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Elishav O, Blumer O, Vanderlick TK, Hirshberg B. The effect of ligands on the size distribution of copper nanoclusters: Insights from molecular dynamics simulations. J Chem Phys 2024; 160:164301. [PMID: 38647299 DOI: 10.1063/5.0202432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Controlling the size distribution in the nucleation of copper particles is crucial for achieving nanocrystals with desired physical and chemical properties. However, their synthesis involves a complex system of solvents, ligands, and copper precursors with intertwining effects on the size of the nanoclusters. We combine molecular dynamics simulations and density functional theory calculations to provide insights into the nucleation mechanism in the presence of a triphenyl phosphite ligand. We identify the crucial role of the strength of the metal-phosphine interaction in inhibiting the cluster's growth. We demonstrate computationally several practical routes to fine-tune the interaction strength by modifying the side groups of the additive. Our work provides molecular insights into the complex nucleation process of protected copper nanocrystals, which can assist in controlling their size distribution and, eventually, their morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oren Elishav
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA
- School of Chemistry, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Ofir Blumer
- School of Chemistry, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - T Kyle Vanderlick
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA
| | - Barak Hirshberg
- School of Chemistry, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
- The Center for Computational Molecular and Materials Science, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
- The Ratner Center for Single Molecule Science, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
- The Center for Physics and Chemistry of Living Systems, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
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2
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Zhong F, Sheng J, Du C, He Y, Sun Y, Dong F. Ligand-mediated exciton dissociation and interparticle energy transfer on CsPbBr 3 perovskite quantum dots for efficient CO 2-to-CO photoreduction. Sci Bull (Beijing) 2024; 69:901-912. [PMID: 38302334 DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2024.01.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2023] [Revised: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) hold immense potential as photocatalysts for CO2 reduction due to their remarkable quantum properties, which facilitates the generation of multiple excitons, providing the necessary high-energy electrons for CO2 photoreduction. However, harnessing multi-excitons in PQDs for superior photocatalysis remains challenging, as achieving the concurrent dissociation of excitons and interparticle energy transfer proves elusive. This study introduces a ligand density-controlled strategy to enhance both exciton dissociation and interparticle energy transfer in CsPbBr3 PQDs. Optimized CsPbBr3 PQDs with the regulated ligand density exhibit efficient photocatalytic conversion of CO2 to CO, achieving a 2.26-fold improvement over unoptimized counterparts while maintaining chemical integrity. Multiple analytical techniques, including Kelvin probe force microscopy, temperature-dependent photoluminescence, femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy, and density functional theory calculations, collectively affirm that the proper ligand termination promotes the charge separation and the interparticle transfer through ligand-mediated interfacial electron coupling and electronic interactions. This work reveals ligand density-dependent variations in the gas-solid photocatalytic CO2 reduction performance of CsPbBr3 PQDs, underscoring the importance of ligand engineering for enhancing quantum dot photocatalysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengyi Zhong
- School of Resources and Environment, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Jianping Sheng
- School of Resources and Environment, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China; Research Center for Carbon-Neutral Environmental & Energy Technology, Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China.
| | - Chenyu Du
- School of Resources and Environment, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Ye He
- School of Resources and Environment, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Yanjuan Sun
- School of Resources and Environment, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Fan Dong
- School of Resources and Environment, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China; Research Center for Carbon-Neutral Environmental & Energy Technology, Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China.
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3
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Fausia K, Nharangatt B, Vinayakan RN, Ramesh AR, Santhi V, Dhandapani KR, Manoj TP, Chatanathodi R, Jose D, Sandeep K. Probing the Structural Degradation of CsPbBr 3 Perovskite Nanocrystals in the Presence of H 2O and H 2S: How Weak Interactions and HSAB Matter. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:8417-8424. [PMID: 38405449 PMCID: PMC10882691 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c09600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 01/06/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Structural degradation of all inorganic CsPbBr3 in the presence of moisture is considered as one of its major limitations to use as an active component in various light-harvesting and light-emitting devices. Herein, we used two similar molecules, H2O and H2S, with similar structures, to follow the decomposition mechanism of CsPbBr3 perovskite nanocrystals. Interestingly, H2O acts as a catalyst for the decomposition of CsPbBr3, which is in contrast to H2S. Our experimental observations followed by density functional theory (DFT) calculations showed that the water molecule is intercalated in the CsPbBr3 perovskite whereas H2S is adsorbed in the (100) planes of CsPbBr3 by a weak electrostatic interaction. According to Pearson's hard-soft acid-base theory, both cations present in CsPbBr3 prefer soft/intermediate bases. In the case of the water molecule, it lacks a soft base and thus it is not directly involved in the reaction whereas H2S can provide a soft base and thus it gets involved in the reaction. Understanding the mechanistic aspects of decomposition can give different methodologies for preventing such unwanted reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karayadi
H. Fausia
- Government
Victoria College, Research Center under
University of Calicut, Palakkad 678001, India
| | - Bijoy Nharangatt
- Department
of Physics, National Institute of Technology, Calicut, Kerala 673601, India
| | | | - Analiparambil R. Ramesh
- Government
Victoria College, Research Center under
University of Calicut, Palakkad 678001, India
| | - Vijayan Santhi
- Government
Victoria College, Research Center under
University of Calicut, Palakkad 678001, India
| | - Kuppathil R. Dhandapani
- Government
Victoria College, Research Center under
University of Calicut, Palakkad 678001, India
| | | | - Raghu Chatanathodi
- Department
of Physics, National Institute of Technology, Calicut, Kerala 673601, India
| | - Deepthi Jose
- Department
of Chemistry, Providence Women’s
College, Calicut 673009, India
| | - Kulangara Sandeep
- Government
Victoria College, Research Center under
University of Calicut, Palakkad 678001, India
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4
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Llusar J, du Fossé I, Hens Z, Houtepen A, Infante I. Surface Reconstructions in II-VI Quantum Dots. ACS NANO 2024; 18:1563-1572. [PMID: 38169474 PMCID: PMC10795476 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c09265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Although density functional theory (DFT) calculations have been crucial in our understanding of colloidal quantum dots (QDs), simulations are commonly carried out on QD models that are significantly smaller than those generally found experimentally. While smaller models allow for efficient study of local surface configurations, increasing the size of the QD model will increase the size or number of facets, which can in turn influence the energetics and characteristics of trap formation. Moreover, core-shell structures can only be studied with QD models that are large enough to accommodate the different layers with the correct thickness. Here, we use DFT calculations to study the electronic properties of QDs as a function of size, up to a diameter of ∼4.5 nm. We show that increasing the size of QD models traditionally used in DFT studies leads to a disappearance of the band gap and localization of the HOMO and LUMO levels on facet-specific regions of the QD surface. We attribute this to the lateral coupling of surface orbitals and the formation of surface bands. The introduction of surface vacancies and their a posteriori refilling with Z-type ligands leads to surface reconstructions that widen the band gap and delocalize both the HOMO and LUMO. These results show that the surface geometry of the facets plays a pivotal role in defining the electronic properties of the QD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Llusar
- BCMaterials,
Basque Center for Materials, Applications, and Nanostructures, UPV/EHU Science Park, Leioa 48940, Spain
| | - Indy du Fossé
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Optoelectronic Materials, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, The
Netherlands
| | - Zeger Hens
- Physics
and Chemistry of Nanostructures, Department of Chemistry, and Center
of Nano and Biophotonics, Ghent University, B-9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Arjan Houtepen
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Optoelectronic Materials, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, The
Netherlands
| | - Ivan Infante
- BCMaterials,
Basque Center for Materials, Applications, and Nanostructures, UPV/EHU Science Park, Leioa 48940, Spain
- Ikerbasque
Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao 48009, Spain
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5
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Cosseddu S, Pascazio R, Giansante C, Manna L, Infante I. Ligand dynamics on the surface of CdSe nanocrystals. NANOSCALE 2023; 15:7410-7419. [PMID: 36976580 DOI: 10.1039/d2nr06681e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Synthesis protocols of colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) comprise the coordination of the semiconductive inorganic core by a layer of organic ligands, which play a crucial role in stabilizing the NCs in organic solvents. Understanding the distribution, binding and mobility of ligands on the different NC facets is key to prevent the formation of surface defects and to optimize the overall optoelectronic efficiency of these materials. In this paper, we employed classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to shed light on the plausible locations, binding modes and mobilities of carboxylate ligands on the different facets of CdSe nanocrystals. Our results suggest that these features are influenced by the temperature of the system and the coordination number of the surface (Cd and Se) atoms. High ligand mobilities and structural rearrangements are linked to a low coordination of the Cd atoms. Undercoordinated Se atoms, which are considered the culprit of hole trap states in the bandgap of the material, are instead found to spontaneously form on the nanosecond timescale, making them likely candidates for an efficient photoluminescence quenching mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvatore Cosseddu
- Department of Theoretical Chemistry and Amsterdam Center for Multiscale Modeling (ACMM), VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1083, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Roberta Pascazio
- Department of Nanochemistry, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università degli Studi di Genova, 16146 Genova, Italy
| | - Carlo Giansante
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Nanotecnologia CNR-NANOTEC, Via Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy
| | - Liberato Manna
- Department of Nanochemistry, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Ivan Infante
- Department of Nanochemistry, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
- BCMaterials, Basque Center for Materials, Applications, and Nanostructures, UPV/EHU Science Park, Leioa 48940, Spain.
- Ikerbasque Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao 48009, Spain
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6
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Hallstrom J, Cherniukh I, Zha X, Kovalenko MV, Travesset A. Ligand Effects in Assembly of Cubic and Spherical Nanocrystals: Applications to Packing of Perovskite Nanocubes. ACS NANO 2023; 17:7219-7228. [PMID: 37040619 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c10079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
We establish the formula representing cubic nanocrystals (NCs) as hard cubes taking into account the role of the ligands and describe how these results generalize to any other NC shapes. We derive the conditions under which the hard cube representation breaks down and provide explicit expressions for the effective size. We verify the results from the detailed potential of mean force calculations for two nanocubes in different orientations as well as with spherical nanocrystals. Our results explicitly demonstrate the relevance of certain ligand conformations, i.e., "vortices", and show that edges and corners provide natural sites for their emergence. We also provide both simulations and experimental results with single component cubic perovskite nanocrystals assembled into simple cubic superlattices, which further corroborate theoretical predictions. In this way, we extend the Orbifold Topological Model (OTM) accounting for the role of ligands beyond spherical nanocrystals and discuss its extension to arbitrary nanocrystal shapes. Our results provide detailed predictions for recent superlattices of perovskite nanocubes and spherical nanocrystals. Problems with existing united atom force fields are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Hallstrom
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa State University and Ames National Laboratory, Ames, Iowa 50011, United States
| | - Ihor Cherniukh
- Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
- Laboratory for Thin Films and Photovoltaics, Empa-Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, CH-8600 Dubendorf, Switzerland
| | - Xun Zha
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa State University and Ames National Laboratory, Ames, Iowa 50011, United States
| | - Maksym V Kovalenko
- Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
- Laboratory for Thin Films and Photovoltaics, Empa-Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, CH-8600 Dubendorf, Switzerland
| | - Alex Travesset
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa State University and Ames National Laboratory, Ames, Iowa 50011, United States
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Roy J, Mukhopadhyay L, Bardhan S, Mondal D, Ghosh S, Chakraborty S, Bag N, Roy S, Basu R, Das S. Piezo-responsive bismuth ferrite nanoparticle-mediated catalytic degradation of rhodamine B and pathogenic E. coli in aqueous medium and its extraction using external magnetic stimulation after successful treatment. Dalton Trans 2022; 51:16926-16936. [DOI: 10.1039/d2dt02918a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Piezocatalytic bismuth ferrite nanoparticles (BFO) were used for the degradation of organic dye (RhB) and pathogenic bacteria (E. coli), then extracted using external magnetic stimulation after the successful operation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jhilik Roy
- Department of Physics, Jadavpur University, Kolkata-700032, India
- Department of Physics, Jogamaya Devi College, Kolkata-700026, India
| | - Leenia Mukhopadhyay
- Department of Chemistry, National Institute of Technology, Jamshedpur, India
- Department of Civil Engineering, Stony Brook University, New York, USA
| | - Souravi Bardhan
- Department of Physics, Jadavpur University, Kolkata-700032, India
- Department of Environmental Science, Netaji Nagar College for Women, Kolkata-700092, India
| | - Dhananjoy Mondal
- Department of Physics, Jadavpur University, Kolkata-700032, India
| | - Saheli Ghosh
- Department of Physics, Jadavpur University, Kolkata-700032, India
| | - Sudip Chakraborty
- Condensed Matter Physics Division, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, A Cl of Homi Bhabha National Institute, Kolkata-700064, India
| | - Neelanjana Bag
- Department of Physics, Jadavpur University, Kolkata-700032, India
| | - Shubham Roy
- Department of Physics, Jadavpur University, Kolkata-700032, India
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Flexible Printed Electronics Technology and School of Science, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen-518055, China
| | - Ruma Basu
- Department of Physics, Jogamaya Devi College, Kolkata-700026, India
| | - Sukhen Das
- Department of Physics, Jadavpur University, Kolkata-700032, India
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