Modification of anatase TiO2_2(001) surface electronic structure by Au impurity

We have used density functional theory calculations based on the projector augmented wave method to investigate the electronic structure of Au-incorporated anatase TiO$_2$(001) surface. Due to the coordination with several level oxygens, Au atoms can be encapsulated inside TiO$_2$ slab. Au is adsorbed over the surface Ti--O bond, so called the bridge site on anatase TiO$_2$(001)--1$\times$1 surface. However, for 0.25 ML coverage, Au atoms energetically prefer to stay at 0.64 {\AA} above the midpoint of the two surface oxygens which is significantly closer to the surface layer. When implanted inside the slab for full coverage, Au forms parallel metallic wires inside TiO$_2$ lattice where interlayer distances increase due to local segregation. Au brings half-filled impurity states into the band gap leading to metallization, in addition to other filled surface and impurity bands within the gap. These Au-driven Fermi-level-pinning gap states are close to, or even in some cases inside, the conduction band of the host slab. On the other hand, if Au is substituted for the surface Ti atom, Fermi level falls lower in the gap closer to the valence band top.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figure

Variable and reversible quantum structures on a single carbon nanotube

The band gap of a semiconducting single wall carbon nanotube decreases and eventually vanishes leading to metalization as a result of increasing radial deformation. This sets in a band offset between the undeformed and deformed regions of a single nanotube. Based on the superlattice calculations, we show that these features can be exploited to realize various quantum well structures on a single nanotube with variable and reversible electronic properties. These quantum structures and nanodevices incorporate mechanics and electronics.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, To be appear in PR

Range separated hybrid density functional study of organic dye sensitizers on anatase TiO2_2 nanowires

The adsorption of organic molecules coumarin and the donor-$\pi$-acceptor type tetrahydroquinoline (C2-1) on anatase (101) and (001) nanowires have been investigated using screened Coulomb hybrid density functional theory calculations. While coumarin forms single bond with the nanowire surface, C2-1 additionally exhibits bidentate mode giving rise to much stronger adsorption energies. Nonlinear solvation effects on the binding characteristics of the dye chromophores on the nanowire facets have also been examined. These two dye sensitizers show different electronic charge distributions for the highest occupied and the lowest unoccupied molecular states. We studied the electronic structures in terms of the positions of the band edges and adsorbate related band gap states and their effect on the absorption spectra of the dye-nanowire combined systems. These findings were interpreted and discussed from the view point of better light harvesting and charge separation as well as in relation to more efficient charge carrier injection into the semiconductor nanowire.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, and 1 tabl

Adsorption of Pt and Bimetallic Pt-Au clusters on the Partially Reduced Rutile (110) TiO2 Surface: A First-Principles Study

Cataloged from PDF version of article.An extensive study of the adsorption of small Ptn (n = 1−8) and bimetallic Pt2Aum (m = 1−5) clusters on the partially reduced rutile (110) TiO2 surface has been nperformed via total energy pseudopotential calculations based on density functional theory. Structures, energetics, and electronic properties of adsorbed Ptn and Pt2Aum clusters have been determined. The surface oxygen vacancy site has been found to be the nucleation center for the growth of Pt clusters. These small Pt clusters strongly interact with the partially reduced surface and prefer to form planar structures for n = 1−6 since the cluster−substrate interaction governs the cluster growth at low Pt coverage. We found a planar-to-threedimensional structural transition at n = 7 for the formation of Ptn clusters on the reduced TiO2 surface. GGA+U calculations have also been performed to get a reasonable description of the reduced oxide surface. We observed significant band gap narrowing upon surface−Ptn cluster interaction which leads to the formation of gap localized Pt states. In the case of bimetallic Pt−Au clusters, Aum clusters have been grown on the Pt2−TiO2 surface. The previously adsorbed Pt dimer at the vacancy site of the reduced surface acts as a clustering center for Au atoms. The presence of the Pt dimer remarkably enhances the binding energy and limits the migration of Au atoms on the titania surface. The charge state of both individual atoms and clusters has been obtained from the Bader charge analysis, and it has been found that charge transfer among the Pt atoms of Ptn clusters and the metal oxide surface is stronger compared to that of Au clusters and the Pt2−TiO2 system

Ab initio study of neutral (TiO2)n clusters and their interactions with water and transition metal atoms

Cataloged from PDF version of article.We have systematically investigated the growth behavior and stability of small stoichiometric (TiO2)n (n = 1–10) clusters as well as their structural, electronic and magnetic properties by using the first-principles plane wave pseudopotential method within density functional theory. In order to find out the ground state geometries, a large number of initial cluster structures for each n has been searched via total energy calculations. Generally, the ground state structures for the case of n = 1–9 clusters have at least one monovalent O atom, which only binds to a single Ti atom. However, the most stable structure of the n = 10 cluster does not have any monovalent O atom. On the other hand, Ti atoms are at least fourfold coordinated for the ground state structures for n ≥ 4 clusters. Our calculations have revealed that clusters prefer to form three-dimensional structures. Furthermore, all these stoichiometric clusters have nonmagnetic ground state. The formation energy and the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO)–lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) gap for the most stable structure of (TiO2)n clusters for each n have also been calculated. The formation energy and hence the stability increases as the cluster size grows. In addition, the interactions between the ground state structure of the (TiO2)n cluster and a single water molecule have been studied. The binding energy (Eb) of the H2O molecule exhibits an oscillatory behavior with the size of the clusters. A single water molecule preferably binds to the cluster Ti atom through its oxygen atom, resulting an average binding energy of 1.1 eV. We have also reported the interaction of the selected clusters (n = 3, 4, 10) with multiple water molecules. We have found that additional water molecules lead to a decrease in the binding energy of these molecules to the (TiO2)n clusters. Finally, the adsorption of transition metal (TM) atoms (V, Co and Pt) on the n = 10 cluster has been investigated for possible functionalization. All these elements interact strongly with this cluster, and a permanent magnetic moment is induced upon adsorption of Co and V atoms. We have observed gap localized TM states leading to significant HOMO–LUMO gap narrowing, which is essential to achieve visible light response for the efficient use of TiO2 based materials. In this way, electronic and optical as well as magnetic properties of TiO2 materials can be modulated by using the appropriate adsorbate atom