1,720,984 research outputs found
Role and Eective Treatment of Dispersive Forces in Materials
Full text linkDFT and DFT-D calculations have been carried out on several chemical systems, ranging from molecules to crystalline polymers, bulk graphite, self-assembled phases of large molecules on metal surfaces and small molecules absorbed in porous organic-inorganic materials.
Joining insights from calculations with experimental outcomes, the structural and electronic behavior of complex chemical systems have been described and explained, allowing a deeper understanding of the studied phenomena. Thanks to the implementation of a correction scheme to DFT, allowing the effective treatment of dispersion forces in materials, accurate calculations on previously unaffordable problems have been performed at a reasonable computational effort. This allowed, e.g., to understand the coverage-dependent phase transition of iron phthalocyanine on Ag(110) and the successful modeling of water absorption in a bispyrazolato copper(II) polymer.In questa tesi è presentata un'indagine computazionale basata sulla Teoria del Funzionale Densità (DFT), eseguita su un ampio range di sistemi che spazia da molecole a polimeri cristallini, grafite, fasi auto-organizzate di molecole organiche su supporti metallici e piccole molecole assorbite in materiali porosi a base organica-inorganica.
Combinando le informazioni ottenute per mezzo di metodi computazionali con i risultati sperimentali, prevalentemente di microscopia a scansione ad effetto tunnel, è stato possibile descrivere il comportamento elettronico e strutturale di tali sistemi e raggiungere una compresione dettagliata del loro comportamento chimico-fisico. Grazie all'implementazione di uno schema correttivo per l'inclusione delle forze di dispersione nella DFT, sono stati effettuati calcoli accurati su sistemi altrimenti inaccessibili, pur contendo lo sforzo computazionale. Questo ha permesso, ad esempio, di capire il ruolo giocato dal ricoprimento della superficie nella transizione di fase osservata per le ftalocianine di ferro depositate su Ag(110) e di modellare con successo l'assorbimento di H20 in un polimero di Cu(II) bispirazolato
Molecular Dynamics Simulations of the Self-Assembly of Tetraphenylporphyrin-Based Mono Layers and Bilayers at a Silver Interface
No full textA theoretical study of the adsorption and dynamics of tetraphenylporphyrins on a Ag(111) substrate and the subsequent aggregation of the formed monolayers with fullerene molecules is reported. Classical molecular dynamics simulations were able to reveal the various phases of monolayer and bilayer formation and succeeded in identifying all the interactions responsible for self-assembling and surface binding. Possible supramolecular configurations extracted from the molecular dynamics trajectories were classified and characterized in detail and revealed to be in satisfactory agreement with experimental data
Physical and chemical parameters determining the formation of gold–sp metal (Al, Ga, In, and Pb) nanoalloys
No full textAlloying is a key step towards the fabrication of advanced and unique nanomaterials demanded by the next generation of nanotechnology solutions. In particular, the alloys of Au with the sp-metals are expected to have several appealing plasmonic and electronic properties for a wide range of applications in optics, catalysis, nanomedicine, sensing and quantum devices. However, little is known about the thermodynamic and synthetic factors leading to the successful alloying of Au and sp-metals at the nanoscale. In this work, Au-M nanoalloys, with M = Al, Ga, In, or Pb, have been synthesized by a green and single step laser ablation in liquid (LAL) approach in two environments (pure ethanol and anhydrous acetone). To delve deeper into the key parameters leading to successful alloying under the typical operating conditions of LAL, a multiparametric analysis was performed considering the mixing enthalpy from DFT calculations and other alloying descriptors such as the Hume-Rothery parameters. The results showed that the dominant factors for alloying change dramatically with the oxidative ability of the synthesis environment. In this way, the tendency of the four sp metals to alloy with gold was accurately predicted (R-2 > 0.99) using only two and three parameters in anhydrous and non-anhydrous environments, respectively. These results are important to produce nanoalloys using LAL and other physical methods because they contribute to the understanding of factors leading to element mixing at the nanoscale under real synthetic conditions, which is crucial for guiding the realization of next-generation multifunctional metallic nanostructures
Recent Developments in Plasmonic Alloy Nanoparticles: Synthesis, Modelling, Properties and Applications
No full textDespite the traditional plasmonic materials are counted on one hand, there are a lot of possible combinations leading to alloys with other elements of the periodic table, in particular those renowned for magnetic or catalytic properties. It is not a surprise, therefore, that nanoalloys are considered for their ability to open new perspectives in the panorama of plasmonics, representing a leading research sector nowadays. This is demonstrated by a long list of studies describing multiple applications of nanoalloys in photonics, photocatalysis, sensing and magneto-optics, where plasmons are combined with other physical and chemical phenomena. In some remarkable cases, the amplification of the conventional properties and even new effects emerged. However, this field is still in its infancy and several challenges must be overcome, starting with the synthesis (control of composition, crystalline order, size, processability, achievement of metastable phases and disordered compounds) as well as the modelling of the structure and properties (accuracy of results, reliability of structural predictions, description of disordered phases, evolution over time) of nanoalloys. To foster the research on plasmonic nanoalloys, here we provide an overview of the most recent results and developments in the field, organized according to synthetic strategies, modelling approaches, dominant properties and reported applications. Considering the several plasmonic nanoalloys under development as well as the large number of those still awaiting synthesis, modelling, properties assessment and technological exploitation, we expect a great impact on the forthcoming solutions for sustainability, ultrasensitive and accurate detection, information processing and many other fields
Free‐Base Octaethylporphyrin on Au(111) as Heterogeneous Organic Molecular Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Acid Media: An Electrochemical Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Rotating Ring‐Disc Electrode Analyses
Full text linkThe oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) using metal porphyrin catalysts is currently widely explored. Conversely, metal‐free molecular systems are much less investigated, and there is limited information available for molecules such as nonmetalated macrocycles capable of catalyzing the ORR or other small molecules. Herein, the activity and selectivity of a heterogeneous organic molecular electrocatalyst, octaethylporphyrin (H2OEP), adsorbed on Au(111) toward ORR in acidic aqueous electrolyte are investigated. Electrochemical scanning tunneling microscopy (EC‐STM) is employed to monitor the molecular layer during the electrochemical process. Additionally, cyclic and linear sweep voltammetries are performed at still and rotating Pt/ring‐H2OEP‐functionalized Au(111)/disk electrodes to determine the activity and selectivity of the H2OEP monolayer toward ORR on Au(111). Based on EC‐STM and computation analysis, dioxygen electroreduction does not follow an inner‐sphere electron transfer reduction as seen in metal porphyrins, where a preliminary MO2 bond has to form, but it follows an outer‐sphere mechanism involving the precoordination of O2 induced by the protonated hydrogen of the macrocycle cavity
DIRECT AND FULLERENE-TEMPLATED PHOTOCHEMICAL POLYMERIZATION OF FUNCTIONALIZED PORPHYRINS ON A SILVER SUBSTRATE
No full text[Zn10(μ4-S)(μ3-S)6(Py)9(SO4)3] as a molecular model of ZnS surfaces: an experimental and theoretical study
No full textExperimental and theoretical results pertaining to [Zn10(μ4-S)(μ3-S)6(Py)9(SO4)3], a possible molecular model of ZnS S-terminated polar surfaces, as well as a potential source of strictlymonodispersed ZnS quantum dots, are presented and discussed. The results of density functional theory (DFT) calculations provided a rationale for the peculiar arrangement of [Zn10(l4-S)(l3-S)6(Py)9(SO4)3] clusters in the solid state, contemporarily indicating the unsuitability of the isolated species to mimic whatever (polar or non-polar) ZnS surface. Despite the fact that such a failure is further confirmed by time-dependent DFT and UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, the combined use of theoretical outcomes, DRIFT measurements, and literature data pertaining to the surface chemical properties of ZnS (Hertl in Langmuir 4:594, 1988) ultimately testifies that [Zn10(μ4-S)(μ3-S)6(Py)9(SO4)3] is perfectly suited to model the interaction of pyridine molecules with ZnS surface Lewis
acid sites. The herein reported theoretical results are
expected to be a useful reference for the interpretation of
chemisorption experiments of Py-based Lewis bases on
single crystal ZnS surfaces
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
- …
