| 1. |
- Andersson, David A., et al.
(författare)
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Modeling of Ce2, Ce2O3 ,and CeO2-x in the LDA+U formalism
- 2007
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Ingår i: Physical Review B Condensed Matter. - 0163-1829 .- 1095-3795. ; 75, s. 035109-1-035109-6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The electronic structure and thermodynamic properties of CeO2 and Ce2O3 have been studied from first principles by the all-electron projector-augmented-wave (PAW) method, as implemented in the ab initio total-energy and molecular-dynamics program VASP (Vienna ab initio simulation package). The local density approximation (LDA)+U formalism has been used to account for the strong on-site Coulomb repulsion among the localized Ce 4f electrons. We discuss how the properties of CeO2 and Ce2O3 are affected by the choice of U as well as the choice of exchange-correlation potential, i.e., the local density approximation or the generalized gradient approximation. Further, reduction of CeO2, leading to formation of Ce2O3 and CeO2-x, and its dependence on U and exchange-correlation potential have been studied in detail. Our results show that by choosing an appropriate U it is possible to consistently describe structural, thermodynamic, and electronic properties of CeO2, Ce2O3, and CeO2-x, which enables modeling of redox processes involving ceria-based materials.
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| 2. |
- Andersson, David A., et al.
(författare)
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Redox properties of CeO2-MO2 MO2 (M=Ti, Zr, Hf or Th) solid solutions from first principles calculations
- 2007
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Ingår i: Applied Physics Letters. - : AIP Publishing. - 0003-6951 .- 1077-3118. ; 90:3, s. 031909-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The authors have used density functional theory calculations to investigate how the redox thermodynamics and kinetics of CeO2 are influenced by forming solid solutions with TiO2, ZrO2, HfO2, and ThO2. Reduction is facilitated by dissolving TiO2 (largest improvement), HfO2, or ZrO2 (least improvement), while ThO2 makes reduction slightly more difficult. The migration barrier is much lower in the neighborhood of a Ti (largest decrease), Hf, or Zr (least decrease), while the binding energy of solute ions and vacancies increases in the same sequence. They rationalize the properties of ceria solid solutions in terms of defect cluster relaxations.
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| 3. |
- Andersson, David A., et al.
(författare)
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Theoretical study of CeO(2) doped with tetravalent ions
- 2007
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Ingår i: Physical Review B Condensed Matter. - 0163-1829 .- 1095-3795. ; 76, s. 1741191-17411910
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We have used density functional theory calculations within the LDA+U formulation to investigate how small amounts of dissolved SiO2, GeO2, SnO2, or PbO2 affect the redox thermodynamics of ceria (CeO2). Compared to pure ceria, reduction is facilitated and the reducibility increases in the sequence of CeO2-SnO2, CeO2-GeO2, and CeO2-SiO2, which correlates with the decrease of the ionic radii of the solutes. For low solute concentrations, there is an inverse relation between high reducibility and the solution energy of tetravalent solutes. CeO2-PbO2 is unique in the sense that the initial reduction occurs by Pb(IV)double right arrow Pb(II) instead of the usual Ce(IV)double right arrow Ce(III) reaction. Among the investigated ceria compounds, CeO2-PbO2 has the lowest reduction energy and rather low solution energy. We have studied how the solution and reduction energies depend on the concentration of Si, Ge, Sn, Pb, Ti, Zr, Hf, and Th solute ions. While the solution energy increases monotonously with concentration, the reduction energy first decreases, as compared to pure ceria (except for Th, which exhibits a small increase), and with further increase of solute concentration, it either remains almost constant (Zr, Hf, and Th) or slightly increases (Ti, Si, Ge, and Sn).
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| 4. |
- Dubrovinsky, L., et al.
(författare)
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Noblest of all metals is structurally unstable at high pressure
- 2007
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Ingår i: Physical Review Letters. - : American Physical Society. - 0031-9007 .- 1079-7114. ; 98:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In a series of experiments in externally electrically heated diamond anvil cells we demonstrate that at pressures above similar to 240 GPa gold adopts a hexagonal-close-packed structure. Ab initio calculations predict that at pressures about 250 GPa different stacking sequences of close-packed atomic layers in gold become virtually degenerate in energy, strongly supporting the experimental observations.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Isaev, E. I., et al.
(författare)
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Phonon related properties of transition metals, their carbides, and nitrides : A first-principles study
- 2007
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Ingår i: Journal of Applied Physics. - : AIP Publishing. - 0021-8979 .- 1089-7550. ; 101:12
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Lattice dynamics of body-centered cubic (bcc) V-b-VIb group transition metals (TM), and B1-type monocarbides and mononitrides of IIIb-VIb transition metals are studied by means of first-principles density functional perturbation theory, ultra soft pseudopotentials, and generalized gradient approximation to the exchange-correlation functional. Ground state parameters of transition metals and their compounds are correctly reproduced with the generated ultrasoft pseudopotentials. The calculated phonon spectra of the bcc metals are in excellent agreement with results of inelastic neutron scattering experiments. We show that the superconductivity of transition metal carbides (TMC) and transition metal nitrides (TMN) is related to peculiarities of the phonon spectra, and the anomalies of the spectra are connected to the number of valence electrons in crystals. The calculated electron-phonon interaction constants for TM, TMC, and TMN are in excellent agreement with experimentally determined values. Phonon spectra for a number of monocarbides and mononitrides of transition metals within the cubic NaCl- and hexagonal WC-type structures are predicted. Ideal stoichiometric B1 crystals of ScC, YC, and VC are predicted to be dynamically stable and superconducting materials. We also conclude that YN is a semiconductor.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Andersson, David A., et al.
(författare)
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Optimization of ionic conductivity in doped ceria
- 2006
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. - 0027-8424 .- 1091-6490. ; 103:10, s. 3518-3521
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Oxides with the cubic fluorite structure, e.g., ceria (CeO2), are known to be good solid electrolytes when they are doped with cations of lower valence than the host cations. The high ionic conductivity of doped ceria makes it an attractive electrolyte for solid oxide fuel cells, whose prospects as an environmentally friendly power source are very promising. In these electrolytes, the current is carried by oxygen ions that are transported by oxygen vacancies, present to compensate for the lower charge of the dopant cations. Ionic conductivity in ceria is closely related to oxygen-vacancy formation and migration properties. A clear physical picture of the connection between the choice of a dopant and the improvement of ionic conductivity in ceria is still lacking. Here we present a quantum-mechanical first-principles study of the influence of different trivalent impurities on these properties. Our results reveal a remarkable correspondence between vacancy properties at the atomic level and the macroscopic ionic conductivity. The key parameters comprise migration barriers for bulk diffusion and vacancy-dopant interactions, represented by association (binding) energies of vacancy-dopant clusters. The interactions can be divided into repulsive elastic and attractive electronic parts. In the optimal electrolyte, these parts should balance. This finding offers a simple and clear way to narrow the search for superior dopants and combinations of dopants. The ideal dopant should have an effective atomic number between 61 (Pm) and 62 (Sm), and we elaborate that combinations of Nd/Sm and Pr/Gd show enhanced ionic conductivity, as compared with that for each element separately.
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| 9. |
- Baykov, Vitaly, et al.
(författare)
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Magnetic properties of 3d impurities in GaAs
- 2007
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Ingår i: Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials. - : Elsevier. - 0304-8853 .- 1873-4766. ; 310:2, s. 2120-2122
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Electronic structure, thermodynamic, and magnetic properties of 3d-transition metal (TM) impurities in GaAs have been studied from first principles using Green's function approach. The studied TM impurities (V, Cr, Mn, and Fe) are found to form substitutional alloys on the Ga sublattice. The possibility of raising the Curie temperature TC in (GaMn) As by co-doping it with Cr impurities was examined on the basis of total energy difference between the disordered local moment (DLM) and the ferromagnetically ordered (FM) spin configurations. The calculated Curie temperature and magnetic moment have maxima for GaAs doped with Cr and Mn. The magnetic properties of Mn-doped GaAs are shown to be more sensitive to antisite As defects than those of Cr-doped GaAs. However, the Cr impurities are sensitive to the presence of acceptor defects, such as vacancies on the Ga sublattice. The investigation of the electronic structure of pseudo-ternary alloys (Ga(1-x-y)MnxCry) As has shown a mutual compensation of Mn and Cr impurities. Therefore, in order to reach the highest critical temperature, GaAs has to be separately doped with Cr or Mn impurities. The GaAs doped with Fe is found to be non-ferromagnetic.
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| 10. |
- Dubrovinskaia, N., et al.
(författare)
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Beating the miscibility barrier between iron group elements and magnesium by high-pressure alloying
- 2005
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Ingår i: Physical Review Letters. - : American Physical Society. - 0031-9007 .- 1079-7114. ; 95:24
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Iron and magnesium are almost immiscible at ambient pressure. The low solubility of Mg in Fe is due to a very large size mismatch between the alloy components. However, the compressibility of Mg is much higher than that of Fe, and therefore the difference in atomic sizes between elements decreases dramatically with pressure. Based on the predictions of ab initio calculations, we demonstrate in a series of experiments in a multianvil apparatus and in electrically and laser-heated diamond anvil cells that high pressure promotes solubility of magnesium in iron. At the megabar pressure range, more than 10 at. % of Mg can dissolve in Fe and then the alloy can be quenched to ambient conditions. A generality of the concept of high-pressure alloying between immiscible elements is demonstrated by its application to two other Fe group elements, Co and Ni.
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