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High-quality nitrogen-doped graphene on nickel is prepared by exploiting both the catalytic properties of nickel and the solubility of nitrogen atoms into its bulk. Following the standard chemical vapor deposition procedure, a previously nitrogen-doped nickel substrate is exposed to carbon-containing precursors so that nitrogen atoms, segregating to the surface, remain trapped in the growing graphene network. Morphological and chemical characterization by scanning tunneling microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy demonstrates that the process yields a flat, wide, continuous nitrogen-doped graphene layer. Experimental results are combined with a thorough density functional theory investigation of possible structural models, to obtain a clear description at the atomic scale of the various configurations of the nitrogen atoms observed in the graphene mesh. This growth method is potentially scalable and suitable for the production of high-performance nano-devices with well-defined nitrogen centers, to be exploited as metal-free carbon-based catalysts in several applicative fields such as electrochemistry, energy storage, gas storage/sensing or wastewater treatment., 21 pages, including 4 figures, plus SI

Under near-ambient pressure conditions, carbon monoxide molecules intercalate underneath an epitaxial graphene monolayer grown on Ni(111), getting trapped into the confined region at the interface. On the basis of ab-initio density functional theory calculations, we provide here a full investigation of the intercalated CO pattern, highlighting the modifications induced on the graphene electronic structure. For a CO coverage as low as 0.14 monolayer (ML), the graphene layer is spatially decoupled from the metallic substrate, with a significant C 1s core level shift towards lower binding energies. The most relevant signature of the CO intercalation is a clear switching of the graphene doping state, which changes from n-type, when strongly interacting with the metal surface, to p-type. The shift of the Dirac cone linearly depends on the CO coverage, reaching about 0.9 eV for the saturation value of 0.57 ML. Theoretical predictions are compared with the results of scanning tunnelling microscopy, low-energy electron diffraction and photoemission spectroscopy experiments, which confirm the proposed scenario for the nearly saturated intercalated CO system. This result opens the way to the application of the graphene/Ni(111) interface as gas sensor to easily detect and quantify the presence of carbon monoxide.

Single Atom Catalysts (SAC) in graphene have been recently gaining more and more attention. They are usually non-noble transition metal (TM) adatoms getting trapped at the carbon vacancies during the fabrication of the graphene layer, which then act as active centers for catalysis and adsorption. In this work we present a systematic and comparative investigation, by means of dispersion–corrected density functional theory (DFT) calculations, of Fe, Co, Ni, and Cu as possible SACs when they become trapped at graphene C vacancies. The stability of these TM atoms is further increased by introducing pyridinic nitrogen (N) atoms and transforming graphene into a giant porphyrin-like macrocyclic ligand. The structural, electronic and energetics properties of these systems, even under the effect of a metal substrate (weakly interacting Cu (111) or strongly interacting Ni (111)), are comparatively examined in great detail by means of crystal/ligand field theories and through ad-hoc energy decomposition analysis to highlight trends and peculiar behaviors. The position of the TM d-orbitals with respect to the Fermi level of the whole system is of considerable importance for designing prospective device applications in catalysis, electrocatalysis and sensors. To this purpose, we also examine how the reactivity of the SACs in graphene towards the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) can be tuned with N-doping and with different substrates.

The development of catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction is pivotal for the hydrogen economy. Thin iron films covered with monolayer graphene exhibit outstanding catalytic activity, surpassing even that of platinum, as demonstrated by a method based on evaluating the noise in the tunnelling current of electrochemical scanning tunnelling microscopy. Using this approach, we mapped with atomic-scale precision the electrochemical activity of the graphene–iron interface, and determined that single iron atoms trapped within carbon vacancies and curved graphene areas on step edges are exceptionally active. Density functional theory calculations confirmed the sequence of activity obtained experimentally. This work exemplifies the potential of electrochemical scanning tunnelling microscopy as the only technique able to determine both the atomic structure and relative catalytic performance of atomically well-defined sites in electrochemical operando conditions and provides a detailed rationale for the design of novel catalysts based on cheap and abundant metals such as iron. Establishing structure–activity relationships is crucial for the design of improved catalysts. Now, by developing a method based on electrochemical scanning tunnelling microscopy, the active sites of graphene/iron/platinum interfaces are visualized with atomic-scale precision in real time during the hydrogen evolution reaction.

Gas sensors based on graphene are gaining more and more attention. The unique properties of the single-atom-thick, flexible, robust, and quanta-sensitive graphene make it an excellent candidate for sensors. However, its characteristics can be modified to suit specific applications by means of metal and nonmetal doping. In this systematic and detailed study, with the aid of density functional theory (DFT)-based simulations, we investigate the gas sensing capabilities of trapped transition-metal (TM) atoms at the graphene double vacancy (2VG). Eight different gas molecules, ranging from electron acceptors (Lewis acids) to donor species (Lewis bases), are investigated, namely, O2, NO2, NO, CO2, SO2, H2O, NH3, and CO. Four TM atoms Fe, Co, Ni, and Cu are considered as active sites for gas sensing. The effects of N-doping and the Ni(111) substrate are also examined. The performance of these systems in terms of stability, sensitivity, selectivity, and reusability is discussed for practical applications.

Molecules intercalate at the graphene/metal interface even though defect-free graphene is impermeable to any atomic and molecular species in the gas and liquid phase, except hydrogen. The mechanism of molecular intercalation is still a big open question. In this Letter, by means of a combined experimental (STM, XPS, and LEED) and theoretical (DFT) study, we present a proof of how CO molecules succeed in permeating the graphene layer and get into the confined zone between graphene and the Ni(111) surface. The presence of N-dopants in the graphene layer is found to highly facilitate the permeation process, reducing the CO threshold pressure by more than one order of magnitude, through the stabilization of multiatomic vacancy defects that are the open doors to the bidimensional nanospace, with crucial implications for the catalysis under cover and for the graphene-based electrochemistry.

Beyond two-dimensional (2D) materials, interfaces between 2D materials and underlying supports or 2D-coated metal or metal oxide nanoparticles exhibit excellent properties and promising applications. The hybrid interface between graphene and anatase TiO2 shows great importance in photocatalytic, catalytic, and nanomedical applications due to the excellent and complementary properties of the two materials. Water, as a ubiquitous and essential element in practical conditions and in the human body, plays a significant role in the applications of graphene/TiO2 composites for both electronic devices and nanomedicine. Carbon vacancies, as common defects in chemically prepared graphene, also need to be considered for the application of graphene-based materials. Therefore, the behavior of water on top and at the interface of defective graphene on anatase TiO2 surface was systematically investigated by dispersion-corrected hybrid density functional calculations. The presence of the substrate only slightly enhances the on-top adsorption and reduces the on-top dissociation of water on defective graphene. However, at the interface, dissociated water is largely preferred compared with undissociated water on bare TiO2 surface, showing a prominent cover effect. Reduced TiO2 may further induce oxygen diffusion into the bulk. Our results are helpful to understand how the presence of water in the surrounding environment affects structural and electronic properties of the graphene/TiO2 interface and thus its application in photocatalysis, electronic devices, and nanomedicine.

Formaldehyde (CH2O) adsorption on the anatase TiO2(101) surface was studied with a combination of experimental and theoretical methods. Scanning tunneling microscopy, noncontact atomic force microscopy, temperature-programmed desorption, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were employed on the experimental side. Density functional theory was used to calculate formaldehyde adsorption configurations and energy barriers for transitions between them. At low coverages (

Graphene-h-BN hybrid nanostructures are grown in one step on the Pt(111) surface by ultra-high vacuum chemical vapor deposition using a single precursor, the dimethylamino borane complex. By varying the deposition conditions, different nanostructures ranging from a fully continuous hybrid monolayer to well-separated Janus nanodots can be obtained. The growth starts with heterogeneous nucleation on morphological defects such as Pt step edges and proceeds by the addition of small clusters formed by the decomposition of the dimethylamino borane complex. Scanning tunneling microscopy measurements indicate that a sharp zigzag in-plane boundary is formed when graphene grows aligned with the Pt substrate and consequently with the h-BN layer as well. When graphene is rotated by 30°, the graphene armchair edges are seamlessly connected to h-BN zigzag edges. This is confirmed by a thorough density functional theory (DFT) study. Angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) data suggests that both h-BN and graphene present the typical electronic structure of self-standing non-interacting materials.[Figure not available: see fulltext.].

In this work, we present an overview on how density functional theory calculations can be used to design novel electrocatalytic materials for fuel cells. In particular, we focus the attention on non-metal doped graphene systems, which were reported to present excellent performances as electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at the cathodic electrode of fuel cells and are, thus, considered promising substitutes of platinum or platinum alloys electrodes. The methodology, originally proposed by Nørskov et al. (J. Phys. Chem. B 2004, 108, 17886) for electrochemical processes at metal electrodes, is revisited and applied specifically to doped graphene. Finite molecular models of graphene are found to perform as well as periodic models for localized properties or reactions. Therefore, the sophisticated molecular quantum mechanics methodologies can be safely used to compute reliable Gibbs free energies of reaction in an aqueous environment for the various steps of reduction (at the cathode) or of oxidation (at the anode). Details of the reaction mechanisms and accurate cell onset- or over-potentials can be derived from the Gibbs free energy diagrams. The latter are computational quantities which can be directly compared to experimentally obtained cell overpotentials. Modeling electrocatalysis at fuel cells is, thus, an extremely powerful and convenient tool to improve our understanding of how fuel cells work and to design novel potentially active electrocatalytic materials. In this work, we present two specific applications of B-doped graphene, as electrocatalysts for the ORR at a half-cell cathode and for the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) at a half-cell anode.

The structure and electronic properties of carbon-based nanostructures obtained by metal surface assisted synthesis is highly dependent on the nature of the precursor molecule. Here, we report on a combined scanning tunneling microscopy, soft X-ray spectroscopy and density functional theory investigation on the surface assisted polymerization of Br-corannulene at Ag(110) and on the possibility of building a mesh of ?-conjugated polymers starting from buckyball shaped molecules. Indeed, the corannulene units form one-molecule-wide ribbons in which the natural concavity of the precursor molecule is maintained. These C-based nanostructures are corrugated and merge into a covalent network on the surface.

The electronic properties of free-standing and Cu-supported pristine and boron-doped, nitrogen-doped, and codoped graphene have been studied by means of density functional theory (DFT) with the vdW-DF2-C09x functional. The effects of substitutional chemical doping, metal support, lattice parameter strain, and their eventual interplay have been investigated. We find that only boron-doped graphene strongly interacts with the copper substrate, due to chemical bonds between the boron atom and the underlying metal. The binding energy and charge transfer from Cu are also highly enhanced compared to both pristine and nitrogen-doped supported graphene. The BN codoped system behaves similarly to pristine graphene with a weakly physisorbed state and a small charge transfer from Cu. However, the presence of the nonmetal dopants makes the codoped sheet extremely tunable for redox purposes, with the boron site acting as an electron acceptor and the nitrogen site as an electron donor.

The surface-assisted synthesis of gold-organometallic hybrids on the Au(111) surface both by thermo- and light-initiated dehalogenation of bromo-substituted tetracene is reported. Combined X-ray photoemission (XPS) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) data reveal a significant increase of the surface order when mild reaction conditions are combined with 405 nm light irradiation.

The presence of defects in the graphenic layers deposited on metal surfaces modifies the nature of the interaction. Unsaturated carbon atoms, due to vacancies in the lattice, form strong organometallic bonds with surface metal atoms that highly enhance the binding energy between the two materials. We investigate by means of a wide set of dispersion-corrected density functional theory calculations how such strong chemical bonds affect both the electronic properties of these hybrid interfaces and the chemical reactivity with water, which is commonly present in the working conditions. We compare different metal substrates (Cu vs Pt) that present a different type of interaction with graphene and with defective graphene. This comparative analysis allows us to unravel the controlling factors of water reactivity, the role played by the carbon vacancies and by the confinement or "graphene cover effect". Water is capable of breaking the C-Cu bond by dissociating at the undercoordinated carbon atom of the vacancy, restoring the weak van der Waals type of interaction between the two materials that allows for an easy detachment of graphene from the metal, but the same is not true in the case of Pt, where C-Pt bonds are much stronger. These conclusions can be used to rationalize water reactivity at other defective graphene/metal interfaces.

Nanoparticles of very small size (below 10 nm) of TiO 2 material are nowadays the functional building blocks of many developing technological applications. Nano is clearly different from bulk or extended systems as regards surface area, molecular binding properties, charge separation efficiency, electron/hole transport, photochemical conversion properties, etc. In this work, we investigate the life path of energy (excitons) and charge (electrons and holes) carriers in anatase TiO 2 nanoparticles of different size (2–3 nm) and shape (faceted vs spherical), by means of a wide set of hybrid density functional theory calculations. The attention is focused on the exciton/charge carriers formation, separation, recombination, self-trapping processes, which are analyzed in terms of structural deformations, energy gain or cost, charge localization/delocalization and electronic transitions involved. The computational models are corroborated by an extensive comparison with available experimental data based on photoluminescence measurements, electron paramagnetic resonance and transient absorption spectroscopies. Peculiar differences are observed for spherical nanoparticles with respect to faceted ones because of the higher disorder and larger diversity of coordination sites present on the surface. For example, charge delocalization on several lattice sites is more competitive with self-trapping processes in faceted than in spherical nanoparticles. This relates to the fact that selective compression or elongation of Ti-O bonds play a key role in determining the effectiveness of trapping sites, with spherical nanoparticles being more flexible. Moreover, hydroxyl groups on surface five-fold coordinated Ti sites are also found to be good hole trapping sites.

The "catalysis under cover" involves chemical processes which take place in the confined zone between a 2D material, such as graphene, h-BN, or MoS2, and the surface of an underlying support, such as a metal or a semiconducting oxide. The hybrid interface between graphene and anatase TiO2 is extremely important for photocatalytic and catalytic applications because of the excellent and complementary properties of the two materials. We investigate and discuss the reactivity of O2 and H2O on top and at the interface of this hybrid system by means of a wide set of dispersion-corrected hybrid density functional calculations. Both pure and boron- or nitrogen-doped graphene are interfaced with the most stable (101) anatase surface of TiO2 in order to improve the chemical activity of the C-layer. Especially in the case of boron, an enhanced reactivity toward O2 dissociation is observed as a result of both the contribution of the dopant and of the confinement effect in the bidimensional area between the two surfaces. Extremely stable dissociation products are observed where the boron atom bridges the two systems by forming very stable B - O covalent bonds. Interestingly, the B defect in graphene could also act as the transfer channel of oxygen atoms from the top side across the C atomic layer into the G/TiO2 interface. On the contrary, the same conditions are not found to favor water dissociation, proving that the "catalysis under cover" is not a general effect, but rather highly depends on the interfacing material properties, on the presence of defects and impurities and on the specific reaction involved.

On-surface synthesis of thin organic and organometallic films in a bottom-up fashion has become a promising approach for the development of new nanotechnologies. In this work we studied 5,11-dibromotetracene (C18H10Br2) as a prototypical case of rodlike polyaromatic molecules functionalized with two bromine atoms on the sides. The adsorption and temperature-stimulated transformations of dibromotetracene assemblies on Ag(110) have been investigated by a combination of synchrotron radiation X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS), near-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (NEXAFS), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Upon the contact with the Ag substrate, the Br-C bonds are promptly cleaved at room temperature, and Ag-coordinated protopolymers are formed along the [001] substrate direction. The organometallic diners and trimers remain on the surface up to 523 K. The stabilization of the protopolymers is driven by the substrate anisotropy and weak interactions with nearby Br atoms. The short oligomers formed at elevated temperatures are weakly bounded to the substrate and desorb before covalent structures can be formed.

Boron-doped graphene was reported to be the best non-metal doped graphene electrocatalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) working at an onset potential of 0.035 V [JACS 136 (2014) 4394]. In the present DFT study, intermediates and transition structures along the possible reaction pathways are determined. Both Langmuir-Hinschelwood and Eley-Rideal mechanisms are discussed. Molecular oxygen binds the positively charged B atom and forms an open shell end-on dioxygen intermediate. The associative path is favoured with respect to the dissociative one. The free energy diagrams along the four-reduction steps are investigated with the methodology by N{\o}rskov and co. [JPC B 108 (2004) 17886] in both acidic and alkaline conditions. The pH effect on the stability of the intermediates of reduction is analyzed in terms of the Pourbaix diagram. At pH = 14 we compute an onset potential value for the electrochemical ORR of U = 0.05 V, which compares very well with the experimental value in alkaline conditions.

Graphene/TiO2 nanocomposites are successfully applied in both photocatalysis and photovoltaics. The enhanced performances are attributed to their improved interfacial charged transfer and charge separation, which reduce the recombination rate of the photoexcited charge carriers. Here, it is shown that only density functional methods which provide corrections for the spurious self-interaction and for the van der Waals forces can correctly describe the electronic structure, the adhesion energy, and the atomic equilibrium distances. It is also proven that residual O atoms at the interface largely enhances the binding energy and causes further electronic states hybridization between G and TiO2, which is expected to favor interfacial electron transfers. Finally, evidence that electrons are preferentially trapped at subsurface layers of TiO2, while holes are preferentially delocalized on the G sheet, is provided. This opposite tendency is proposed to be at the basis of the reduced recombination leading to the observed improved outcomes in photocatalytic and photovoltaic applications. Separation of photoexcited e-/h+ pairs at the interface between graphene and (101) anatase TiO2 surface is investigated through dispersion corrected hybrid density functional calculations. Electrons are preferentially trapped at second layer Ti3+ sites while holes tend to fully delocalize in the carbon layer with relevant consequences for photocatalysis and photovoltaics

By a combination of scanning tunneling microscopy, X-ray spectroscopic techniques and density functional theory calculations, we prove the formation of extended patterns of parallel, graphene nanoribbons with alternate zig-zag and armchair edges and selected width by surface-assisted Ullmann coupling polymerization and dehydrogenation of 1,6-dibromopyrene (C16H8Br2). Besides the relevance of these nanostructures for their possible application in nanodevices, we demonstrate the peculiarity of halogenated pyrene derivatives for the formation of nanoribbons, in particular on Ag(110). These results open the possibility of tuning the shape and dimension of nanoribbons (and hence the correlated electronic properties) by choosing suitably tailored or on-purpose designed molecular precursors.

Using hybrid functional electronic structure calculations, we have investigated the structure and energetics of photogenerated electrons and holes in the bulk and at the (101) surface of anatase TiO2. Excitons formed upon UV irradiation are found to become self-trapped, consistent with the observation of temperature-dependent Urbach tails in the absorption spectrum and a large Stokes shift in the photoluminescence band of anatase. Electron and hole polarons are localized at Ti3+ and O– lattice sites, respectively. At the surface, the trapping sites generally correspond to undercoordinated Ti3+5c and O–2c surface atoms or to isolated OH species in the case of a hydroxylated surface. The polaron trapping energy is considerably larger at the surface than in the bulk, indicating that it is energetically favorable for the polarons to travel from the bulk to the surface. Computed one-electron energy levels in the gap and hyperfine coupling constants compare favorably with oxidation potential and EPR measurements.

The (17)O and (1)H hyperfine interactions of water ligands in the Ti(III) aquo complex in a frozen solution were determined using Hyperfine Sublevel Correlation (HYSCORE) and Pulse Electron Nuclear Double Resonance (ENDOR) spectroscopies at 9.5 GHz. The isotropic hyperfine interaction (hfi) constant of the water ligand (17)O was found to be about 7.5 MHz. (1)H Single Matched Resonance Transfer (SMART) HYSCORE spectra allowed resolution of the hfi interactions of the two inequivalent water ligand protons and the relative orientations of their hfi tensors. The magnetic and geometrical parameters extracted from the experiments were compared with the results of DFT computations for different geometrical arrangements of the water ligands around the cation. The theoretical observable properties (g tensor (1)H and (17)O hfi tensors and their orientations) of the [Ti(H(2)O)(6)](3+) complex are in quantitative agreement with the experiments for two slightly different geometrical arrangements associated with D(3d) and C(i) symmetries.

Continuous wave (CW) and pulse electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) experiments, in conjunction with density functional theory (DFT) calculations, provide a detailed description of defective centres produced upon nitrogen doping of polycrystalline ZnO. Two distinct paramagnetic species are formed upon annealing of ZnO nanoparticles in an NH3 atmosphere, which are characterized by the interaction of the unpaired electron with one and two N nuclei. HYSCORE experiments provide the full hyperfine and quadrupole interaction tensors for the monomeric defect, which, on the basis of quantum chemical calculations, is assigned to a nitrogen ion substituting a lattice oxygen ion. © 2010 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Fluorine-doped titanium dioxide was prepared via sol-gel synthesis and subsequent calcination in air. The presence of fluorine in the lattice induces the formation of reduced Ti3+ centers that localize the extra electron needed for charge compensation and are observed by electron paramagnetic resonance. Density functional theory calculations using hybrid functionals are in full agreement with such description. The extra electron is highly localized in a 3d orbital of titanium and lies a few tenths of an electron volt below the bottom of the conduction band. The preparation via sol-gel synthesis using aqueous solutions of fluorides also causes the formation of surface F- ions that substitute surface hydroxyl groups (OH -) without generating reduced centers. © 2008 American Chemical Society.

The adsorption of small amounts of alkali metal atoms (Li, Na, K, Rb, and Cs) on the surface of MgO powders and thin films has been studied by means of EPR spectroscopy and DFT calculations. From a comparison of the measured and computed g values and hyperfine coupling constants (hfccs), a tentative assignment of the preferred adsorption sites is proposed. All atoms bind preferentially to surface oxide anions, but the location of these anions differs as a function of the deposition temperature and alkali metal. Lithium forms relatively strong bonds with MgO and can be stabilized at low temperatures on terrace sites. Potassium interacts very weakly with MgO and is stabilized only at specific sites, such as at reverse corners where it can interact simultaneously with three surface oxygen atoms (rubidium and cesium presumably behave in the same way). Sodium forms bonds of intermediate strength and could, in principle, populate more than a single site when deposited at room temperature. In all cases, large deviations of the hfccs from the gas-phase values are observed. These reductions in the hfccs are due to polarization effects and are not connected to ionization of the alkali metal, which would lead to the formation of an adsorbed cation and a trapped electron. In this respect, hydrogen atoms behave completely differently. Under similar conditions, they form (H(+))(e(-)) pairs. The reasons for this different behavior are discussed.

Graphene inertness towards chemical reactivity can be considered as an accepted postulate by the research community. This limit has been recently overcome by chemically and physically modifying graphene through non-metal doping or interfacing with acceptor/donor materials (metals or semiconductors). As a result, outstanding performances as catalytic, electrocatalytic, and photocatalytic material have been observed. In this critical Review we report computational work performed, by our group, on the reactivity of free-standing, metal- and semiconductor-supported B-doped graphene towards oxygen, which is at the basis of extremely important energy-related chemical processes, such as the oxygen reduction reaction. It appears that a combination of doping and interfacing approaches for the activation of graphene can open unconventional and unprecedented reaction paths, thus boosting the potential of modified graphene in many chemical applications. Boron found to matter: Advanced density functional studies on the enhancement of oxygen reactivity through non-metal doping and/or interfacing graphene with metal (copper) and semiconductor (TiO2) surfaces are reviewed. Oxidized boron species are formed in the graphene sheets. These are bound to the underlying support through direct covalent bonds, which enhances the intimate connection between materials with different chemical and physical properties, thus creating an interactive hybrid interface.

A combination of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra and density functional theory (DFT) calculations is used to characterize the paramagnetic species in rutile N-doped SnO2 samples synthesized by wet chemistry methods. In particular, the nature of paramagnetic N species, substitutional or interstitial, and their effect on the electronic structure are discussed. Complex EPR spectra generated by the interaction of the unpaired electron with N and Sn nuclei have been accurately simulated to obtain the EPR properties (g and A tensors). The results suggest that the N dopants form a rather symmetric structure with three magnetically equivalent or nearly equivalent Sn atoms surrounding the N impurity. After a careful assessment of an all-electron basis set for Sn atoms, realistic models of substitutional and interstitial N-doped SnO2 structures have been designed, and the corresponding hyperfine coupling constants (hpcc) were computed. The comparison between computed and measured hpcc values leads to the assignment of the paramagnetic centers in N-doped SnO2 to substitutional N dopants that take the position of the O atoms in the lattice. The DFT calculations finally suggest the N impurities induce the formation of localized empty states (electron holes) in the intra band gap region.

Molecular oxygen reactivity on pristine and B-doped graphene over crystalline Cu(111) surface has been investigated by means of density functional theory (DFT) calculations and the periodic supercell approach. Results obtained for the supported undoped and doped systems have been compared to establish the effect of B-doping on the reactivity and on the interface adhesion, which are found to be both highly boosted. Additionally, results obtained for free standing pristine and B-doped graphene have been compared to those obtained for the metal supported counterparts in order to determine how the reactivity is affected by the presence of the metal substrate. Cu is found to be an n-type donor which enhances the reactivity of pristine graphene. However, in the case of B-doped graphene, the n-type doping by the metal surpasses the p-type doping by boron causing a reduction in the reactivity. Finally, the possibility that the oxygen could dissociate at the graphene/metal interface is investigated. Some of the reaction products are found to be more stable than those obtained with oxygen dissociating on the top side of the graphene sheet. This provides some significant insight into the confinement effect on the surface chemistry of molecules underneath which is currently a hot topic in the field.

Singly and multiply doped graphene oxide quantum dots have been synthesized by a simple electrochemical method using water as solvent. The obtained materials have been characterized by photoemission spectroscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy, in order to get a detailed picture of their chemical and structural properties. The electrochemical activity toward the oxygen reduction reaction of the doped graphene oxide quantum dots has been investigated by cyclic voltammetry and rotating disk electrode measurements, showing a clear decrease of the overpotential as a function of the dopant according to the sequence: N ∼ B > B,N. Moreover, assisted by density functional calculations of the Gibbs free energy associated with every electron transfer, we demonstrate that the selectivity of the reaction is controlled by the oxidation states of the dopants: as-prepared graphene oxide quantum dots follow a two-electron reduction path that leads to the formation of hydrogen peroxide, whereas after the reduction with NaBH4, the same materials favor a four-electron reduction of oxygen to water. (Chemical Equation Presented).

The nature of hole centers in a series of MeO2 (TiO2, ZrO2, HfO2) metal oxides doped with trivalent Al or Ga ions has been investigated coupling the classic continuous wave electron paramagnetic resonance (CW-EPR) technique with advanced density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The insertion of an aliovalent ion in the structure of the tetravalent oxides is compensated by the creation of oxygen vacancies leading to diamagnetic defective systems. The hole centers are observed by EPR after irradiation using ultraviolet (UV) frequencies (with consequent formation of an electron-hole pair) and trapping of the photogenerated electron. The distortion imparted by the presence of the dopant stabilizes these centers. This generates a rich superhyperfine structure, since the dopants employed in this investigation (Al and Ga) have a nonzero nuclear spin. The DFT calculations performed on a wide set of possible hole-trapping sites occurring in the solid, allow us to identify (comparing the calculated EPR parameters of various models with the experimental ones) the nature of the observed hole centers in all cases. These are always three-coordinated oxygen ions with one Al (or Ga) ion in the first coordinative sphere. As it has been observed in other cases of holes centers, the spin density associated with the unpaired electron is concentrated in an O p-orbital with a modest delocalization toward the first neighboring ions.

Using all electron fully relativistic DFT calculations we, have computed the EPR properties of Au atoms bound to various sites of the MgO surface. Changes in g-tensor and hyperfine coupling constants provide a way to identify the gold adsorption site and to map the surface morphology by comparison of measured and calculated EPR spectra. We found a strong reduction of the isotropic hyperfine coupling constant, a(iso)(Au), for adsorbed gold compared to the free atom; this reduction, which is about 45\% for terrace sites, is more pronounced when Au interacts with low-coordinated sites like steps, edges and corners where it is about 60\%. The reduction of a(iso)(Au) is accompanied by a corresponding increase of the superhyperfine interaction with the surface oxygen sites, as measured by a(iso)(O-17). Large anisotropies in the g-tensor are computed for all sites.

The nature of electron traps at the surface of polycrystalline MgO is analyzed for the first time in terms of interaction of the electron spin with the nuclear spin of the O-17 anions of the surface. MgO crystals enriched in the O-17 isotope have been prepared and the corresponding hyperfine coupling constants have been measured in EPR spectra. The trapped electrons are produced by exposure of the samples to H-2 followed by UV irradiation, with consequent production of paramagnetic (H+)(e(-)) centers. The EPR spectrum shows a multiplet structure with two main sextets separated by 51 and 10 G, respectively, due to the interaction of the unpaired electron with two nonequivalent O-17 nuclei. The results are interpreted based on accurate quantum chemical calculations. It is suggested that the paramagnetic centers observed correspond to (H+)(e(-)) pairs formed at step sites of the MgO surface

The dispersion of small amounts of Ce4+ ions in the bulk of ZrO2 leads to a photoactive material sensitive to visible light. This is shown by monitoring with EPR the formation and the reactivity of photogenerated (λ > 420 nm) charge carriers. The effect, as confirmed by DFT calculations, is due to the presence in the solid of empty 4f Ce states at the mid gap, which act as intermediate levels in a double excitation mechanism. This solid can be considered an example of a third-generation photoactive material. © 2014 American Chemical Society.

We demonstrate that graphene oxide can be efficiently reduced by evaporating metal Titanium in high vacuum. A detailed description of this reaction is provided by combining in situ photoemission spectroscopy measurements and DFT calculations: the titanium atoms readily react with the oxygenated groups of graphene oxide, disrupting the C-O bonds, with the consequent formation of titania and the recovery of the se hybridized carbon atoms. When all surface oxygen is consumed, titanium can react with the carbon substrate and form carbidic species. Resonant photoemission spectroscopy measurements allow identifying the presence and exact energy position in the valence band of the Ti-C and Ti-O-C states, which are supposed to control the electron and energy transfer across the TiO2/graphene interface. Therefore with this study we provide a versatile method and the rationale for controlling, at the atomic level, the nature of the interface of graphene/metal oxide nanocomposites. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

CONSPECTUS: Very rarely do researchers use metal oxides in their pure and fully stoichiometric form. In most of the countless applications of these compounds, ranging from catalysis to electronic devices, metal oxides are either doped or defective because the most interesting chemical, electronic, optical, and magnetic properties arise when foreign components or defects are introduced in the lattice. Similarly, many metal oxides are diamagnetic materials and do not show a response to specific spectroscopies such as electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. However, doped or defective oxides may exhibit an interesting and informative paramagnetic behavior. Doped and defective metal oxides offer an expanding range of applications in contemporary condensed matter science; therefore researchers have devoted enormous effort to the understanding their physical and chemical properties. The interplay between experiment and computation is particularly useful in this field, and contemporary simulation techniques have achieved high accuracies with these materials. In this Account, we show how the direct comparison between spectroscopic experimental and computational data for some selected and relevant materials provides ways to understand and control these complex systems. We focus on the EPR properties and electronic transitions that arise from the presence of dopants and defects in bulk metal oxide materials. We analyze and compare the effect of nitrogen doping in TiO2 and ZnO (two semiconducting oxides) and MgO (a wide gap insulator) and examine the effect of oxygen deficiency in the semiconducting properties of TiO2-x, ZnO1-x, and WO3-x materials. We chose these systems because of their relevance in applications including photocatalysis, touch screens, electrodes in magnetic random access memories, and smart glasses. Density functional theory (DFT) provides the general computational framework used to illustrate the electronic structure of these systems. However, for a more accurate description of the oxide band gap and of the electron localization of the impurity states associated with dopants or defects, we resorted to the use of hybrid functionals (B3LYP), where a portion of exact exchange in the exchange-correlation functional partly corrects for the self-interaction error inherent in DFT. In many cases, the self-interaction correction is very important, and these results can lead to a completely different physical picture than that obtained using local or semilocal functionals. We analyzed the electronic transitions in terms of their transition energy levels, which provided a more accurate comparison with experimental spectroscopic data than Kohn-Sham eigenvalues. The effects of N-doping were similar among the three oxides that we considered. The nature of the impurity state is always localized at the dopant site, which may limit their application in photocatalytic processes. Photocatalytic systems require highly delocalized photoexcited carriers within the material to effectively trigger redox processes at the surface. The nature of the electronic states associated with the oxygen deficiency differed widely in the three investigated oxides. In ZnO1-x and WO3-x the electronic states resemble the typical F-centers in insulating oxides or halides, with the excess electron density localized at the vacancy site. However, TiO2 acts as a reducible oxide, and the removal of neutral oxygen atoms reduced Ti(4+) to Ti(3+).

Graphene inertness towards chemical reactivity can be considered as an accepted postulate by the research community. This limit has been recently overcome by chemically and physically modifying graphene through non-metal doping or interfacing with acceptor/donor materials (metals or semiconductors). As a result, outstanding performances as catalytic, electrocatalytic, and photocatalytic material have been observed. In this critical Review we report computational work performed, by our group, on the reactivity of free-standing, metal- and semiconductor-supported B-doped graphene towards oxygen, which is at the basis of extremely important energy-related chemical processes, such as the oxygen reduction reaction. It appears that a combination of doping and interfacing approaches for the activation of graphene can open unconventional and unprecedented reaction paths, thus boosting the potential of modified graphene in many chemical applications.

It has been experimentally observed that Ti doping of bulk ZrO(2) induces a large red-shift of the optical absorption edge of the material from 5.3 to 4.0 eV [Livraghi et al., J. Phys. Chem. C, 2010, 114, 18553-18558]. In this work, density functional calculations based on the hybrid functional B3LYP show that Ti dopants in the substitutional position to Zr in the tetragonal lattice cause the formation of an empty Ti 3d band about 0.5 eV below the bottom of the conduction band. The optical transition level ε(opt)(0/-1) from the topmost valence state to the lowest empty Ti impurity state is found at 4.9 eV in a direct band gap of 5.7 eV. The calculated shift is consistent with the experimental observation. The presence of Ti(3+) species in Ti-doped ZrO(2), probed by means of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), is rationalized as the result of electron transfers from intrinsic defect states, such as oxygen vacancies, to substitutional Ti(4+) centers.

Nitrogen boron co-doped TiO2 prepared via sol-gel synthesis and active under visible light, contains two types of paramagnetic extrinsic defects, both exhibiting a well resolved EPR spectrum. The first center is the well characterized [NiO](center dot) species (i = interstitial) also present in N-doped TiO2, while the second one involves both N and B. This latter center (labeled [NOB](center dot)) exhibits well resolved EPR spectra obtained using either 14 N or 15 N which show a high spin density in a N 2p orbital. The structure of the [NOB](center dot) species is different from that previously proposed in the literature and is actually based on the presence of interstitial N and B atoms both bound to the same lattice oxygen ion. The interstitial B is also linked to two other lattice oxygen ions reproducing the trigonal planar structure typical of boron compounds. The energy level of the [NOB](center dot) center lies near the edge of the valence band of TiO2 and, as such, does not contribute to the visible light absorption. However, [NOB](center dot) can easily trap one electron generating the [NOB](center dot) diamagnetic center which introduces a gap state at about 0.4 eV above the top of the valence band. This latter species can contribute to the visible light activity.

The formation of O(2) (-) radical anions by contact of O(2) molecules with a Na pre-covered MgO surface is studied by a combined EPR and quantum chemical approach. Na atoms deposited on polycrystalline MgO samples are brought into contact with O(2). The typical EPR signal of isolated Na atoms disappears when the reaction with O(2) takes place and new paramagnetic species are observed, which are attributed to different surface-stabilised O(2) (-) radicals. Hyperfine sublevel correlation (HYSCORE) spectroscopy allows the superhyperfine interaction tensor of O(2) (-)Na(+) species to be determined, demonstrating the direct coordination of the O(2) (-) adsorbate to surface Na(+) cations. DFT calculations enable the structural details of the formed species to be determined. Matrix-isolated alkali superoxides are used as a standard to enable comparison of the formed species, revealing important and unexpected contributions of the MgO matrix in determining the electronic structure of the surface-stabilised Na(+)-O(2) (-) complexes.

Oxidation of magnesium nitride, Mg3N2, leads to segregated nitrogen impurities within the bulk of MgO. Electron paramagnetic resonance experiments in conjunction with quantum chemical calculations allow us to identify these paramagnetic centers as N2- radical anions trapped in anion vacancies in the bulk of MgO. The characteristics of the defect center, derived from the spin Hamiltonian parameters, exhibit similarities but also some interesting differences with respect to the classical N2- species in KCl, a sort of prototype of molecular anions trapped in ionic crystals. © 2010 American Chemical Society.

N-doped titanium dioxide has been prepared generating a nitrogen plasma in the atmosphere over a sample of pre-reduced TiO(2). This solid, investigated by EPR and XPS, is similar to materials prepared via sol-gel or different chemical methods. The cleaner preparation method, however, avoids complications in the assignments due to by-products of the chemical synthesis. The experiment unambiguously confirms previous theoretical forecast and indicates the formation of an interstitial paramagnetic nitrogen species already described in the case of sol-gel prepared materials. The energy of this species lies slightly over the valence band limit and well below the Ti(3+) states of reduced TiO(2). (C) 2009 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.

In this Letter the interaction of Li atoms with terrace sites of MgO(001) surfaces is characterized by combining EPR spectroscopy with theoretical calculations. The Li atoms adsorbed to MgO terrace sites show a reduction of the isotropic hyperfine coupling constant by approximately 50% with respect to Li atoms in the gas phase. In combination with theoretical calculations it can be shown that this reduction of the hyperfine coupling constant is not due to a charge transfer between Li and MgO but can be understood by a polarization of the Li atoms which are essentially neutral. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Recent experiments have indicated that titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) codoped with nitrogen and fluorine may show enhanced photocatalytic activity in the visible region with respect to TiO(2) doped only with nitrogen. Prompted by these findings, we have investigated N-F codoped TiO(2) through a combined theoretical and experimental study. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations have been carried out both within the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and using hybrid functionals to accurately describe the electronic structure; substitutional as well as interstitial locations of nitrogen in the TiO(2) lattice were considered. From these calculations we infer that N-F codoping reduces the. energy cost of doping and also the amount of defects (number of oxygen vacancies) in the lattice, as a consequence of the charge compensation between the nitrogen (p-dopant) and the fluorine (n-dopant) impurities. The UV-visible spectra of the sol-gel prepared TiO(2) powders confirm the synergistic effect of N-F codoping: more impurities are introduced in the lattice with an increased optical absorption in the visible. EPR spectroscopy measurements on the codoped samples identify two paramagnetic species which are associated to bulk N impurities (N(b)(center dot)) and Ti(3+) ions. Preliminary photocatalytic tests also indicate an enhanced activity under vis-light irradiation toward degradation of methylene blue for the codoped system with respect to N-doped TiO(2).

In this work we present a simplified procedure to use hybrid functionals and localized atomic basis sets to simulate scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) images of stoichiometric, reduced and hydroxylated rutile (110) TiO2 surface. For the two defective systems it is necessary to introduce some exact Hartree-Fock exchange in the exchange functional in order to correctly describe the details of the electronic structure. Results are compared to the standard density functional theory and planewave basis set approach. Both methods have advantages and drawbacks that are analyzed in detail. In particular, for the localized basis set approach, it is necessary to introduce a number of Gaussian function in the vacuum region above the surface in order to correctly describe the exponential decay of the integrated local density of states from the surface. In the planewave periodic approach, a thick vacuum region is required to achieve correct results. Simulated STM images are obtained for both the reduced and hydroxylated surface which nicely compare with experimental findings. A direct comparison of the two defects as displayed in the simulated STM images indicates that the OH groups should appear brighter than oxygen vacancies in perfect agreement with the experimental STM data. (C) 2007 American Institute of Physics

Nitrogen doped titanium dioxide is attracting a continuously increasing attention because of its potential as material for environmental photocatalysis. In this paper we review experimental and theoretical work done on this system in our groups in recent years. The analysis is largely based on electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra and on their interpretation based on high-level ab initio calculations. N-doped anatase TiO2 contains thermally stable single N-atom impurities either as charged diamagnetic N-b(-) centers or as neutral paramagnetic N-b(.) centers (b stays for bulk). The N-atoms can occupy both interstitial or substitutional positions in the solid, with some evidence for a preference for interstitial sites. All types of N-b centers give rise to localized states in the band-gap of the oxide, thus accounting for the related reduction of absorption band edge. The relative abundance of these species depends on the oxidation state of the solid. In fact, upon reduction, oxygen vacancies form and transfer electrons from Ti3+ ions to the N-b(.) with formation of Ti4+ and N-b(.). EPR spectra measured under irradiation show that the Nb centers are responsible for visible light absorption with promotion of electrons from the localized N-impurity states to the conduction band or to electron scavengers like O-2 adsorbed on the surface. These results provide an unambiguous characterization of the electronic states associated with N-impurities in TiO2 and a realistic picture of the processes occurring in the solid under irradiation with visible light.

Nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide (N-TiO2), a photocatalytic material active in visible light, has been investigated by a combined experimental and theoretical approach. The material contains singleatom nitrogen impurities that form either diamagnetic (Nb -) or paramagnetic (Nb ¥) bulk centers. Both types of Nb centers give rise to localized states in the band gap of the oxide. The relative abundance of these species depends on the oxidation state of the solid, as, upon reduction, electron transfer from Ti3+ ions to Nb ¥ results in the formation of Ti4+ and Nb -. EPR spectra measured under irradiation show that Nb centers are responsible for visible light absorption with promotion of electrons from the band gap localized states to the conduction band or to surface-adsorbed electron scavengers. These results provide a characterization of the electronic states associated with N impurities in TiO2 and, for the first time, a picture of the processes occurring in the solid under irradiation with visible light

Surface excess electrons are remarkable chemical entities that provide great opportunities for the design of new materials with precisely tuned electronic and magnetic properties. In this Account, we describe the structure and electronic properties of excess electron centers generated at the surface of insulating oxides. We also outline the elementary mechanisms that are at the basis of the generation of excess electrons at solid surfaces, setting a comparison to the general problem of excess electron localization in condensed media. Emphasis is given to morphological aspects relative to the surface-trapping sites as deduced from combined electron paramagnetic resonance and accurate quantum chemical calculations. The remarkable reactivity featured by the so formed “electron-rich” surfaces is illustrated, describing the reduction of simple diatomic molecules that form adsorbed radical anions via direct surface to adsorbate electron transfer.

The bonding, spin density related properties, and vibrational frequency of CO bound to single Au atom in the gas-phase or supported on MgO surfaces have been investigated with a variety of computational methods and models: periodic plane waves calculations have been compared with molecular approaches based on atomic orbital basis sets; pseudopotential methods with all electron fully relativistic calculations; various density functional theory (DFT) exchange-correlation functionals with the unrestricted coupled-cluster singles and doubles with perturbative connected triples {[CCSD(T)]. AuCO is a bent molecule but the potential for bending is very soft, and small changes in the bond angle result in large changes in the CO gas-phase vibrational frequency. At the equilibrium geometry the DFT calculated vibrational shift of CO with respect to the free molecule is about -150 cm(-1), whereas smaller values -60/-70 cm(-1) are predicted by the more accurate CCSD(T) method. These relatively large differences are due to the weak and nonclassic bonding in this complex. Upon adsorption on MgO, the CO vibrational shift becomes much larger, about -290 cm(-1), due to charge transfer from the basic surface oxide anion to AuCO. This large redshift is predicted by all methods, and is fully consistent with that measured for MgO/AuCO complexes. The strong influence of the support on the AuCO bonding is equally well described by all different approaches.}

International audience; In order to assign the defect responsible for the experimental electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) signal with trigonal symmetry (T center), we have studied the properties of different paramagnetic centers in yttria-stabilized cubic zirconia by computing the EPR g-tensor from density functional perturbation theory. We have considered reduced vacancy-zirconium complexes and reduced Ti impurities. These first-principles calculations allow us to discard the experimental assignment of the T center to an extrinsic Ti3+ ion nearest neighbor to a single vacancy. Instead, the calculated EPR g tensors of both a Zr3+ or a Ti3+ ion at the center of a divacancy aligned along the directions are compatible with the experimental EPR signal. However, since the EPR signal of the T center is correlated experimentally with an optical absorption band at 370 nm, calculated optical excitations allow us to decide in favor of the Ti3+ divacancy complex.

We report g tensors of surface color centers, so-called F(s) (+) centers, of MgO calculated with two density-functional approaches using accurately embedded cluster models. In line with recent UHV measurements on single-crystalline MgO film, we determined only small g-tensor anisotropies and negative shifts Deltag identical with g-g(e) for all F(s) (+) sites considered, namely, (001)-terrace, step, edge, and corner sites. The g values are very sensitive to the local structure of the defect: relaxation reverses the sign of Deltag. However, accounting for the spin-orbit interaction either self-consistently or perturbatively yields very similar results. In addition to the values of the tensor components, their direction with respect to the surface was determined. In contrast to edges, significant deviations from ideal C(2v) symmetry were found for F(s) (+) centers at steps. Recent data on single-crystalline thin films are reevaluated in the light of these results.