Performed First-principles Molecular Dynamics Simulations Research Articles

Davemaoite as the mantle mineral with the highest melting temperature.

Knowledge of high-pressure melting curves of silicate minerals is critical for modeling the thermal-chemical evolution of rocky planets. However, the melting temperature of davemaoite, the third most abundant mineral in Earth's lower mantle, is still controversial. Here, we investigate the melting curves of two minerals, MgSiO3 bridgmanite and CaSiO3 davemaoite, under their stability field in the mantle by performing first-principles molecular dynamics simulations based on the density functional theory. The melting curve of bridgmanite is in excellent agreement with previous studies, confirming a general consensus on its melting temperature. However, we predict a much higher melting curve of davemaoite than almost all previous estimates. Melting temperature of davemaoite at the pressure of core-mantle boundary (~136 gigapascals) is about 7700(150) K, which is approximately 2000 K higher than that of bridgmanite. The ultrarefractory nature of davemaoite is critical to reconsider many models in the deep planetary interior, for instance, solidification of early magma ocean and geodynamical behavior of mantle rocks.

Structure and Dynamics of NaCl/KCl/CaCl2-EuCln (n = 2, 3) Molten Salts.

Modern molten salt reactor design and the techniques of electrorefining spent nuclear fuels require a better understanding of the chemical and physical behavior of lanthanide/actinide ions with different oxidation states dissolved in various solvent salts. The molecular structures and dynamics that are driven by the short-range interactions between solute cations and anions and long-range solute and solvent cations are still unclear. In order to study the structural change of solute cations caused by different solvent salts, we performed first-principles molecular dynamics simulations in molten salts and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) measurements for the cooled molten salt samples to identify the local coordination environment of Eu2+ and Eu3+ ions in CaCl2, NaCl, and KCl. The simulations reveal that with the increasing polarizing the outer sphere cations from K+ to Na+ to Ca2+, the coordination number (CN) of Cl- in the first solvation shell increases from 5.6 (Eu2+) and 5.9 (Eu3+) in KCl to 6.9 (Eu2+) and 7.0 (Eu3+) in CaCl2. This coordination change is validated by the EXAFS measurements, in which the CN of Cl- around Eu increases from 5 in KCl to 7 in CaCl2. Our simulation shows that the fewer Cl- ions coordinated to Eu leads to a more rigid first coordination shell with longer lifetime. Furthermore, the diffusivities of Eu2+/Eu3+ are related to the rigidity of their first coordination shell of Cl-: the more rigid the first coordination shell is, the slower the solute cations diffuse.

Finite Temperature Ultraviolet-Visible Dielectric Functions of Tantalum Pentoxide: A Combined Spectroscopic Ellipsometry and First-Principles Study

Tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5) has demonstrated promising applications in gate dielectrics and microwave communication devices with its intrinsically high dielectric constant and low dielectric loss. Although there are numerous studies on the dielectric properties of Ta2O5, few studies have focused on the influence of external environmental changes (i.e., temperature and pressure) on the dielectric properties and the underlying physics is not fully understood. Herein, we synthesize Ta2O5 thin films using the magnetron sputtering method, measure the ultraviolet-visible dielectric function at temperatures varying from 300 to 873 K by spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE), and investigate the temperature influence on the dielectric function from first principles. SE experiments observe that temperature has a nontrivial influence on the ultraviolet-visible dielectric function, accompanying the consistently decreased amplitude and increased broadening width for the dominant absorption peak. First-principles calculations confirm that the dominant absorption peak originates from the aggregated energy states near the valence band maximum (VBM) and conduction band minimum (CBM), and the theoretically predicted dielectric functions demonstrate good agreement with the SE experiments. Moreover, by performing first-principles molecular dynamics simulations, the finite-temperature dielectric function is predicted and its change trend with increasing temperature agrees overall with the SE measurements. This work explores the physical origins of temperature influence on the ultraviolet-visible dielectric function of Ta2O5, aimed at promoting its applications in the field of micro-/nanoelectronics.

Catalytic Effect of Ti or Pt in a Hexagonal Boron Nitride Surface for Capturing CO2

We investigated the effect of doping a hexagonal boron nitride surface (hBN) with Ti or Pt on the adsorption of CO2. We performed first-principles molecular dynamics simulations (FPMD) at atmospheric pressure, and 300 K. Pristine hBN shows no interaction with the CO2 molecule. We allowed the Ti and Pt atoms to interact separately, with either a B-vacancy or an N-vacancy. Both Ti and Pt ended chemisorbed on the surface. The system hBN + Ti always chemisorbed the CO2 molecule. This chemisorption happens in two possible ways. One is without dissociation, and in the other, the molecule breaks in CO and O. However, in the case of the Pt atom as dopant, the resulting system repels the CO2 molecule.

Mechanism and Electronic Perspective of Oxygen Evolution Reactions Catalyzed by [Fe(OTf)2(bpbp)

We performed first-principles molecular dynamics simulations to study the process of water oxidation by the iron-based molecular catalyst [Fe(OTf)2(bpbp)] (OTf = triflouromethanesulfonate, bpbp = N...

Photoinduced Superhydrophilicity of Anatase TiO2 Surface Uncovered by First-Principles Molecular Dynamics.

TiO2 is a prototype of photocatalyst materials. Interfacial water structure is critical to understand the chemical reactivity of TiO2. By performing first-principles molecular dynamics simulations on the TiO2(001)/water interface were performed, we found that the presence of a photogenerated hole at the interface increases the coverage of both the molecular and dissociative water adsorption by increasing the surface acidity and then shapes the layered and ordered water structure by enhancing the interfacial hydrogen bond network. The enhanced attachment of water in contact with the TiO2 surface rationalizes the increase in the intensity of the sum frequency generation spectrum under ultraviolet illumination reported in the experiment. These findings provide a novel interpretation of the electronic effect for the photoinduced hydrophilic conversion of the TiO2 surface at the atomistic level.

Thermal stability of zirconia-doped ceria surfaces: A first-principles molecular dynamics study

Ceria, one of the most important functional rare-earth oxides, is widely used in many technically important industry fields. However, pure ceria is known to have poor thermal stability. Zirconia doping is usually employed to improve its thermal stability and achieve high OSC (oxygen storage capacity) performances under severe conditions. We have performed first-principles molecular dynamics simulations at a series of temperatures and proposed two parameters, i.e. the thermal displacement rate and the phase segregation degree, to describe the structural change of the ceria-zirconia solid solution surfaces. Based on our molecular dynamics simulations the temperature predicted at which the specific surface area dramatically decreases is in good agreement with previous experimental observations.

Dynamics and Spectral Response of Water Molecules around Tetramethylammonium Cation.

Till now, there has been ambiguity about the structural heterogeneity inside a solute solvation shell and the dynamical response of the surrounding solvent molecules. To address the dynamics and spectral response of solvent molecules, we performed first-principles molecular dynamics simulations for the comprehensive study of water's hydroxyl stretch frequency evolution due to environmental variations (also called "spectral diffusion") in the vicinity of a hydrophobe, tetramethylammonium (TMA) cation. The N-Ow radial distribution function (RDF), spatial distribution function (SDF), and combined distribution function (CDF) were calculated to provide information about the arrangement of water molecules around TMA. In the probability distribution plot of the cosine of the angle (θ) between Ow-Hw and NTMA-Ow bond vectors, the hydrogen atoms are observed being oriented toward TMA and the oxygen atoms aligned away. The decaying dynamics of the orientation autocorrelation function (OACF) reveals the reorientation time is more inside the solvation shell (4.1 ps) as compared to bulk (2.8 ps), matching with the trend obtained from water's orientational dynamics in tetraalkylammonium salts. Wavelet transform of the obtained trajectory was used to calculate the time-dependent vibrational stretching frequencies of the OH modes of water molecules. The normalized frequency distribution in the aqueous solvation shell of TMA, tagging a particular water molecule within the N-Ow cutoff distance 5.5 Å, displays an intense peak at 3661 cm-1 representing non-hydrogen bonded or dangling or free OH modes. Simulations around aromatic solutes and Raman-MCR studies in the hydration shell of hydrophobic TBA reported a distinctive dangling OH band at 3660 cm-1 (range: 3661 ± 2 cm-1). Besides dangling water molecules in the first hydration layer of ammonium nitrogen, few OH modes are strongly hydrogen-bonded having an average frequency at 3300 cm-1. The predominance of dangling hydroxyl modes around apolar hydrophobic TMA was further explored by comparing the dangling lifetime (∼0.68 ps) with the lifespan of hydrogen bonded OH modes (∼0.48 ps). At our simulation temperature 330 K, a significant fraction of the water molecules in the vicinity of TMA ion are free or dangling, and a few of them form an ordered structure with enhanced hydrogen bonding. Structural analysis, orientation correlation, frequency fluctuations, dangling, and hole dynamics calculations provide the evidence of the existence of dangling OH modes dominating over highly ordered strong hydrogen bonded structure in the cationic TMA solvation shell at an elevated temperature.

Heterogeneous Occupancy and Vibrational Dynamics of Spatially Patterned Water Molecules.

We performed first-principles molecular dynamics simulations of relatively dilute aqueous solutions of sulfate and thiosulfate dianions to analyze the structure, dynamics, and vibrational spectral properties of water molecules around the solute, especially the spatially patterned solvent molecules in the first solvation layer and the extended layers. This study also involves the investigation of dynamics of dangling OH groups in these layers and their role in patterning the water molecules around the dianions. Structural evaluation of the systems is carried out by radial distribution functions, number integrals, and spatial distribution functions. The lifetime of dangling OH groups inside the solvation shell is compared more to that of the bulk. By constructing the O-H groups in three ensembles (S1, S2, and S3) around the anion, we show that the frequency distribution of OH modes in the S1 ensemble show red-shifting for both sulfate and thiosulfate. The O-H groups in the S2 ensemble of the sulfate-water system show red-shifting by 10 cm-1, while in the case of thiosulfate-water, these O-H groups show blue-shifting by 8 cm-1. The water molecules in S1 and S2 subensembles have slower dynamics compared to those in the bulk (S3). The dynamics of various kinds of hydrogen bonds were characterized by hydrogen bond population correlation functions. The spectral diffusion of solvation shell O-H modes was performed through a frequency-time correlation function. We find a significant amount of orientational retardation of water molecules in the S1 layer and moderate retardation in the S2 layer as compared to that in the bulk, S3 layer. All these findings, the red shift of the OH stretching frequency in S1 and S2 layers, slowing down of the orientational dynamics of OH vectors in S1 and S2 layers, and less diffusivity of water in S1 and S2 layers, show the long-range kosmotropic effect of multivalent sulfate and thiosulfate oxyanions. Due to the long-range effect, heterogeneous occupancy of water molecules is observed, and the water molecules are found to arrange in a patterned manner in the vicinity of anions with varied local density.

Repeatable and reproducible formation/rupture of oxygen vacancy filaments in the vicinity of a polycrystalline HfO2 surface

We theoretically investigated the dynamics of oxygen vacancies (Vo’s) and the effect of changing their charge states by performing first-principles molecular dynamics simulations at a temperature of 1000 K. Calculations were performed for two structures of HfO2: a slab with (110) surfaces and a bulk single crystal. Our studies revealed that when the charge state of the Vo’s changed from neutral (VO0) to divalent (VO2+), Vo’s repelled each other and dispersed, in both the slab and bulk structures. In contrast, when the charge state of the Vo’s changed from VO2+ to VO0, the Vo’s attracted each other and resumed their original positions only in the slab structure. Therefore, the repeatable and reproducible formation/rupture of a VO filament can occur near the crystal surface, where the symmetry of the bulk crystal is broken. This result is consistent with the experimental results demonstrating that the resistive switching of the resistive random access memory develops in polycrystalline metal oxides rather than in single crystalline metal oxides.

First-principles simulations of CaO and CaSiO3 liquids: structure, thermodynamics and diffusion

We have performed first-principles molecular dynamics simulations of CaO and CaSiO3 liquids over broad ranges of pressure (0–150 GPa) and temperature (2,500–8,000 K) within density-functional theory. The simulated liquid structure changes considerably on compression with the mean cation–anion coordination numbers increasing nearly linearly with volume. The Ca–O coordination number increases from 5 (7) near the ambient pressure to 8 (10) at high pressure for CaO (CaSiO3) liquid. The Si–O coordination number increases from 4 to 6 over the same pressure regime. Our results show that both liquids are much more compressible than their solid counterparts implying the possibility of liquid–solid density crossovers at high pressure. The Gruneisen parameter of both the liquids increases with pressure, which is opposite in case of crystalline phases. The calculated self-diffusion coefficients strongly depend on temperature and pressure, thereby requiring non-Arrhenian representation with variable activation volume. The diffusivity differences between the two liquids tend to be large at low-temperature and low-pressure regime. Also, comparisons with MgSiO3 liquid suggest that network modifier cations Ca and Mg behave similarly though Ca is more coordinated and more mobile as compared to Mg.

Quantum molecular dynamics simulations of thermophysical properties of fluid ethane

We have performed first-principles molecular-dynamics simulations based on density-functional theory to study the thermophysical properties of ethane under extreme conditions. We present results for the equation of state of fluid ethane in the warm dense region. The optical conductivity is calculated via the Kubo-Greenwood formula from which the dc conductivity and optical reflectivity are derived. The close correlation between the nonmetal-metal transition of ethane and its decomposition, that ethane dissociates significantly into molecular and/or atomic hydrogen and some long alkane chains, has been systematically studied by analyzing the optical conductivity spectra, pair correlation functions, electronic density of states, and charge density distribution of fluid ethane.

Cost Effective Computational Method for Performing First-Principles Molecular-Dynamics Simulations under Constant Potential Bias

not Available.

Bond-selective energy redistribution in the chemisorption of CH3D and CD3H on Pt{1 1 0}-(1 × 2): A first-principles molecular dynamics study

We have investigated the chemisorption of CH3D and CD3H on Pt{110}-(1×2) by performing first-principles molecular dynamics simulations of the recombinative desorption of CH3D (from adsorbed methyl and deuterium) and of CD3H (from adsorbed trideuteromethyl and hydrogen). Vibrational analysis of the symmetry adapted internal coordinates of the desorbing molecules shows that excitation of the single C–D (C–H) bond in the parent molecule is strongly correlated with energy excess in the reaction coordinate. The results of the molecular dynamics simulations are consistent with observed mode- and bond-specific reactivity measurements for chemisorption of methane and its isotopomers on platinum and nickel surfaces.

Structure, thermodynamics, and diffusion in CaAl 2Si 2O 8 liquid from first-principles molecular dynamics

We have performed first-principles molecular dynamics simulations of CaAl 2Si 2O 8 (anorthite) liquid at pressures up to 120 GPa and temperatures of 3000, 4000 and 6000 K. At the lowest degrees of compression the liquid is seen to accommodate changes in density through decreasing the abundance of 3- and 4-membered rings, while increases in coordination of network forming cations take effect at somewhat higher degrees of compression. Results are fit to a fundamental thermodynamic relation with 4th order finite strain and 1st order thermal variable expansions. Upon compression by a factor of two, the Grüneisen parameter ( γ) is found to increase continuously from 0.35 to 1.10. Weak temperature dependence in γ is thermodynamically consistent with a slight decrease in isochoric heat capacity ( C V ), for which values of between 4.4 and 5.2 Nk B are obtained, depending on the temperature. Pressure and temperature dependence of self-diffusivities is found to be well represented by an Arrhenius relation, except at 3000 K and pressures lower than 5 GPa, where self-diffusivities of Si, Al, and O increase with pressure. Analysis of the lifetimes of individual coordination species reveals that this phenomenon arises due to the disproportionately high stability of 4-fold coordinated Si, and to a lesser extent 4-fold coordinated Al. Our results represent a marked improvement in accuracy and reliability in describing the physics of CaAl 2Si 2O 8 liquid at deep mantle pressures, pointing the way to a general thermodynamic model of melts at extreme pressures and temperatures relevant to planetary-scale magma oceans and deep mantle partial melting.

Synthetic ferromagnetic nitrides: First-principles calculations of CaN and SrN

Encouraged by recent experimental facts of synthesizing materials which do not exist in nature, we introduce a type of ferromagnets, CaN and SrN, which have been proposed by first-principles calculations. These are half-metallic ferromagnets and they have magnetic moments of $1{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B}$ per chemical formula unit. Out of typical structures of binary compounds we have calculated, the rocksalt structure is the most stable form for both CaN and SrN. The majority of the magnetic moment of these compounds originates from the nitrogen sites since the $p$ states of nitrogen are spin polarized. The mechanism of the ferromagnetism is discussed. Their formation energies have been calculated and the results show that it should be feasible to synthesize these materials. The structural stability of CaN has been confirmed by performing first-principles molecular dynamics simulations. We propose a synthesis process for CaN using the high pressure and temperature environment.

Photo-induced Metastable State of S8Clusters in Liquid Sulfur

AbstractIt is well known that liquid sulfur undergoes a polymerization transition from S8 rings to the mixture of S8 rings and polymeric chains at Tp=159°C. In addition to the transition, it has been known that there is a transformation from S8ring to a molecular species other than S8ring and polymeric chain below Tpsince 19thcentury. Such molecular species can also be obtained by the illumination of light. Several models of the molecular form have been presented. However, the conclusive model which explains all experimental results has not been settled yet. Recently we measured transient photo-induced optical absorption in liquid sulfur and Munejiri et al. performed first-principles molecular-dynamics simulations to clarify the microscopic origin of the experimental results. The results of the simulations presented a plausible molecular form as the molecular species, which is a tadpole-shaped S8 cluster. We show that the molecular form clearly explains the previous experimental results. A possibility of the formation of an intimate valence alternation pair in the small cluster is also discussed.

Evidence of surface reconstructions and incorporation of oxygen into the oxide framework on the hydroxylated La2O3(001) surface.

By performing first-principles Molecular Dynamics simulations at 300 K, we show that water dissociates on the A-La2O3(001) surface giving rise to one exclusive type of hydroxyl-group, which is associated with a surface reconstruction, incorporating an additional oxygen ion into the oxide subsurface, yielding a surface structure that is oxygen rich.

Ensemble Density-Functional Theory forAb InitioMolecular Dynamics of Metals and Finite-Temperature Insulators

A new method is presented for performing first-principles molecular-dynamics simulations of systems with variable occupancies. We adopt a matrix representation for the one-particle statistical operator $\stackrel{^}{\ensuremath{\gamma}}$ to introduce a ``projected'' free energy functional $G$ that depends on the Kohn-Sham orbitals only and that is invariant under their unitary transformations. The Liouville equation $[\stackrel{^}{\ensuremath{\gamma}},\stackrel{^}{H}]\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}0$ is always satisfied, guaranteeing a very efficient and robust variational minimization algorithm, that can also be extended to nonconventional entropic formulations.

Model of vitreous SiO2 generated by an ab initio molecular-dynamics quench from the melt.

We studied liquid and vitreous ${\mathrm{SiO}}_{2}$ by performing first-principles molecular-dynamics simulations. Diffusion in the liquid is shown to occur through correlated jump events, which disrupt the network only for short time periods. The persistence of the network even at high temperatures is confirmed by the average structural properties of the liquid. By quenching from the melt, we obtained a model for the glass, which forms a perfectly chemically ordered network. Structural and electronic properties of our model glass present a remarkable agreement with vitreous ${\mathrm{SiO}}_{2}$: the calculated total structure factor closely agrees with data from neutron diffraction experiments and features in the x-ray photoemission spectrum are well reproduced by the electronic density of states. This agreement strongly supports other structural properties which are yet unavailable from experiment such as partial pair correlation functions and bond-angle distributions. A comparative study of the electronic density of states in liquid, vitreous, and crystalline ${\mathrm{SiO}}_{2}$ shows that enhancement of disorder gives rise to a reduction of the gap.