Theoretical studies on electronic, magnetic and optical properties of two dimensional transition metal trihalides

First-principles study of the structure, electronic and optical properties of monolayer ZrX3 (X = S, Se, Te)

CONTEXT AND RESULTS

The structure, electronic and optical properties of single-layer transition metallic chalcogenides ZrX3 (X = S, Se, Te) have been studied by density functional theory. The electron energy dispersion curve shows that ZrX3 has semiconductor properties, in which the conduction band is mainly contributed by the correlated states of the Zr-d orbital, and the valence band is mainly contributed by the correlated states of the X-p orbital. It is found that b-axis and biaxial strain have great influence on the bandgap and the shift of density of states is also large. At the same time, the peak value of density of states increases greatly when biaxial strain is applied. It is of guiding significance for selecting suitable substrates to prepare two-dimensional ZrX3 materials to study their electronic properties. The calculation of optical constants confirms that ZrX3 has strong optical anisotropy. In the visible range, the light absorption efficiency of ZrX3 in the direction of electric field polarization [100] is higher than that in the direction of [010]. The reflectance spectral results show that ZrS3 and ZrSe3 in the [100] directions have the highest reflectance, and ZrTe3 in the [010] direction has the highest reflectance, even in the long electromagnetic radiation range (up to 10 eV), which is of great significance for the construction of visible optical devices.

COMPUTATIONAL METHOD

All computations have been carried out based on density functional theory (DFT) as implemented in the CASTEP code. The pseudo-potential is adopted by the norm conserving, and the exchange correlation functional is adopted by the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof in local generalized gradient approximation (GGA).

Underlying mechanisms of gold nanoalloys stabilization

Gold nanoclusters have attracted significant attention due to their unique physical-chemical properties, which can be tuned by alloying with elements such as Cu, Pd, Ag, and Pt to design materials for various applications. Although Au-nanoalloys have promising applications, our atomistic understanding of the descriptors that drive their stability is far from satisfactory. To address this problem, we considered 55-atom model nanoalloys that have been synthesized by experimental techniques. Here, we combined data mining techniques for creating a large sample of representative configurations, density functional theory for performing total energy optimizations, and Spearman correlation analyses to identify the most important descriptors. Among our results, we have identified trends in core-shell formation in the AuCu and AuPd systems and an onion-like design in the AuAg system, characterized by the aggregation of gold atoms on nanocluster surfaces. These features are explained by Au's surface energy, packing efficiency, and charge transfer mechanisms, which are enhanced by the alloys' preference for adopting the structure of the alloying metal rather than the low-symmetry one presented by Au55. These generalizations provide insights into the interplay between electronic and structural properties in gold nanoalloys, contributing to the understanding of their stabilization mechanisms and potential applications in various fields.