80 research outputs found
The Electronic and Superconducting Properties of Oxygen-Ordered MgB2 compounds of the form Mg2B3Ox
Possible candidates for the Mg2B3Ox nanostructures observed in bulk of
polycrystalline MgB2 (Ref.1) have been studied using a combination of
Z-contrast imaging, electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and
first-principles calculations. The electronic structures, phonon modes, and
electron phonon coupling parameters are calculated for two oxygen-ordered MgB2
compounds of composition Mg2B3O and Mg2B3O2, and compared with those of MgB2.
We find that the density of states for both Mg2B3Ox structures show very good
agreement with EELS, indicating that they are excellent candidates to explain
the observed coherent oxygen precipitates. Incorporation of oxygen reduces the
transition temperature and gives calculated TC values of 18.3 K and 1.6 K for
Mg2B3O and Mg2B3O2, respectively.Comment: Submitted to PR
Measuring the Hole State Anisotropy in MgB2 by Electron Energy-Loss Spectroscopy
We have examined polycrystalline MgB2 by electron energy loss spectroscopy
(EELS) and density of state calculations. In particular, we have studied two
different crystal orientations, [110] and [001] with respect to the incident
electron beam direction, and found significant changes in the near-edge
fine-structure of the B K-edge. Density functional theory suggests that the
pre-peak of the B K-edge core loss is composed of a mixture of pxy and pz hole
states and we will show that these contributions can be distinguished only with
an experimental energy resolution better than 0.5 eV. For conventional TEM/STEM
instruments with an energy resolution of ~1.0 eV the pre-peak still contains
valuable information about the local charge carrier concentration that can be
probed by core-loss EELS. By considering the scattering momentum transfer for
different crystal orientations, it is possible to analytically separate pxy and
pz components from of the experimental spectra With careful experiments and
analysis, EELS can be a unique tool measuring the superconducting properties of
MgB2, doped with various elements for improved transport properties on a
sub-nanometer scale.Comment: 26 Pages, 5 figures, 1 table. Submited to PR
Hybrid organic-inorganic two-dimensional metal carbide MXenes with amido- and imido-terminated surfaces
Two-dimensional (2D) transition-metal carbides and nitrides (MXenes) show
impressive performance in applications, such as supercapacitors, batteries,
electromagnetic interference shielding, or electrocatalysis. These materials
combine the electronic and mechanical properties of 2D inorganic crystals with
chemically modifiable surfaces, and surface-engineered MXenes represent an
ideal platform for fundamental and applied studies of interfaces in 2D
functional materials. A natural step in structural engineering of MXene
compounds is the development and understanding of MXenes with various organic
functional groups covalently bound to inorganic 2D sheets. Such hybrid
structures have the potential to unite the tailorability of organic molecules
with the unique electronic properties of inorganic 2D solids. Here, we
introduce a new family of hybrid MXenes (h-MXenes) with amido- and
imido-bonding between organic and inorganic parts. The description of h-MXene
structure requires an intricate mix of concepts from the fields of coordination
chemistry, self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) and surface science. The optical
properties of h-MXenes reveal coherent coupling between the organic and
inorganic components. h-MXenes also show superior stability against hydrolysis
in aqueous solutions.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figure
Nano-scale characterization of oxide materials by atomic resolution Z-contrast imaging and eels.
Nano-scale characterization of oxide materials by atomic resolution Z-contrast imaging and eels
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