Density functional theory study of B- and Si-doped carbons and their adsorption interactions with sulfur compounds

Understanding the adsorption interactions between carbon materials and sulfur compounds has far-reaching impacts,in addition to their well-known important role in energy storage and conversion,such as lithium-ion batteries.In this paper,properties of intrinsic B or Si single-atom doped,and B-Si codoped graphene(GR)and graphdiyne(GDY)were investigated by using density functional theory-based calculations,in which the optimal doping configurations were explored for potential applications in adsorbing sulfur compounds.Results showed that both B or Si single-atom doping and B-Si codoping could substantially enhance the electron transport properties of GR and GDY,improving their surface activity.Notably,B and Si atoms displayed synergistic effects for the codoped configurations,where B-Si codoped GR/GDY exhibited much better performance in the adsorption of sulfurcontaining chemicals than single-atom doped systems.In addition,results demonstrated that,after B-Si codoping,the adsorption energy and charge transfer amounts of GDY with sulfur compounds were much larger than those of GR,indicating that B-Si codoped GDY might be a favorable material for more effectively interacting with sulfur reagents.

Local thermal conductivity of inhomogeneous nano-fluidic films:A density functional theory perspective

Combining the mean field Pozhar-Gubbins(PG)theory and the weighted density approximation,a novel method for local thermal conductivity of inhomogeneous fluids is proposed.The correlation effect that is beyond the mean field treatment is taken into account by the simulation-based empirical correlations.The application of this method to confined argon in slit pore shows that its prediction agrees well with the simulation results,and that it performs better than the original PG theory as well as the local averaged density model(LADM).In its further application to the nano-fluidic films,the influences of fluid parameters and pore parameters on the thermal conductivity are calculated and investigated.It is found that both the local thermal conductivity and the overall thermal conductivity can be significantly modulated by these parameters.Specifically,in the supercritical states,the thermal conductivity of the confined fluid shows positive correlation to the bulk density as well as the temperature.However,when the bulk density is small,the thermal conductivity exhibits a decrease-increase transition as the temperature is increased.This is also the case in which the temperature is low.In fact,the decrease-increase transition in both the small-bulk-density and low-temperature cases arises from the capillary condensation in the pore.Furthermore,smaller pore width and/or stronger adsorption potential can raise the critical temperature for condensation,and then are beneficial to the enhancement of the thermal conductivity.These modulation behaviors of the local thermal conductivity lead immediately to the significant difference of the overall thermal conductivity in different phase regions.

Investigation of the structural, electronic and mechanical properties of CaO–SiO_(2) compound particles in steel based on density functional theory

CaO–SiO_(2)compounds compromise one of the most common series of oxide particles in liquid steels, which could significantly affect the service performance of the steels as crack initiation sites. However, the structural, electronic, and mechanical properties of the compounds in CaO–SiO_(2)system are still not fully clarified due to the difficulties in the experiments. In this study, a thorough investigation of these properties of CaO–SiO_(2)compound particles in steels was conducted based on first-principles density functional theory. Corresponding phases were determined by thermodynamic calculation, including gamma dicalcium silicate(γ-C2S), alpha-prime(L) dicalcium silicate(αL′-C2S), alpha-prime(H) dicalcium silicate(αH′-C2S), alpha dicalcium silicate(α-C2S), rankinite(C3S2), hatrurite(C3S), wollastonite(CS), and pseudowollastonite(Ps-CS). The results showed that the calculated crystal structures of the eight phases agree well with the experimental results. All the eight phases are stable according to the calculated formation energies, and γ-C2S is the most stable. O atom contributes the most to the reactivity of these phases. The Young’s modulus of the eight phases is in the range of 100.63–132.04 GPa. Poisson’s ratio is in the range of0.249–0.281. This study provided further understanding concerning the CaO–SiO_(2)compound particles in steels and fulfilled the corresponding property database, paving the way for inclusion engineering and design in terms of fracture-resistant steels.

Density Functional Theory Study of Marine Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers in Anaerobic Degradation

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers(PBDEs)are a kind of serious pollutants in the ocean.Biodegradation is considered as an economical and safe way for PBDEs removal and reductive debromination dominates the initial pathway of anaerobic degradation.On the basis of experimental study,Octa-BDE 197,Hepta-BDE 183,Hexa-BDE 153,Penta-BDE 99 and Tetra-BDE 47 were selected as the initial degradation objects,and their debromination degradation were studied using density functional theory.The structures were optimized by Gaussian 09 program.Furthermore,the molecular orbitals and charge distribution were analyzed.All C-Br bond dissociation energies at different positions including ortho,meta and para bromine atoms were calculated and the sequence of debromination was obtained.There is a close relationship between molecular structure,charge,molecular orbital and C-Br bond.All PBDEs exhibited similar debromination pathways with preferential removal of meta and para bromines.

Direct atomic-level insight into oxygen reduction reaction on size-dependent Pt-based electrocatalysts from density functional theory calculations

Developing novel oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)catalysts with high activity is urgent for proton exchange membrane fuel cells.Herein,we investigated a group of size-dependent Pt-based catalysts as promising ORR catalysts by density functional theory calculations,ranging from single-atom,nanocluster to bulk Pt catalysts.The results showed that the ORR overpotential of these Pt-based catalysts increased when its size enlarged to the nanoparticle scale or reduced to the single-atom scale,and the Pt_(38)cluster had the lowest ORR overpotential(0.46 V)compared with that of Pt_(111)(0.57 V)and single atom Pt(0.7 V).Moreover,we established a volcano curve relationship between the ORR overpotential and binding energy of O*(ΔE_(O*),confirming the intermediate species anchored on Pt38cluster with suitable binding energy located at top of volcano curve.The interaction between intermediate species and Pt-based catalysts were also investigated by the charge distribution and projected density of state and which further confirmed the results of volcano curve.

Ultra-deep Removal of Metal Ions from Coal Tar by Complexation:Experimental Studies and Density Functional Theory Simulations

As one of the important aspects of upgrading coal tar,the ultra-deep removal of metal ions via the complexation method was investigated by screening four complexing agents and performing density functional theory(DFT)simulations.Analysis of the compositions and contents of the metallic compounds in the coal tar revealed that the main components were iron and calcium naphthenates.Direct filtration reduced the mechanical impurity content from 0.24%to 0.0752%,indicating that most of the large particles could be easily removed.Among the four complexing agents,namely,acetic acid,oxalic acid,citric acid,and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid,oxalic acid exhibited the best demetallization performance.The DFT simulations suggested that the high performance of oxalic acid originated from its 1:1 coordination mode,rigid dicarboxyl structure,and greater binding energy.

Hydrogen evolution reaction between small-sized Zr_(n)(n=2–5)clusters and water based on density functional theory

Density functional theory(DFT)is used to calculate the most stable structures of Zr_(n)(n=2-5)clusters as well as the adsorption energy values of Zr_(n)(n=2-5)clusters after adsorbing single water molecule.The results reveal that there is a significant linear relationship between the adsorption energy values and the energy gaps of the Zr_(n)(n=2-5)clusters.Furthermore,the calculations of the reaction paths between Zr_(n)(n=2-5)and single water molecule show that water molecule can react with Zr_(n)(n=2-5)clusters to dissociate,producing hydrogen,and O atoms mix with the clusters to generate Zr_(n)O(n=2-5),all of which are exothermic reactions.According to the released energy,the Zr4 cluster is the most efficient in Zr_(n)(n=2-5)clusters reacting with single water molecule.The natural population analysis(NPA)and density of states(DOS)demonstrate the production of hydrogen and orbital properties in different energy ranges,respectively,jointly forecasting that Zr_(n)O(n=2-5)will probably continue to react with more water molecules.Our findings contribute to better understanding of Zr's chemical reactivity,which can conduce to the development of effective Zr-based catalysts and hydrogen-production methods.

Calculation of microscopic nuclear level densities based on covariant density functional theory

In this study,a microscopic method for calculating the nuclear level density(NLD)based on the covariant density functional theory(CDFT)is developed.The particle-hole state density is calculated by a combinatorial method using single-particle level schemes obtained from the CDFT,and the level densities are then obtained by considering collective effects such as vibration and rotation.Our results are compared with those of other NLD models,including phenomenological,microstatisti-cal and nonrelativistic Hartree–Fock–Bogoliubov combinatorial models.This comparison suggests that the general trends among these models are essentially the same,except for some deviations among the different NLD models.In addition,the NLDs obtained using the CDFT combinatorial method with normalization are compared with experimental data,including the observed cumulative number of levels at low excitation energies and the measured NLDs.The CDFT combinatorial method yields results that are in reasonable agreement with the existing experimental data.

A density functional theory study on the decomposition of aliphatic hydrocarbons and cycloalkanes during coal pyrolysis in hydrogen plasma

To get deep understanding of the reaction mechanism of coal pyrolysis in hydrogen plasma, the decomposition reaction pathways of aliphatic hydrocarbons and cycloalkanes, which are two main components in volatiles from coal, were investigated. Methane and cyclohexane were chosen as the model compounds. Density functional theory was employed, and many reaction pathways were involved. Calculations were carried out in Gaussian 09 at the B3LYP/6-31G（d,p） level of the theory. The results indicate that the main pyrolysis products of methane and cyclohexane in hydrogen plasma are both hydrogen and acetylene, and the participation of active hydrogen atoms makes dehydrogenation reactions more favorable. H2 mainly comes from dehydrogenation process, while many reaction pathways are responsible for acetylene formation. During coal pyrolysis in hydrogen plasma, three main components in volatiles like aliphatic hydrocarbons, cycloalkanes and aromatic hydrocarbons lead to the formation of hydrogen and acetylene, but their contributions to products distribution are different.

Structure and electronic structure of S-doped graphitic C_3N_4 investigated by density functional theory

The structures of the heptazine-based graphitic C3N4 and the S-doped graphitic C3N4 are investigated by using the density functional theory with a semi-empirical dispersion correction for the weak long-range interaction between layers.The corrugated structure is found to be energetically favorable for both the pure and the S-doped graphitic C3N4.The S doptant is prone to substitute the N atom bonded with only two nearest C atoms.The band structure calculation reveals that this kind of S doping causes a favorable red shift of the light absorption threshold and can improve the electroconductibility and the photocatalytic activity of the graphitic C3N4.

Thermodynamics and density functional theory study of potassium dichromate interaction with galena

The adsorption heat and reaction rate constant of potassium dichromate on the surface of galena were studied. The results indicate that potassium dichromate tends to adsorption on the galena surface. The reaction order is only 0.08385, suggesting that the concentration of potassium dichromate has little influence on its adsorption on the galena surface. In addition, the simulation of CrO2 4- adsorption on the PbS （100） surface in the absence and presence of O2 was carried out by density functional theory （DFT）. The calculated results show that CrO2 4- species adsorb energetically at the Pb-S bond site, and the presence of O2 can enhance this adsorption.

Density Functional Theory Study on La Complex with Schiff-base as Building Block

Quantum density functional theory （DFT） results are reported for the building block [LaL^1（NO3）] of La complex [LaL^1（NO3）]NO3·5H2O （L^1 = （CH3）2CHCH2CH（NCHC4H3O）COO^-）. The structure was optimized and the calculation results show that the lanthanum ion is coordinated by one nitrogen atom and three oxygen atoms of L^1 and two oxygen atoms of nitrate ion. The bond length of La-N is 0.2637 nm and the average length of La-O is 0.2526 nm, which are consistent with the literatures. In addition, the stabilities, electronic structural characteristics and IR spectra of the complex have been analyzed, which describe the coordination of lanthanum ion with other atoms in detail.

Density Functional Theory for Electrocatalysis

It is a considerably promising strategy to produce fuels and high-value chemicals through an electrochemical conversion process in the green and sustainable energy systems.Catalysts for electrocatalytic reactions,including hydrogen evolution reaction(HER),oxygen evolution reaction(OER),oxygen reduction reaction(ORR),nitrogen reduction reaction(NRR),carbon dioxide reduction reaction(CO_(2)RR),play a significant role in the advanced energy conversion technologies,such as water splitting devices,fuel cells,and rechargeable metal-air batteries.Developing low-cost and highly efficient electrocatalysts is closely related to establishing the composition-structure-activity relationships and fundamental understanding of catalytic mechanisms.Density functional theory(DFT)is emerging as an important computational tool that can provide insights into the relationship between the electrochemical performances and physical/chemical properties of catalysts.This article presents a review on the progress of the DFT,and the computational simulations,within the framework of DFT,for the electrocatalytic processes,as well as the computational designs and virtual screenings of new electrocatalysts.Some useful descriptors and analysis tools for evaluating the electrocatalytic performances are highlighted,including formation energies,d-band model,scaling relation,egorbital occupation,and free energies of adsorption.Furthermore,the remaining questions and perspectives for the development of DFT for electrocatalysis are also proposed.

Density functional theory study of NO_2 -sensing mechanisms of pure and Ti-doped WO_3 (002) surfaces

Density functional theory （DFT） calculations are employed to explore the NO2-sensing mechanisms of pure and Ti-doped WO3 （002） surfaces. When Ti is doped into the WO3 surface, two substitution models are considered： substitution of Ti for W6c and substitution of Ti for Wsc. The results reveal that substitution of Ti for 5-fold W forms a stable doping structure, and doping induces some new electronic states in the band gap, which may lead to changes in the surface properties. Four top adsorption models of NO2 on pure and Ti-doped WO3 （002） surfaces are investigated： adsorptions on 5-fold W （Ti）, on 6-fold W, on bridging oxygen, and on plane oxygen. The most stable and likely NO2 adsorption structures are both N-end oriented to the surface bridge oxygen Olc site. By comparing the adsorption energy and the electronic population, it is found that Ti doping can enhance the adsorption of NO2, which theoretically proves the experimental observation that Ti doping can greatly increase the WO3 gas sensor sensitivity to NO2 gas.

Density functional theory for adsorption of HCHO on the FeO(100) surface

The density functional theory （DFT） and periodic slab model were used to get information concerning the adsorption of HCHO on the FeO（100） surface. A preferred η^2-（C,O）-di-σ four-membered ring adsorption conformation on the Fe-top site was found to be the most favorable structure with the predicted adsorption energy of 210.7 kJ/mol. The analysis of density of states, Mulliken population, and vibrational frequencies before and after adsorption showed clear weakening of the carbonyl bond, and high sp^3 character on the carbon atom.

Formation mechanism of methane during coal evolution:A density functional theory study

The formation mechanism of methane （CH4） during coal evolution has been investigated by density functional theory （DFT） of quantum chemistry. Thermogenic gas, which is generated during the thermal evolution of medium rank coal, is the main source of coalbed methane （CBM）. Ethylbenzene （A） and 6,7-dimethyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-1-hydroxynaphthalene （B） have been used as model compounds to study the pyrolysis mechanism of highly volatile bituminous coal （R）, according to the similarity of bond orders and bond lengths. All possible paths are designed for each model. It can be concluded that the activation energies for H-assisted paths are lower than others in the process of methane formation; an H radical attacking on β-C to yield CH4 is the dominant path for the formation of CH4 from highly volatile bituminous coal. In addition, the calculated results also reveal that the positions on which H radical attacks and to which intramolecular H migrates have effects on methyl cleavage.

Crystal Structure and Density Functional Theory Studies of (p-Methoxyphenyl) Thiosemicarbazide

The title compound [CH3OC6H4NHNHCSNH2] has been characterized by ele- mental analysis, IR, electronic absorption spectra and X-ray single-crystal diffraction. It crystallizes in the monoclinic system, space group C2/c with a = 25.071(5), b = 5.9292(12), c = 14.938(3) ?, β = 118.40(3)o, Mr = 197.26 (C8H11N3OS), V = 1953.3(7) ?3, Z = 8, Dc = 1.342 g/cm3, F(000) = 832, μ = 0.296 mm-1, R = 0.0647 and wR = 0.1433. In the crystal lattice, there exist some intermolecular hydrogen bonds, π-π stacking interactions and C–H…π supramolecular interactions to stabilize the crystal structure. The density functional theory (DFT) calculations at the B3LYP/6-31G* level, charge distributions and thermodynamic properties at different temperature have been performed, showing the sulfur and nitrogen atoms have bigger negative charges because they are the potential sites reacting with the metallic ions.

Density functional theory study of CO catalytic oxidation on Co_2B_2/TiO_2(110) surface

Titanium dioxide with CoB amorphous alloys nanoparticles deposited on the surface is known to exhibit higher catalytic activity than the CoB amorphous.A study of the structure of such system is necessary to understand this effect.A quantum chemical study of Co2B2 on the TiO2（110） surface was studied using periodic slab model within the framework of density functional theory（DFT）.The results of geometry optimization indicated that the most stable model of adsorption was Co2B2 cluster adsorbed on the hollow site of TiO2 .The adsorption energy calculated for Co2B2 on the hollow site was 439.3 kJ/mol.The adsorption of CO and O2 was further studied and the results indicated that CO and O2 are preferred to adsorb on the Co2 site.Co-adsorption of CO and O2 shows that Co2B2 /TiO2 is a good catalyst for the oxidation of CO to carbon dioxide in the presence of oxygen.

Investigations of phase transition, elastic and thermodynamic properties of GaP by using the density functional theory

The phase transition of gallium phosphide （GAP） from zinc-blende （ZB） to a rocksalt （RS） structure is investigated by the plane-wave pseudopotential density functional theory （DFT）. Lattice constant a0, elastic constants cij, bulk modulus B0 and the pressure derivative of bulk modulus B0 are calculated. The results are in good agreement with numerous experimental and theoretical data. From the usual condition of equal enthalpies, the phase transition from the ZB to the RS structure occurs at 21.9 GPa, which is close to the experimental value of 22.0 GPa. The elastic properties of GaP with the ZB structure in a pressure range from 0 GPa to 21.9 GPa and those of the RS structure in a pressure range of pressures from 21.9 GPa to 40 GPa are obtained. According to the quasi-harmonic Debye model, in which the phononic effects are considered, the normalized volume V/Vo, the Debye temperature 8, the heat capacity Cv and the thermal expansion coefficient a are also discussed in a pressure range from 0 CPa to 40 GPa and a temperature range from 0 K to 1500 K.

Density functional theory study of Mg_nNi_2(n=1-6) clusters

The geometries of MgnNi2（n = 1 6） clusters are studied by using the hybrid density functional theory （B3LYP） with LANL2DZ basis sets. For the ground-state structures of MgnNi2 clusters, the stabilities and the electronic properties are investigated. The results show that the groundstate structures and symmetries of Mg clusters change greatly due to the Ni atoms. The average binding energies have a growing tendency while the energy gaps have a declining tendency. In addition, the ionization energies exhibit an odd-even oscillation feature. We also conclude that n = 3, 5 are the magic numbers of the MgnNi2 clusters. The Mg3Ni2 and Mg5Ni2 clusters are more stable than neighbouring clusters, and the MgaNi2 cluster exhibits a higher chemical activity.