Intrinsic Charge Transfer Research Articles

The local electronic properties of individual Pt atoms adsorbed on TiO2(110) studied by Kelvin probe force microscopy and first-principles simulations.

Noble metal nanostructures dispersed on metal oxide surfaces have applications in diverse areas such as catalysis, chemical sensing, and energy harvesting. Their reactivity, chemical selectivity, stability, and light absorption properties are controlled by the interactions at the metal/oxide interface. Single-atom metal adsorbates on the rutile TiO2(110)-(1 × 1) surface have become a paradigmatic model to characterize those interactions and to understand the unique electronic properties of these supported nanostructures. We combine Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) experiments and density functional theory (DFT) calculations to investigate the atomic-scale variations in the contact potential difference of individual Pt atoms adsorbed on a hydroxylated (h) TiO2(110)-(1 × 1) surface. Our experiments show a significant drop in the local contact potential difference (LCPD) over Pt atoms with respect to the TiO2 surface, supporting the presence of an electron transfer from the Pt adsorbates to the substrate. We have identified two characteristic regimes by LCPD spectroscopy. At far tip-sample distances, LCPD values show a weak distance dependence and can be attributed to the intrinsic charge transfer from Pt to the oxide support. Beyond the onset of short-range chemical interactions, LCPD values exhibit a strong distance dependence that we ascribe to the local structural and charge rearrangements induced by the tip-sample interaction. These findings also apply to other electropositive adsorbates such as potassium and the hydrogen atoms forming the OH groups that are present on the h-TiO2(110) surface, promoting KPFM as a suitable tool for the understanding of electron transfer in catalytically active materials.

Defect and intrinsic luminescence of CeO2nanocrystals

In the paper, the luminescence processes in CeO2 nanocrystals have been investigated and several types of luminescent centers were revealed. For CeO2 nanocrystals treated in oxidation atmosphere two possible pathways of relaxation of the charge transfer excitation led to intrinsic charge transfer (CT) luminescence and luminescence of F0-centers. Treatment in reducing atmosphere leads to formation of additional luminescent centers formed by Ce3+ ions which charge is compensated by oxygen vacancies in first coordination sphere of Ce3+ ion. Shallow defects related to F+-centers present near edge of 4f0 band modify sufficiently the processes of excitation relaxation forming excitation traps that provide a series of trapping–retrapping acts during excitation lifetime.

Unraveling the Intercalation Chemistry of Hexagonal Tungsten Bronze and Its Optical Responses

In an attempt to promote energy saving through the clever control of varying amounts of visible light and solar energy in modern buildings, there has been a surge of interest in the novel design of multifunctional glass windows otherwise known as “smart windows”. The use of chromogenic materials (e.g., tungsten oxides and their alloys) is widespread in this cooling energy technology, and for the case of hexagonal tungsten oxide (h-WO3)-based systems, the overall efficiency is often hindered by the lack of a systematic and fundamental understanding of the interplay of intrinsic charge transfer between the alkali-metal ions and the host h-WO3. In this work, we present a first-principles hybrid density-functional theory investigation of bulk hexagonal tungsten bronzes (i.e., alkali-metal-intercalated h-WO3) and examine the influence of the intercalation chemistry on their thermodynamic stability as well as optoelectronic properties. We find that the introduction of the alkali-metal ion induces a persistent n...

Femtosecond Heterodyne Transient Grating Studies of Nonradiative Deactivation of the S2 (1(1)Bu(+)) State of Peridinin: Detection and Spectroscopic Assignment of an Intermediate in the Decay Pathway.

Femtosecond heterodyne transient grating spectroscopy was employed to investigate the nonradiative decay pathway from the S2 (1(1)Bu(+)) state to the S1 (2(1)Ag(-)) state of peridinin in methanol solution. Just as previously observed by this laboratory for β-carotene in benzonitrile, the real (absorption) and imaginary (dispersion) components of the transient grating signal obtained with Fourier transform spectral interferometry from peridinin exhibit ultrafast responses indicating that S2 state decays in 12 fs to produce an intermediate state, Sx. The excited state absorption spectrum from the Sx state of peridinin, however, is found to be markedly blue-shifted from that of β-carotene because it makes a substantial contribution to the signal observed with 40 fs, 520 nm pulses. The results of a global target analysis and numerical simulations using nonlinear response functions and the multimode Brownian oscillator model support the assignment of Sx to a displaced conformation of the S2 state rather than to a vibrationally excited (or hot) S1 state. The Sx state in peridinin is assigned to a structure with a distorted conjugated polyene backbone moving past an activation-energy barrier between planar and twisted structures on the S2 potential surface. The lengthened lifetime of the Sx state of peridinin in methanol, 900 ± 100 fs, much longer than that typically observed for carotenoids lacking carbonyl substituents, ∼150 fs, can be attributed to the slowing of torsional motions by solvent friction. In peridinin, the system-bath coupling is significantly enhanced over that in β-carotene solution most likely due to the intrinsic intramolecular charge transfer character it derives from the electron withdrawing nature of the carbonyl substituent. An important additional implication is that the Sx state, and the distorted structures reached subsequently along the torsional gradient on the S2 potential surface, may serve as the principal excitation energy transfer donors to chlorophyll a in the peridinin-chlorophyll a protein from dinoflagellates.

Effect of TiO_2 on optical properties of glasses in the soda-lime-silicate system

Titania is widely considered as an alternative constituent for replacing heavy metal oxides in optical glasses. Its effect on optical properties, however, is complex. This is due to the dielectric properties of the prevalent ionic species, Ti4+, the potential co-existence of trivalent titanium, Ti3+, giving rise to intrinsic and extrinsic charge transfer reactions, and the existence of different coordination polyhedra, depending on matrix composition. Here, we present a systematic study of the optical properties of the soda-lime-silicate glass system as a function of TiO2 addition. We consider the silica-rich region of the SiO2-Na2O-CaO-TiO2 quaternary, which may be taken as model for a variety of technical glasses. Trends are described in the refractive index, the Abbe number, the optical bandgap and the Urbach energy. The addition of TiO2 increases the refractive index and the optical dispersion while it lowers the optical bandgap and the Urbach Energy. Results are discussed in relation to relevant literature data towards using titania silicate glasses as high-index replacements for heavy metal – containing oxide glasses.

Probing microenvironment of micelle and albumin using diethyl 6-(dimethylamino)naphthalene-2,3-dicarboxylate: An electroneutral solvatochromic fluorescent probe

Synthesis, single-crystal X-ray characterization, and spectroscopic investigation of small, non-charged diethyl 6-(dimethylamino)naphthalene-2,3-dicarboxylate (DMNDC) by UV–Visible, steady-state, and time-resolved fluorescence reveal a series of interesting photophysical properties originating from the intrinsic intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) state, leading to diverse applications. Stokes shift, lifetime, and emission maxima of DMNDC show a very good correlation with ET(30) solvent polarity scale for a series of different polarity solvents, confirms that it has very good environment sensitivity. Furthermore, this dye has been found to be an exceptionally suitable probe for determining Critical Micelle Concentration (CMC) and probing self-organization processes of five different type of surfactant with structural diversity. A 20–60nm blue shift in emission maxima accompanied by a large fluorescence lifetime enhancement (ca. 23ns) was observed upon relocation of DMNDC into a hydrophobic microenvironment. Along with this, the small size, electroneutrality, pH stability, and excellent solvatochromic fluorescent properties are employed for deciphering the number of hydrophobic binding pockets with strong affinity and their local microenvironment present in Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA).

Polarization Switching and Light-Enhanced Piezoelectricity in Lead Halide Perovskites.

We investigate the ferroelectric properties of photovoltaic methylammonium lead halide CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite using piezoelectric force microscopy (PFM) and macroscopic polarization methods. The electric polarization is clearly observed by amplitude and phase hysteresis loops. However, the polarization loop decreases as the frequency is lowered, persisting for a short time only, in the one second regime, indicating that CH3NH3PbI3 does not exhibit permanent polarization at room temperature. This result is confirmed by macroscopic polarization measurement based on a standard capacitive method. We have observed a strong increase of piezoelectric response under illumination, consistent with the previously reported giant photoinduced dielectric constant at low frequencies. We speculate that an intrinsic charge transfer photoinduced dipole in the perovskite cage may lie at the origin of this effect.

Fermi level shifting, charge transfer and induced magnetic coupling at La0.7Ca0.3MnO3/LaNiO3 interface.

A large magnetic coupling has been observed at the La0.7Ca0.3MnO3/LaNiO3 (LCMO/LNO) interface. The x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) study results show that Fermi level continuously shifted across the LCMO/LNO interface in the interface region. In addition, the charge transfer between Mn and Ni ions of the type Mn3+ − Ni3+ → Mn4+ − Ni2+ with the oxygen vacancies are observed in the interface region. The intrinsic interfacial charge transfer can give rise to itinerant electrons, which results in a “shoulder feature” observed at the low binding energy in the Mn 2p core level spectra. Meanwhile, the orbital reconstruction can be mapped according to the Fermi level position and the charge transfer mode. It can be considered that the ferromagnetic interaction between Ni2+ and Mn4+ gives rise to magnetic regions that pin the ferromagnetic LCMO and cause magnetic coupling at the LCMO/LNO interface.

Optical, electrochemical, and magnetic properties of pyrrole- and thiophene-bridged 5,15-diazaporphyrin dimers.

The first examples of pyrrole- and thiophene-bridged 5,15-diazaporphyrin (DAP) dimers are prepared through Stille coupling reactions of nickel(II) and copper(II) complexes of 3-bromo-10,20-dimesityl-5,15-diazaporphyrin (mesityl=2,4,6-trimethylphenyl) with the respective 2,5-bis(tributylstannyl)heteroles. The effects of the heterole spacers and meso nitrogen atoms on the optical, electrochemical, and magnetic properties of the DAP dimers are investigated by UV/Vis absorption spectroscopy, density functional theory calculations, magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and EPR spectroscopy. The heterole spacers are found to have a significant impact on the electronic transitions over the entire π-system. In particular, the pyrrole-bridged DAP dimers exhibit high light-harvesting potential in the low-energy visible/near-infrared region owing to the intrinsic charge-transfer character of the lowest excitation.

Visualizing the interfacial evolution from charge compensation to metallic screening across the manganite metal–insulator transition

Electronic changes at polar interfaces between transition metal oxides offer the tantalizing possibility to stabilize novel ground states yet can also cause unintended reconstructions in devices. The nature of these interfacial reconstructions should be qualitatively different for metallic and insulating films as the electrostatic boundary conditions and compensation mechanisms are distinct. Here we directly quantify with atomic-resolution the charge distribution for manganite-titanate interfaces traversing the metal-insulator transition. By measuring the concentration and valence of the cations, we find an intrinsic interfacial electronic reconstruction in the insulating films. The total charge observed for the insulating manganite films quantitatively agrees with that needed to cancel the polar catastrophe. As the manganite becomes metallic with increased hole doping, the total charge build-up and its spatial range drop substantially. Direct quantification of the intrinsic charge transfer and spatial width should lay the framework for devices harnessing these unique electronic phases.

Observation of Photoinduced Charge Transfer in Novel Luminescent CdSe Quantum Dot–CePO4:Tb Metal Oxide Nanowire Composite Heterostructures

We report on the synthesis, structural characterization, and intrinsic charge transfer processes associated with novel luminescent zero-dimensional (0D) CdSe nanocrystal–one-dimensional (1D) CePO4:Tb nanowire composite heterostructures. Specifically, ∼4 nm CdSe quantum dots (QDs) have been successfully anchored onto high-aspect ratio CePO4:Tb nanowires, measuring ∼65 nm in diameter and ∼2 μm in length. Composite formation was confirmed by high-resolution transmission microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy mapping, and confocal microscopy. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra, emission decay, and optical absorption of these nanoscale heterostructures were collected and compared with those of single, discrete CdSe QDs and CePO4:Tb nanowires. We show that our composite heterostructure evinces both PL quenching and a shorter average lifetime as compared with unbound CdSe QDs and CePO4:Tb nanowires. We propose that a photoinduced 0D–1D charge transfer process occurs between CdSe and CePO4:Tb and that it re...

Structural, Electronic, and Magnetic Properties of the Semifluorinated Boron Nitride Bilayer: A First-Principles Study

Using density functional theory calculations with dispersion correction, we present a comprehensive study on the semifluorinated boron nitride (BN) bilayers. We find that the semifluorination leads to a nonbonded configuration in BN bilayers spontaneously, which would transform to the diamondized configuration via moderate pressure. Due to the combined effect of intrinsic intralayer strain and interlayer charge transfer, the ferromagnetic coupling is favored in both configurations, which exhibit intriguing half-metallic behavior for BN bilayers. While these nonbonded and diamondized configurations could undergo a 2 × 1 reconstruction, this requires overcoming a fair energy barrier owing to the sliding and warping of BN planes. With such reconstruction, the stability is greatly enhanced, and the system is converted into a nonmagnetic direct-band-gap semiconductor. Our studies demonstrate that the semifluorination can bring diverse electronic and magnetic properties into the BN bilayer, which could be half-...

Energy Band Structure of SiO<sub>2</sub>/4H-SiC Interfaces and its Modulation Induced by Intrinsic and Extrinsic Interface Charge Transfer

The energy band structure of SiO2/4H-SiC fabricated on (0001) Si- and (000-1) C-face substrates was investigated by means of synchrotron radiation x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (SR-XPS). The band structure was found to be dependent on substrate orientation and oxide thickness due to both intrinsic and extrinsic effects that cause charge transfer at the SiO2/SiC interface. Our SR-XPS analysis revealed that the intrinsic conduction band offset of the SiO2/SiC for the C-face substrate is smaller than that for the Si-face. This means that, whereas C-face substrates exhibit high carrier mobility, a problem that is crucial to gate oxide reliability remains for SiC-based metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) devices owing to increased leakage current.

Single and Multi-Exciton Dynamics in Aqueous Protochlorophyllide Aggregates

In plants, the oxidoreductase enzyme POR reduces protochlorophyllide (Pchlide) into chlorophyllide (Chlide), using NADPH as a cofactor. The reduction involves the transfer of two electrons and two protons to the C17═C18 double bond of Pchlide, and the reaction is initiated by the absorption of light by Pchlide itself. In this work we have studied the excited state dynamics of Pchlide dissolved in water, where it forms excitonically coupled aggregates, by ultrafast time-resolved transient absorption and fluorescence experiments performed in the 480-720 nm visible region and in the 1780-1590 cm(-1) mid-IR region. The ground state visible absorption spectrum of aqueous Pchlide red shifts and broadens in comparison to the spectrum of monomeric Pchlide in organic solvents. The population of the one-exciton state occurs at low excitation densities, of <1 photon per aggregate. We characterized the multiexciton manifolds spectra by measuring the absorption difference spectra at increasingly higher photon densities. The multiexciton states are characterized by blue-shifted stimulated emission and red-shifted excited state absorption in comparison to those of the one-exciton manifold. The relaxation dynamics of the multiexciton manifolds into the one-exciton manifold is found to occur in ∼10 ps. This surprisingly slow rate we suggest is due to the intrinsic charge transfer character of the PChlide excited state that leads to solvation, stabilizing the CT state, and subsequent charge recombination, which limits the exciton relaxation.

Combined First‐Principle Calculations and Experimental Study on Multi‐Component Olivine Cathode for Lithium Rechargeable Batteries

AbstractThe electrochemical properties and phase stability of the multi‐component olivine compound LiMn1/3Fe1/3Co1/3PO4 are studied experimentally and with first‐principles calculation. The formation of a solid solution between LiMnPO4, LiFePO4, and LiCoPO4 at this composition is confirmed by XRD patterns and the calculated energy. The experimental and first‐principle results indicate that there are three distinct regions in the electrochemical profile at quasi‐open‐circuit potentials of ∼3.5 V, ∼4.1 V, and ∼4.7 V, which are attributed to Fe3+/Fe2+, Mn3+/Mn2+, and Co3+/Co2+ redox couples, respectively. However, exceptionally large polarization is observed only for the region near 4.1 V of Mn3+/Mn2+ redox couples, implying an intrinsic charge transfer problem. An ex situ XRD study reveals that the reversible one‐phase reaction of Li extraction/insertion mechanism prevails, unexpectedly, for all lithium compositions of LixMn1/3Fe1/3Co1/3PO4 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) at room temperature. This is the first demonstration that the well‐ordered, non‐nanocrystalline (less than 1% Li–M disorder and a few hundred nanometer size particle) olivine electrode can be operated solely in a one‐phase mode.

Stark Effect of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Charge-Transfer Excitons in a Linear Donor−Acceptor Stack: Anthracene−Pyromellitic Dianhydride

Anthracene-PMDA single crystals display at 2K about 70 meV below a well-known intrinsic charge-transfer exciton three narrow absorption lines, which are attributed to CT excitons bound to defects of a few 10(-5) concentration. All excitons respond very sensitively to electric fields along the molecular stack because of the large dipole moment, about 2 eA, of an ionized donor-acceptor pair, but only intrinsic excitons observe an optical selection rule. Although the triclinic unit cell contains only one pair of molecules, excitons appear in field-modulated spectra as near-degenerate doublets of different parity with very small splitting. The line shape of the EA spectra and selection rules with respect to the polarization of light and orientation of the field are consistent with the inversion symmetry of the lattice and the molecules. The simple crystal structure enables identification of the defects that are responsible for extrinsic excitons. Symmetry consideration based on translation invariance lead to a new interpretation of intrinsic excitons as true crystal states with charge transfer from the donor to the acceptor sublattice.

Quantitative calculations of charge-carrier densities in the depletion layers atYBa2Cu3O7−δinterfaces

Charge redistribution at high-${T}_{c}$ superconductor interfaces and grain boundaries on one hand is problematic for technological application. On the other hand, it gives rise to a great perspective for tailoring the local electronic states. For prototypical (metallic) interfaces, we derive quantitative results for the intrinsic doping of the ${\text{CuO}}_{2}$ planes, i.e., for the deviation of the charge-carrier density from the bulk value. Our data are based on ab initio supercell calculations within density-functional theory. A remarkable hole underdoping is inherent to the clean interface, almost independent of the interface geometry. On the contrary, cation substitution as well as incorporation of electronegative impurities can compensate the intrinsic charge transfer and provide access to an exact adjustment of the superconductor's doping. The effects of oxygen deficiency are discussed.

Intrinsic charge transfer gap in NiO fromNi K-edge x-ray absorption spectroscopy

Pre-edge features in x-ray absorption spectroscopy contain key information about the lowest excited states and thus on the most interesting physical properties of the system. In transition-metal oxides they are particularly structured but extracting physical parameters by comparison with a calculation is not easy due to several computational challenges. By combining core-hole attraction and correlation effects in a first-principles approach, we calculate $\text{Ni}\text{ }K$-edge x-ray absorption spectra in NiO. We obtain a striking parameter-free agreement with experimental data and show that dipolar pre-edge features above the correlation gap are due to nonlocal excitations largely unaffected by the core hole. We show that in charge transfer insulators, this property can be used to measure the correlation gap and probe the intrinsic position of the upper Hubbard band.

Charge Transfer Properties of Bis(phthalocyaninato) Rare Earth (III) Complexes: Intrinsic Ambipolar Semiconductor for Field Effect Transistors

Density functional theory calculations were carried out to study the charge transfer properties of bis(phthalocyaninato) yttrium and lanthanum double-decker complexes M(Pc)2 (M = Y, La) for organic field effect transistors. The results indicate that the intrinsic delocalized hole in M(Pc)2 (M = Y, La) induces the high energy level of highest occupied molecular orbital and low energy level of lowest unoccupied molecular orbital in the sandwich double-decker molecules as well as the small ionization potential and large electronic affinity. These factors lead to very small injection barrier relative to Au source-drain electrode of these two double-deckers for both hole and electron and render them as good potential ambipolar semiconductor. Associated with the very small reorganization energy for hole and electron and large transfer integral in crystal, these two complexes M(Pc)2 (M = Y, La) display intrinsic charge transfer mobility of 0.034 and 0.17 cm2 V−1 s−1 for hole and 0.031 and 0.088 cm2 V−1 s−1 for e...

Electronic structure calculations for inhomogeneous systems: Interfaces, surfaces, and nanocontacts

AbstractThe article gives an introduction into the application of density functional theory (DFT) to inhomogeneous systems. To begin with, we describe the interplay of specific materials at interfaces, resulting in structure relaxation and modifications of the chemical bonding. We address interfaces between YBa2Cu3O7 and a normal metal, in order to quantify the intrinsic interface charge transfer into the superconductor. Moreover, we study the internal interfaces in a V6O13 battery cathode and the effects of ion incorporation during the charging and discharging process. The second part of the article deals with the influence of surfaces on the nearby electronic states. Here, we investigate a LaAlO3/SrTiO3 heterostructure in a thin film geometry. We particularly explain the experimental dependence of the electronic states at the heterointerface on the surface layer thickness. Afterwards, surface relaxations are studied for both the clean Ge(001) surface and for self‐assembled Pt nanowires on Ge(001). In the third part, we turn to atomic and molecular contacts. We compare the properties of prototypical Al nanocontact geometries, aiming at insight into the chemical bonding and the occupation of the atomic orbitals. Finally, the local electronic structure of a benzene‐1,4‐dithiol molecule between two Au electrodes is discussed as an example for a molecular bridge.