The adsorption of nitrobenzene over an alumina-supported palladium catalyst: an infrared spectroscopic study

As part of an on-going programme of development of an aniline synthesis catalyst suitable for operation at elevated temperatures, the geometry of the adsorption complex for nitrobenzene on a 5 wt% Pd/Al2O3 catalyst is investigated by infrared (IR) spectroscopy. Via an appreciation of the reduced site symmetry resulting from adsorption, application of the metal surface selection rule, and observation of in-plane modes only, the adsorption complex (Pd-nitrobenzene) at 28 °C is assigned as occurring vertically or tilted with respect to the metal surface, adopting Csσv(yz) symmetry. Moreover, adsorption occurs via a single Pd-O bond. Single molecule DFT calculations and simulated IR spectra assist vibrational assignments but indicate a parallel adsorption geometry to be energetically favourable. The contradiction between calculated and observed structures is attributed to the DFT calculations corresponding to an isolated molecule adsorption complex, while IR spectra relate to multi molecule adsorption that is encountered during sustained catalytic turnover. Residual hydrogen from the catalyst reduction stage leads to aniline formation on the Pd surface at low nitrobenzene coverages but, on increasing nitrobenzene exposure, the aniline is forced on to the alumina support. A reaction scheme is proposed whereby the nitrobenzene adsorption geometry is inherently linked to the high aniline selectivity observed for Pd/Al2O3 catalysts.

Phonon mechanism for the negative thermal expansion of zirconium tungstate, ZrW2O8

Negative thermal expansion (NTE) in ZrW₂O₈ was investigated using a flexibility analysis of ab initio phonons. It was shown that no previously proposed mechanism adequately describes the atomic-scale origin of NTE in this material. Instead it was found that the NTE in ZrW₂O₈ is driven, not by a single mechanism, but by wide bands of phonons that resemble vibrations of near-rigid WO₄ units and Zr-O bonds at low frequency, with deformation of O-W-O and O-Zr-O bond angles steadily increasing with increasing NTE-phonon frequency. It is asserted that this phenomenon is likely to provide a more accurate explanation for NTE in many complex systems not yet studied.

The contribution of phonons to the thermal expansion of some simple cubic hexaboride structures: SmB6, CaB6, SrB6 and BaB6

We have performed first-principles calculations of the structure and lattice dynamics in the metal hexaborides SmB₆, CaB₆, SrB₆ and BaB₆ using Density Functional Theory in an attempt to understand the negative thermal expansion in the first of these materials. The focus is on the role of Rigid Unit Modes involving rotations of the B₆ octahedra similar to the rotations of structural polyhedra connected by bonds in Zn(CN)₂, Prussian Blue and Si(NCN)₂. However, it was found that there is very low flexibility of the network of connected B₆ octahedra, and the lattice dynamics do not support negative thermal expansion except possibly at very low temperature. Thus the negative thermal expansion observed in SmB₆ probably has an electronic origin.

Unique features of the structural phase transition in acetylene showing simultaneous characteristics of reconstructive, displacive and order-disorder

We have studied the two phases of the molecular crystal acetylene, C₂H₂, using calculations of the lattice dynamics by Density Functional Theory methods. together with the use of classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulation methods. The two phases share the same simple face-centred cubic lattice arrangement of the molecular centres of mass, but with different molecular orientations. We show that the higher-temperature phase has lower phonon frequencies and hence higher entropy, giving thermodynamic stability at higher temperature. The calculated lattice dynamics of this phase show instabilities associated with phonons involving pure rotations of the molecules. The MD results show large amplitudes of librational motion in this phase. The MD simulations also showed a potential phase transition to a structure of tetragonal symmetry. The picture that emerges is that the phase transition in acetylene is a very rare example of one that encompasses elements of three types of transition: displacive, order-disorder and reconstructive.

Euphonic: inelastic neutron scattering simulations from force constants and visualization tools for phonon properties

Interpretation of vibrational inelastic neutron scattering spectra of complex systems is frequently reliant on accompanying simulations from theoretical models. Ab initio codes can routinely generate force constants, but additional steps are required for direct comparison with experimental spectra. On modern spectrometers this is a computationally expensive task due to the large data volumes collected. In addition, workflows are frequently cumbersome as the simulation software and experimental data analysis software often do not easily interface to each other. Here a new package, Euphonic, is presented. Euphonic is a robust, easy to use and computationally efficient tool designed to be integrated into experimental software and able to interface directly with the force constant matrix output of ab initio codes.

New Insights on the Electronic-Structural Interplay in LaPdSb and CePdSb Intermetallic Compounds

Multifunctional physical properties are usually a consequence of a rich electronic-structural interplay. To advance our understanding in this direction, we reinvestigate the structural properties of the LaPdSb and CePdSb intermetallic compounds using single-crystal neutron and X-ray diffraction. We establish that both compounds can be described by the non-centrosymmetric space group P6₃mc, where the Pd/Sb planes are puckered and show ionic order rather than ionic disorder as was previously proposed. In particular, at 300 K, the (h, k, 10)-layer contains diffuse scattering features consistent with the Pd/Sb puckered layers. The experimental results are further rationalized within the framework of DFT and DFT+ embedded DMFT methods, which confirm that a puckered structure is energetically more favorable. We also find strong correspondence between puckering strength and band topology. Namely, strong puckering removes the bands and, consequently, the Fermi surface pockets at the M point. In addition, the Pd-d band character is reduced with puckering strength. Thus, these calculations provide further insights into the microscopic origin of the puckering, especially the correspondence between the band's character, Fermi surfaces, and the strength of the puckering.

Electronic, Structural, and Mechanical Properties of SiO_{2} Glass at High Pressure Inferred from its Refractive Index

We report the first direct measurements of the refractive index of silica glass up to 145 GPa that allowed quantifying its density, bulk modulus, Lorenz-Lorentz polarizability, and band gap. These properties show two major anomalies at ∼10 and ∼40  GPa. The anomaly at ∼10  GPa signals the onset of the increase in Si coordination, and the anomaly at ∼40  GPa corresponds to a nearly complete vanishing of fourfold Si. More generally, we show that the compressibility and density of noncrystalline solids can be accurately measured in simple optical experiments up to at least 110 GPa.

The ferroelastic phase transition in hydrogen cyanide studied by density functional theory

We report calculations of the crystal structures and lattice dynamics of the tetragonal and orthorhombic phases of the molecular crystal hydrogen cyanide, HCN, using density functional theory methods. By treating negative pressure as a proxy for raising temperature we show that the ferroelastic phase transition involves softening of a transverse acoustic mode, and confirm that the phase transition is discontinuous. Analysis of the complete phonon spectrum shows that the acoustic modes are responsible both for the very large thermal expansion seen in HCN and also for the thermodynamic driving force for the phase transition.

Pressure-induced Pb-Pb bonding and phase transition in Pb2SnO4

High-pressure single-crystal to 20 GPa and powder diffraction measurements to 50 GPa, show that the structure of Pb₂SnO₄ strongly distorts on compression with an elongation of one axis. A structural phase transition occurs between 10 GPa and 12 GPa, with a change of space group from Pbam to Pnam. The resistivity decreases by more than six orders of magnitude when pressure is increased from ambient conditions to 50 GPa. This insulator-to-semiconductor transition is accompanied by a reversible appearance change from transparent to opaque. Density functional theory-based calculations show that at ambient conditions the channels in the structure host the stereochemically-active Pb 6s² lone electron pairs. On compression the lone electron pairs form bonds between Pb²⁺ ions. Also provided is an assignment of irreducible representations to the experimentally observed Raman bands.

Negative thermal expansion of cubic silicon dicarbodiimide, Si(NCN)2, studied byab initiolattice dynamics

We report anab initiocalculation of crystal structure and lattice dynamics of cubic silicon dicarbodiimide, Si(NCN)2, using density functional theory methods. The calculations reveal a low-energy spectrum of rigid unit modes that are shown to be associated with negative thermal expansion. Comparisons are drawn with the closely-related materials Zn(CN)2and the cubic-cristobalite phase of SiO2. Instabilities in the spectrum of rigid unit modes point to the existence of disorder of the positions and orientations of the dicarbodiimide molecular anions.

Structural phase transitions in malononitrile, CH2(CN)2: crystal structure of the δ phase by neutron powder diffraction, and ab initio calculations of the structures and phonons of the α and δ phases

The crystal structure of the low-temperature [Formula: see text] phase of crystalline malononitrile, CH₂(CN)₂ (stable phase below 260 K), has been determined using Rietveld refinement on neutron powder diffraction data. The [Formula: see text] phase has a slightly lower density than the other three low-pressure phases, and unlike those phases it has a polar structure. The transition from the [Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text] phase involves a major reconstruction of the structure, including establishing a network of hydrogen bonds. DFT simulations of the structure and phonon dispersion curves of both [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] phases give free energy curves consistent with the phase transitions. It is noted that the transition from the [Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text] phase at 260 K is facilitated by the entropy arising from the low-frequency phonons associated with the soft mode for the sequence of [Formula: see text]-[Formula: see text]-[Formula: see text] phase transitions.

Nanoscale momentum-resolved vibrational spectroscopy

Vibrational modes affect fundamental physical properties such as the conduction of sound and heat and can be sensitive to nano- and atomic-scale structure. Probing the momentum transfer dependence of vibrational modes provides a wealth of information about a materials system; however, experimental work has been limited to essentially bulk and averaged surface approaches or to small wave vectors. We demonstrate a combined experimental and theoretical methodology for nanoscale mapping of optical and acoustic phonons across the first Brillouin zone, in the electron microscope, probing a volume ~10¹⁰ to 10²⁰ times smaller than that of comparable bulk and surface techniques. In combination with more conventional electron microscopy techniques, the presented methodology should allow for direct correlation of nanoscale vibrational mode dispersions with atomic-scale structure and chemistry.

Effect of Basicity on the Hydrolysis of the Bi(III) Aqua Ion in Solution: An Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics Study

Hydrolysis of the Bi(III) aqua ion under a range of solution conditions has been studied by means of ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. While the Bi(III) aqua ion is stable in pure water, there is an increasing degree of hydrolysis with the number of hydroxide anions in the medium. This is accompanied by a monotonic decrease of the total coordination number to an asymptotic value of ∼6, reached under extreme basicity conditions. Comparison of the simulated Bi(III) hydrolyzed species with the experimental species distribution at different degrees of basicity suggests that, at the PBE/DFT level of theory here employed, liquid water shows an overly acidic character. Predictions of theoretical EXAFS and XANES spectra were generated from the AIMD trajectories for different Bi hydrolyzed species, [Bi(HO)_m(H₂O)_n]^3-m+, m = 0-3 and n = 7-2. Comparison with available experimental spectra is presented. Spectral features joined to the degree of hydrolysis and hydration are analyzed.

Diffusion mechanism in the sodium-ion battery material sodium cobaltate

High performance batteries based on the movement of Li ions in Li_xCoO₂ have made possible a revolution in mobile electronic technology, from laptops to mobile phones. However, the scarcity of Li and the demand for energy storage for renewables has led to intense interest in Na-ion batteries, including structurally-related Na_xCoO₂. Here we have determined the diffusion mechanism for Na_0.8CoO₂ using diffuse x-ray scattering, quasi-elastic neutron scattering and ab-initio molecular dynamics simulations, and we find that the sodium ordering provides diffusion pathways and governs the diffusion rate. Above T ~ 290 K the so-called partially disordered stripe superstructure provides channels for quasi-1D diffusion, and melting of the sodium ordering leads to 2D superionic diffusion above T ~ 370 K. We obtain quantitative agreement between our microscopic study of the hopping mechanism and bulk self-diffusion measurements. Our approach can be applied widely to other Na- or Li-ion battery materials.

Mechanism of enhancement of ferroelectricity of croconic acid with temperature

A detailed study of the thermal behaviour of atomic motions in the organic ferroelectric croconic acid is presented in the temperature range 5-300 K. Using high-resolution inelastic neutron scattering and first-principles electronic-structure calculations within the framework of density functional theory and a quasiharmonic phonon description of the material, we find that the frequencies of the well defined doublet in inelastic neutron scattering spectra associated with out-of-plane motions of hydrogen-bonded protons decrease monotonically with temperature indicating weakening of these bonding motifs and enhancement of proton motions. Theoretical mean-square displacements for these proton motions are within 5% of experimental values. A detailed analysis of this observable shows that it is unlikely that there is a facile proton transfer along the direction of ferroelectric polarization in the absence of an applied electric field. Calculations predict constrained thermal motion of proton along crystallographic lattice direction c retaining the hydrogen bond motif of the crystal at high temperature. Using the Berry-phase method, we have also calculated the spontaneous polarization of temperature dependent cell structures, and find that our computational model provides a satisfactory description of the anomalous and so far unexplained rise in bulk electric polarization with temperature. Correlating the thermal motion induced lattice strain with temperature dependent spontaneous polarizations, we conclude that increasing thermal strain with temperatures combined with constrained thermal motion along the hydrogen bond motif are responsible of this increase in ferroelectricity at high temperature.

Hopping Time Scales and the Phonon-Liquid Electron-Crystal Picture in Thermoelectric Copper Selenide

The suppression of transverse phonons by liquidlike diffusion in superionic conductors has been proposed as a means to dramatically reduce thermal conductivity in thermoelectric materials [H. Lui et al. Nat. Mater. 11, 422 (2012)NMAACR1476-112210.1038/nmat3273]. We have measured the ion transport and lattice dynamics in the original phonon-liquid electron-crystal Cu_{2}Se using neutron spectroscopy. We show that hopping time scales are too slow to significantly affect lattice vibrations and that the transverse phonons persist at all temperatures. Substantial changes to the phonon spectrum occur well below the transition to the superionic phase, and the ultralow thermal conductivity is instead attributed to anharmonicity.

Multiband One-Dimensional Electronic Structure and Spectroscopic Signature of Tomonaga-Luttinger Liquid Behavior in K_{2}Cr_{3}As_{3}

We present angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements of the quasi-one-dimensional superconductor K_{2}Cr_{3}As_{3}. We find that the Fermi surface contains two Fermi surface sheets, with linearly dispersing bands not displaying any significant band renormalizations. The one-dimensional band dispersions display a suppression of spectral intensity approaching the Fermi level according to a linear power law, over an energy range of ∼200  meV. This is interpreted as a signature of Tomonoga-Luttinger liquid physics, which provides a new perspective on the possibly unconventional superconductivity in this family of compounds.

A local Fock-exchange potential in Kohn-Sham equations

We derive and employ a local potential to represent the Fock exchange operator in electronic single-particle equations. This local Fock-exchange (LFX) potential is very similar to the exact exchange (EXX) potential in density functional theory (DFT). The practical software implementation of the two potentials (LFX and EXX) yields robust and accurate results for a variety of systems (semiconductors, transition metal oxides) where Hartree-Fock and popular approximations of DFT typically fail. This includes examples traditionally considered qualitatively inaccessible to calculations that omit correlation.

Lattice dynamics and elasticity of SrCO3

The lattice dynamics and elasticity of synthetic SrCO3have been investigated by a combination ofab initiolattice dynamics calculations, microcalorimetry, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray thermal diffuse scattering and high-resolution inelastic X-ray scattering. The results of density functional based calculations were in all cases in good agreement with experiment. For the spectroscopic investigations, peak positions and intensities are well reproduced by the density functional theory model. Experimentally determined intensity distributions in thermal diffuse scattering maps differ from the theoretical distribution only in the (HK0) plane, a fact that is attributed to stacking disorder. As the model is accurate and reliable, the complete elastic stiffness tensor is predicted and, on the basis of these results, the anisotropy of the sound velocities is discussed, also in relation to the anisotropy in other carbonate systems.

Visualization and processing of computed solid-state NMR parameters: MagresView and MagresPython

We introduce two open source tools to aid the processing and visualisation of ab-initio computed solid-state NMR parameters. The Magres file format for computed NMR parameters (as implemented in CASTEP v8.0 and QuantumEspresso v5.0.0) is implemented. MagresView is built upon the widely used Jmol crystal viewer, and provides an intuitive environment to display computed NMR parameters. It can provide simple pictorial representation of one- and two-dimensional NMR spectra as well as output a selected spin-system for exact simulations with dedicated spin-dynamics software. MagresPython provides a simple scripting environment to manipulate large numbers of computed NMR parameters to search for structural correlations.

Stabilization of 3d Transition Metal Hydrido Complexes in SrH2Mg2[Co(I)H5], BaH2Mg5[Co(-I)H4]2, and RbH2Mg5[Co(-I)H4 Ni(0)H4] via Easily Polarizable Hydride Ligands

A combined study using neutron diffraction, inelastic neutron scattering, and first-principles calculations describe cobalt with a very low formal oxidation state of (-I) in a slightly distorted tetrahedral Co(-I)H4-complex in BaH2Mg5[Co(-I)H4]2 and in the structurally related RbH2Mg5[Co(-I)H4 Ni(0)H4]. This indicates that the electron "back donating" effect via the polarizable hydride ions to the counterions in the solid state hydrides, can be compared to more conventional "back bonding" able to reduce the oxidation state down to -I. The hydrides were synthesized by hot sintering of transition metal powders with corresponding binary alkali- and alkaline earth hydrides. In the similarly synthesized SrH2Mg2[Co(I)H5], cobalt is formally + I-valent, showing a high sensitivity to differences in the counterion framework, which can also influence electrical properties.

Reproducibility in density functional theory calculations of solids

The widespread popularity of density functional theory has given rise to an extensive range of dedicated codes for predicting molecular and crystalline properties. However, each code implements the formalism in a different way, raising questions about the reproducibility of such predictions. We report the results of a community-wide effort that compared 15 solid-state codes, using 40 different potentials or basis set types, to assess the quality of the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof equations of state for 71 elemental crystals. We conclude that predictions from recent codes and pseudopotentials agree very well, with pairwise differences that are comparable to those between different high-precision experiments. Older methods, however, have less precise agreement. Our benchmark provides a framework for users and developers to document the precision of new applications and methodological improvements.

Dimer-mediated cation diffusion in the stoichiometric ionic conductor Li3N

Non-equilibrium molecular dynamics has identified the different diffusion mechanisms that operate in Li₃N and elucidated the key role played by transient Li₂ dimers.

Structure and spectroscopy of CuH prepared via borohydride reduction

Copper(I) hydride (cuprous hydride, CuH) was the first binary metal hydride to be discovered (in 1844) and is singular in that it is synthesized in solution, at ambient temperature. There are several synthetic paths to CuH, one of which involves reduction of an aqueous solution of CuSO4·5H2O by borohydride ions. The product from this procedure has not been extensively characterized. Using a combination of diffraction methods (X-ray and neutron) and inelastic neutron scattering spectroscopy, we show that the CuH from the borohydride route has the same bulk structure as CuH produced by other routes. Our work shows that the product consists of a core of CuH with a shell of water and that this may be largely replaced by ethanol. This offers the possibility of modifying the properties of CuH produced by aqueous routes.

Assignment of the Internal Vibrational Modes of C70 by Inelastic Neutron Scattering Spectroscopy and Periodic-DFT

The fullerene C70 may be considered as the shortest possible nanotube capped by a hemisphere of C60 at each end. Vibrational spectroscopy is a key tool in characterising fullerenes, and C70 has been studied several times and spectral assignments proposed. Unfortunately, many of the modes are either forbidden or have very low infrared or Raman intensity, even if allowed. Inelastic neutron scattering (INS) spectroscopy is not subject to selection rules, and all the modes are allowed. We have obtained a new INS spectrum from a large sample recorded at the highest resolution available. An advantage of INS spectroscopy is that it is straightforward to calculate the spectral intensity from a model. We demonstrate that all previous assignments are incorrect in at least some respects and propose a new assignment based on periodic density functional theory (DFT) that successfully reproduces the INS, infrared, and Raman spectra.

A first-principles study of the vibrational properties of crystalline tetracene under pressure

We present a comprehensive study of the hydrostatic pressure dependence of the vibrational properties of tetracene using periodic density-functional theory (DFT) within the local density approximation (LDA). Despite the lack of van der Waals dispersion forces in LDA we find good agreement with experiment and are able to assess the suitability of this approach for simulating conjugated organic molecular crystals. Starting from the reported x-ray structure at ambient pressure and low temperature, optimized structures at ambient pressure and under 280 MPa hydrostatic pressure were obtained and the vibrational properties calculated by the linear response method. We report the complete phonon dispersion relation for tetracene crystal and the Raman and infrared spectra at the centre of the Brillouin zone. The intermolecular modes with low frequencies exhibit high sensitivity to pressure and we report mode-specific Grüneisen parameters as well as an overall Grüneisen parameter [Formula: see text]. Our results suggest that the experimentally reported improvement of the photocurrent under pressure may be ascribed to an increase in intermolecular interactions as also the dielectric tensor.

Lattice dynamics of α-cristobalite and the Boson peak in silica glass

The lattice dynamics of the silica polymorph [Formula: see text]-cristobalite has been investigated by a combination of diffuse and inelastic x-ray scattering and ab initio lattice dynamics calculations. Phonon dispersion relations and vibrational density of states are reported and the phonon eigenvectors analyzed by a detailed comparison of scattering intensities. The experimentally validated calculation is used to identify the vibration contributing most to the first peak in the density of vibrational states. The comparison of its displacement pattern to the silica polymorphs [Formula: see text]-quartz and coesite and to vitreous silica reveals a distinct similarity and allows for decisive conclusions on the vibrations causing the so-called Boson peak in silica glass.

Computation of diffuse scattering arising from one-phonon excitations in a neutron time-of-flight single-crystal Laue diffraction experiment

A methodology is presented to compute diffuse scattering arising from one-phonon excitations in a time-of-flight neutron single-crystal Laue diffraction experiment from density functional theory results. This methodology is illustrated using NaCl as an example.

Direct phonon excitation in a neutron time-of-flight single-crystal Laue diffraction experiment has been observed in a single crystal of NaCl. At room temperature both phonon emission and excitation leave characteristic features in the diffuse scattering and these are well reproduced using abinitio phonons from density functional theory (DFT). A measurement at 20 K illustrates the effect of thermal population of the phonons, leaving the features corresponding to phonon excitation and strongly suppressing the phonon annihilation. A recipe is given to compute these effects combining DFT results with the geometry of the neutron experiment.

Chemical Descriptors of Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia at Low Defect Concentration: An ab Initio Study

Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) is an important oxide ion conductor with applications in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and oxygen sensing devices. Doping the cubic phase of zirconia (c-ZrO2) with yttria (Y2O3) is isoelectronic, as two Zr(4+) ions are replaced by two Y(3+) ions, plus a charge compensating oxygen vacancy (Ovac). Typical doping concentrations include 3, 8, 10, and 12 mol %. For these concentrations, and all below 40 mol %, no phase with long-range order has been observed in either X-ray or neutron diffraction experiments. The prediction of local defect structure and the interaction between defects is therefore of great interest. This has not been possible to date as the number of possible defect topologies is very large and to perform reliable total energy calculations for all of them would be prohibitively expensive. Previous theoretical studies have only considered a selection of representative structures. In this study, a comprehensive search for low-energy defect structures using a combined classical modeling and density functional theory approach is used to identify the low-energy isolated defect structures at the dilute limit, 3.2 mol %. Through analysis of energetics computed using the best available Born-Mayer-Huggins empirical potential model, a point charge model, DFT, and a local strain energy estimated in the harmonic approximation, the main chemical and physical descriptors that correlate to the low-energy DFT structures are discussed. It is found that the empirical potential model reproduces a general trend of increasing DFT energetics across a series of locally strain relaxed structures but is unreliable both in predicting some incorrect low-energy structures and in finding some metastable structures to be unstable. A better predictor of low-energy defect structures is found to be the total electrostatic energy of a simple point charge model calculated at the unrelaxed geometries of the defects. In addition, the strain relaxation energy is estimated effectively in the harmonic approximation to the imaginary phonon modes of undoped c-ZrO2 but is found to be unimportant in determining the low-energy defect structures. These results allow us to propose a set of easily computed descriptors that can be used to identify the low-energy YSZ defect structures, negating the combinatorial complexity and number of defect structures that need to be considered.

Diffusion in Li2O studied by non-equilibrium molecular dynamics for 873 < T/K < 1603

Non-equilibrium molecular dynamics has identified the different diffusion mechanisms that operate in Li₂O above and below the superionic transition temperature.

Diffuse scattering in metallic tin polymorphs

The lattice dynamics of the metallic tin β and γ polymorphs has been studied by a combination of diffuse scattering, inelastic x-ray scattering and density functional perturbation theory. The non-symmorphic space group of the β-tin structure results in unusual asymmetry of thermal diffuse scattering. Strong resemblance of the diffuse scattering intensity distribution in β and γ-tin were observed, reflecting the structural relationship between the two phases and revealing the qualitative similarity of the underlying electronic potential. The strong influence of the electron subsystem on inter-ionic interactions creates anomalies in the phonon dispersion relations. All observed features are described in great detail by the density functional perturbation theory for both β- and γ-tin at arbitrary momentum transfers. The combined approach delivers thus a complete picture of the lattice dynamics in harmonic description.

Density functional theory in the solid state

Density functional theory (DFT) has been used in many fields of the physical sciences, but none so successfully as in the solid state. From its origins in condensed matter physics, it has expanded into materials science, high-pressure physics and mineralogy, solid-state chemistry and more, powering entire computational subdisciplines. Modern DFT simulation codes can calculate a vast range of structural, chemical, optical, spectroscopic, elastic, vibrational and thermodynamic phenomena. The ability to predict structure-property relationships has revolutionized experimental fields, such as vibrational and solid-state NMR spectroscopy, where it is the primary method to analyse and interpret experimental spectra. In semiconductor physics, great progress has been made in the electronic structure of bulk and defect states despite the severe challenges presented by the description of excited states. Studies are no longer restricted to known crystallographic structures. DFT is increasingly used as an exploratory tool for materials discovery and computational experiments, culminating in ex nihilo crystal structure prediction, which addresses the long-standing difficult problem of how to predict crystal structure polymorphs from nothing but a specified chemical composition. We present an overview of the capabilities of solid-state DFT simulations in all of these topics, illustrated with recent examples using the CASTEP computer program.

Role of disorder in the thermodynamics and atomic dynamics of glasses

We measured the density of vibrational states (DOS) and the specific heat of various glassy and crystalline polymorphs of SiO2. The typical (ambient) glass shows a well-known excess of specific heat relative to the typical crystal (α-quartz). This, however, holds when comparing a lower-density glass to a higher-density crystal. For glassy and crystalline polymorphs with matched densities, the DOS of the glass appears as the smoothed counterpart of the DOS of the corresponding crystal; it reveals the same number of the excess states relative to the Debye model, the same number of all states in the low-energy region, and it provides the same specific heat. This shows that glasses have higher specific heat than crystals not due to disorder, but because the typical glass has lower density than the typical crystal.

Suppression of thermal conductivity by rattling modes in thermoelectric sodium cobaltate

The need for both high electrical conductivity and low thermal conductivity creates a design conflict for thermoelectric systems, leading to the consideration of materials with complicated crystal structures. Rattling of ions in cages results in low thermal conductivity, but understanding the mechanism through studies of the phonon dispersion using momentum-resolved spectroscopy is made difficult by the complexity of the unit cells. We have performed inelastic X-ray and neutron scattering experiments that are in remarkable agreement with our first-principles density-functional calculations of the phonon dispersion for thermoelectric Na(0.8)CoO2, which has a large-period superstructure. We have directly observed an Einstein-like rattling mode at low energy, involving large anharmonic displacements of the sodium ions inside multi-vacancy clusters. These rattling modes suppress the thermal conductivity by a factor of six compared with vacancy-free NaCoO2. Our results will guide the design of the next generation of materials for applications in solid-state refrigerators and power recovery.

Room temperature single-crystal diffuse scattering and ab initio lattice dynamics in CaTiSiO5

Single-crystal diffuse scattering data have been collected at room temperature on synthetic titanite using both neutrons and high-energy x-rays. A simple ball-and-springs model reproduces the observed diffuse scattering well, confirming its origin to be primarily due to thermal motion of the atoms. Ab initio phonons are calculated using density-functional perturbation theory and are shown to reproduce the experimental diffuse scattering. The observed diffuse x-ray and neutron scattering patterns are consistent with a summation of mode frequencies and displacement eigenvectors associated with the entire phonon spectrum, rather than with a simple, short-range static displacement. A band gap is observed between 600 and 700 cm(-1) with only two modes crossing this region, both associated with antiferroelectric Ti-O motion along a. One of these modes (of Bu symmetry), displays a large LO-TO mode-splitting (562-701.4 cm(-1)) and has a dominant component coming from Ti-O bond-stretching and, thus, the mode-splitting is related to the polarizability of the Ti-O bonds along the chain direction. Similar mode-splitting is observed in piezo- and ferroelectric materials. The calculated phonon dispersion model may be of use to others in future to understand the phase transition at higher temperatures, as well as in the interpretation of measured phonon dispersion curves.

Emergence of crystal-like atomic dynamics in glasses at the nanometer scale

The vibrational dynamics of a permanently densified silica glass is compared to the one of an α-quartz polycrystal, the silica polymorph of the same density and local structure. The combined use of inelastic x-ray scattering experiments and ab initio numerical calculations provides compelling evidence of a transition, in the glass, from the isotropic elastic response at long wavelengths to a microscopic regime as the wavelength decreases below a characteristic length ξ of a few nanometers, corresponding to about 20 interatomic distances. In the microscopic regime the glass vibrations closely resemble those of the polycrystal, with excitations related to the acoustic and optic modes of the crystal. A coherent description of the experimental results is obtained assuming that the elastic modulus of the glass presents spatial heterogeneities of an average size a ~ ξ/2 π.

Ab initio nonequilibrium molecular dynamics in the solid superionic conductor LiBH4

The color-diffusion algorithm is applied to ab initio molecular dynamics simulation of hexagonal LiBH(4) to determine the lithium diffusion coefficient and diffusion mechanisms. Even in the best solid lithium ion conductors, the time scale of ion diffusion is too long to be readily accessible by ab initio molecular dynamics at a reasonable computational cost. In our nonequilibrium method, rare events are accelerated by the application of an artificial external field acting on the mobile species; the system response to this perturbation is accurately described in the framework of linear response theory and is directly related to the diffusion coefficient, thus resulting in a controllable approximation. The calculated lithium ionic conductivity of LiBH(4) closely matches published measurements, and the diffusion mechanism can be elucidated directly from the generated trajectory.

Influence of deuteration on lithium acetate dihydrate studied by inelastic X-ray scattering, density functional theory, thermal expansion, elastic and thermodynamic measurements

The influence of deuteration on the properties of lithium acetate dihydrate has been investigated by thermal expansion measurements, ultrasound spectroscopy and calorimetry. Inelastic X-ray scattering has been employed to investigate if the low temperature structural phase transition can be detected by a change in the vibrational spectrum. Density functional theory, DFT, calculations have been employed to complement the experimental investigations. The thermal expansion coefficients and the specific heat of the deuterated compound differ significantly from the protonated form. The differences in the elastic stiffness coefficients are just above the detection limit of the technique employed here. Temperature dependent inelastic X-ray spectroscopic measurements show no significant change of the vibrational spectrum when crossing the transition temperature. The DFT calculations show that the methyl group dynamics are best described in the framework of coupled rotators of opposing methyl groups. One of the coupled rotational modes corresponds to a hindered rotator with a barrier of 15 meV, while the other is a free rotator.

Assignment of the vibrational spectra of lithium hydroxide monohydrate, LiOH·H2O

The assignment of the vibrational spectra of lithium hydroxide monohydrate, LiOH·H(2)O, has been controversial for more than half-a-century. Here we show that only the combination of all three forms of vibrational spectroscopy: infrared, Raman and inelastic neutron scattering spectroscopies coupled with periodic-density functional theory calculations is able to satisfactorily assign the spectra. All previous work based on empirical criteria is, at least partially, incorrect. The librational modes of water do not follow the expected rock > wag > twist order and the calculations indicate that complete or partial deuterium substitution would not be useful in assigning the modes.

Structural compression and vibrational properties of Bi12SiO20 sillenite from experiment and theory

The crystal structure of the bismuth silicon oxide Bi(12)SiO(20) was determined by single-crystal x-ray diffraction at ambient conditions and at high pressure. Single-crystal intensity data between 0.0001 and 16.8(3) GPa were collected in house with Mo Kα radiation and with synchrotron radiation (λ = 0.45 Å) at HASYLAB (D3), while lattice parameters were measured up to 23.0(3) GPa. The large cavities which exist in the crystal structure and host the lone electron pairs of the Bi(3 + ) ions are considerably compressed at high pressure. The crystal structure, however, remains stable and the lone electron pair is stereochemically active up to at least 16.8 GPa. A larger compression in the direction of the lone electron pairs by shear deformation was not observed. Raman spectra of Bi(12)SiO(20) were measured on powder samples during pressure decrease from 39.1(1) GPa down to ambient pressure and on single crystals during pressure increase up to 12.50(3) GPa. Density functional perturbation theory was used to compute Raman frequencies and intensities at ambient pressure and to investigate pressure-induced changes up to 50 GPa.