cometadata/datacite-titles-descriptions-related-identifiers huggingface dataset:
DOI: 10.24435/materialscloud:f1-45
title: Growth optimization and device integration of narrow-bandgap graphene nanoribbons

description: The electronic, optical, and magnetic properties of graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) can be engineered by controlling their edge structure and width with atomic precision through bottom-up fabrication based on molecular precursors. This approach offers a unique platform for all-carbon electronic devices but requires careful optimization of the growth conditions to match structural requirements for successful device integration, with GNR length being the most critical parameter. In a recent work we study, the growth, characterization, and device integration of 5-atom wide armchair GNRs (5-AGNRs), which are expected to have an optimal bandgap as active material in switching devices. 5-AGNRs are obtained via on-surface synthesis under ultrahigh vacuum conditions from Br- and I-substituted precursors. It is shown that the use of I-substituted precursors and the optimization of the initial precursor coverage quintupled the average 5-AGNR length. This significant length increase allowed the integration of 5-AGNRs into devices and the realization of the first field-effect transistor based on narrow bandgap AGNRs that shows switching behavior at room temperature. The study highlights that the optimized growth protocols can successfully bridge between the sub-nanometer scale, where atomic precision is needed to control the electronic properties, and the scale of tens of nanometers relevant for successful device integration of GNRs. The record contains data supporting the results presented in the publication
DOI: 10.24435/materialscloud:jx-k9
title: On‐surface synthesis of edge‐extended zigzag graphene nanoribbons

description: In this record we provide the data to support our recent finding on the synthesis of edge-extended zigzag graphene nanoribbons. Graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) have gained significant attention in nanoelectronics due to their potential for precise tuning of electronic properties through variations in edge structure and ribbon width. However, the synthesis of GNRs with highly sought‐after zigzag edges (ZGNRs), critical for spintronics and quantum information technologies, remains challenging. In the manuscript where the data presented here is discussed, a design motif for synthesizing a novel class of GNRs termed edge‐extended ZGNRs is presented. This motif enables the controlled incorporation of edge extensions along the zigzag edges at regular intervals. The synthesis of a specific GNR instance—a 3‐zigzag‐rows‐wide ZGNR—with bisanthene units fused to the zigzag edges on alternating sides of the ribbon axis is successfully demonstrated. The resulting edge‐extended 3‐ZGNR is comprehensively characterized for its chemical structure and electronic properties using scanning probe techniques, complemented by density functional theory calculations. The design motif showcased in the manuscript opens up new possibilities for synthesizing a diverse range of edge‐extended ZGNRs, expanding the structural landscape of GNRs and facilitating the exploration of their structure‐dependent electronic properties.
DOI: 10.24435/materialscloud:1h-gj
title: On‐surface synthesis of edge‐extended zigzag graphene nanoribbons

description: In this record we provide the data to support our recent finding on the synthesis of edge-extended zigzag graphene nanoribbons. Graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) have gained significant attention in nanoelectronics due to their potential for precise tuning of electronic properties through variations in edge structure and ribbon width. However, the synthesis of GNRs with highly sought‐after zigzag edges (ZGNRs), critical for spintronics and quantum information technologies, remains challenging. In the manuscript where the data presented here is discussed, a design motif for synthesizing a novel class of GNRs termed edge‐extended ZGNRs is presented. This motif enables the controlled incorporation of edge extensions along the zigzag edges at regular intervals. The synthesis of a specific GNR instance—a 3‐zigzag‐rows‐wide ZGNR—with bisanthene units fused to the zigzag edges on alternating sides of the ribbon axis is successfully demonstrated. The resulting edge‐extended 3‐ZGNR is comprehensively characterized for its chemical structure and electronic properties using scanning probe techniques, complemented by density functional theory calculations. The design motif showcased in the manuscript opens up new possibilities for synthesizing a diverse range of edge‐extended ZGNRs, expanding the structural landscape of GNRs and facilitating the exploration of their structure‐dependent electronic properties.
DOI: 10.24435/materialscloud:tz-pn
title: Water and Cu⁺ synergy in selective CO₂ hydrogenation to methanol over Cu/MgO catalysts

description: The CO₂ hydrogenation reaction to produce methanol holds great significance as it contributes to achieving a CO₂-neutral economy. Previous research identified isolated Cu⁺ species doping the oxide surface of a Cu-MgO-Al₂O₃ mixed oxide derived from a hydrotalcite precursor as the active site in CO₂ hydrogenation, stabilizing monodentate formate species as a crucial intermediate in methanol synthesis. In this work, we present a molecular-level understanding of how surface water and hydroxyl groups play a crucial role in facilitating spontaneous CO₂ activation at Cu⁺ sites and the formation of monodentate formate species. The computational evidence has been experimentally validated by comparing the catalytic performance of the Cu-MgO-Al₂O₃ catalyst with hydroxyl groups against its hydrophobic counterpart, where hydroxyl groups are blocked using an esterification method. Our work highlights the synergistic effect between doped Cu⁺ ions and adjacent hydroxyl groups, both of which serve as key parameters in regulating methanol production via CO₂ hydrogenation. By elucidating the specific roles of these components, we contribute to advancing the understanding of the underlying mechanisms and provide valuable insights for optimizing methanol synthesis processes.
DOI: 10.24435/materialscloud:89-an
title: Water and Cu⁺ synergy in selective CO₂ hydrogenation to methanol over Cu/MgO catalysts

description: The CO₂ hydrogenation reaction to produce methanol holds great significance as it contributes to achieving a CO₂-neutral economy. Previous research identified isolated Cu⁺ species doping the oxide surface of a Cu-MgO-Al₂O₃ mixed oxide derived from a hydrotalcite precursor as the active site in CO₂ hydrogenation, stabilizing monodentate formate species as a crucial intermediate in methanol synthesis. In this work, we present a molecular-level understanding of how surface water and hydroxyl groups play a crucial role in facilitating spontaneous CO₂ activation at Cu⁺ sites and the formation of monodentate formate species. The computational evidence has been experimentally validated by comparing the catalytic performance of the Cu-MgO-Al₂O₃ catalyst with hydroxyl groups against its hydrophobic counterpart, where hydroxyl groups are blocked using an esterification method. Our work highlights the synergistic effect between doped Cu⁺ ions and adjacent hydroxyl groups, both of which serve as key parameters in regulating methanol production via CO₂ hydrogenation. By elucidating the specific roles of these components, we contribute to advancing the understanding of the underlying mechanisms and provide valuable insights for optimizing methanol synthesis processes.
DOI: 10.24435/materialscloud:gn-1t
title: Electronic structure of α-MnO₂ and β-MnO₂ through GW with vertex corrections

description: Using vertex-corrected quasiparticle self-consistent GW schemes, we address the electronic structure of two manganese dioxide polymorphs, α-MnO₂ and β-MnO₂. In particular, we determine the fundamental band gaps, the macroscopic dielectric constants, the magnetic moments of the Mn atoms, the band structures and the associated densities of states. Additionally, we obtain the imaginary component of the dielectric function ε₂(𝜔) from the solution of the  Bethe–Salpeter equation. For β-MnO₂, we record overall good agreement when comparing the density of states with XPS/BIS spectra and the dielectric function ε₂(𝜔) with optical response spectra. Applied to α-MnO₂, whose pristine bulk structure is poorly characterized, our work provides a prediction at the same level of theory. The quality of the achieved description is further supported by comparisons with experimental spectra of nanostructured and doped variants. This study demonstrates that state-of the-art GW methods successfully account for key electronic-structure features of MnO₂ polymorphs.
DOI: 10.24435/materialscloud:q9-n5
title: Electronic structure of α-MnO₂ and β-MnO₂ through GW with vertex corrections

description: Using vertex-corrected quasiparticle self-consistent GW schemes, we address the electronic structure of two manganese dioxide polymorphs, α-MnO₂ and β-MnO₂. In particular, we determine the fundamental band gaps, the macroscopic dielectric constants, the magnetic moments of the Mn atoms, the band structures and the associated densities of states. Additionally, we obtain the imaginary component of the dielectric function ε₂(𝜔) from the solution of the  Bethe–Salpeter equation. For β-MnO₂, we record overall good agreement when comparing the density of states with XPS/BIS spectra and the dielectric function ε₂(𝜔) with optical response spectra. Applied to α-MnO₂, whose pristine bulk structure is poorly characterized, our work provides a prediction at the same level of theory. The quality of the achieved description is further supported by comparisons with experimental spectra of nanostructured and doped variants. This study demonstrates that state-of the-art GW methods successfully account for key electronic-structure features of MnO₂ polymorphs.
DOI: 10.24435/materialscloud:gy-nd
title: Interplay of metallicity, ferroelectricity and layer charges in SmNiO₃/BaTiO₃ superlattices

description: Using density-functional theory, we demonstrate that the formal layer charges of the metallic samarium nickelate electrode influence the spontaneous ferroelectric polarization of the barium titanate in SmNiO₃/BaTiO₃ capacitors. We find that, despite the metallic screening of SmNiO₃, the spontaneous polarization of BaTiO₃ always aligns with the layer polarization of the SmNiO₃ formal charges. We also find zero critical thickness for the ferroelectricity in BaTiO₃ in this orientation. The opposite polarization direction is highly disfavored for thin BaTiO₃ slabs but becomes less unstable with increasing slab thickness. We construct a simple electrostatic model that allows us both to study the behavior for thicker BaTiO₃ and SmNiO₃ slabs and to extract the influence of various material parameters on the behavior. We mimic a metal-insulator transition in the SmNiO₃ by varying the metallic screening length, which we find influences the stability of the ferroelectric polarization. Our results show that layer charges in the metal electrodes strongly influence the properties of ferroelectric capacitors and can even provide new ways to control them.
DOI: 10.24435/materialscloud:ar-ay
title: Interplay of metallicity, ferroelectricity and layer charges in SmNiO₃/BaTiO₃ superlattices

description: Using density-functional theory, we demonstrate that the formal layer charges of the metallic samarium nickelate electrode influence the spontaneous ferroelectric polarization of the barium titanate in SmNiO₃/BaTiO₃ capacitors. We find that, despite the metallic screening of SmNiO₃, the spontaneous polarization of BaTiO₃ always aligns with the layer polarization of the SmNiO₃ formal charges. We also find zero critical thickness for the ferroelectricity in BaTiO₃ in this orientation. The opposite polarization direction is highly disfavored for thin BaTiO₃ slabs but becomes less unstable with increasing slab thickness. We construct a simple electrostatic model that allows us both to study the behavior for thicker BaTiO₃ and SmNiO₃ slabs and to extract the influence of various material parameters on the behavior. We mimic a metal-insulator transition in the SmNiO₃ by varying the metallic screening length, which we find influences the stability of the ferroelectric polarization. Our results show that layer charges in the metal electrodes strongly influence the properties of ferroelectric capacitors and can even provide new ways to control them.
DOI: 10.24435/materialscloud:cp-6s
title: Nonlinear quantum magnetophononics in SrCu2(BO3)2

description: Harnessing the most advanced capabilities of quantum technologies will require the ability to control macroscopic quantum states of matter. Quantum magnetic materials provide a valuable platform for realizing highly entangled many-body quantum systems, and have been used to investigate phenomena ranging from quantum phase transitions (QPTs) to fractionalization, topological order and the entanglement structure of the quantum wavefunction. Although multiple studies have controlled their properties by static applied pressures or magnetic fields, dynamical control at the fundamental timescales of their magnetic interactions remains completely unexplored. However, major progress in the technology of ultrafast laser pulses has enabled the dynamical modification of electronic properties, and now we demonstrate the ultrafast control of quantum magnetism. This we achieve by a magnetophononic mechanism, the driving of coherent lattice displacements to produce a resonant excitation of the quantum spin dynamics. Specifically, we apply intense terahertz laser pulses to excite a collective spin state of the quantum antiferromagnet SrCu2(BO3)2 by resonance with the nonlinear mixing frequency of the driven phonons that modulate the magnetic interactions. Our observations indicate a universal mechanism for controlling nonequilibrium quantum many-body physics on timescales many orders of magnitude faster than those achieved to date.
DOI: 10.24435/materialscloud:py-yw
title: Ultrafast frustration-breaking and magnetophononic driving of singlet excitations in a quantum magnet

description: Ideal magnetic frustration forms the basis for the emergence of exotic quantum spin states that are entirely nonmagnetic. Such singlet spin states are the defining feature of the Shastry-Sutherland model, and of its faithful materials realization in the quantum antiferromagnet SrCu₂(BO₃)₂. To address these states on ultrafast timescales, despite their lack of any microscopic order parameter, we introduce a nonlinear magnetophononic mechanism to alter the quantum spin dynamics by driving multiple optical phonon modes coherently and simultaneously. We apply intense terahertz pulses to create a nonequilibrium modulation of the magnetic interactions that breaks the ideal frustration of SrCu₂(BO₃)₂, such that previously forbidden physics can be driven in a coherent manner. Specifically, this driving populates a purely magnetic excitation, the singlet branch of the two-triplon bound state, by resonance with the difference frequency of two pumped phonons. Our results demonstrate how light-driven phonons can be used for the ultrafast and selective manipulation of interactions in condensed matter, even at frequencies far from those of the pump spectrum, offering valuable additional capabilities for the dynamical control of quantum many-body phenomena.
DOI: 10.24435/materialscloud:z6-t0
title: Towards a robust evaluation of nanoporous materials for carbon capture applications

description: In this paper, we present a workflow that is designed to work without manual intervention to efficiently predict, by using molecular simulations, the thermodynamic data that is needed to design a carbon capture process. We developed a procedure that does not rely on fitting of the adsorption isotherms. From molecular simulations, we can obtain accurate data for both, the pure component isotherms as well as the mixture isotherms. This allowed us to make a detailed comparison of the different methods to predict the mixture isotherms. All approaches rely on an accurate description of the pure component isotherms and a model to predict the mixture isotherms. As we are interested in low CO₂ concentrations, it is essential that these models correctly predict the low pressure limit, i.e., give a correct description of the Henry regime. Among the equations that describe this limit correctly, the dual-site Langmuir (DSL) model is often used for the pure components and the extended DSL (EDSL) for the mixtures. An alternative approach, which avoids describing the pure component isotherms with a model, is to numerically integrate the pure component isotherms in the context of IAST.  In this work we compare these two methods. In addition, we show that the way these data are fitted for DSL can significantly impact the ranking of materials, in particular for capture processes with low concentration of CO₂ in the feed stream.
DOI: 10.24435/materialscloud:4x-f0
title: Uncovering the catalyst/electrolyte interfacial process by frequency dispersion of capacitance

description: Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is the widely used technique to monitor the electrical properties of a catalyst under electrocatalytic conditions. Although it is extensively used for research in electrocatalysis, its effectiveness and power have not been fully harnessed to elucidate complex interfacial processes. Herein, we use the frequency dispersion parameter, n, which is extracted from EIS measurements, to describe the dispersion characteristics of capacitance and interfacial properties of Co3O4 under alkaline oxygen evolution reaction (OER) conditions. We first prove the n-value is sensitive to the interfacial electronic changes associated with Co redox processes and surface reconstruction. The n-value decreases by increasing the specific/active surface area of the catalysts. We further modify the interfacial properties by changing different components, i.e., replacing the proton with deuterium, adding ethanol as a new oxidant, and changing the cation in the electrolyte. Intriguingly, the n-value can identify different influences on the interfacial process from proton transfer, the decrease and carbon-poisoning of oxidized Co species, and the interfacial water structure. These findings convey that the frequency dispersion of capacitance is a convenient and useful method to uncover the interfacial properties under electrocatalytic conditions, which helps to advance the understanding of the interface-activity relationship.
DOI: 10.24435/materialscloud:6w-qh
title: Towards high-throughput many-body perturbation theory: efficient algorithms and automated workflows

description: The automation of ab initio simulations is essential in view of performing high-throughput (HT) computational screenings oriented to the discovery of novel materials with desired physical properties. In this work, we propose algorithms and implementations that are relevant to extend this approach beyond density functional theory (DFT), in order to automate many-body perturbation theory (MBPT) calculations. Notably, a novel algorithm pursuing the goal of an efficient and robust convergence procedure for GW and BSE simulations is provided, together with its implementation in a fully automated framework. This is accompanied by an automatic GW band interpolation scheme based on maximally-localized Wannier functions, aiming at a reduction of the computational burden of quasiparticle band structures while preserving high accuracy. The proposed developments are validated on a set of representative semiconductor and metallic systems.
DOI: 10.24435/materialscloud:b5-k3
title: Uncovering the catalyst/electrolyte interfacial process by frequency dispersion of capacitance

description: Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is the widely used technique to monitor the electrical properties of a catalyst under electrocatalytic conditions. Although it is extensively used for research in electrocatalysis, its effectiveness and power have not been fully harnessed to elucidate complex interfacial processes. Herein, we use the frequency dispersion parameter, n, which is extracted from EIS measurements, to describe the dispersion characteristics of capacitance and interfacial properties of Co3O4 under alkaline oxygen evolution reaction (OER) conditions. We first prove the n-value is sensitive to the interfacial electronic changes associated with Co redox processes and surface reconstruction. The n-value decreases by increasing the specific/active surface area of the catalysts. We further modify the interfacial properties by changing different components, i.e., replacing the proton with deuterium, adding ethanol as a new oxidant, and changing the cation in the electrolyte. Intriguingly, the n-value can identify different influences on the interfacial process from proton transfer, the decrease and carbon-poisoning of oxidized Co species, and the interfacial water structure. These findings convey that the frequency dispersion of capacitance is a convenient and useful method to uncover the interfacial properties under electrocatalytic conditions, which helps to advance the understanding of the interface-activity relationship.
DOI: 10.24435/materialscloud:zc-8p
title: Towards high-throughput many-body perturbation theory: efficient algorithms and automated workflows

description: The automation of ab initio simulations is essential in view of performing high-throughput (HT) computational screenings oriented to the discovery of novel materials with desired physical properties. In this work, we propose algorithms and implementations that are relevant to extend this approach beyond density functional theory (DFT), in order to automate many-body perturbation theory (MBPT) calculations. Notably, a novel algorithm pursuing the goal of an efficient and robust convergence procedure for GW and BSE simulations is provided, together with its implementation in a fully automated framework. This is accompanied by an automatic GW band interpolation scheme based on maximally-localized Wannier functions, aiming at a reduction of the computational burden of quasiparticle band structures while preserving high accuracy. The proposed developments are validated on a set of representative semiconductor and metallic systems.
DOI: 10.24435/materialscloud:ft-j0
title: First-principles characterization of thermal conductivity in LaPO₄-based alloys

description: Alloys based on lanthanum phosphate (LaPO₄) are often employed as thermal barrier coatings, due to their low thermal conductivity and structural stability over a wide temperature range. To enhance the thermal-insulation performance of these alloys, it is essential to comprehensively understand the fundamental physics governing their heat conduction. Here, we employ the Wigner formulation of thermal transport in conjunction with first-principles calculations to elucidate how the interplay between anharmonicity and compositional disorder determines the thermal properties of La1-xGdxPO₄ alloys, and discuss the fundamental physics underlying the emergence and coexistence of particle-like and wave-like heat-transport mechanisms. Our predictions for microscopic vibrational properties (temperature-dependent Raman spectrum) and for macroscopic thermal conductivity are validated against experiments. Finally, we leverage these findings to devise strategies to optimize the performance of thermal barrier coatings.