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In this work, we decipher the mechanism of the aqueous two-phase extraction (ATPE) method, which has considerable application potential for purifying many types of nanomaterials.

Charge transport properties in single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) can be significantly modified through doping, tuning their electrical and thermoelectric properties. In our study, we used more than 40 nitrogen-bearing compounds as dopants and determined their impact on the material's electrical conductivity. The application of nitrogen compounds of diverse structures and electronic configurations enabled us to determine how the dopant nature affects the SWCNTs. The results reveal that the impact of these dopants can often be anticipated by considering their Hammett's constants and pKa values. Furthermore, the empirical observations supported by first-principles calculations indicate that the doping level can be tuned not only by changing the type and the concentration of dopants but also by varying the orientation of nitrogen compounds around SWCNTs.

International audience; The fundamental colloidal properties of pristine graphene flakes remain incompletely understood, with conflicting reports about their chemical character, hindering potential applications that could exploit the extraordinary electronic, thermal, and mechanical properties of graphene. Here, the true amphipathic nature of pristine graphene flakes is demonstrated through wet-chemistry testing, optical microscopy, electron microscopy, and density functional theory, molecular dynamics, and Monte Carlo calculations, and it is shown how this fact paves the way for the formation of ultrastable water/oil emulsions. In contrast to commonly used graphene oxide flakes, pristine graphene flakes possess well-defined hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions: the basal plane and edges, respectively, the interplay of which allows small flakes to be utilized as stabilizers with an amphipathic strength that depends on the edge-to-surface ratio. The interactions between flakes can be also controlled by varying the oil-to-water ratio. In addition, it is predicted that graphene flakes can be efficiently used as a new-generation stabilizer that is active under high pressure, high temperature, and in saline solutions, greatly enhancing the efficiency and functionality of applications based on this material.

Copper–CNT (carbon nanotube) composite materials are promising alternatives to conventional conductors in applications ranging from interconnects in microelectronics to electrical cabling in aircraft and vehicles. Unfortunately, exploiting the full potential of these composites is difficult due to the poor Cu–CNT electro-mechanical interface. We demonstrate through large-scale ab initio calculations and sonication experiments that this problem can be addressed by CNT surface modification. Our calculations show that covalent functionalization of CNTs below 6.7 at% significantly improves Cu–CNT wetting and the mechanical properties of the composite. Oxidative pre-treatment of CNTs enhances the Young's modulus of the composite by nearly a factor 3 above that of pure Cu, whereas amination slightly improves the electrical current density with respect to the unmodified Cu–CNT system in the high bias regime. However, only nitrogen doping can effectively improve both the mechanical and electrical properties of the composite. As the experiments show, consistent with the calculations, substitutional doping with nitrogen effectively improves adhesion of the CNT to the Cu matrix. We also predict an improvement in the mechanical properties for the composite containing doped double-wall CNTs. Moreover, the calculations indicate that the presence of nitrogen dopants almost doubles locally the transmission through the nanotube and reduces the back scattering in the Cu matrix around the CNT. The computed electrical conductance of N-doped Cu–CNT “carpets” exceeds that of an undoped system by ∼160%.

We describe the simple, scalable, single-step, and polar-solvent-free synthesis of high-quality colloidal CsPbX3 (X=Cl, Br, and I) perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) with tunable halide ion composition and thickness by direct ultrasonication of the corresponding precursor solutions in the presence of organic capping molecules. High angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) revealed the cubic crystal structure and surface termination of the NCs with atomic resolution. The NCs exhibit high photoluminescence quantum yields, narrow emission line widths, and considerable air stability. Furthermore, we investigated the quantum size effects in CsPbBr3 and CsPbI3 nanoplatelets by tuning their thickness down to only three to six monolayers. The high quality of the prepared NCs (CsPbBr3) was confirmed by amplified spontaneous emission with low thresholds. The versatility of this synthesis approach was demonstrated by synthesizing different perovskite NCs.

Wir berichten uber eine einfache, skalierbare, einstufige Synthese von kolloidalen Perowskit-Nanokristallen (NCs) aus CsPbX3 (X=Cl, Br und I) mit durchstimmbarer Halogenidionenzusammensetzung und Dicke mittels Ultraschalldispersion der entsprechenden Eduktlosungen im Gegenwart von organischen Liganden und ohne Verwendung von polaren Losungsmitteln. Die kubische Kristallstruktur sowie Oberflachenterminierung wurden mittels HAADF-STEM mit atomarer Prazision aufgelost. Die NCs weisen hohen Photoluminenszenzquantenausbeuten, schmale Emissionslinien und hohe Stabilitat gegenuber Luft auf. Zusatzlich untersuchen wir die Quanteneinschrankungseffekte in Nanoplattchen aus CsPbBr3 und CsPbI3 mit reduzierten Dicken von 3 bis 6 Monolagen. Die hohe optische Qualitat der NCs (CsPbBr3) wird durch verstarkter Spontanemission (ASE) mit extrem niedrigen Schwellen gezeigt. Weiterhin wird durch den Einsatz an verschiedenen Perowskiten die Flexibilitat der Synthesemethode demonstriert.

The controlled assembly of ligand-coated gold nanoclusters (NCs) into larger structures paves the way for new applications ranging from electronics to nanomedicine. Here, we demonstrate through rigorous density functional theory (DFT) calculations employing novel functionals accounting for van der Waals forces that the ligand-ligand interactions determine whether stable assemblies can be formed. The study of NCs with different core sizes, symmetry forms, ligand lengths, mutual crystal orientations, and in the presence of a solvent suggests that core-to-core van der Waals interactions play a lesser role in the assembly. The dominant interactions originate from combination of steric effects, augmented by ligand bundling on NC facets, and related to them changes in electronic properties induced by neighbouring NCs. We also show that, in contrast to standard colloidal theory approach, DFT correctly reproduces the surprising experimental trends in the strength of the inter-particle interaction observed when varying the length of the ligands. The results underpin the importance of understanding NC interactions in designing gold NCs for a specific function.

Carboxylation of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is an important process that is applied routinely for various applications, in particular for biomedical usage and the manufacturing of next-generation composite materials. This study investigates the influence of carboxylation on the structural and mechanical properties of CNTs. Ab initio calculations were performed within the density functional theory framework for metallic and semiconducting single- and multiwalled CNTs, imperfect and carboxylated at various concentrations, including disorder. The morphologies were analyzed, the stabilities of the carboxylated CNTs were determined, relevant electronic properties were evaluated, and elastic moduli were calculated (Young’s, shear, and bulk moduli, as well as Poisson’s ratio). The properties of grafted (—COOH, —OH, ═O) and imperfect (vacancy defects) CNTs were compared with those of carboxylated CNTs. In particular, both the structural and elastic properties were found to exhibit significant differences between —CO...

Carbon dots (CDs) have attracted rapidly growing interest in recent years due to their unique and tunable optical properties, the low cost of fabrication, and their widespread uses. However, due to the complex structure of CDs, both the molecular ingredients and the intrinsic mechanisms governing photoluminescence of CDs are poorly understood. Among other features, a large Stokes shift of over 100 nm and a photoluminescence spectrally dependent on the excitation wavelength have so far not been adequately explained. In this Letter we investigate CDs and develop a model system to mimic their optical properties. This system comprised three types of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules with fine-tuned concentrations embedded in a polymer matrix. The model suggests that the Stokes shift in CDs is due to the self-trapping of an exciton in the PAH network. The width and the excitation dependence of the emission comes from a selective excitation of PAHs with slightly different energy gaps and from energy transfer between them. These insights will help to tailor the optical properties of CDs and help their implementation into applications, e.g., light-emitting devices and biomarkers. This could also lead to "artificial" tunable carbon dots by locally modifying the composition and consequently the optical properties of composite PAH films.

Improving the interface between copper and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) offers a straightforward strategy for the effective manufacturing and utilisation of Cu–CNT composite material that could be used in various industries including microelectronics, aerospace and transportation. Motivated by a combination of structural and electrical measurements on Cu–M–CNT bimetal systems (M = Ni, Cr) we show, using first principles calculations, that the conductance of this composite can exceed that of a pure Cu–CNT system and that the current density can even reach 1011 A cm−2. The results show that the proper choice of alloying element (M) and type of contact facilitate the fabrication of ultra-conductive Cu–M–CNT systems by creating a favourable interface geometry, increasing the interface electronic density of states and reducing the contact resistance. In particular, a small concentration of Ni between the Cu matrix and the CNT using either an “end contact” and or a “dot contact” can significantly improve the electrical performance of the composite. Furthermore the predicted conductance of Ni-doped Cu–CNT “carpets” exceeds that of an undoped system by ∼200%. Cr is shown to improve CNT integration and composite conductance over a wide temperature range while Al, at low voltages, can enhance the conductance beyond that of Cr.

The electronic properties of carbon nanostructures such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) or graphene can easily be tuned by the action of various doping agents. We present an experimental study and numerical analysis of how and why metallic and semiconductive CNTs can be p-doped by exposing them to two interhalogens: iodine monochloride and iodine monobromide. Simple application of these compounds was found to reduce the electrical resistance by as much as 2/3 without causing any unfavorable chemical modification, which could disrupt the highly conductive network of sp2 carbon atoms. To gain better insight into the underlying mechanism of the observed experimental results, we provide a first principles indication of how interhalogens interact with model metallic (5,5) and semiconductive (10,0) CNTs.

The dilute magnetic semiconductor (Ga, Mn)As is ferromagnetic in accordance with the p–d Zener model. Hole density function (HDF) localization has been previously studied by means of the density functional theory (DFT) and non-standard DFT methods; however not for dopings near 1 % . We have revised (Ga, Mn)As using the DFT with the pseudopotential self-interaction correction (pSIC) and maximally-localized Wannier functions (MLWFs), which show the sp 3 character of a HDF. Nature of HDF is extended – for low dopings and the pSIC, 70 % of the HDF is located within the inter-impurities region, and contribution of the 3d-Mn states is 3–5 % for 1–3 % of Mn with the pSIC, and 11 % with the DFT. We found that for dopings below 1 % , the spin-unpolarized s-type impurity states segregate from the conduction band to the energy gap – in contrast to earlier publications. This implies that donor co-doped dilute samples would be both insulating and nonmagnetic.

We present exemplary results of extensive studies of mechanical, electronic, and transport properties of covalent functionalization of graphene monolayers (GML) with –NH2. We report new results of ab initio studies of covalent functionalization of GML with –NH2 groups up to 12.5% concentration. Our studies are performed in the framework of the density functional theory (DFT) and non-equilibrium Green's function (NEGF). We discuss the stability (adsorption energy), elastic moduli, electronic structure, band gaps, and effective electron masses as a function of the density of the adsorbed molecules. We also show the conductance and I(V) characteristic of these systems. Generally, the stability of the functionalized graphene layers decreases with the growing concentration of attachments and we determine the critical density of the molecules that can be chemisorbed on the surface of GLs. Because of local deformations of GLs and sp3 rehybridization of the bonds induced by fragments, elastic moduli decrease with increasing number of groups. Simultaneously, we observe that the functionalizing molecules stretch the graphene's lattice, the effect being more pronounced for higher concentration of adsorbed molecules. We find out that the GLs functionalization leads in many cases to the opening of the graphene band gap (up to 0.5302 eV for 12.5% concentration) and can be therefore utilized in graphene devices. The new HOMO and LUMO originate mostly from the impurity bands induced by the functionalization and they exhibit parabolic dispersion with electron effective masses comparable to ones in silicon or gallium nitride.

In the present paper, we study the effects of functionalization of graphene monolayers (GL) and single carbon nanotubes (CNT) with two types of amines NH, and NH2, analyzing structural, elastic and electronic properties of the structures. We have performed DFT calculations for GL and CNT with various densities of the attached amine molecules. We have determined the changes in the geometry, adsorption and binding energies, the Young's modulus, and the band structure as a function of the density of the adsorbed molecules. We observe characteristic effects such as rehybridization of the bonds induced by fragments attached to graphene and nanotubes and deformation of systems that results further in decrease of the Young's modulus. We also show that the band gap in GLs increases with the density of adsorbed molecules, whereas it decreases in CNTs. Our calculations reveal that the amines exhibit the strong cohesion to GLs and CNTs. Further, we determine the critical density of the NH fragments that leads to the closing of the band gap in functionalized CNT. We also show how to engineer the magnitude of the band gap by functionalizing graphene with NH2 and NH groups of various concentrations.

In this communication, we present results of theoretical studies of various systems where Van der Waals interaction plays a considerable role. In the first-principle calculations performed in the density functional theory framework we implement novel functionals accounting for Van der Waals forces and employ to the test cases of graphite and graphene layers. It turns out that this approach provides a solution to the long standing problem of overbinding between graphene layers in bulk graphite, giving the distance between the carbon layers in excellent agreement with experiment. In graphene bilayers, Van der Waals functionals lead to energetic barriers for A–B to A–A ordering of graphene bilayers that are by a factor of two smaller than the barriers obtained with standard functionals. It may be of crucial importance, particularly, if one uses atomistic ab initio methods as a starting point for multi-scale modeling of materials and for determination of effective potentials.

Graphene, a 2-dimensional monolayer form of sp2 hybridizated carbon atoms, is attracting increasing attention due to its unique and superior physicochemical properties. Covalently functionalized graphene layers, with their modifiable chemical functionality and usefull electrical properties, are excellent candidates for broad range of sensors, suitable for biomedical, optoelectronic and environmental applications. Here, we present extensive study of transport properties of sensors based on covalently functionalized graphene monolayer (GML) with graphene electrodes. The transmissions, density of states and current-voltage characterisctics supported by analysis of charge distribution of GML functionalized by -CH3, -CH2, -NH2, -NH and -OH fragments have been calculated by means of density functional theory (DFT) and non-equilibrium Green's function (NEGF). Further, we demonstrate how to control the device sensitivity by manipulating: (i) concentration, (ii) particular arrangement, and (iii) type of surface groups. We explain the underlying detection physical mechanisms. Comparisons of the theoretical results to available experimental data are provided are made and show good agreement., Comment: 3 figures

We present a theoretical study of the structural and electronic properties of graphene monolayer functionalized with boron and nitrogen atoms substituting carbon atoms. Our study is based on the ab initio calculations in the framework of the density functional theory. We calculate the binding energies of the functionalized systems, changes in the morphology caused by functionalization, and further the band gap energy as a function of the concentration of dopants. Moreover, we address the problem of possible clustering of dopants at a given concentration. We define the clustering parameter to quantify the dependence of the properties of the functionalized systems on the distribution of B/N atoms. We show that clustering of B/N atoms in graphene is energetically unfavorable in comparison to the homogenous distribution of dopants. For most of the structures, we observe a nonzero energy gap that is only slightly dependent on the concentration of the substituent atoms., Comment: accepted in Physica Status Solidi

We present exemplary results of extensive studies of mechanical, electronic and transport properties of covalent functionalization of graphene monolayers (GML). We report new results of ab initio studies for covalent functionalization of GML with −NH2 groups up to 12.5 % concentration. Our studies are performed in the framework of the density functional theory (DFT) and non-equilibrium Green’s function (NEGF). We discuss the stability (adsorption energy), elastic moduli, electronic structure, band gaps, and effective electron masses as a function of the density of the adsorbed molecules. We also show the conductance and current – voltage I(V) characteristics for these systems.

We present a computational study of the phenomenon of opening the band gap in graphene by means of functionalization with boron and nitrogen atoms. For most of the considered structures, we observe a nonzero energy gap with the width slightly dependent on the concentration of the substituent atoms. Additionally, elastic properties for graphene functionalized with B/N atoms for concentrations of 2% and 4% have been predicted. N-substitution almost does not influence the elastic moduli of graphene, while changes caused by B-substitution are more remarkable.

We present exemplary results of extensive studies of structural, mechanical and electronic properties of covalent functionalization of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). We report new results for metallic (9,0), and semiconducting (10,0) single-wall carbon nanotubes (CNT) functionalized with -COOH, -OH, and both groups with concentration up to 12.5%. Our studies are performed in the framework of the density functional theory (DFT). We discuss here the stability, local and global changes in structure, elastic moduli (Young's, Shear, and Bulk), electronic structure and resulting band gaps, as a function of the density of the adsorbed molecules.

We present results of extensive theoretical studies concerning stability, morphology, and band structure of single wall carbon nanotubes (CNTs) covalently functionalized by -CHn(for n=2,3,4),-NHn(for n=1,2,3,4),-COOH and -OH groups. Our studies are based on ab initio calculations in the framework of the density functional theory. We determine the dependence of the binding energies on the concentration of the adsorbed molecules, critical densities of adsorbed molecules, global and local changes in the morphology, and electronic structure paying particular attention to the functionalization induced changes of the band gaps. These studies reveal physical mechanisms that determine stability and electronic structure of those systems and also provide valuable theoretical predictions relevant for application. Functionalization of CNTs causes generally their elongation and locally sp2 -> sp3 rehybridization in the neighborhood of chemisorbed groups. For adsorbants making particularly strong covalent bonds with the CNTs(-CH2), we observe formation of the 5/7 defects. In CNTs functionalized with -CH2,-NH4, and -OH, we determine critical density of molecules that could be covalently bound to CNTs. Functionalization of CNTs can be utilized for band gap engineering and also lead to changes in their metallic/semiconductor character. In semiconducting CNTs, adsorbants such as -CH3,-NH2,-OH and -COOH, introduce 'impurity' bands in the band gap of pristine CNTs. In the case of -CH3,-NH2, the induced band gaps are typically smaller than in the pure CNT and depend strongly on the concentration of adsorbants. However, functionalization of semiconducting CNTs with -OH leads to the metallization of CNTs. On the other hand, the functionalization of semi-metallic (9,0)CNT with -CH2 causes the increase of the band gap and induces semi-metal to semiconductor transition., accepted in Journal of Chemical Physics

The utility of molecular actuators in nanoelectronics requires activation of mechanical motion by electric charge at the interface with conductive surfaces. We functionalized redox-active resorcin[4]arene-quinone cavitands with thioethers as surface-anchoring groups at the lower rim and investigated their propensity to act as electroswitchable actuators that can adopt two different conformations in response to changes in applied potential. Molecular design was assessed by DFT calculations and X-ray analysis. Electronic properties were experimentally studied in solution and thin films electrochemically, as well as by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy on gold substrates. The redox interconversion between the oxidized (quinone, Q) and the reduced (semiquinone, SQ) state was monitored by UV-Vis-NIR spectroelectrochemistry and EPR spectroscopy. Reduction to the SQ state induces a conformational change, providing the basis for potential voltage-controlled molecular actuating devices.

In the present paper, we study the effects of functionalization of graphene with simple organic molecules OH, and NH2, focusing on the stability and band gaps of the structures. We have performed DFT calculations for graphene supercells with various numbers of the attached molecules. We have determined adsorption energies of the functionalized graphene monoand bilayers, the changes in the geometry, and the band structure. We observe the characteristic effects such as rehybridization of the bonds induced by fragments attached to graphene and opening of the graphene band gap by functionalization. We have also studied the dependence of the adsorption energies of the functionalized graphene on the density of the adsorbed molecules. Our calculations reveal that the –OH and –NH2 groups exhibit the strong cohesion to graphene layers. Further, we determine the critical density of the OH fragments which lead to the opening of the band gap. We also show how to engineer the magnitude of the band gap by functionalizing graphene with NH2 groups of various concentrations.