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Low-dimensional Poly 3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl (P3HT) structures that serve efficient exciton dissociation in organic solar cells, play a major role in increasing the charge collection, and hence, the efficiency of organic devices. In this study, we theoretically and experimentally investigate the Dichlorobenzene (DCB)-assisted formation of P3HT nanowires. Our experiments show that the solution of DCB molecules drive randomly oriented P3HT polymers to form well-stacked nanowires by stabilizing tail-tail and π−π interactions. Here the question is how DCB molecules migrate into the P3HT layers while forming the nanowire structure. Our density functional theory-based calculations reveal that the vertical migration of the DCB molecules between P3HT layers is forbidden due to a high energy barrier that stems from strong alkyl chain-DCB interaction. In contrast to vertical diffusion, lateral diffusion of DCB molecules in between P3HT layers is much more likely. Our results show that migration of a DCB molecule occurs through the alkyl groups with a low energy barrier. Therefore, laterally diffused DCB molecules assist nucleation of top-to-top stacking of P3HT polymers and formation of well-ordered nanowires., Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK 116C073); The Science Academy, Turkey under the BAGEP program

Zirconium trisulphide (ZrS3), a member of the layered transition metal trichalcogenides (TMTCs) family, has been studied by angle-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy (ARPLS). The synthesized ZrS3 layers possess a pseudo one-dimensional nature where each layer consists of ZrS3 chains extending along the b-lattice direction. Our results show that the optical properties of few-layered ZrS3 are highly anisotropic as evidenced by large PL intensity variation with the polarization direction. Light is efficiently absorbed when the E-field is polarized along the chain (b-axis), but the field is greatly attenuated and absorption is reduced when it is polarized vertical to the 1D-like chains as the wavelength of the exciting light is much longer than the width of each 1D chain. The observed PL variation with polarization is similar to that of conventional 1D materials, i.e., nanowires, and nanotubes, except for the fact that here the 1D chains interact with each other giving rise to a unique linear dichroism response that falls between the 2D (planar) and 1D (chain) limit. These results not only mark the very first demonstration of PL polarization anisotropy in 2D systems, but also provide novel insight into how the interaction between adjacent 1D-like chains and the 2D nature of each layer influences the overall optical anisotropy of pseudo-1D materials. Results are anticipated to have an impact on optical technologies such as polarized detectors, near-field imaging, communication systems, and bio-applications relying on the generation and detection of polarized light., NSF (DMR-1552220); Flemish Science Foundation (FWO-Vl); Methusalem foundation of the Flemish government; FWO

We report an experimental and theoretical investigation of conjugation of 1,6-Hexaneditihiol (HDT) on MoS2 which is prepared by mixing MoS2 structure and HDT molecules in proper solvent. Raman spectra and the calculated phonon bands reveal that the HDT molecules bind covalently to MoS2. Surface morphology of MoS2/HDT structure is changed upon conjugation of HDT on MoS2 and characterized by using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Density Functional Theory (DFT) based calculations show that HOMO-LUMO band gap of HDT is altered after the conjugation and two-S binding (handle-like) configuration is energetically most favorable among three different structures. This study displays that the facile thiol functionalization process of MoS2 is promising strategy for obtaining solution processable MoS2., TUBITAK (116C073); The Science Academy, Turkey under the BAGEP program

We report on the hydrogenation of (3×3)/(4×4) silicene epitaxially grown on Ag(111) studied by in situ Raman spectroscopy and state-of-the-art ab initio calculations. Our results demonstrate that hydrogenation of (3×3)/(4×4) silicene leads to the formation of two different atomic structures which exhibit distinct spectral vibrational modes. Raman selection rules clearly show that the Si atoms undergo a rehybridization in both cases from a mixed sp2-sp3 to a dominating sp3 state increasing the distance between the two silicene sublattices. This results in a softening of the in-plane and a stiffening of the out-of-plane phonon modes. Nevertheless, hydrogenated epitaxial silicene retains a two-dimensional nature and hence can be considered as epitaxial silicane. The level of hydrogenation can be determined by the intensity ratio of the Raman modes with different symmetries., Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (VO1261/4-1); ESF Nachwuchsforschergruppe "E-PISA"; TUBITAK (116C073); The Science Academy, Turkey, under the BAGEP program

First-principles calculations based on density-functional theory are used to investigate the effects of hydrogenation on the structural, vibrational, thermal and electronic properties of the charge density wave (CDW) phase of single-layer TiSe2. It is found that hydrogenation of single-layer TiSe2 is possible through adsorption of a H atom on each Se site. Our total energy and phonon calculations reveal that a structural phase transition occurs from the CDW phase to the T d phase upon full hydrogenation. Fully hydrogenated TiSe2 presents a direct gap semiconducting behavior with a band gap of 119 meV. Full hydrogenation also leads to a significant decrease in the heat capacity of single-layer TiSe2., TUBITAK (114F397--116C073); The Science Academy, Turkey under the BAGEP program

Germanene and stanene (also sometimes written stannene or called tinene) are 2D materials composed of germanium and tin atoms respectively arranged in a honeycomb structure similarly to graphene and silicene. The atomic structure of freestanding germanene and stanene is buckled like in the case of silicene (see Figure 2.4). DFT calculations (Kresse and Joubert, Phys Rev B 59:1758–1775, 1999) performed by projector augmented wave (PAW) method (Blöchl, Phys Rev B 50:17953–17979, 1994) and adopting PBE functional (Perdew et al. Phys Rev Lett 77:3865–3868, 1996) result in a lattice constants 4.06 and 4.67 Å and buckling heights of 0.69 and 0.85 Å for germanene and stanene respectively. The structure of germanene was first theoretically proposed together with that of silicene (Takeda and Shiraishi, Phys Rev B 50:14916–14922, 1994) while stanene was explored later (Cahangirov et al. Phys Rev Lett 102:236804, 2009, Sahin et al. Phys Rev B 80:155453, 2009, Xu et al. Phys Rev Lett 111:136804, 2013b)

The isolation of graphene sheets from its parent crystal graphite has given the kick to experimental research on its prototypical 2D elemental cousin, silicene (Brumfiel 2013). Unlike graphene, silicene lacks a layered parent material from which it could be derived by exfoliation, as mentioned in Chap. 2 Hence, the efforts of making the silicene dream a reality were focused on epitaxial growth of silicene on substrates. The first synthesis of epitaxial silicene on silver (111) (Vogt et al. 2012; Lin et al. 2012) and zirconium diboride templates (Fleurence et al. 2012) and next on an iridium (111) surface (Meng et al. 2013), has boosted research on other elemental group IV graphene-like materials, namely, germanene and stanene (Matthes et al. 2013; Xu et al. 2013). The boom is motivated by several new possibilities envisaged for future electronics, typically because of the anticipated very high mobilities for silicene and germanene (Ye et al. 2014), as well as potential optical applications (Matthes et al. 2013). It is also fuelled by their predicted robust 2D topological insulator characters (Liu et al. 2011; Ezawa 2012) and potential high temperature superconductor character (Chen et al. 2013; Zhang et al. 2015). One of the most promising candidates as a substrate is Ag because from the studies of the reverse system, where Ag atoms were deposited on silicon substrate, it was known that Ag and silicon make sharp interfaces without making silicide compounds (Le Lay 1983). Indeed, studies on synthesis and characterization of silicene is mainly focused on using Ag(111) as substrates and hence we think it is important to understand this particular system. In this chapter, we present the experimental and theoretical studies investigating the atomic and electronic structure of silicene on Ag substrates.

When bulk structures are thinned down to their monolayers, degree of orbital interactions, mechanical properties and electronic band dispersion of the crystal structure become highly sensitive to the amount of applied strain. The source of strain on the ultra-thin lattice structure can be (1) an external device or a flexible substrate that can stretch or compress the structure, (2) the lattice mismatch between the layer and neighboring layers or (3) stress induced by STM or AFM tip.

We report experimental and theoretical investigations of the observed barrier behavior of few-layer MoS2 against nitrogenation. Owing to its low-strength shearing, low friction coefficient, and high lubricity, MoS2 exhibits the demeanor of a natural N-resistant coating material. Raman spectroscopy is done to determine the coating capability of MoS2 on graphene. Surface morphology of our MoS2/graphene heterostructure is characterized by using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. In addition, density functional theory-based calculations are performed to understand the energy barrier performance of MoS2 against nitrogenation. The penetration of nitrogen atoms through a defect-free MoS2 layer is prevented by a very high vertical diffusion barrier, indicating that MoS2 can serve as a protective layer for the nitrogenation of graphene. Our experimental and theoretical results show that MoS2 material can be used both as an efficient nanocoating material and as a nanoscale mask for selective nitrogenation of graphene layer., TUBITAK (116C073); The Science Academy, Turkey, under the BAGEP program; National Science Foundation USA NSF DMR-1552220

By performing first-principles calculations, we predict a novel, stable single layer phase of silicon ditelluride, 1T-SiTe2, and its possible vertical heterostructures with single layer β-SiTe. Structural optimization and phonon calculations reveal that 1T-SiTe2 structure has a dynamically stable ground state. Further analysis of the vibrational spectrum at the - point shows that single layer 1T-SiTe2 has characteristic phonon modes at 80, 149, 191 and 294 cm-1. Electronic-band structure demonstrates that 1T-SiTe2 phase exhibits a nonmagnetic metallic ground state with a negligible intrinsic spinorbit splitting. Moreover, it is shown that similar structural parameters of 1T-SiTe2 and existing β-SiTe phases allows construction of 1T-β heterostructures with a negligible lattice mismatch. In this regard, it is found that two energetically favorable stacking orders, namely AA and ATB, have distinctive shear and layer breathing phonon modes. It is important to note that the combination of semiconducting β-SiTe and metallic 1T-SiTe2 building blocks forms ultra-thin Schottky barriers that can be used in nanoscale optoelectronic device technologies., TUBITAK (116C073--114F397); The Science Academy, Turkey under the BAGEP program

By performing density functional theory-based calculations, we investigate the structural, electronic, and mechanical properties of the thinnest ever ZnSe crystal [11]. The vibrational spectrum analysis reveals that the monolayer ZnSe is dynamically stable and has flexible nature with its soft phonon modes. In addition, a direct electronic band gap is found at the gamma point for the monolayer structure of ZnSe. We also elucidate that the monolayer ZnSe has angle dependent in-plane elastic parameters. In particular, the in-plane stiffness values are found to be 2.07 and 6.89 N/m for the arm-chair and zig-zag directions, respectively. The angle dependency is also valid for the Poisson ratio of the monolayer ZnSe. More significantly, the in-plane stiffness of the monolayer ZnSe is the one-tenth of Young modulus of bulk zb-ZnSe which indicates that the monolayer ZnSe is a quite flexible single layer crystal. With its flexible nature and in-plane anisotropic mechanical properties, the monolayer ZnSe is a good candidate for nanoscale mechanical applications., TUBITAK Project (114F397); The Science Academy, Turkey under the BAGEP program; Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK 116C073)

The temperature coefficient of resonant frequency ((f)) of a microwave resonator is determined by three materials parameters according to the following equation: (f)=-(1/2 (epsilon) + 1/2 + (L)), where (L), (epsilon), and are defined as the linear temperature coefficients of the lattice constant, dielectric constant, and magnetic permeability, respectively. We have experimentally determined each of these parameters for Ba(Zn1/3Ta2/3)O-3, 0.8 at.% Ni-doped Ba(Zn1/3Ta2/3)O-3, and Ba(Ni1/3Ta2/3)O-3 ceramics. These results, in combination with density functional theory calculations, have allowed us to develop a much improved understanding of the fundamental physical mechanisms responsible for the temperature coefficient of resonant frequency, (f).

Layered transition metal trichalcogenides (TMTCs) are a new class of anisotropic two-dimensional materials that exhibit quasi-1D behavior. This property stems from their unique highly anisotropic crystal structure where vastly different material properties can be attained from different crystal directions. Here, we employ density functional theory predictions, atomic force microscopy, and angle-resolved Raman spectroscopy to investigate their fundamental vibrational properties which differ significantly from other 2D systems and to establish a method in identifying anisotropy direction of different types of TMTCs. We find that the intensity of certain Raman peaks of TiS3, ZrS3, and HfS3 have strong polarization dependence in such a way that intensity is at its maximum when the polarization direction is parallel to the anisotropic b-axis. This allows us to readily identify the Raman peaks that are representative of the vibrations along the b-axis direction. Interestingly, similar angle resolved studies on the novel TiNbS3 TMTC alloy reveal that determination of anisotropy/crystalline direction is rather difficult possibly due to loss of anisotropy by randomization distribution of quasi-1D MX6 chains by the presence of defects which are commonly found in 2D alloys and also due to the complex Raman tensor of TMTC alloys. Overall, the experimental and theoretical results establish non-destructive methods used to identify the direction of anisotropy in TMTCs and reveal their vibrational characteristics which are necessary to gain insight into potential applications that utilize direction dependent thermal response, optical polarization, and linear dichroism., National Science Foundation (DMR-1552220--CMMI-1561839); Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK 114F397-- 116C073); The Science Academy, Turkey under the BAGEP program

The two-dimensional silicon allotrope, silicene, could spur the development of new and original concepts in Si-based nanotechnology. Up to now silicene can only be epitaxially synthesized on a supporting substrate such as Ag(111). Even though the structural and electronic properties of these epitaxial silicene layers have been intensively studied, very little is known about its vibrational characteristics. Here, we present a detailed study of epitaxial silicene on Ag(111) using in situ Raman spectroscopy, which is one of the most extensively employed experimental techniques to characterize 2D materials, such as graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides, and black phosphorous. The vibrational fingerprint of epitaxial silicene, in contrast to all previous interpretations, is characterized by three distinct phonon modes with A and E symmetries. Both, energies and symmetries of theses modes are confirmed by ab initio theory calculations. The temperature dependent spectral evolution of these modes demonstrates unique thermal properties of epitaxial silicene and a significant electron-phonon coupling. These results unambiguously support the purely two-dimensional character of epitaxial silicene up to about 300°C, whereupon a 2D-to-3D phase transition takes place. The detailed fingerprint of epitaxial silicene will allow us to identify it in different environments or to study its modifications., Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) (VO1261/3-1 VO1261/4-1): International Research Training Group - DFG (GRK 1215): International Research Training Group - Chinese Ministry of Education (GRK 1215): European Commission (270749): Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK 115F388)

Employing density functional theory based calculations, we investigate structural, vibrational and strain-dependent electronic properties of an ultra-thin CdTe crystal structure that can be derived from its bulk counterpart. It is found that this ultra-thin crystal has an 8-atom primitive unit cell with considerable surface reconstructions. Dynamic stability of the structure is predicted based on its calculated vibrational spectrum. Electronic band structure calculations reveal that both electrons and holes in single layer CdTe possess anisotropic in-plane masses and mobilities. Moreover, we show that the ultra-thin CdTe has some interesting electromechanical features, such as strain-dependent anisotropic variation of the band gap value, and its rapid increase under perpendicular compression. The direct band gap semiconducting nature of the ultra-thin CdTe crystal remains unchanged under all types of applied strain. With a robust and moderate direct band gap, single-layer CdTe is a promising material for nanoscale strain dependent device applications., TUBITAK (116C073); The Science Academy, Turkey under the BAGEP program

Using first-principles density functional theory calculations, we systematically investigate the structural, electronic, and vibrational properties of bulk and potential single-layer structures of perovskitelike CsPb2Br5 crystal. It is found that while Cs atoms have no effect on the electronic structure, their presence is essential for the formation of stable CsPb2Br5 crystals. The calculated vibrational spectra of the crystal reveal that not only the bulk form but also the single-layer forms of CsPb2Br5 are dynamically stable. Predicted single-layer forms can exhibit either semiconducting or metallic character. Moreover, the modification of the structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of single-layer CsPb2Br5 upon formation of vacancy defects is investigated. It is found that the formation of Br vacancy (i) has the lowest formation energy, (ii) significantly changes the electronic structure, and (iii) leads to ferromagnetic ground state in the single-layer CsPb2Br5. However, the formation of Pb and Cs vacancies leads to p-type doping of the single-layer structure. Results reported herein reveal that the single-layer CsPb2Br5 crystal is a novel stable perovskite with enhanced functionality and a promising candidate for nanodevice applications., TUBITAK (116C073); The Science Academy, Turkey under BAGEP

Silicon does not have a naturally occurring layered allotrope like graphite. However, it is possible to grow monolayer silicene on substrates, as we have seen in Chapter 3 Extending this idea further, one may wonder whether it is possible to synthesize layered silicon structures by continuing the growth started as a monolayer silicene. In this Chapter we discuss the experimental and theoretical works that are based on this idea of multilayer silicene growth.

CdTe is a well known and widely used binary compound for optoelectronic applications. In this study, we propose the thinnest, free standing monolayer of CdTe which has a tetragonal-PbO (α-PbO) symmetry. The structural, electronic, vibrational and strain dependent properties are investigated by means of first principles calculations based on density functional theory. Our results demonstrate that monolayer α-CdTe is a dynamically stable and mechanically flexible material. It is found that the thinnest monolayer crystal of CdTe is a semiconductor with a direct band gap of 1.95 eV, which corresponds to red light in the visible spectrum. Moreover, it is found that the band gap can be tunable under biaxial strain. With its strain-controllable direct band gap within the visible spectrum, the stable α-phase of monolayer CdTe is a suitable candidate for optoelectronic device applications., TUBITAK (116C073); The Science Academy, Turkey

Motivated by recent studies that reported the successful synthesis of monolayer Mg (OH)2 [Suslu et al., Sci. Rep. 6, 20525 (2016)] and hexagonal (h−)AlN [Tsipas et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 103, 251605 (2013)], we investigate structural, electronic, and optical properties of vertically stacked h-AlN and Mg(OH)2, through ab initio density-functional theory (DFT), many-body quasiparticle calculations within the GW approximation and the Bethe-Salpeter equation (BSE). It is obtained that the bilayer heterostructure prefers the AB′ stacking having direct band gap at the Γ with Type-II band alignment in which the valance band maximum and conduction band minimum originate from different layer. Regarding the optical properties, the imaginary part of the dielectric function of the individual layers and heterobilayer are investigated. The heterobilayer possesses excitonic peaks, which appear only after the construction of the heterobilayer. The lowest three exciton peaks are analyzed in detail by means of band decomposed charge density and the oscillator strength. Furthermore, the wave function calculation shows that the first peak of the heterobilayer originates from spatially indirect exciton where the electron and hole localized at h-AlN and Mg(OH)2, respectively, which is important for the light harvesting applications., C.B. and R.T.S. acknowledge the support from TUBITAK Project No. 114F397. H.S. acknowledges support from Bilim Akademisi—The Science Academy, Turkey, under the BAGEP program. H.S. acknowledges financial support from the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) under Project No. 116C073. A.R. and A.D. acknowledge financial support from the European Research Council (Grant No. ERC-2015-AdG694097), Spanish Grant No. FIS2013-46159-C3-1-P, Grupos Consolidados (Grant No. IT578-13), and AFOSR Grants No. FA2386-15-1-0006 AOARD 144088, No. H2020-NMP-2014, Project MOSTOPHOS (Grant No. 646259), and COST Action Grant No. MP1306 (EUSpec).

Research on silicene shows a fast and steady growth that has increased our tool-box of novel 2D materials with exceptional potential applications in materials science. Especially after the experimental synthesis of silicene on substrates in 2012 it has attracted substantial interest from both theoretical and experimental communities. Every day, new people from various disciplines join this rapidly growing field. The aim of this book is to serve as a fast entry to the field to these newcomers and as a long-living reference to the growing community. To achieve this goal, the book is designed to emphasize the most crucial developments from both theoretical and experimental point of view since the starting of the silicene field back in 1994 with the first theoretical paper proposing the structure of silicene. We provide the general concepts and ideas such that the book is accessible to everybody from graduate students to senior researchers and we refer the reader interested in the detail to the relevant literature. We now start with a brief history of silicene where we highlight, in the chronological order, the important works that shaped our understanding of silicene.

By performing density functional theory (DFT)-based calculations, the performance of a-silicene as oxidation-resistant coating on Ag(111) surface is investigated. First of all, it is shown that the Ag(111) surface is quite reactive against O atoms and O2 molecules. It is known that when single-layer silicene is formed on the Ag(111) surface, the 3 × 3-reconstructed phase, a-silicene, is the ground state. Our investigation reveals that as a coating layer, a-silicene (i) strongly absorbs single O atoms and (ii) absorbs O2 molecules by breaking the strong O-O bond. (iii) Even the hollow sites, which are found to be most favorable penetration path for oxygens, serves as high-energy oxidation barrier, and (iv) α-silicene becomes more protective and less permeable in the presence of absorbed O atom. It appears that single-layer silicene is a quite promising material for ultra-thin oxidation-protective coating applications., TUBITAK (116C073); The Science Academy, Turkey

Atomically thin nanoribbons (NRs) have been at the forefront of materials science and nanoelectronics in recent years. State-of-the-art research on nanoscale materials has revealed that electronic, magnetic, phononic, and optical properties may differ dramatically when their one-dimensional forms are synthesized. The present article aims to review the recent advances in synthesis techniques and theoretical studies on NRs. The structure of the review is organized as follows: After a brief introduction to low dimensional materials, we review different experimental techniques for the synthesis of graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) with their advantages and disadvantages. In addition, theoretical investigations on width and edge-shape-dependent electronic and magnetic properties, functionalization effects, and quantum transport properties of GNRs are reviewed. We then devote time to the NRs of the transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) family. First, various synthesis techniques, E-field-tunable electronic and magnetic properties, and edge-dependent thermoelectric performance of NRs of MoS2 and WS2 are discussed. Then, strongly anisotropic properties, growth-dependent morphology, and the weakly width-dependent bandgap of ReS2 NRs are summarized. Next we discuss TMDs having a T-phase morphology such as TiSe2 and stable single layer NRs of mono-chalcogenides. Strong edge-type dependence on characteristics of GaS NRs, width-dependent Seebeck coefficient of SnSe NRs, and experimental analysis on the stability of ZnSe NRs are reviewed. We then focus on the most recently emerging NRs belonging to the class of transition metal trichalcogenides which provide ultra-high electron mobility and highly anisotropic quasi-1D properties. In addition, width-, edge-shape-, and functionalization-dependent electronic and mechanical properties of blackphosphorus, a monoatomic anisotropic material, and studies on NRs of group IV elements (silicene, germanene, and stanene) are reviewed. Observation of substrate-independent quantum well states, edge and width dependent properties, the topological phase of silicene NRs are reviewed. In addition, H2 concentration-dependent transport properties and anisotropic dielectric function of GeNRs and electric field and strain sensitive I-V characteristics of SnNRs are reviewed. We review both experimental and theoretical studies on the NRs of group III-V compounds. While defect and N-termination dependent conductance are highlighted for boron nitride NRs, aluminum nitride NRs are of importance due to their dangling bond, electric field, and strain dependent electronic and magnetic properties. Finally, superlattice structure of NRs of GaN/AlN, Si/Ge, G/BN, and MoS2/WS2 is reviewed., The Science Academy, Turkey under the BAGEP program; TUBITAK (114F397); Flemish Science Foundation (FWO-Vl); Methusalem program

By using density functional theory and non-equilibrium Green′s function-based methods, we investigated the electronic and transport properties of a TiS3 monolayer p–n junction. We constructed a lateral p–n junction on a TiS3 monolayer using Li and F adatoms. An applied bias voltage caused significant variability in the electronic and transport properties of the TiS3 p–n junction. In addition, the spin-dependent current–voltage characteristics of the constructed TiS3 p–n junction were analyzed. Important device characteristics were found, such as negative differential resistance and rectifying diode behaviors for spin-polarized currents in the TiS3 p–n junction. These prominent conduction properties of the TiS3 p–n junction offer remarkable opportunities for the design of nanoelectronic devices based on a recently synthesized single-layered material., TUBITAK (113T050--114F397); Flemish Science Foundation (FWO-Vl); Bilim Akademisi-The Science Academy

Obtaining a freestanding 2D graphene flake is relatively easy because it has a naturally occurring 3D layered parent material, graphite, made up of graphene layers weakly bound to each other by van der Waals interaction. In fact, graphite is energetically more favorable than diamond (one the most stable and hard materials on Earth) that is the sp 3 hybridized allotrope of carbon. To prepare freestanding graphene, it is enough to come up with a smart procedure for isolating the weakly bound layers of graphite. The same is also true for other layered materials like hexagonal boron nitride, black phosphorus, metal dichalcogenides and oxides. Silicene, on the other hand, doesn’t have a naturally occurring 3D parent material since silicon atoms prefer sp 3 hybridization over sp 2 hybridization. This makes the synthesis of freestanding silicene very hard, if not impossible. However, it is possible to epitaxially grow silicene on metal substrates and make use of its intrinsic properties by transferring it to an insulating substrate (Tao et al. Nat Nanotechnol 10: 227–231, 2015). In this Chapter, we focus on intrinsic properties of freestanding silicene in the absence of the metallic substrate.

Transition metal trichalcogenides form a class of layered materials with strong in-plane anisotropy. For example, titanium trisulfide (TiS3) whiskers are made out of weakly interacting TiS3 layers, where each layer is made of weakly interacting quasi-one-dimensional chains extending along the b axis. Here we establish the unusual vibrational properties of TiS3 both experimentally and theoretically. Unlike other two-dimensional systems, the Raman active peaks of TiS3 have only out-of-plane vibrational modes, and interestingly some of these vibrations involve unique rigid-chain vibrations and S-S molecular oscillations. High-pressure Raman studies further reveal that the Ag S-S S-S molecular mode has an unconventional negative pressure dependence, whereas other peaks stiffen as anticipated. Various vibrational modes are doubly degenerate at ambient pressure, but the degeneracy is lifted at high pressures. These results establish the unusual vibrational properties of TiS3 with strong in-plane anisotropy, and may have relevance to understanding of vibrational properties in other anisotropic two-dimensional material systems. © The Author(s) 2016., National Science Foundation (DMR-1552220 - CMMI-1561839); Flemish Science Foundation (FWO-Vl); The Science Academy, Turkey

By performing density functional theory-based calculations, we investigate how a hydrogen atom interacts with the surfaces of monolayer PbI2 and how one- and two-side hydrogenation modifies its structural, electronic, and magnetic properties. Firstly, it was shown that the T-phase of single layer PbI2 is energetically more favorable than the H-phase. It is found that hydrogenation of its surfaces is possible through the adsorption of hydrogen on the iodine sites. While H atoms do not form a particular bonding-type at low concentration, by increasing the number of hydrogenated I-sites well-ordered hydrogen patterns are formed on the PbI2 matrix. In addition, we found that for one-side hydrogenation, the structure forms a (2 × 1) Jahn-Teller type distorted structure and the bandgap is dramatically reduced compared to hydrogen-free single layer PbI2. Moreover, in the case of full hydrogenation, the structure also possesses another (2 × 2) reconstruction with a reduction in the bandgap. The easily tunable electronic and structural properties of single layer PbI2 controlled by hydrogenation reveal its potential uses in nanoscale semiconducting device applications., TUBITAK (113T050//114F397); Flemish Science Foundation (FWO-VI); The Science Academy, Turkey under the BAGEP program

WOS: 000383780500012, PubMed ID: 27378765, We report the controlled self-organization and switching of newly designed Schiff base (E)-4-((4-(phenylethynyl) benzylidene) amino) benzenethiol (EPBB) molecules on a Au (111) surface at room temperature. Scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy (STM/STS) were used to image and analyze the conformational changes of the EPBB molecules. The conformational change of the molecules was induced by using the STM tip while increasing the tunneling current. The switching of a domain or island of molecules was shown to be induced by the STM tip during scanning. Unambiguous fingerprints of the switching mechanism were observed via STM/STS measurements. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering was employed, to control and identify quantitatively the switching mechanism of molecules in a monolayer. Density functional theory calculations were also performed in order to understand the microscopic details of the switching mechanism. These calculations revealed that the molecular switching behavior stemmed from the strong interaction of the EPBB molecules with the STM tip. Our approach to controlling intermolecular mechanics provides a path towards the bottom-up assembly of more sophisticated molecular machines., TUBITAK [112T507]; Flemish Science Foundation (FWO-Vl); FWO Pegasus Long Marie Curie Fellowship, The authors acknowledge financial support from TUBITAK (PROJECT NO: 112T507). This work was also supported by the Flemish Science Foundation (FWO-Vl). Computational resources were provided by TUBITAK ULAKBIM, High Performance and Grid Computing Center (TR-Grid-Infrastructure). HS is supported by an FWO Pegasus Long Marie Curie Fellowship.

An overview is given of recent advances in experimental and theoretical understanding of optical properties of ultra-thin crystal structures (graphene, phosphorene, silicene, MoS2 , MoSe2 , WS2 , WSe2 , h-AlN, h-BN, fluorographene, and graphane). Ultra-thin crystals are atomically thick-layered crystals that have unique properties which differ from their 3D counterpart. Because of the difficulties in the synthesis of few-atom-thick crystal structures, which are thought to be the main building blocks of future nanotechnology, reliable theoretical predictions of their electronic, vibrational, and optical properties are of great importance. Recent studies revealed the reliable predictive power of existing theoretical approaches based on density functional theory., Flemish Science Foundation (FWO-Vl); Methusalem Foundation of the Flemish government; FWO Pegasus Long Marie Curie Fellowship; FWO Pegasus short Marie Curie Fellowship

Magnesium hydroxide [Mg(OH)2] has a layered brucitelike structure in its bulk form and was recently isolated as a new member of two-dimensional monolayer materials. We investigated the electronic and optical properties of monolayer crystals of Mg(OH)2 and WS2 and their possible heterobilayer structure by means of first-principles calculations. It was found that both monolayers of Mg(OH)2 and WS2 are direct-gap semiconductors and these two monolayers form a typical van der Waals heterostructure with a weak interlayer interaction and a type-II band alignment with a staggered gap that spatially separates electrons and holes. We also showed that an out-of-plane electric field induces a transition from a staggered to a straddling-type heterojunction. Moreover, by solving the Bethe-Salpeter equation on top of single-shot G0W0 calculations, we show that the low-energy spectrum of the heterobilayer is dominated by the intralyer excitons of the WS2 monolayer. Because of the staggered interfacial gap and the field-tunable energy-band structure, the Mg(OH)2-WS2 heterobilayer can become an important candidate for various optoelectronic device applications in nanoscale., Flemish Science Foundation (FWO-Vl); Methusalem foundation of the Flemish government; FWOPegasus Long Marie Curie Fellowship; TUBITAK (114F397); Science Academy, Turkey, under BAGEP program

The mechanical properties of monolayer GaS and GaSe crystals are investigated in terms of their elastic constants: in-plane stiffness (C), Poisson ratio (ν), and ultimate strength (σU) by means of first-principles calculations. The calculated elastic constants are compared with those of graphene and monolayer MoS2. Our results indicate that monolayer GaS is a stiffer material than monolayer GaSe crystals due to the more ionic character of the Ga-S bonds than the Ga-Se bonds. Although their Poisson ratio values are very close to each other, 0.26 and 0.25 for GaS and GaSe, respectively, monolayer GaS is a stronger material than monolayer GaSe due to its slightly higher σU value. However, GaS and GaSe crystals are found to be more ductile and flexible materials than graphene and MoS2. We have also analyzed the band-gap response of GaS and GaSe monolayers to biaxial tensile strain and predicted a semiconductor-metal crossover after 17% and 14% applied strain, respectively, for monolayer GaS and GaSe. In addition, we investigated how the mechanical properties are affected by charging. We found that the flexibility of single layer GaS and GaSe displays a sharp increase under 0.1e/cell charging due to the repulsive interactions between extra charges located on chalcogen atoms. These charging-controllable mechanical properties of single layers of GaS and GaSe can be of potential use for electromechanical applications. © 2016 American Physical Society., The Science Academy, Turkey under the BAGEP program; TUBITAK (114F397)

Employing density functional theory–based methods, we investigate monolayer and bilayer structures of hexagonal SnS2, which is a recently synthesized monolayer metal dichalcogenide. Comparison of the 1H and 1T phases of monolayer SnS2 confirms the ground state to be the 1T phase. In its bilayer structure we examine different stacking configurations of the two layers. It is found that the interlayer coupling in bilayer SnS2 is weaker than that of typical transition-metal dichalcogenides so that alternative stacking orders have similar structural parameters and they are separated with low energy barriers. A possible signature of the stacking order in the SnS2 bilayer has been sought in the calculated absorbance and reflectivity spectra. We also study the effects of the external electric field, charging, and loading pressure on the characteristic properties of bilayer SnS2. It is found that (i) the electric field increases the coupling between the layers at its preferred stacking order, so the barrier height increases, (ii) the bang gap value can be tuned by the external E field and under sufficient E field, the bilayer SnS2 can become a semimetal, (iii) the most favorable stacking order can be switched by charging, and (iv) a loading pressure exceeding 3 GPa changes the stacking order. The E-field tunable band gap and easily tunable stacking sequence of SnS2 layers make this 2D crystal structure a good candidate for field effect transistor and nanoscale lubricant applications., The calculations were performed at TUBITAK ULAKBIM, High Performance and Grid Computing Center (TR-Grid e-Infrastructure). C.B., H.S., and R.T.S. acknowledge support from TUBITAK Project No. 114F397. H.S. is supported by an FWO Pegasus Marie Curie Fellowship. S.C. and A.R. acknowledge financial support from the Marie Curie grant FP7-PEOPLE-2013-IEF Project No. 628876, the European Research Council (ERC-2010-AdG-267374), and Spanish grant Grupos Consolidados (IT578-13). S.C. acknowledges support from the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) under Project No. 115F388.

The layer dependent structural, electronic and vibrational properties of the 1T phase of two dimensional (2D) platinum diselenide are investigated by means of state-of-the-art first-principles calculations. The main findings of the study are: (i) monolayer platinum diselenide has a dynamically stable 2D octahedral structure with 1.66 eV indirect band gap, (ii) the semiconducting nature of 1T-PtSe2 monolayers remains unaffected even at high biaxial strains, (iii) top-to-top (AA) arrangement is found to be energetically the most favorable stacking of 1T-PtSe2 layers, (iv) the lattice constant (layer-layer distance) increases (decreases) with increasing number of layers, (v) while monolayer and bilayer 1T-PtSe2 are indirect semiconductors, bulk and few-layered 1T-PtSe2 are metals, (vi) Raman intensity and peak positions of the A1g and Eg modes are found to be highly dependent on the layer thickness of the material, hence; the number of layers of the material can be determined via Raman measurements., TUBITAK under the project number 117F095

Motivated by a recent experiment that reported the successful synthesis of hexagonal (h) AlN [Tsipas, Appl. Phys. Lett. 103, 251605 (2013)APPLAB0003-695110.1063/1.4851239], we investigate structural, electronic, and vibrational properties of bulk, bilayer, and monolayer structures of h-AlN by using first-principles calculations. We show that the hexagonal phase of the bulk h-AlN is a stable direct-band-gap semiconductor. The calculated phonon spectrum displays a rigid-layer shear mode at 274 cm-1 and an Eg mode at 703 cm-1, which are observable by Raman measurements. In addition, single-layer h-AlN is an indirect-band-gap semiconductor with a nonmagnetic ground state. For the bilayer structure, AA′-type stacking is found to be the most favorable one, and interlayer interaction is strong. While N-layered h-AlN is an indirect-band-gap semiconductor for N=1-9, we predict that thicker structures (N≥10) have a direct band gap at the Γ point. The number-of-layer-dependent band-gap transitions in h-AlN is interesting in that it is significantly different from the indirect-to-direct crossover obtained in the transition-metal dichalcogenides., Flemish Science Foundation (FWO-Vl); Methusalem foundation of the Flemish government; TUBITAK Project (114F397); FWO Pegasus Long Marie Curie Fellowship

By performing density functional theory-based calculations, we investigate how structural, electronic and mechanical properties of single layer ReS2 can be tuned upon hydrogenation of its surfaces. It is found that a stable, fully hydrogenated structure can be obtained by formation of strong S-H bonds. The optimized atomic structure of ReS2H2 is considerably different than that of the monolayer ReS2 which has a distorted-1T phase. By performing phonon dispersion calculations, we also predict that the Re2-dimerized 1T structure (called 1TRe2) of the ReS2H2 is dynamically stable. Unlike the bare ReS2 the 1TRe2–ReS2H2 structure which is formed by breaking the Re4 clusters into separated Re2 dimers, is an indirect-gap semiconductor. Furthermore, mechanical properties of the 1TRe2 phase in terms of elastic constants, in-plane stiffness (C) and Poisson ratio (ν) are investigated. It is found that full hydrogenation not only enhances the flexibility of the single layer ReS2 crystal but also increases anisotropy of the elastic constants, Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK 116C073--114F397)