of the molecular concentration, in densely-packed SAMs intermolecular coupling and local-field effects are responsible …
Valleytronic materials, characterized by local extrema (valley) in their bands, and topological insulators have separately attracted great interest recently. However, the interplay between valleytronic and topological properties in one single system, likely to enable important unexplored phenomena and applications, has been largely overlooked so far. Here, by combining a tight-binding model with first-principles calculations, we find the large-band-gap quantum spin Hall effects (QSHEs) and valley Hall effects (VHEs) appear simultaneously in the Bi monolayers decorated with halogen elements, de…
We perform first-principles calculations of electronic and dielectric properties of bismuthene functionalized with small ligands using first-principle calculations. We show that all functionalized structures have topological insulating (TI) behavior with a sizeable gap by calculating the Z$_2$ topological invariant. Furthermore the adsorption of all groups induce a quasi-planar structure to the initially pristine bismuthene structure. Finally we show that the dielectric properties show a large anisotropy with two main in plane absorption peaks.
We report first-principles studies of electronic transport in monolayers of Tour wires functionalized with different side groups. An analysis of the scattering states and transmission eigenchannels suggests that the functionalization does not strongly affect the resonances responsible for current flow through the monolayer. However, functionalization has a significant effect on the interactions within the monolayer, so that monolayers with NO$_2$ side groups exhibit local minima associated with twisted conformations of the molecules. We use our results to interpret observations of negative dif…
We have investigated the radical functionalization of gold surfaces with a derivative of the perchlorotriphenylmethyl (PTM) radical, using two methods: by chemisorption from the radical solution and by on surface chemical derivatization from a precursor. We have investigated the obtained self-assembled monolayers by photon-energy dependent X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Our results show that the molecules were successfully anchored on the surfaces. The monolayers are characterized by air and beam stability unprecedented for films of organic radicals. Over very long beam exposure we observed…
The discovery of group IV and V elemental Xene's which exhibit topologically non-trivial characters natively in their honeycomb lattice structure (HLS) has led to extensive efforts in realising analogous behaviour in group VI elemental monolayers. Although; it was theoretically concluded that group VI elemental monolayers cannot exist as HLS but recent experimental evidence suggests otherwise. In this letter we report that, HLS of group VI elemental monolayer (such as, Tellurene) can be realised to be dynamically stable when functionzalised with Oxygen. The functionalization leads to, peculiar…
Adsorption of small ligands on semiconductor surfaces is a possible route to modify these surfaces so that they can be used in biosensing and optoelectronic devices. In this work we perform density-functional theory calculations of electronic and optical properties of small ligands on GaN-(10$\bar1$0) surfaces. From the investigated anchor groups we show that thiol groups introduce states into the GaN band gap. However, these state are not optically active, at least for these perfect surfaces. This means that more realistic surfaces need to be considered to suggest how surface modification can…
Molecular self-assembly has been extensively used for surface modification of metals and oxides for a variety of applications, including molecular and organic electronics. One of the goals of this research is to learn how the electronic properties of these surfaces can be modified by self-assembled monolayers (SAM). Here, we demonstrate a new type of molecular self-assembly: the growth of organosilane SAMs at the surface of organic semiconductors, which results in a dramatic increase of the surface conductivity of organic materials. For organosilane molecules with a large dipole moment, SAM-in…
White light tunable phosphors are obtained from a sol-gel derived siliceous network to which oxyethylene units are covalently grafted by means of urea or urethane cross-linkages. The bright photoluminescence is ascribed to an unusual convolution of distinct emissions originated in the NH groups of the urea or urethane bridges and in the siliceous nanodomains. The lifetimes of these emissions show a remarkable temperature dependence of approximately six orders of magnitude between $\approx 220$ and 300 K associated with the hybrids glass transition temperature. This set of xerogels is one of th…
Graphene, a 2-dimensional monolayer form of sp2 hybridizated carbon atoms, is attracting increasing attention due to its unique and superior physicochemical properties. Covalently functionalized graphene layers, with their modifiable chemical functionality and usefull electrical properties, are excellent candidates for broad range of sensors, suitable for biomedical, optoelectronic and environmental applications. Here, we present extensive study of transport properties of sensors based on covalently functionalized graphene monolayer (GML) with graphene electrodes. The transmissions, density of…
Two-dimensional materials composed of transition metal carbides and nitrides (MXenes) are poised to revolutionize energy conversion and storage. In this work, we used density functional theory (DFT) to investigate adsorption of Mg and Na adatoms on five M$_{2}$CS$_{2}$ monolayers (where M= Mo, Nb, Ti, V, Zr) for battery applications. We assessed the stability of the adatom (i.e. Na and Mg)-monolayer systems by calculating adsorption and formation energies, as well as voltages as a function of surface coverage. For instance, we found that Mo$_{2}$CS$_{2}$ cannot support a full layer of Na nor e…
We present a theoretical study of the structural and electronic properties of graphene monolayer functionalized with boron and nitrogen atoms substituting carbon atoms. Our study is based on the ab initio calculations in the framework of the density functional theory. We calculate the binding energies of the functionalized systems, changes in the morphology caused by functionalization, and further the band gap energy as a function of the concentration of dopants. Moreover, we address the problem of possible clustering of dopants at a given concentration. We define the clustering parameter to q…
The adsorption of two different organic molecules cyanidin glucoside (C$_{21}$O$_{11}$H$_{20}$) and TA-St-CA on anatase (101) and (001) nanowires have been investigated using the standard and the range separated hybrid density functional theory calculations. The electronic structures and optical spectra of resulting dye--nanowire combined systems show distinct features for these types of photochromophores. The lowest unoccupied molecular orbital of the natural dye cyanidin glucoside is located below the conduction band of the semiconductor while, in the case of TA-St-CA, it resonates with the …
We present a first-principles investigation of the electronic and optical properties of hybrid organic-inorganic interfaces consisting of MoS$_2$ monolayer and the $π$-conjugate molecules pyrene and pyridine. For both hybrid systems, the quasi-particle band structure obtained from the $G_0W_0$ approximation shows -- in contrast to density-functional theory -- level alignment of type II, owing to the mutual dynamical screening of the interface constituents. $\textit{Ab initio}$ calculations of the absorption spectrum based on the Bethe-Salpeter equation reveal besides intra-layer excitons on th…
Using density functional theory calculations, we investigated the properties of few-layer silicene nanosheets, namely bilayers and trilayers, functionalized with group-III or group-V atoms of the periodic table. We considered the Si$_2$X$_2$ bilayers and the Si$_2$X$_4$ trilayers, X = B, N, Al, P. We computed the structural, energetic, dynamic, elastic, and electronic properties of those systems in several stacking configurations, labeled as AA$'$, AB, AA$'$A$''$, and ABC. The results revealed that AA$'$-Si$_2$N$_2$, AB-Si$_2$N$_2$, AA$'$-Si$_2$P$_2$, AB-Si$_2$P$_2$, ABC-Si$_4$B$_2$, ABC-Si$_4…
Quantum Spin Hall (QSH) insulators with a large topologically nontrivial bulk gap are crucial for future applications of the QSH effect. Among these, group III-V monolayers and their halides with chair structure (regular hexagonal framework, RHF) were widely studied. Using first-principles calculations, we propose a new structure model for the functionalized group III-V monolayers, which consist of rectangular GaBi-X2 (X=I, Br, Cl) monolayers with a distorted hexagonal framework (DHF). These structures have a much lower energy than the GaBi-X2 monolayers with chair structure. Remarkably, the D…
The morphological and electronic properties of isolated and monolayer phases of carboxyl- and amine-functionalized carboranethiols on unreconstructed Au(111) were determined using density functional theory calculations by including van der Waals interactions. The groups are effective in the assembly of pristine adlayers on gold and also offer functionality when exposed at the SAM-environment interface. Anisotropy brought by both functional groups increases tilting of carboranethiols relative to the surface normal and absolute values of the dissociative chemisorption energies. Positional isomer…
Development of new greenhouse gas scavengers is actively pursued nowadays. Volatility caused solvent consumption and significant regeneration costs associated with the aqueous amine solutions motivate search for more technologically and economically advanced solutions. We hereby used hybrid density functional theory to characterize thermodynamics, structure, electronic and solvation properties of amino and carboxamido functionalized C60 fullerene. C60 is non-volatile and supports a large density of amino groups on its surface. Attachment of polar groups to fullerene C60 adjusts its dipole mome…
Recently hybridized monolayers consisting of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) phases inside graphene layer have been synthesized and shown to be an effective way of opening band gap in graphene monolayers [1]. In this letter, we report an ab initio density functional theory (DFT)- based study of h-BN domain size effect on the elastic properties of graphene/boron nitride hybrid monolayers (h-BNC). We found both inplane stiffness and longitudinal sound velocity of h-BNC linearly decrease with h-BN concentration.
The structural, elastic and electronic properties of two-dimensional (2D) titanium carbide/nitride based pristine (Tin+1Cn/Tin+1Nn) and functionalized MXenes (Tin+1CnT2/Tin+1NnT2, T stands for the terminal groups: -F, -O and -OH, n = 1, 2, 3) are investigated by density functional theory calculations. Carbide-based MXenes possess larger lattice constants and monolayer thicknesses than nitride-based MXenes. The in-plane Young's moduli of Tin+1Nn are larger than those of Tin+1Cn, whereas in both systems they decrease with the increase of the monolayer thickness. Cohesive energy calculations indi…
Photoluminescence Quenching in WSe$_2$ via p-Doping Induced by Functionalized Rylene Dyes
Carl-von-Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg（奥尔登堡卡尔·冯·奥西茨基大学）；Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena（耶拿弗里德里希·席勒大学）；Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology（莱布尼茨光子技术研究所）；Center for Energy and Environmental Chemistry Jena (CEEC Jena)（耶拿能源与环境化学中心）；sciclus GmbH & Co. KG（sciclus有限公司）
MXenes, a family of two-dimensional transition metal carbides and nitrides, have various tunable physical and chemical properties. Their diverse prospective applications in electronics and energy storage devices have triggered great interests in science and technology. MXenes can be functionalized by different surface terminations. Some O and F functionalized MXenes monolayers have been predicted to be topological insulators (TIs). However, the reported OH functionalized MXenes TIs are very few and their electronic structures need to be investigated in more detail. It has been revealed that th…
Hybridization effects play a crucial role in determining the electronic properties of hybrid inorganic/organic interfaces. To gain insight into these important interactions, we perform a first-principles study based on hybrid density-functional theory including spin-orbit coupling, focusing on eight representative systems formed by two carbon-conjugated molecules-pyrene and perylene-physisorbed on the transition-metal dichalcogenide monolayers (TMDCs) MoS$_2$, MoSe$_2$, WS$_2$, and WSe$_2$. By means of band unfolding techniques, we analyze the band structures of the considered materials, ident…
We present exemplary results of extensive studies of mechanical, electronic and transport properties of covalent functionalization of graphene monolayers (GML) with -NH2. We report new results of ab initio studies of covalent functionalization of GML with -NH2 groups up to 12.5% concentration. Our studies are performed in the framework of the density functional theory (DFT) and non-equilibrium Green's function (NEGF). We discuss the stability (adsorption energy), elastic moduli, electronic structure, band gaps, and effective electron masses as a function of the density of the adsorbed molecule…
Thin films prepared of semiconductor nanoparticles are promising for low-cost electronic applications such as transistors and solar cells. One hurdle for their breakthrough is their notoriously low conductivity. To address this, we precisely decorate CdSe nanoparticles with platinum domains of one to three nanometers in diameter by a facile and robust seeded growth method. We demonstrate the transition from semiconductor to metal dominated conduction in monolayered films. By adjusting the platinum content in such solution-processable hybrid, oligomeric nanoparticles the dark currents through d…
The ability to precisely control the electronic coupling/decoupling of adsorbates from surfaces is an essential goal. It isimportant for fundamental studies not only in surface science but alsoin several applied domains including, for example, miniaturizedmolecular electronic or for the development of various devices suchas nanoscale biosensors or photovoltaic cells. Here, we provide atomic-scale experimental and theoretical investigations of a semi-insulatinglayer grown on a silicon surface via its epitaxy with CaF2. We showthat, following the formation of a wetting layer, the ensuing organiz…
We explain the nature of the electronic band gap and optical absorption spectrum of Carbon - Boron Nitride (CBN) hybridized monolayers using density functional theory (DFT), GW and Bethe-Salpeter equation calculations. The CBN optoelectronic properties result from the overall monolayer bandstructure, whose quasiparticle states are controlled by the C domain size and lie at separate energy for C and BN without significant mixing at the band edge, as confirmed by the presence of strongly bound bright exciton states localized within the C domains. The resulting absorption spectra show two marked …
Monolayer and multilayer graphene are promising materials for applications such as electronic devices, sensors, energy generation and storage, and medicine. In order to perform large-scale atomistic simulations of the mechanical and thermal behavior of graphene-based devices, accurate interatomic potentials are required. Here, we present a new interatomic potential for multilayer graphene structures referred to as "hNN--Gr$_x$." This hybrid potential employs a neural network to describe short-range interactions and a theoretically-motivated analytical term to model long-range dispersion. The p…
Here we propose the approach to design of the new type of hybrids of oligonucleotides with fluorescein-functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes. The approach is based on stacking interactions of functionalized nanotubes with pyrene residues in conjugates of oligonucleotides. The amino- and fluorescein-modified single-walled carbon nanotubes were obtained, and their physico-chemical properties were investigated. The effect of carbon nanotubes functionalization type on the efficacy of sorption of pyrene conjugates of oligonucleotides was examined. Proposed non-covalent hybrids of fluorescei…
Recently, two-dimensional ferromagnetic semiconductors have been an important class of materials for many potential applications in spintronic devices. Based on density functional theory, we systematically explore the magnetic and electronic properties of CrGeS$_3$ with the monolayer structures. The comparison of total energy between different magnetic states ensures the ferromagnetic ground state of monolayer CrGeS$_3$. It is also shown that ferromagnetic and semiconducting properties are exhibited in monolayer CrGeS$_3$ with the magnetic moment of 3 $μ_{B}$ for each Cr atom, donated mainly b…
The number of atomic layers confined in a two-dimensional structure is crucial for the electronic and magnetic properties. Single-layer and bilayer $J_{\rm eff} = 1/2$ square lattices are well-known examples where the presence of the extra layer turns the XY-anisotropy to the $c$-axis anisotropy. We report on experimental realization of a hybrid SrIrO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ superlattice that integrates monolayer and bilayer square lattices in one layered structure. By synchrotron x-ray diffraction, resonant x-ray magnetic scattering, magnetization, and resistivity measurements, we found that the hybrid…
Two-dimensional (2D) MXenes are a rapid growing family of 2D materials with rich physical and chemical properties where their surface termination plays an essential role. Among the various 2D MXenes, functionalization of the Ti$_{n}$C$_{n-1}$ phase with oxygen (O) atoms makes them attractive for optoelectronic applications due to their optical gap residing in the infrared or visible region. In this manuscript, we theoretically investigate the electronic and optical properties of four different O-atom-functionalized Ti$_{n}$C$_{n-1}$ MXene monolayers using state-of-the-art, first-principles tec…
We have investigated the electronic structure of graphene supported on Re(0001) before and after the intercalation of one monolayer of Ag by means of angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements and density functional theory calculations. The intercalation of Ag reduces the graphene-Re interaction and modifies the electronic band structure of graphene. Although the linear dispersion of the π state of graphene in proximity of the Fermi level highlights a rather weak graphene-noble metal layer interaction, we still observe a significant hybridization between the Ag bands and the π stat…
Band gap tuning and dielectric properties of small organic ligands adsorbed on tin monolayers (stanene) have been investigated using first-principles calculations. Charge density analysis using density-functional theory shows that the ligands are chemisorbed on stanene and some of the groups can open a band gap in the originally metallic statene. Furthermore many-body GW calculations demonstrate that the dielectric properties of bare and ligand adsorbed stanene have a large anisotropy. Our findings of a finite gap opens a path for rational theoretical design of functionalized two-dimensional s…
Hybrid monolayers of clay minerals (hectorite) and Octadecyamine (ODA) were prepared using the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique. Surface pressure-area per molecule isotherm, FTIR and atomic force microscopy were used to confirm and analyze the ODA-hectorite hybrid films. The monolayer thickness is 2 nm and average height, length and width of individual clay platelets ranges between 1.5 to 2 nm, 500 to 1250 nm and 100 to 115 nm respectively. The surface coverage was more than 80%.
The surface stabilized MnO(100)-like monolayer, characterised by a regular c(4x2) distribution of Mn vacancies, is studied by hybrid functionals and discussed in the light of available scanning tunneling microscopy and high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy data. We show that the use of hybrid functionals is crucial to account for the intermingled nature of magnetic ineractions, electron localization, structural distortions and surface phonons. The proposed Pd(100) supported Mn3O4 structure is excellently compatible with the experiments previously reported in literature.
The application of graphene in electronic devices requires large scale epitaxial growth. The presence of the substrate, however, usually reduces the charge carrier mobility considerably. We show that it is possible to decouple the partially sp3-hybridized first graphitic layer formed on the Si-terminated face of silicon carbide from the substrate by gold intercalation, leading to a completely sp2-hybridized graphene layer with improved electronic properties.
College of Physical Science and Technology, Guangxi Normal University（广西师范大学物理科学与技术学院）；College of Physical Science and Technology, Yangzhou University（扬州大学物理科学与技术学院）
The design of low-dimensional organic-inorganic interfaces for the next generation of opto-electronic applications requires an in-depth understanding of the microscopic mechanisms ruling electronic interactions in these systems. In this work, we present a first-principles study based on density-functional theory inspecting the structural, energetic, and electronic properties of five molecular donors and acceptors adsorbed on freestanding hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) and molybdenum disulfide (MoS$_2$) monolayers. All considered heterostructures are stable, due to the crucial contribution of di…
Density functional theory (DFT) can be quite advantageous in advancing the field of catalysis because of the microscopic insights it provides, and thus can guide experimental searches of novel catalysts. Several recent works have demonstrated that low-dimensional materials can be very efficient catalysts. Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) have gained much attention in past years due to their unique properties like low toxicity, chemical inertness, biocompatibility, crystallinity, etc. These properties of GQDs which are due to quantum confinement and edge effects facilitate their applications in var…
Recently, two-dimensional nanostructures consisting of alternating graphene and boron nitride (BN) domains have been synthesized. These systems possess interesting electronic and mechanical properties, with potential applications in electronics and optical devices. Here, we perform a first-principles investigation of models of BN-C hybrid monolayers and nanoribbons deposited on the Cu(111) surface, a substrate used for their growth in said experiments. For the sake of comparison, we also consider BN and BC2N nanostructures. We show that BN and BC2N monolayers bind weakly to Cu(111), whereas mo…
Monolayer lateral heterostructure of graphene and hexagonal boron nitride (h-BNC) has attracted a growing attention mainly due to its tunable band-gap character and unique physical properties at interface. Hereby, we reported the first-time synthesis of a nearly freestanding h-BNC hybrid on a weakly coupled substrate of Ir (111), where graphene and h-BN possessing different surface heights and corrugations formed a perfect monolayer hybrid. With the aid of scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/STS), we demonstrated that h-BN can patch alongside the boundary of pre-deposited graphene …
We investigate the electronic structure and lattice stability of pristine and functionalized (with either hydrogen or oxygen) $α$-graphyne systems. We identify lattice instabilities due to soft-phonon modes, and describe two mechanisms leading to gap opening in the Dirac-fermion electronic spectrum of these systems: symmetry breaking, connected with the lattice instabilities, and partial incorporation of an $sp^3$-hybrid character in the covalent-bonding network of a buckled hydrogenated $α$-graphyne lattice that retains the symmetries of the parent pristine $α$-graphyne. In the case of an oxy…
