Department Of Physics
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Item Theoretical investigation of quantum capacitance of Co-doped ?-MnO2 for supercapacitor applications using density functional theory(Royal Society of Chemistry, 2023-09-07T00:00:00) Vijayan, Ariya K.; Sreehari, M.S.; Kour, Simran; Dastider, Saptarshi Ghosh; Mondal, Krishnakanta; Sharma, A.L.The rapid depletion of fossil fuels and ever-growing energy demand have led to a search for renewable clean energy sources. The storage of renewable energy calls for immediate attention to the fabrication of efficient energy storage devices like supercapacitors (SCs). As an electrode material for SCs, MnO2 has gained wide research interest because of its high theoretical capacitance, variable oxidation state, vast abundance, and low cost. However, the low electric conductivity of MnO2 limits its practical application. The conductivity of MnO2 can be enhanced by tuning the electronic states through substitution doping with cobalt. In the present work, first principles analysis based on density functional theory (DFT) has been used to examine the quantum capacitance (CQC) and surface charge (Q) of Co-doped MnO2. Doping enhanced the structural stability, electrical conductivity, potential window, and quantum capacitance of ?-MnO2. The shortened band gap and localized states near the Fermi level improve the CQC of ?-MnO2. For the narrow potential range (?0.4 to 0.4 V), the CQC is observed to increase with doping concentration. The highest CQC value at +0.4 V is observed to be 2412.59 ?F cm?2 for Mn6Co2O16 (25% doping), five times higher than that of pristine MnO2 (471.18 ?F cm?2). Mn6Co2O16 also exhibits better CQC and �Q� at higher positive bias. Hence, it can be used as an anode material for asymmetric supercapacitors. All these results suggest better capacitive performance of Co-doped ?-MnO2 for aqueous SCs and as an anode material for asymmetric supercapacitors. � 2023 The Royal Society of Chemistry.Item Hydrogen-impurity-induced unconventional magnetism in semiconducting molybdenum ditelluride(American Physical Society, 2023-04-28T00:00:00) Krieger, Jonas A.; Tay, Daniel; Rusinov, Igor P.; Barua, Sourabh; Biswas, Pabitra K.; Korosec, Lukas; Prokscha, Thomas; Schmitt, Thorsten; Schr�ter, Niels B. M.; Shang, Tian; Shiroka, Toni; Suter, Andreas; Balakrishnan, Geetha; Chulkov, Evgueni V.; Strocov, Vladimir N.; Salman, ZaherLayered transition-metal dichalcogenides are proposed as building blocks for van der Waals heterostructures due to their graphenelike two-dimensional structure. For this purpose, a magnetic semiconductor could represent an invaluable component for various spintronics and topotronics devices. Here, we combine different local magnetic probe spectroscopies with angle-resolved photoemission and density-functional theory calculations to show that 2H-MoTe2 is on the verge of becoming magnetic. Our results present clear evidence that the magnetism can be "switched on"by a hydrogenlike impurity. We also show that this magnetic state survives up to the free surface region, demonstrating the material's potential applicability as a magnetic component for thin-film heterostructures. � 2023 authors. Published by the American Physical Society. Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.Item Janus ?-PdXY (X/Y = S, Se, Te) materials with high anisotropic thermoelectric performance(Royal Society of Chemistry, 2023-02-21T00:00:00) Jakhar, Mukesh; Sharma, Raman; Kumar, AshokTwo-dimensional (2D) materials have garnered considerable attention as emerging thermoelectric (TE) materials owing to their unique density of states (DOS) near the Fermi level. We investigate the TE performance of Janus ?-PdXY (X/Y = S, Se, Te) monolayer materials as a function of carrier concentration and temperature in the mid-range from 300 to 800 K by combining density functional theory (DFT) and semi-classical Boltzmann transport theory. The phonon dispersion spectra and AIMD simulations confirm their thermal and dynamic stability. The transport calculation results reveal the highly anisotropic TE performance of both n and p-type Janus ?-PdXY monolayers. Meanwhile, the coexistence of low phonon group velocity and a converged scattering rate leads to a lower lattice thermal conductivity (Kl) of 0.80 W mK?1, 0.94 W mK?1, and 0.77 W mK?1 along the y-direction for these Janus materials, while the high TE power factor is attributed to the high Seebeck coefficient (S) and electrical conductivity, which are due to the degenerate top valence bands of these Janus monolayers. The combination of lower Kl and a high-power factor at 300 K (800 K) leads to an optimal figure of merit (ZT) of 0.68 (2.21), 0.86 (4.09) and 0.68 (3.63) for p-type Janus PdSSe, PdSeTe and PdSTe monolayers, respectively. To evaluate rational electron transport properties, the effects of acoustic phonon scattering (?ac), impurity scattering (?imp), and polarized phonon scattering (?polar) are included in the temperature-dependent electron relaxation time. These findings indicated that the Janus ?-PdXY monolayers are promising candidates for TE conversion devices. � 2023 The Royal Society of Chemistry.Item First principles study of 2D ring-Te and its electrical contact with a topological Dirac semimetal(Royal Society of Chemistry, 2023-02-10T00:00:00) Singh, Jaspreet; Kumar, AshokIn recent years, researchers have manifested their interest in two-dimensional (2D) mono-elemental materials of group-VI elements because of their excellent optoelectronic, photovoltaic and thermoelectric properties. Despite the intensive recent research efforts, there is still a possibility of novel 2D allotropes of these elements due to their multivalency nature. Here, we have predicted a novel 2D allotrope of tellurium (ring-Te) using density functional theory. Its stability is confirmed by phonon and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. Ring-Te has an indirect band gap of 0.69 eV (1.16 eV) at the PBE (HSE06) level of theories and undergoes an indirect-direct band gap transition under tensile strain. The higher carrier mobility of holes (?103 cm2 V?1 s?1), good UV-visible light absorption ability and low exciton binding (?0.35 eV) of ring-Te give rise to its potential applications in optoelectronic devices. Furthermore, the electrical contact of ring-Te with a topological Dirac semimetal (sq-Te) under the influence of an electric field shows that the Schottky barriers and contact types can undergo transition from p-type to n-type Schottky contact and then to ohmic contact at a higher electric field. Our study provides an insight into the physics of designing high-performance electrical coupled devices composed of 2D semiconductors and topological semimetals. � 2023 The Royal Society of Chemistry.Item Photocatalytic properties of anisotropic ?-PtX2 (X = S, Se) and Janus ?-PtSSe monolayers(Royal Society of Chemistry, 2022-09-01T00:00:00) Jamdagni, Pooja; Kumar, Ashok; Srivastava, Sunita; Pandey, Ravindra; Tankeshwar, K.The highly efficient photocatalytic water splitting process to produce clean energy requires novel semiconductor materials to achieve a high solar-to-hydrogen energy conversion efficiency. Herein, the photocatalytic properties of anisotropic ?-PtX2 (X = S, Se) and Janus ?-PtSSe monolayers were investigated based on the density functional theory. The small cleavage energy for ?-PtS2 (0.44 J m?2) and ?-PtSe2 (0.40 J m?2) endorses the possibility of mechanical exfoliation from their respective layered bulk materials. The calculated results revealed that the ?-PtX2 monolayers have an appropriate bandgap (?1.8-2.6 eV) enclosing the water redox potential, light absorption coefficient (?104 cm?1), and exciton binding energy (?0.5-0.7 eV), which facilitates excellent visible-light-driven photocatalytic performance. Remarkably, the inherent structural anisotropy leads to an anisotropic high carrier mobility (up to ?5 � 103 cm2 V?1 S?1), leading to a fast transport of photogenerated carriers. Notably, the required small external potential to realize hydrogen evolution reaction and oxygen evolution reaction processes with an excellent solar-to-hydrogen energy conversion efficiency for ?-PtSe2 (?16%) and ?-PtSSe (?18%) makes them promising candidates for solar water splitting applications. � 2022 The Royal Society of Chemistry.Item Mechanical, optical and thermoelectric properties of Janus BiTeCl monolayer(Elsevier Ltd, 2022-04-29T00:00:00) Chauhan, Poonam; Singh, Jaspreet; Kumar, AshokWe report mechanical, optical and thermoelectric properties of recently fabricated Janus BiTeCl monolayer using density functional and semi-classical Boltzmann transport theory. Janus BiTeCl monolayer exhibits a direct bandgap, high carrier mobility (?103 cm2V?1s?1) and high optical absorption in the UV�visible region. The mechanical behavior of the Janus BiTeCl monolayer is nearly isotropic having an ideal tensile strength ?15 GPa. The higher value of the Gruneisen parameter (?), a low value of phonon group velocity (vg), and very little phonon scattering time (?p) lead to low lattice thermal conductivity (1.46 W/mK) of Janus BiTeCl monolayer. The combined effect of thermal conductivity and electronic transport coefficients of Janus BiTeCl monolayer results in the figure of merit (ZT) in the range of 0.43�0.75 at 300�500 K. Our results suggest Janus BiTeCl monolayer be a potential candidate for optoelectronic and moderate temperature thermoelectric applications. � 2022Item Ab Initio Modeling of the ZnO-Cu(111) Interface(American Chemical Society, 2021-12-31T00:00:00) Mondal, Krishnakanta; Megha; Banerjee, Arup; Fortunelli, Alessandro; Walter, Michael; Moseler, MichaelThe morphology at the catalytically active interfacial site of ZnO/Cu in the commercial ZnO/Cu/Al2O3 catalyst for CO2 hydrogenation to methanol is still an open question. In the present study, we employ ab initio density functional theory based methods to gain insight into the structure of the ZnO-Cu interface by investigating the morphology of supported ZnO nano-ribbons at the interface with the Cu(111) surface in the presence of hydrogen and water molecules. We find that the stabilities of free-standing ZnO nano-ribbons get enhanced when they are supported on the Cu(111) surface. These supported nano-ribbons are further stabilized by the adsorption of hydrogen atoms on the top of O atoms of the nano-ribbons. Interestingly, the hydrogenated nano-ribbons are found to be equally stable and they appear to be an array of independent chains of ZnOH motifs, suggesting that the hydrogenated nano-ribbons are structurally fluxional. The edge of these fluxional nano-ribbons is stabilized via a triangular reconstruction with a basic composition of Zn6O7H7 in the presence of water molecules. Such a triangular structure gets further stabilized when it is attached to a bulk-like part of the ZnO/Cu(111) system. Furthermore, we find that the triangular reconstruction is energetically favorable even at the methanol synthesis conditions. Therefore, we propose that, under methanol synthesis conditions, the motif Zn6O7H7 represents a stable form at the interface between the bulk-like part of ZnO and the Cu(111) surface in the ZnO/Cu/Al2O3 based commercial catalyst. � 2021 American Chemical SocietyItem Adsorption and Activation of CO2on Small-Sized Cu-Zr Bimetallic Clusters(American Chemical Society, 2021-03-17T00:00:00) Megha; Mondal, Krishnakanta; Ghanty, Tapan K.; Banerjee, ArupAdsorption and activation of CO2 is a key step in any chemical reaction, which aims to convert it to other useful chemicals. Therefore, it is important to understand the factors that drive the activation process and also search for materials that promote the process. We employ the density functional theory to explore the possibility of using small-sized bimetallic Cu-Zr clusters, Cu4-nZrn, with n = 1-3 for the above-mentioned key step. Our results suggest that after adsorption, a CO2 molecule preferably resides on Zr atoms or at the bridge and triangular faces formed by Zr atoms in bimetallic Cu-Zr clusters accompanied with its high degree of activation. Importantly, maximum activation occurs when CO2 is adsorbed on the CuZr3 cluster. Interestingly, we find that the adsorption energy of CO2 can be tuned by varying the extent of the Zr atom in Cu-Zr clusters. We rationalize the high adsorption of CO2 with the increase in the number of Zr atoms using the d-band center model and the concept of chemical hardness. The strong chemisorption and high activation of CO2 are ascribed to charge migration between Cu-Zr clusters and the CO2 molecule. We find an additional band in the infrared vibrational spectra of CO2 chemisorbed on all of the clusters, which is absent in the case of free CO2. We also observe that the energy barriers for the direct dissociation of the CO2 molecule to CO and O decrease significantly on bimetallic Cu-Zr clusters as compared to that on pure Cu4. In particular, the barrier heights are considerably small for Cu3Zr and CuZr3 clusters. This study demonstrates that Cu3Zr and CuZr3 clusters may serve as good candidates for activation and dissociation of the CO2 molecule. � 2021 American Chemical Society.Item Stability and carrier transport properties of phosphorene-based polymorphic nanoribbons(Institute of Physics Publishing, 2018) Kaur, Sumandeep; Kumar, Ashok; Srivastava, Sunita; Pandey, Ravindra; Tankeshwar, K.Few-layer black phosphorene has recently attracted significant interest in the scientific community. In this paper, we consider several polymorphs of phosphorene nanoribbons (PNRs) and employ deformation potential theory within the effective mass approximation, together with density functional theory, to investigate their structural, mechanical and electronic properties. The results show that the stability of a PNR strongly depends on the direction along which it can be cut from its 2D counterpart. PNRs also exhibit a wide range of line stiffnesses ranging from 6 ?1010 eV m-1 to 18 ?1011 eV m-1, which has little dependence on the edge passivation. Likewise, the calculated electronic properties of PNRs show them to be either a narrow-gap semiconductor (E g < 1 eV) or a wide-gap semiconductor (E g > 1 eV). The carrier mobility of PNRs is found to be comparable to that of black phosphorene. Some of the PNRs show an n-type (p-type) semiconducting character owing to their higher electron (hole) mobility. Passivation of the edges leads to n-type ? p-type transition in many of the PNRs considered. The predicted novel characteristics of PNRs, with a wide range of mechanical and electronic properties, make them potentially suitable for use in nanoscale devices. ? 2018 IOP Publishing Ltd.Item Stability and electronic properties of hybrid SnO bilayers: SnO/graphene and SnO/BN(Institute of Physics Publishing, 2017) Guo, Qing; Wang, Gaoxue; Kumar, Ashok; Pandey, RavindraVan der Waals structures based on two-dimensional materials have been considered as promising structures for novel nanoscale electronic devices. Two-dimensional SnO films which display intrinsic p-type semiconducting properties were fabricated recently. In this paper, we consider vertically stacked heterostructures consisting of a SnO monolayer with graphene or a BN monolayer to investigate their stability, electronic and transport properties using density functional theory. The calculated results find that the properties of the constituent monolayers are retained in these SnO-based heterostructures, and a p-type Schottky barrier is formed in the SnO/graphene heterostructure. Additionally, the Schottky barrier can be effectively controlled with an external electric field, which is useful characteristic for the van der Waals heterostructure-based electronic devices. In the SnO/BN heterostructure, the electronic properties of SnO are least affected by the insulating monolayer suggesting that the BN monolayer would be an ideal substrate for SnO-based nanoscale devices. ? 2017 IOP Publishing Ltd.