1
|
Peng YH, He CC, Zhao YJ, Yang XB. High-throughput computational materials screening of transition metal peroxides. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2024; 26:2093-2100. [PMID: 38131363 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp03968d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Semiconductor materials of abnormal stoichiometric ratio often exhibit unique properties, yet it is still a challenge to determine the structures of such materials in an efficient way. Herein, we propose a method for structurally biased screening according to the coordination numbers and the numbers of Wyckoff positions, balancing the atom local environment and the global symmetry of structures. Based on first-principles calculations, we have predicted two metastable peroxides P21/c-ScO2 and Pmmn-TiO3 with more than six coordination points. For these two structures, the most stable intrinsic defect is the oxygen vacancy (VO) at the peroxide anion (O2-2), which induces the absence of antibonding orbital formed by O2-2 near the valence band maximum. With the introduction of VO, the decrease of coordination numbers leads to charge recombination, and results in the appearance of an ordered phase TiO2.5 with stronger Ti-O orbital hybridization. The proposed method presents a promising and feasible approach for the screening of novel compounds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yin-Hui Peng
- School of Physics and Optoelectronics, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China.
| | - Chang-Chun He
- School of Physics and Optoelectronics, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China.
| | - Yu-Jun Zhao
- School of Physics and Optoelectronics, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China.
| | - Xiao-Bao Yang
- School of Physics and Optoelectronics, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Wang Z, Gong Y, Evans ML, Yan Y, Wang S, Miao N, Zheng R, Rignanese GM, Wang J. Machine Learning-Accelerated Discovery of A2BC2 Ternary Electrides with Diverse Anionic Electron Densities. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:26412-26424. [PMID: 37988742 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c10538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
This study combines machine learning (ML) and high-throughput calculations to uncover new ternary electrides in the A2BC2 family of compounds with the P4/mbm space group. Starting from a library of 214 known A2BC2 phases, density functional theory calculations were used to compute the maximum value of the electron localization function, indicating that 42 are potential electrides. A model was then trained on this data set and used to predict the electride behavior of 14,437 hypothetical compounds generated by structural prototyping. Then, the stability and electride features of the 1254 electride candidates predicted by the model were carefully checked by high-throughput calculations. Through this tiered approach, 41 stable and 104 metastable new A2BC2 electrides were predicted. Interestingly, all three kinds of electrides, i.e., electron-deficient, electron-neutral, and electron-rich electrides, are present in the set of predicted compounds. Three of the most promising new electrides (two electron-rich, Nd2ScSi2 and La2YbGe2, and one electron-deficient Y2LiSi2) were then successfully synthesized and characterized experimentally. Furthermore, the synthesized electrides were found to exhibit high catalytic activities for NH3 synthesis under mild conditions when Ru-loaded. The electron-deficient Y2LiSi2, in particular, was seen to exhibit a good balance of catalytic activity and chemical stability, suggesting its future application in catalysis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710072, People's Republic of China
| | - Yutong Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710072, People's Republic of China
| | - Matthew L Evans
- IMCN-MODL, Université Catholique de Louvain, Chemin des Étoiles, 8, Louvain-la-Neuve B-1348, Belgium
| | - Yujing Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710072, People's Republic of China
| | - Shiyao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710072, People's Republic of China
| | - Nanxi Miao
- State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710072, People's Republic of China
| | - Ruiheng Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710072, People's Republic of China
| | - Gian-Marco Rignanese
- State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710072, People's Republic of China
- IMCN-MODL, Université Catholique de Louvain, Chemin des Étoiles, 8, Louvain-la-Neuve B-1348, Belgium
| | - Junjie Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710072, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|