Abstract: The interaction of silicene, the silicon counterpart of graphene, with (0001) ZnS surfaces is investigated theoretically, using first-principles simulations. The charge transfer occurring at the silicene/(0001) ZnS interface leads to the opening of an indirect energy band gap of about 0.7 eV in silicene. Remarkably, the nature (indirect or direct) and magnitude of the energy band gap of silicene can be controlled by an external electric field: the energy gap is predicted to become direct for electric fields larger than about 0.5 V angstrom(-1), and the direct energy gap decreases approximately linearly with the applied electric field. The predicted electric field tunable energy band gap of the silicene/(0001) ZnS interface is very promising for its potential use in nanoelectronic devices.

Abstract: Relying on combined electron-beam lithography and lift-off methods Au/Ti bilayer electrical contacts were attached to individual ZnO nanowires (NWs) that were grown by a vapor phase deposition method. Reliable Schottky-type as well as ohmic contacts were obtained depending on whether or not an ion milling process was used. The response of the ZnO NWs to ultraviolet light was found to be sensitive to the type of contacts. The intrinsic electronic properties of the ZnO NWs were studied in a field-effect transistor configuration. The transfer characteristics, including gate threshold voltage, hysteresis and operational mode, were demonstrated to unexpectedly respond to visible light. The origin of this effect could be accounted for by the presence of point defects in the ZnO NWs.

Abstract: Ionic diffusion through the novel (AlxMg1-2xLix)Al2O4 spinel electrolyte is investigated using first-principles calculations, combined with the Kinetic Monte Carlo algorithm. We observe that the ionic diffusion increases with the lithium content x. Furthermore, the structural parameters, formation enthalpies and electronic structures of (AlxMg1-2xLix)Al2O4 are calculated for various stoichiometries. The overall results indicate the (AlxMg1-2xLix)Al2O4 stoichiometries x = 0.2...0.3 as most promising. The (AlxMg1-2xLix)Al2O4 electrolyte is a potential candidate for the all-spinel solid-state battery stack, with the material epitaxially grown between well-known spinel electrodes, such as LiyMn2O4 and Li4+3yTi5O12 (y = 0...1). Due to their identical crystal structure, a good electrolyte-electrode interface is expected.

Abstract: The mechanisms of plasma in medicine are broadly attributed to plasma-derived reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS). In order to exert any intracellular effects, these plasma-derived RONS must first traverse a major barrier in the cell membrane. The cell membrane lipid composition, and thereby the magnitude of this barrier, is highly variable between cells depending on type and state (e.g. it is widely accepted that healthy and cancerous cells have different membrane lipid compositions). In this study, we investigate how plasma-derived RONS interactions with lipid membrane components can potentially be exploited in the future for treatment of diseases. We couple phospholipid vesicle experiments, used as simple cell models, with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the lipid membrane to provide new insights into how the interplay between phospholipids and cholesterol may influence the response of healthy and diseased cell membranes to plasma-derived RONS. We focus on the (i) lipid tail saturation degree, (ii) lipid head group type, and (iii) membrane cholesterol fraction. Using encapsulated molecular probes, we study the influence of the above membrane components on the ingress of RONS into the vesicles, and subsequent DNA damage. Our results indicate that all of the above membrane components can enhance or suppress RONS uptake, depending on their relative concentration within the membrane. Further, we show that higher RONS uptake into the vesicles does not always correlate with increased DNA damage, which is attributed to ROS reactivity and lifetime. The MD simulations indicate the multifactorial chemical and physical processes at play, including (i) lipid oxidation, (ii) lipid packing, and (iii) lipid rafts formation. The methods and findings presented here provide a platform of knowledge that could be leveraged in the development of therapies relying on the action of plasma, in which the cell membrane and oxidative stress response in cells is targeted.

Abstract: The electronic and optical properties of vertical heterostructures (HTSs) and lateral heterojunctions (HTJs) between (B,N)-codoped graphene (dop@Gr) and graphene (Gr), C3N, BC3 and h-BN monolayers are investigated using van der Waals density functional theory calculations. We have found that all the considered HTSs are energetically and thermally feasible at room temperature, and therefore they can be synthesized experimentally. The dop@Gr/Gr, BC3/dop@Gr and BN/dop@Gr HTSs are semiconductors with direct bandgaps of 0.1 eV, 80 meV and 1.23 eV, respectively, while the C3N/dop@Gr is a metal because of the strong interaction between dop@Gr and C3N layers. On the other hand, the dop@Gr-Gr and BN-dop@Gr HTJs are semiconductors, whereas the C3N-dop@Gr and BC3-dop@Gr HTJs are metals. The proposed HTSs can enhance the absorption of light in the whole wavelength range as compared to Gr and BN monolayers. The applied electric field or pressure strain changes the bandgaps of the HTSs and HTJs, indicating that these HTSs are highly promising for application in nanoscale multifunctional devices.

Abstract: In this work, motivated by the fabrication of an AlSb monolayer, we have focused on the electronic, mechanical and optical properties of AlSb and InSb monolayers with double-layer honeycomb structures, employing the density functional theory approach. The phonon band structure and cohesive energy confirm the stability of the XSb (X = Al and In) monolayers. The mechanical properties reveal that the XSb monolayers have a brittle nature. Using the GGA + SOC (HSE + SOC) functionals, the bandgap of the AlSb monolayer is predicted to be direct, while InSb has a metallic character using both functionals. We find that XSb (X = Al, In) two-dimensional bodies can absorb ultraviolet light. The present findings suggest several applications of AlSb and InSb monolayers in novel optical and electronic usages.

Abstract: Using first-principles many-body perturbation theory, we investigate the optical properties of 8-Pmmn borophene at two levels of approximations; the GW method considering only the electron-electron interaction and the GW in combination with the Bethe-Salpeter equation including electron-hole coupling. The band structure exhibits anisotropic Dirac cones with semimetallic character. The optical absorption spectra are obtained for different light polarizations and we predict strong optical absorbance anisotropy. The absorption peaks undergo a global redshift when the electron-hole interaction is taken into account due to the formation of bound excitons which have an anisotropic excitonic wave function.

Abstract: Pure hydrogen production via water splitting is an ideal strategy for producing clean and sustainable energy. Two-dimensional (2D) cadmium chalcogenide single-layers with a tetragonal crystal structure, namely Tetra-CdX (X = S, Se, and Te) monolayers, are theoretically predicted by means of density functional theory (DFT). Their structural stability and electronic and optical properties are investigated. We find that Tetra-CdX single-layers are thermodynamically stable. Their stability decreases as we go down the 6A group in the periodic table, i.e., from X = S to Se, and Te which also means that the electronegativity decreases. All considered novel monolayers are indirect band gap semiconductors. Using the HSE06 functional the electronic band gaps of CdS, CdSe, and CdTe monolayers are predicted to be 3.10 eV, 2.97 eV, and 2.90 eV, respectively. The impact of mechanical strain on the physical properties was studied, which indicates that compressive strain increases the band gap and tensile strain decreases the band gap. The optical properties of the Tetra-CdX monolayers show the ability of these monolayers to absorb visible light. Due to the suitable band gaps and band edge positions of Tetra-CdX, these newly discovered 2D materials are promising for photocatalytic water splitting.

Abstract: In this study, it is predicted by density functional theory calculations that graphene-like novel ultra-thin phases of manganese fluoride crystals, that have nonlayered structures in their bulk form, can be stabilized by fluorination of manganese dichalcogenide crystals. First, it is shown that substitution of fluorine atoms with chalcogens in the manganese dichalcogenide host lattice is favorable. Among possible crystal formations, three stable ultra-thin structures of manganese fluoride, 1H-MnF2, 1T-MnF2 and MnF3, are found to be stable by total energy optimization calculations. In addition, phonon calculations and Raman activity analysis reveal that predicted novel single-layers are dynamically stable crystal structures displaying distinctive characteristic peaks in their vibrational spectrum enabling experimental determination of the corresponding phases. Differing from 1H-MnF2 antiferromagnetic (AFM) large gap semiconductor, 1T-MnF2 and MnF3 single-layers are semiconductors with ferromagnetic (FM) ground state.

Abstract: Two-dimensional Transition Metal Dichalcogenides (TMDs) possessing extraordinary physical properties at reduced dimensionality have attracted interest due to their promise in electronic and optical device applications. However, TMD monolayers can show a broad range of different properties depending on their crystal phase; for example, H phases are usually semiconductors, while the T phases are metallic. Thus, controlling phase transitions has become critical for device applications. In this study, the energetically low-lying crystal structures of pristine and Janus TMDs are investigated by using ab initio Nudged Elastic Band and molecular dynamics simulations to provide a general explanation for their phase stability and transition properties. Across all materials investigated, the T phase is found to be the least stable and the H phase is the most stable except for WTe2, while the T' and T '' phases change places according to the TMD material. The transition energy barriers are found to be large enough to hint that even the higher energy phases are unlikely to undergo a phase transition to a more stable phase if they can be achieved except for the least stable T phase, which has zero barrier towards the T ' phase. Indeed, in molecular dynamics simulations the thermodynamically least stable T phase transformed into the T ' phase spontaneously while in general no other phase transition was observed up to 2100 K for the other three phases. Thus, the examined T ', T '' and H phases were shown to be mostly stable and do not readily transform into another phase. Furthermore, so-called mixed phase calculations considered in our study explain the experimentally observed lateral hybrid structures and point out that the coexistence of different phases is strongly stable against phase transitions. Indeed, stable complex structures such as metal-semiconductor-metal architectures, which have immense potential to be used in future device applications, are also possible based on our investigation.

Abstract: The added value of supervised Machine Learning (ML) methods to determine the Absolute Configuration (AC) of compounds from their Vibrational Circular Dichroism (VCD) spectra was explored. Among all ML methods considered, Random Forest (RF) and Feedforward Neural Network (FNN) yield the best performance for identification of the AC. At its best, FNN allows near-perfect AC determination, with accuracy of prediction up to 0.995, while RF combines good predictive accuracy (up to 0.940) with the ability to identify the spectral areas important for the identification of the AC. No loss in performance of either model is observed as long as the spectral sampling interval used does not exceed the spectral bandwidth. Increasing the sampling interval proves to be the best method to lower the dimensionality of the input data, thereby decreasing the computational cost associated with the training of the models.

Abstract: Modeling the oxidation process of silicon nanowires through reactive force field based molecular dynamics simulations suggests that the formation of Si epoxide defects occurs both at the Si/SiOx interface and at the nanowire surface, whereas for flat surfaces, this defect is experimentally observed to occur only at the interface as a result of stress. In this paper, we argue that the increasing curvature stabilizes the defect at the nanowire surface, as suggested by our density functional theory calculations. The latter can have important consequences for the opto-electronic properties of thin silicon nanowires, since the epoxide induces an electronic state within the band gap. Removing the epoxide defect by hydrogenation is expected to be possible but becomes increasingly difficult with a reduction of the diameter of the nanowires.

Abstract: Nitrogen-doped graphene was recently synthesized and was reported to be a catalyst for hydrogen dissociative adsorption under a perpendicular applied electric field (F). In this work, the diffusion of H atoms on N-doped graphene, in the presence and absence of an applied perpendicular electric field, is studied using density functional theory. We demonstrate that the applied field can significantly facilitate the binding of hydrogen molecules on N-doped graphene through dissociative adsorption and diffusion on the surface. By removing the applied field the absorbed H atoms can be released efficiently. Our theoretical calculation indicates that N-doped graphene is a promising hydrogen storage material with reversible hydrogen adsorption/desorption where the applied electric field can act as a switch for the uptake/release processes.