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.

Thermodynamic Properties for Polybrominated Dibenzothiophenes by Density Functional Theory

The thermodynamic properties of 135 polybrominated dibenzothiophenes （PBDTs） in the gaseous state at 298.15 K and 1.013×10^5 Pa, are calculated using the density functional theory （the B3LYP/6-311G^＊＊） with Gaussian 03. Based on these data, the isodesmic reacflons are designed to calculate the standard enthalpy of formation （△fH^θ） and the standard Gibbs energy of formation （△fG^θ） of PBDTs. The relations of these thermodynamic parameters with the number and positionof bromine subsfituents （NPBS） are discussed, and it is found that there exist good correlations between othermody namic parameters （including heat capacity at constant volume, entropy, enthaipy, free energy, △fH^θ, △fG^θ） and NPBS. Thoe relative stability order of PBDT congeners is proposed theoretically based on the relative magnitude of their △fG^θ. In addition, the values of molar heat capacities at constant pressure （Cp,m） for PBDT c ongelaers are calculated.

Density Functional Theory Study on the Adsorption of Dioxygen on Small Pt-Pd Clusters

The electronic and physical properties of PtmPdn （m＋n≤5） metal clusters and their interactions with dioxygen have been studied by using hybrid density functional B3LYP method. The total energies, atomization energies, vibration frequencies, and charge distributions were reported. The Pt-Pt bridge site modified by Pd atoms was found to be the most active site for the dissociation of dioxygen, which was mainly due to the change of electronic structures of the Pt atoms in bimetallic Pt-Pd clusters.

Hydrogen storage in BC_3 composite single-walled nanotube:a combined density functional theory and Monte Carlo investigation

This paper applies a density functional theory （DFT） and grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations （GCMC） to investigate the physisorptions of molecular hydrogen in single-walled BC3 nanotubes and carbon nanotubes. The DFT calculations may provide useful information about the nature of hydrogen adsorption and physisorption energies in selected adsorption sites of these two nanotubes. Furthermore, the GCMC simulations can reproduce their storage capacity by calculating the weight percentage of the adsorbed molecular hydrogen under different conditions. The present results have shown that with both computational methods, the hydrogen storage capacity of BC3 nanotubes is superior to that of carbon nanotubes. The reasons causing different behaviour of hydrogen storage in these two nanotubes are explained by using their contour plots of electron density and charge-density difference.

Understanding the Relativistic Generalization of Density Functional Theory (DFT) and Completing It in Practice

In 2014, 50 years following the introduction of density functional theory (DFT), a rigorous understanding of it was published [AIP Advances, 4, 127,104 (2014)]. This understanding includes two features that complete the theory in practice, inasmuch as they are necessary for its correct application in electronic structure calculations;this understanding elucidates what appears to have been the crucial misunderstanding for 50 years, namely, the confusion between a stationary solution, attainable with most basis sets, following self-consistent iterations, with the ground state solution. The latter is obtained by a calculation that employs the well-defined optimal basis set for the system. The aim of this work is to review the above understanding and to extend it to the relativistic generalization of density functional theory by Rajagopal and Callaway [Phys. Rev. B7, 1912 (1973)]. This extension straightforwardly follows similar steps taken in the non-relativistic case, with the four-component current density, in the former, replacing the electronic charge density, in the latter. This new understanding, which completes relativistic DFT in practice, is expected to be needed for the study of heavy atoms and of materials (from molecules to solids) containing them—as is the case for some high temperature superconductors.

Dirac states from p_(x,y)orbitals in the buckled honeycomb structures:A tight-binding model and first-principles combined study

Dirac states composed of Px,y orbitals have been reported in many two-dimensional （2D） systems with honeycomb lattices recently. Their potential importance has aroused strong interest in a comprehensive understanding of such states. Here, we construct a four-band tight-binding model for the Px,y-orbital Dirac states considering both the nearest neighbor hopping interactions and the lattice-buckling effect. We find that Px,y-orbital Dirac states are accompanied with two addi- tional narrow bands that are flat in the limit of vanishing n bonding, which is in agreement with previous studies. Most importantly, we analytically obtain the linear dispersion relationship between energy and momentum vector near the Dirac cone. We find that the Fermi velocity is determined not only by the hopping through n bonding but also by the hopping through ~ bonding of Px,y orbitals, which is in contrast to the case of pz-orbital Dirac states. Consequently, Px,y-orbital Dirac states offer more flexible engineering, with the Fermi velocity being more sensitive to the changes of lattice constants and buckling angles, if strain is exerted. We further validate our tight-binding scheme by direct first-principles calcula- tions of model-materials including hydrogenated monolayer Bi and Sb honeycomb lattices. Our work provides a more in-depth understanding of Px,y-orbital Dirac states in honeycomb lattices, which is useful for the applications of this family of materials in nanoelectronics.

白铅矿(PbCO_(3))和菱锌矿(ZnCO_(3))硫化机理的DFT研究

采用密度泛函理论(DFT)比较研究白铅矿(PbCO_(3))和菱锌矿(ZnCO_(3))硫化机理的差异。通过在PbCO_(3)/ZnCO_(3)表面构建Pb-S/Zn-S层来模拟硫化结构。层距和Mulliken电荷的结果表明,PbCO_(3)上形成稳定的Pb-S层,而ZnCO_(3)上形成的Zn-S层不稳定。由于Pb-S层具有高的共价性,而Zn-S层具有高的离子性,因此,硫化-黄药法对PbCO_(3)浮选有效,对ZnCO_(3)浮选无效。为了回收ZnCO_(3),需要强离子性捕收剂,因此,硫化-胺法在ZnCO_(3)浮选中应用较广。PbCO_(3)和ZnCO_(3)表面硫化层结构和浮选行为差异主要是由于金属离子(Pb^(2+)和Zn^(2+))和配体(O配体和S配体)极化率的不同以及Zn^(2+)3d^(10)轨道的惰性造成的。

An Efficient Real Space Method for Orbital-Free Density-Functional Theory

We consider the Thomas-Fermi-von Weizsacker energy functional,with the Wang-Teter correction,and present an efficient real space method for Orbital-Free Density Functional Theory.It is proved that the energy minimizer satisfies a second order quasilinear elliptic equation,even at the points where the electron density vanishes.This information is used to construct an efficient energy minimization method for the resulting constrained problem,based on the truncated Newton method for unconstrained optimization.The Wang-Teter kernel is analyzed,and its behavior in real space at short and far distances is determined.A second order accurate discretization of the energy is obtained using finite differences.The efficiency and accuracy of the method is illustrated with numerical simulations in an Aluminium FCC lattice.

Potential-dependent insights into the origin of high ammonia yield rate on copper surface via nitrate reduction:A computational and experimental study

Focusing on revealing the origin of high ammonia yield rate on Cu via nitrate reduction(NO3RR),we herein applied constant potential method via grand-canonical density functional theory(GC-DFT)with implicit continuum solvation model to predict the reaction energetics of NO3RR on pure copper surface in alkaline media.The potential-dependent mechanism on the most prevailing Cu(111)and the minor(100)and(110)facets were established,in consideration of NO_(2)_(−),NO,NH_(3),NH_(2)OH,N_(2),and N_(2)O as the main products.The computational results show that the major Cu(111)is the ideal surface to produce ammonia with the highest onset potential at 0.06 V(until−0.37 V)and the highest optimal potential at−0.31 V for ammonia production without kinetic obstacles in activation energies at critical steps.For other minor facets,the secondary Cu(100)shows activity to ammonia from−0.03 to−0.54 V with the ideal potential at−0.50 V,which requires larger overpotential to overcome kinetic activation energy barriers.The least Cu(110)possesses the longest potential range for ammonia yield from−0.27 to−1.12 V due to the higher adsorption coverage of nitrate,but also with higher tendency to generate di-nitrogen species.Experimental evaluations on commercial Cu/C electrocatalyst validated the accuracy of our proposed mechanism.The most influential(111)surface with highest percentage in electrocatalyst determined the trend of ammonia production.In specific,the onset potential of ammonia production at 0.1 V and emergence of yield rate peak at−0.3 V in experiments precisely located in the predicted potentials on Cu(111).Four critical factors for the high ammonia yield and selectivity on Cu surface via NO3RR are summarized,including high NO3RR activity towards ammonia on the dominant Cu(111)facet,more possibilities to produce ammonia along different pathways on each facet,excellent ability for HER inhibition and suitable surface size to suppress di-nitrogen species formation at high nitrate coverage.Overall,our work provides comprehensive potential-dependent insights into the reaction details of NO3RR to ammonia,which can serve as references for the future development of NO3RR electrocatalysts,achieving higher activity and selectivity by maximizing these characteristics of copper-based materials.

dπ-pπ共轭对分子电子输运性质影响的理论研究

[目的]探究Ⅳ主族的C、Si、Ge等原子与不同离域基团形成的dπ-pπ共轭对相应分子体系电子输运性质的影响.[方法]采用密度泛函理论结合非平衡格林函数(DFT-NEGF)方法探究了含Ⅳ主族元素(C、Si、Ge)的三类分子:四乙基烷烃分子(C_(9)H_(20)S_(2)、SiC_(8)H_(20)S_(2)、GeC_(8)H_(20)S_(2)),四乙炔基烷烃分子(C_(9)H_(4)S_(2)、SiC_(8)H_(4)S_(2)、GeC_(8)H_(4)S_(2)),四苯基烷烃分子(C_(25)H_(20)S_(2)、SiC_(24)H_(20)S_(2)、GeC_(24)H_(20)S_(2))的电子输运性质.[结果]在四乙基烷烃分子中,中心原子Ge由于具有更为扩展的d轨道与碳氢(C—H)σ键存在dπ-pπ轨道相互作用,四乙炔基烷烃分子中乙炔基与Si的d轨道也存在dπ-pπ共轭,而在四苯基烷烃分子中苯环基团间存在额外的π-π弱相互作用,其均有利于电子离域,增大单分子电导.[结论]该研究一定程度上建立了dπ-pπ共轭作用与分子电子输运性质之间的联系,可为含Ⅳ主族中心原子分子在单分子电子学器件中的应用提供参考.

Assessment of Contemporary Theoretical Methods for Bond Dissociation Enthalpies

The density functional theory （DFT） is the most popular method for evaluating bond dis- sociation enthalpies （BDEs） of most molecules. Thus, we are committed to looking for alternative methods that can balance the computational cost and higher precision to the best for large systems. The performance of DFT, double-hybrid DFT, and high-level com- posite methods are examined. The tested sets contain monocyclic and polycyclic aromatic molecules, branched hydrocarbons, small inorganic molecules, etc. The results show that the mPW2PLYP and G4MP2 methods achieve reasonable agreement with the benchmark val- ues for most tested molecules, and the mean absolute deviations are 2.43 and 1.96 kcal/mol after excluding the BDEs of branched hydrocarbons. We recommend the G4MP2 is the most appropriate method for small systems （atoms number≤20）; the double-hybrid DFT methods are advised for large aromatic molecules in medium size （20≤atoms number≤50）, and the double-hybrid DFT methods with empirical dispersion correction are recommended for long-chain and branched hydrocarbons in the same size scope; the DFT methods are ad- vised to apply for large systems （atoms number〉50）, and the M06-2X and B3P86 methods are also favorable. Moreover, the differences of optimized geometry of different methods are discussed and the effects of basis sets for various methods are investigated.

Molecular electronegativity in density functional theory (VI) --Atom-bond electronegativity equalization model

Based on the density functional theory and partitioning the molecular electron density ρ(r) into atomic electronic densities and bond electronic densities,the expressions of the total molecular energy and the "effective electronegativity" of an atom or a bond in a molecule are obtained.The atom bond electronegativity equalization model is then proposed for the direct calculation of the total molecular energy and the charge distribution of large molecules.Practical calculations show that the atom bond electronegativity equalization model can reproduce the corresponding ab initio values of the total molecular energies and charge distributions for a series of large molecules with a very satisfactory accuracy.

First principles study on the charge density and the bulk modulus of the transition metals and their carbides and nitrides

A first principles study of the electronic properties and bulk modulus （B0） of the fcc and bcc transition metals, transition metal carbides and nitrides is presented. The calculations were performed by plane-wave pseudopotential method in the framework of the density functional theory with local density approximation. The density of states and the valence charge densities of these solids are plotted. The results show that B0 does not vary monotonically when the number of the valence d electrons increases. B0 reaches a maximum and then decreases for each of the four sorts of solids. It is related to the occupation of the bonding and anti-bonding states in the solid. The value of the valence charge density at the midpoint between the two nearest metal atoms tends to be proportional to B0.

Prediction of Aqueous Solubility for 209 Polychlorinated Diphenyl Ethers from Molecular Structural Parameters by DFT Method

Optimized calculations of 209 polychlorinated diphenyl ethers （PCDEs） and diphenyl ethers were carried out at the B3LYP/6-31G^＊ level with the Gaussian 98 program. Based on the theoretical linear solvation energy relationship （TLSER） model, the obtained structural parameters were taken as theoretical descriptors to establish the novel QSPR model for predicting aqueous solubility （-lgSw） of PCDEs. The model obtained in this work contains two variables： mean molecular polarizability （a） and the most positive partial charge on a hydrogen atom （qH^＋）, of which RE = 0.9606 and SD = 0.32. And the results of cross-validation test also show that the model exhibits optimum stability and better predictive power. Moreover, the predictive power of the new model is better than that of MCIs method.

Monte Carlo Simulations of Density Profiles for Hard-Sphere Chain Fluids Confined Between Surfaces

Covering a wide range of bulk densities, density profiles for hard-sphere chain fluids (HSCFs) with chain length of 3,4,8,20,32 and 64 confined between two surfaces were obtained by Monte Carlo simulations using extended continuum configurational-bias (ECCB) method. It is shown that the enrichment of beads near surfaces is happened at high densities due to the bulk packing effect, on the contrary, the depletion is revealed at low densities owing to the configurational entropic contribution. Comparisons with those calculated by density functional theory presented by Cai et al. indicate that the agreement between simulations and predictions is good. Compressibility factors of bulk HSCFs calculated using volume fractions at surfaces were also used to test the reliability of various equations of state of HSCFs by different authors.

Numerical Solution of 3D Poisson-Nernst-Planck Equations Coupled with Classical Density Functional Theory for Modeling Ion and Electron Transport in a Confined Environment

We have developed efficient numerical algorithms for solving 3D steadystate Poisson-Nernst-Planck(PNP)equations with excess chemical potentials described by the classical density functional theory(cDFT).The coupled PNP equations are discretized by a finite difference scheme and solved iteratively using the Gummel method with relaxation.The Nernst-Planck equations are transformed into Laplace equations through the Slotboom transformation.Then,the algebraic multigrid method is applied to efficiently solve the Poisson equation and the transformed Nernst-Planck equations.A novel strategy for calculating excess chemical potentials through fast Fourier transforms is proposed,which reduces computational complexity from O(N2)to O(NlogN),where N is the number of grid points.Integrals involving the Dirac delta function are evaluated directly by coordinate transformation,which yields more accurate results compared to applying numerical quadrature to an approximated delta function.Numerical results for ion and electron transport in solid electrolyte for lithiumion(Li-ion)batteries are shown to be in good agreement with the experimental data and the results from previous studies.

Highly Effective Detection of Amitraz in Honey by Using Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Spectroscopy Coupled with Chemometric Methods

As an effective and universal acaricide, amitraz is widely used on beehives against varroasis caused by the mite Varroa jacobsoni. Its residues in honey pose a great danger to human health. In this study, a sensitive, rapid, and environmentally friendly surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy method (SERS) was developed for the determination of trace amount of amitraz in honey with the use of silver nanorod (AgNR) array substrate. The AgNR array substrate fabricated by an oblique angle deposition technique exhibited an excellent SERS activity with an enhancement factor of -10^7. Density function theory was employed to assign the characteristic peak of amitraz. The detection of amitraz was further explored and amitraz in honey at concentrations as low as 0.08 mg/kg can be identified. Specifically, partial least square regression analysis was employed to correlate the SERS spectra in full-wavelength with Camitraz to afford a multiple-quantitative amitraz predicting model. Preliminary results show that the predicted concentrations of amitraz in honey samples are in good agreement with their real concentrations. Compared with the conventional univariate quantitative model based on single peak’s intensity, the proposed multiple-quantitative predicting model integrates all the characteristic peaks of amitraz, thus offering an improved detecting accuracy and anti-interference ability.

Preconditioners and Electron Density Optimization in Orbital-Free Density Functional Theory

Orbital-free density functional theory(OFDFT)is a quantum mechanical method in which the energy of a material depends only on the electron density and ionic positions.We examine some popular algorithms for optimizing the electron density distribution in OFDFT,explaining their suitability,benchmarking their performance,and suggesting some improvements.We start by describing the constrained optimization problem that encompasses electron density optimization.Next,we discuss the line search(including Wolfe conditions)and the nonlinear conjugate gradient and truncated Newton algorithms,as implemented in our open source OFDFT code.We finally focus on preconditioners derived from OFDFT energy functionals.Newlyderived preconditioners are successful for simulation cells of all sizes without regions of low electron-density and for small simulation cells with such regions.

Ionic dissociations of chlorosulfonic acid in microsolvated clusters: A density functional theory and ab initio MO study

Ionic dissociation of chlorosulfonic acid (HSO3Cl) in the molecular clusters HSO3Cl-(H2O)n (n = 1-4) and HSO3Cl-NH3-(H2O)n (n = 0-3) was investigated by density functional theory and ab initio molecular orbital theory. The equilibrium structures, binding energies, and thermodynamic properties, such as relative enthalpy and relative Gibbs free energy, and were calculated using the hybrid density func- tional (B3LYP) method and the second order M?ller-Plesset approximation (MP2) method with the 6-311++G** basis set. Chlorosulfonic acid was found to require a minimum of three water molecules for ionization to occur and at least one water molecule to protonate ammonia. The corresponding clusters with fewer water molecules were found to be strongly hydrogen-bonded. The related properties and acid strength of chlorosulfonic acid were discussed and compared to the acid strengths of perchloric acid and sulfuric acid in the context of clusters with ammonia and water. The relative stabilities of these clusters were also investigated.

Regioselectivity Study on Propylene Polymerization Catalyzed by Neutral Salicyladiminato Pd(II) Model Complex with DFT Method

Many attempts have been made to control the regioselectivity for olefin poly- merization by varying the structures of ligands in catalysts. The regioselectivity of propylene polymerization was investigated by replacing a nitrogen atom in the Pd(II) diimine catalyst with an oxygen atom from density functional theory method at the B3LYP/LANL2DZ level. The results show that the 1,2-insertion becomes a rival mechanism to the 2,1-insertion when the nitrogen atom is replaced by the oxygen atom leading to an asymmetric environment in the catalyst, and that the steric effect in the asymmetrical catalyst plays an important part in the polymerization. The insertion barrier from 2-O is much higher than that from 2-N. A pyramid transition state was characterized for the catalyst to convert 2-O back to 2-N through internal rotation. The propylene prefers to coordinate at the opposite side of O in the catalyst. This is the driving force for the internal rotation. The results are significant for isotactic and syndiotactic polymerization.